[$250] iOS - Notification - Unread message counter is only updated after opening the app

[vincdargento]

If you haven’t already, check out our contributing guidelines for onboarding and email contributors@expensify.com to request to join our Slack channel!

---

Version Number: 9.1.46-6
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: Yes
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from TestRail: N/A
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): N/A
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Device used: Apple iPhone 12 Pro / iOS 18.5
App Component: Notifications

Action Performed:

Pre-requisites:

• Enable push notifications on mobile
• Read all chats/reports so you start with a "clean slate" of no badge counter.

1. Open the app
2. Log in with an account
3. Background the app
4. Send a message from another account to the one signed-in on mobile
5. Verify the push notification is received on the mobile device
6. Observe no badge counter 1 is added to the app icon
7. Open the app but don't open the chat with the message you were notified about.
8. Background the app
9. Observe the badge counter 1 is added to the app icon

Expected Result:

The badge counter should be added to the app icon without having to open the app first.

Note: The badge counter only increases by +1 for every chat/report unread, not every individual message in said chat(s).

Actual Result:

User has to open the app first for the badge icon to be applied.

Workaround:

N/A

Platforms:

• Android: App
• Android: mWeb Chrome
• iOS: App
• iOS: mWeb Safari
• iOS: mWeb Chrome
• Windows: Chrome
• MacOS: Chrome / Safari
• MacOS: Desktop

Screenshots/Videos

bug.mp4

View all open jobs on GitHub

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021924981726078002144
• Upwork Job ID: 1924981726078002144
• Last Price Increase: 2025-05-21
• Automatic offers:
• suneox | Reviewer | 107466730

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @jnowakow

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @trjExpensify (Bug), see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/14418 for more details. Please add this bug to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[trjExpensify]

@arosiclair @Julesssss @AndrewGable just checking, how much of this is a known quirk? Seems like the issue reported is two-fold:

• Badge counter isn't added at all until opening the app. <-- potentially a bug?
• Badge counter only increases by +1 for every chat unread, not messages in said chat(s). <-- maybe expected, known quirk with how we "count" currently?

[Julesssss]

I agree with the first point being a bug. I think it was intentional that we count each chat as a +1 instead of message.

[melvin-bot]

Job added to Upwork: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021924981726078002144

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to Contributor-plus team member for initial proposal review - @suneox (External)