Make error message text selectable on desktop web in DotIndicatorMessage by MelvinBot · Pull Request #86271 · Expensify/App

MelvinBot · 2026-03-24T19:09:35Z

Explanation of Change

Error messages in chat (rendered via ErrorMessageRow → MessagesRow → DotIndicatorMessage) cannot be selected or copied on desktop web. This is because the parent PressableWithSecondaryInteraction applies user-select: none via accessibilityRole='button', and DotIndicatorMessage's <Text> elements don't override this.

This PR adds conditional userSelectText styling to the <Text> element in DotIndicatorMessage, following the same pattern already used by TextCommentFragment. On desktop web (non-touch screens or non-narrow layouts), styles.userSelectText is applied so error message text is selectable. On touch devices, styles.userSelectNone is applied to prevent accidental selection during scrolling.

Fixed Issues

$ #84639
PROPOSAL: #84639 (comment)

Tests

Go to account > Troubleshoot
Turn on "Simulate failing network requests"
Send a message in the chat
Error will appear
Verify that the error text can be selected and copied on desktop web

Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

Offline tests

This change is purely cosmetic (CSS user-select styling). No offline behavior is affected.

QA Steps

Go to account > Troubleshoot
Turn on "Simulate failing network requests"
Send a message in the chat
Error will appear
Verify that the error text can be selected and copied on desktop web

Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

PR Author Checklist

Screenshots/Videos

Android: Native

N/A - This change only affects desktop web text selection behavior (CSS user-select property). No visible change on native Android.

Android: mWeb Chrome

N/A - Touch device; userSelectNone is applied on touch screens to prevent accidental selection.

iOS: Native

N/A - This change only affects desktop web text selection behavior. No visible change on native iOS.

iOS: mWeb Safari

N/A - Touch device; userSelectNone is applied on touch screens to prevent accidental selection.

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Tested on desktop web — error message text ("Please enter a valid merchant") is now selectable with click and drag. Blue selection highlight appears correctly.

Error messages rendered via DotIndicatorMessage inherit user-select: none from the parent PressableWithSecondaryInteraction. Add conditional userSelectText styling following the same pattern used by TextCommentFragment, so error messages are selectable on desktop web while keeping touch behavior unchanged. Co-authored-by: Sahil <thesahindia@users.noreply.github.com>

MelvinBot · 2026-03-24T19:09:46Z

I created this PR from an upstream branch since I don't have push access to your fork.

To take ownership of this branch and be able to push updates, run:

git remote add upstream https://github.com/Expensify/App.git
git fetch upstream claude-fixErrorMessageTextSelection
git checkout -b claude-fixErrorMessageTextSelection upstream/claude-fixErrorMessageTextSelection
git push -u origin claude-fixErrorMessageTextSelection

Then you can close this PR and open a new one from your fork.

codecov · 2026-03-24T19:21:34Z

Codecov Report

✅ Changes either increased or maintained existing code coverage, great job!

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
src/components/DotIndicatorMessage.tsx	`78.26% <100.00%> (+2.07%)`	⬆️
... and 188 files with indirect coverage changes

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T02:07:39Z

@MelvinBot, replace the test and QA steps with the steps below:

Go to account > Troubleshoot
Turn on "Simulate failing network requests"
Send a message in the chat
Error will appear
Verify you can be selected and copied on desktop web

MelvinBot · 2026-03-26T02:11:09Z

Updated the Tests and QA Steps sections with the new steps as requested.

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T02:16:10Z

@MelvinBot there was a typo, could you update it again with the steps below:

Go to account > Troubleshoot
Turn on "Simulate failing network requests"
Send a message in the chat
Error will appear
Verify that the error text can be selected and copied on desktop web

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T02:17:36Z

src/components/DotIndicatorMessage.tsx

                // eslint-disable-next-line react/no-array-index-key
                key={index}
-                style={[StyleUtils.getDotIndicatorTextStyles(isErrorMessage), textStyles]}
+                style={[StyleUtils.getDotIndicatorTextStyles(isErrorMessage), textStyles, !canUseTouchScreen() || !shouldUseNarrowLayout ? styles.userSelectText : styles.userSelectNone]}


@MelvinBot, can you extract this condition into a variable to improve readability?

Extracted the condition into an isTextSelectable variable. Pushed in 9d3878f.

MelvinBot · 2026-03-26T02:18:08Z

Updated the Tests and QA Steps sections with the corrected step 5: "Verify that the error text can be selected and copied on desktop web".

Co-authored-by: Sahil <thesahindia@users.noreply.github.com>

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T02:53:57Z

@MelvinBot, please mark it as "Ready for review"

MelvinBot · 2026-03-26T02:55:19Z

Done! PR has been marked as Ready for review.

melvin-bot · 2026-03-26T02:55:20Z

@thesahindia Please copy/paste the Reviewer Checklist from here into a new comment on this PR and complete it. If you have the K2 extension, you can simply click: [this button]

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T03:27:49Z

Reviewer Checklist

I have verified the author checklist is complete (all boxes are checked off).
I verified the correct issue is linked in the ### Fixed Issues section above
I verified testing steps are clear and they cover the changes made in this PR
- I verified the steps for local testing are in the Tests section
- I verified the steps for Staging and/or Production testing are in the QA steps section
- I verified the steps cover any possible failure scenarios (i.e. verify an input displays the correct error message if the entered data is not correct)
- I turned off my network connection and tested it while offline to ensure it matches the expected behavior (i.e. verify the default avatar icon is displayed if app is offline)
I checked that screenshots or videos are included for tests on all platforms
I included screenshots or videos for tests on all platforms
I verified that the composer does not automatically focus or open the keyboard on mobile unless explicitly intended. This includes checking that returning the app from the background does not unexpectedly open the keyboard.
I verified tests pass on all platforms & I tested again on:
- Android: HybridApp
- Android: mWeb Chrome
- iOS: HybridApp
- iOS: mWeb Safari
- MacOS: Chrome / Safari
If there are any errors in the console that are unrelated to this PR, I either fixed them (preferred) or linked to where I reported them in Slack
I verified proper code patterns were followed (see Reviewing the code)
- I verified that any callback methods that were added or modified are named for what the method does and never what callback they handle (i.e. toggleReport and not onIconClick).
- I verified that comments were added to code that is not self explanatory
- I verified that any new or modified comments were clear, correct English, and explained "why" the code was doing something instead of only explaining "what" the code was doing.
- I verified any copy / text shown in the product is localized by adding it to src/languages/* files and using the translation method
- I verified all numbers, amounts, dates and phone numbers shown in the product are using the localization methods
- I verified any copy / text that was added to the app is grammatically correct in English. It adheres to proper capitalization guidelines (note: only the first word of header/labels should be capitalized), and is either coming verbatim from figma or has been approved by marketing (in order to get marketing approval, ask the Bug Zero team member to add the Waiting for copy label to the issue)
- I verified proper file naming conventions were followed for any new files or renamed files. All non-platform specific files are named after what they export and are not named "index.js". All platform-specific files are named for the platform the code supports as outlined in the README.
- I verified the JSDocs style guidelines (in STYLE.md) were followed
If a new code pattern is added I verified it was agreed to be used by multiple Expensify engineers
I verified that this PR follows the guidelines as stated in the Review Guidelines
I verified other components that can be impacted by these changes have been tested, and I retested again (i.e. if the PR modifies a shared library or component like Avatar, I verified the components using Avatar have been tested & I retested again)
I verified all code is DRY (the PR doesn't include any logic written more than once, with the exception of tests)
I verified any variables that can be defined as constants (ie. in CONST.ts or at the top of the file that uses the constant) are defined as such
If a new component is created I verified that:
- A similar component doesn't exist in the codebase
- All props are defined accurately and each prop has a /** comment above it */
- The file is named correctly
- The component has a clear name that is non-ambiguous and the purpose of the component can be inferred from the name alone
- The only data being stored in the state is data necessary for rendering and nothing else
- For Class Components, any internal methods passed to components event handlers are bound to this properly so there are no scoping issues (i.e. for onClick={this.submit} the method this.submit should be bound to this in the constructor)
- Any internal methods bound to this are necessary to be bound (i.e. avoid this.submit = this.submit.bind(this); if this.submit is never passed to a component event handler like onClick)
- All JSX used for rendering exists in the render method
- The component has the minimum amount of code necessary for its purpose, and it is broken down into smaller components in order to separate concerns and functions
If any new file was added I verified that:
- The file has a description of what it does and/or why is needed at the top of the file if the code is not self explanatory
If a new CSS style is added I verified that:
- A similar style doesn't already exist
- The style can't be created with an existing StyleUtils function (i.e. StyleUtils.getBackgroundAndBorderStyle(theme.componentBG)
If the PR modifies code that runs when editing or sending messages, I tested and verified there is no unexpected behavior for all supported markdown - URLs, single line code, code blocks, quotes, headings, bold, strikethrough, and italic.
If the PR modifies a generic component, I tested and verified that those changes do not break usages of that component in the rest of the App (i.e. if a shared library or component like Avatar is modified, I verified that Avatar is working as expected in all cases)
If the PR modifies a component related to any of the existing Storybook stories, I tested and verified all stories for that component are still working as expected.
If the PR modifies a component or page that can be accessed by a direct deeplink, I verified that the code functions as expected when the deeplink is used - from a logged in and logged out account.
If the PR modifies the UI (e.g. new buttons, new UI components, changing the padding/spacing/sizing, moving components, etc) or modifies the form input styles:
- I verified that all the inputs inside a form are aligned with each other.
- I added Design label and/or tagged @Expensify/design so the design team can review the changes.
If a new page is added, I verified it's using the ScrollView component to make it scrollable when more elements are added to the page.
For any bug fix or new feature in this PR, I verified that sufficient unit tests are included to prevent regressions in this flow.
If the main branch was merged into this PR after a review, I tested again and verified the outcome was still expected according to the Test steps.
I have checked off every checkbox in the PR reviewer checklist, including those that don't apply to this PR.

Screenshots/Videos

Android: HybridApp

Android: mWeb Chrome

iOS: HybridApp

iOS: mWeb Safari

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screen.Recording.2026-03-26.at.8.12.10.AM.mov

melvin-bot · 2026-03-26T03:28:13Z

We did not find an internal engineer to review this PR, trying to assign a random engineer to #84639 as well as to this PR... Please reach out for help on Slack if no one gets assigned!

thesahindia · 2026-03-26T03:44:01Z

@flodnv, @joekaufmanexpensify the original issue which was reported here, was about the sytem error message in the chat that can't be copied but QA logged the issue for different errors messages.

I think not being able to select the error text in other places is expected. Text inside a Pressable component isn’t selectable across the app, and we see the same behavior for error text when it’s inside it (screen recording below). The original issue will be fixed by the current changes. Let me know if you see it differently.

Screen.Recording.2026-03-26.at.9.08.48.AM.mov

joekaufmanexpensify · 2026-03-26T18:39:21Z

@thesahindia Just to make sure I'm following you're saying the fix in this PR will make it so message text is always copyiable (even if there's a pattern B error, which was the original issue), but copying won't extend to pressable components, like report rows?

If so, is there a specific pattern for when it is vs isn't copyable on pressable components? It seems to be on some, like the left-hand-bar nav items.

mallenexpensify · 2026-03-30T20:13:13Z

@joekaufmanexpensify and @joekaufmanexpensify @thesahindia is out for two weeks. Can you wrap this up without them? If not, can you post in #contributor-plus to find a C+ to? (I recommend stating the price at $75 or $125). Or... tag me in a comment on the issue and I can do it)

joekaufmanexpensify · 2026-03-31T21:23:11Z

Tagged you in issue

joekaufmanexpensify

Good for product

github-actions · 2026-04-07T14:50:34Z

🚧 @flodnv has triggered a test Expensify/App build. You can view the workflow run here.

github-actions · 2026-04-07T14:55:35Z

🧪🧪 Use the links below to test this adhoc build on Android, iOS, and Web. Happy testing! 🧪🧪
Built from App PR #86271.

Android 🤖	iOS 🍎
https://ad-hoc-expensify-cash.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/rock-artifacts/ad-hoc/rock-android-Adhoc-cde448a-c55fd38-c6ee6fd7f772485045f1c85b226ef1659ba3dbd6/index.html	https://ad-hoc-expensify-cash.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/rock-artifacts/ad-hoc/rock-ios-device-AdHoc-cde448a-c55fd38-3e8921ae0c4155aa2d3e4412d8a82759cd2dc8b8/index.html

Web 🕸️
https://86271.pr-testing.expensify.com

👀 View the workflow run that generated this build 👀

OSBotify · 2026-04-07T14:58:36Z

✋ This PR was not deployed to staging yet because QA is ongoing. It will be automatically deployed to staging after the next production release.

OSBotify · 2026-04-08T00:18:39Z

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/flodnv in version: 9.3.54-0 🚀

platform	result
🕸 web 🕸	success ✅
🤖 android 🤖	success ✅
🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅

Bundle Size Analysis (Sentry):

Android
iOS

MelvinBot · 2026-04-08T00:21:23Z

No help site changes required.

This PR is a CSS-only change that adds user-select: text to error messages in DotIndicatorMessage so they can be selected and copied on desktop web. It does not change any features, settings, workflows, or user-facing labels — it only makes existing error text selectable. There is nothing to document in the help site.

mitarachim · 2026-04-08T07:45:54Z

@thesahindia @joekaufmanexpensify This PR is failing because of a regression issue #87337

The issue is reproducible in: Mac - Safari

Bug7124369_1775620455094.Recording__1972.mp4

MelvinBot assigned thesahindia Mar 24, 2026

MelvinBot requested a review from a team March 24, 2026 19:09

MelvinBot mentioned this pull request Mar 24, 2026

[$250] System/violation messages cannot be selected or copied #84639

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thesahindia reviewed Mar 26, 2026

View reviewed changes

Extract text selectability condition into a variable for readability

9d3878f

Co-authored-by: Sahil <thesahindia@users.noreply.github.com>

MelvinBot marked this pull request as ready for review March 26, 2026 02:55

MelvinBot requested a review from a team as a code owner March 26, 2026 02:55

melvin-bot bot requested a review from thesahindia March 26, 2026 02:55

melvin-bot bot removed the request for review from a team March 26, 2026 02:55

melvin-bot bot requested review from joekaufmanexpensify and removed request for a team March 26, 2026 02:55

thesahindia approved these changes Mar 26, 2026

View reviewed changes

melvin-bot bot requested a review from flodnv March 26, 2026 03:28

joekaufmanexpensify approved these changes Apr 6, 2026

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flodnv approved these changes Apr 7, 2026

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flodnv merged commit cde448a into main Apr 7, 2026
41 of 42 checks passed

flodnv deleted the claude-fixErrorMessageTextSelection branch April 7, 2026 14:49

OSBotify mentioned this pull request Apr 7, 2026

Deploy Checklist: New Expensify 2026-04-07 #87294

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mitarachim mentioned this pull request Apr 8, 2026

[$250] Safari - Error message text is not selectable #87337

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Explanation of Change

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