Fix/65792 - Chat doesn't auto-scroll when a payment is received with chat opened

[dmkt9]

Explanation of Change

Fixed Issues

$ #65792
PROPOSAL: #65792 (comment)

Tests

Same as QA Steps

• Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

Offline tests

Same as QA Steps

QA Steps

Precondition: Log in with two different accounts (User A,User B)

1. Go to the testing website https://staging.new.expensify.com/
2. User A: Open a chat with User B
3. User A: Send some messages to make the chat scrollable
4. User A: Scroll down to the bottom of the conversation
5. User B, Open a chat with User A
6. User B, Tap on the "+" button
7. User B, Select "Pay User A" option
8. User B, Complete the payment flow and submit it.
9. User A verifies that the expense appears in the chat and the chat is scrolled to the bottom

• Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

PR Author Checklist

• I linked the correct issue in the ### Fixed Issues section above
• I wrote clear testing steps that cover the changes made in this PR
  • I added steps for local testing in the Tests section
  • I added steps for the expected offline behavior in the Offline steps section
  • I added steps for Staging and/or Production testing in the QA steps section
  • I added steps to cover 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 tested this PR with a High Traffic account against the staging or production API to ensure there are no regressions (e.g. long loading states that impact usability).
• I included screenshots or videos for tests on all platforms
• I ran the tests on all platforms & verified they passed on:
  • Android: Native
  • Android: mWeb Chrome
  • iOS: Native
  • iOS: mWeb Safari
  • MacOS: Chrome / Safari
  • MacOS: Desktop
• I verified there are no console errors (if there's a console error not related to the PR, report it or open an issue for it to be fixed)
• I verified there are no new alerts related to the canBeMissing param for useOnyx
• I followed proper code patterns (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
    • If any non-english text was added/modified, I used JaimeGPT to get English > Spanish translation. I then posted it in #expensify-open-source and it was approved by an internal Expensify engineer. Link to Slack message:
  • 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.
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• I tested other components that can be impacted by my changes (i.e. if the PR modifies a shared library or component like Avatar, I verified the components using Avatar are working as expected)
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  • 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
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  • A similar style doesn't already exist
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• 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.
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• 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.
• I added unit tests for any new feature or bug fix in this PR to help automatically prevent regressions in this user 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.

Screenshots/Videos

Android: Native

android.native.mp4

Android: mWeb Chrome

android.chrome.mp4

iOS: Native

ios.native.mp4

iOS: mWeb Safari

ios.safari.mp4

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

mac.safari.mp4

MacOS: Desktop

mac.desktop.mp4

[melvin-bot]

@DylanDylann 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]

[trjExpensify]

I'm not sure how I feel about this. For example, if...

1. User A is scrolled back in the history looking at some context
2. User B sends a message in their DM
3. We auto scroll User A back to the latest message again
4. User A scrolls back again to the context they were trying to find
5. User B sends another message
6. User A is auto scrolled to the latest message again

... that feels like it would be quite annoying, right? As such, I don't know why we think we should do the same when receiving a send money request payment in the chat. Rather, why wouldn't we:

• Leave the user where they are in the chat history
• Add the "Latest/New messages" pill to communicate there's new content below if the messages are out of view?

Am I missing something?

CC: @Expensify/design

[dannymcclain]

Yeah I'd think we'd lean on the New messages pill for this. So taking your example:

1. User A is scrolled back in the history looking at some context
2. User B sends a message in their DM
3. New messages pill shows up for User A indicating there is a new thing!
4. User B sends another message
5. User A remains in their context but has the New messages pill that indicates there is new stuff to see

To me that makes way more sense and is kinda the whole point of having the New messages pill to begin with.

[shawnborton]

Yup, I agree with that!

[dmkt9]

@trjExpensify @dannymcclain @shawnborton Hi, thanks for reviewing this PR. It seems the PR title and QA steps might be a bit misleading, so I’d like to clarify what this PR is about:

• The scroll-to-latest-message behavior only triggers when the user is already near the top of the thread. I believe this improves the experience by allowing users to continue the conversation smoothly without needing to scroll repeatedly.

• If the user is far from the top beyond a certain threshold, the “New message” pill will still appear, so it doesn’t disrupt users who are reviewing message history.

I’ve included a video below to demonstrate the result:

2025-09-08.10-02-11.mp4

[dannymcclain]

Ah ok cool. That looks pretty good to me.

[trjExpensify]

Oh right, haha. Yes, the PR and steps definitely don't make that clear. We should ensure it's clear what's necessary for these two things, and ask QA to test above/below that threshold to ensure we haven't had any impact that could result in a situation that I thought could happen above.

The scroll-to-latest-message behavior only triggers when the user is already near the top of the thread
If the user is far from the top beyond a certain threshold

[DylanDylann]

@dmkt9 Please add a step to scroll chat in user A before receiving the payment

[DylanDylann]

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
  • MacOS: Desktop
• 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 there are no new alerts related to the canBeMissing param for useOnyx
• 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
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  • 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

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.49.09.mov

Android: mWeb Chrome

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.48.04.mov

iOS: HybridApp

iOS: mWeb Safari

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.48.41.mov

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.25.29.mov

MacOS: Desktop

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.47.19.mov

[dmkt9]

@dmkt9 Please add a step to scroll chat in user A before receiving the payment

@DylanDylann Thanks. I have just added the step.

[DylanDylann]

@dmkt9 From my testing, if user A scrolls the screen to above, it will not be scrolled to the bottom when receiving new payment

Screen.Recording.2025-09-09.at.16.23.28.mov

[dmkt9]

@dmkt9 From my testing, if user A scrolls the screen to above, it will not be scrolled to the bottom when receiving new payment

@DylanDylann Yes, the mechanism is explained here, and this behavior is expected.

[DylanDylann]

@dmkt9 Just noticed that. Please ignore this comment: #69949 (comment)

[OSBotify]

✋ 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]

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/madmax330 in version: 9.2.9-0 🚀

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

[OSBotify]

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/madmax330 in version: 9.2.11-0 🚀

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

[OSBotify]

🚀 Deployed to production by https://github.com/francoisl in version: 9.2.12-4 🚀

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