iOS - Expense - App returns to Spend briefly after closing confirm page on Workspaces tab

[applause-bot]

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Version Number: 9.4.17-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: No
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #94134
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): sdjnoisdjdosijsonssjo@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Exploratory - Significant User Experience Deterioration
Device used: iPhone 15 Pro Max / iOS 26.5
App Component: Money Requests

Action Performed:

1. Launch Expensify app.
2. Go to Spend.
3. Go to Workspaces.
4. Open FAB > Create expense > Manual.
5. Tap app back button.

Expected Result:

App will directly return to Workspaces tab.

Actual Result:

App returns to Spend, then returns to Workspaces tab.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

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

Screenshots/Videos

Bug7188116_1782173604563.ScreenRecording_06-23-2026_08-10-55_1.mp4

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Applause Internal Information
Exported by: Mita Rachim
Bug ID: 7188116

[applause-bot]

While Applause doesn't embed attachments for this bug, here are the links for quick view:
https://platform.applause.com/services/links/v1/external/1f1650dd34c8f469d3192afc15d0a2fc688894233d900f696e01a38ff67312b3

[melvin-bot]

You have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you recently merged this PR: #94134

[melvin-bot]

💬 A slack conversation has been started in #expensify-open-source

[github-actions]

👋 Friendly reminder that deploy blockers are time-sensitive ⏱ issues! Check out the open `StagingDeployCash` deploy checklist to see the list of PRs included in this release, then work quickly to do one of the following:

1. Identify the pull request that introduced this issue and revert it.
2. Find someone who can quickly fix the issue.
3. Fix the issue yourself.

[MelvinBot]

Proposal

Please re-state the problem that we are trying to solve in this issue.

On the Workspaces bottom tab, opening FAB → Create expense → Manual and then pressing back briefly flashes the Spend tab before landing back on Workspaces, instead of returning directly to Workspaces.

What is the root cause of that problem?

PR #94134 ("remove isNewManualExpenseFlowEnabled beta flag") makes the new manual expense flow always-on, so the Manual tab of IOURequestStartPage now renders the embedded IOURequestStepConfirmation instead of the old amount page.

When that confirmation mounts from global-create, it runs a pre-insert effect that swaps the underlying bottom tab from Workspaces → Search/Spend so the report is ready to reveal after submit (IOURequestStepConfirmation.tsx:443-509).

On back, the start page calls Navigation.closeRHPFlow(), which pops the RHP first (closeRHPFlow.ts:29). The cleanup removePreInsertedFullscreenIfNeeded then finds the RHP already gone, so it takes the "already-dismissed" branch and restores the original tab on the next frame via requestAnimationFrame(... TabActions.jumpTo(originalTab)) (Navigation.ts:1156-1177). Because the RHP is already popped, the pre-inserted Spend tab is on screen for that one frame → the flash.

The flash machinery pre-existed; PR #94134 only exposed it by routing the manual FAB flow through the embedded confirmation for the first time.

Supporting evidence

• The "still on top" branch (Navigation.ts:1148-1153) restores Workspaces cleanly under the RHP with no flash — but it's only reached when cleanup runs before the RHP is popped.
• Tab swap + saved original tab handled in GetStateForActionHandlers.ts:494-541.
• The PR diff does not touch preInsertFullscreenUnderRHP, removePreInsertedFullscreenIfNeeded, closeRHPFlow, or the rAF restore — confirming the PR exposed rather than introduced the bug.
• Matches the report: production = not reproducible (beta was off), staging = reproducible (beta forced on).

What changes do you think we should make in order to solve the problem?

Make the pre-inserted tab restore happen while the RHP is still on top so the clean REMOVE_FULLSCREEN_UNDER_RHP branch (Navigation.ts:1148-1153) is used on back-dismiss — i.e. call removePreInsertedFullscreenIfNeeded() before closeRHPFlow pops the RHP (or restore the original tab synchronously in the same dispatch as the pop, instead of deferring via requestAnimationFrame). That way Spend is never the visible top route.

What alternative solutions did you explore?

• Revert PR #94134 to re-gate the beta and unblock the deploy immediately, then fix the navigation flash before re-landing.
• Skip the Search pre-insert for the manual FAB-from-Workspaces path, since the flash only appears when the back/dismiss path is taken.

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Next Steps for Contributor+ team:
To accept: @MelvinBot implement [this](https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/94271) to create a draft PR.
To refine: @MelvinBot <your feedback>
To reject: Explain why you are rejecting Melvin's proposal.