iOS: deleting a merged PR branch closes dependent PRs instead of retargeting them

[TyceHerrman]

🏷️ Discussion Type

Bug

💬 Feature/Topic Area

iOS

Body

Summary

After merging a PR in GitHub Mobile on iOS, I manually deleted its head branch from my phone. An open PR targeting that branch closed instead of being retargeted to main.

Environment

• GitHub Mobile for iOS 1.281.0 (build 207454728).
• iOS 27.2.0.
• Versions above come from the organization audit log’s user agent for the surrounding merge actions.
• Private organization repository. Automatic head-branch deletion is currently off.

Steps

1. Open PR A: branch-a → main.
2. Open PR B: branch-b → branch-a.
3. Merge PR A in GitHub Mobile on iOS.
4. Delete branch-a from the phone.
5. Check PR B.

Expected

PR B stays open and its base changes to main, as documented:
https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/how-tos/commit-changes/managing-branches-within-your-repository#deleting-a-branch

Actual and verified timeline

PR B closed without merging, and its base remained branch-a. Its commits were preserved on branch-b but did not reach main.

October 22, 2026, EDT:

• 8:19:06 p.m.: PR A merged into main.
• 8:19:17 p.m.: PR B recorded base_ref_deleted.
• 8:19:18 p.m.: PR B recorded closed; PR A also recorded head_ref_deleted.
• No base_ref_changed event was recorded for PR B.

I checked the PR timelines and organization audit log. The surrounding merge actions identify the GitHub iOS app; PR B’s closure has no client user agent attached. I have not reproduced this in a separate test repository or verified whether the mobile deletion flow displayed a warning.

Related reports

• Recent iOS reproduction (October 20, 2026): https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/210704. It was closed for not using the discussion template, rather than as fixed.
• Earlier report with a reply confirming reproduction on iOS: https://github.com/orgs/community/discussions/127281.

Is this still a known iOS issue, and can the mobile deletion flow preserve dependent PRs by retargeting them as documented?

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