[$250] [HOLD for payment 2025-01-30] Background network processing

[gedu]

Problem

The primary issue we aim to address is ensuring the reliability of message delivery in our chat app. Users have reported instances where messages fail to send, only being dispatched when the app is reopened. This problem is particularly evident in the following scenarios:
● iOS: Messages are not sent when the app transitions to the background, during shifts from offline to online status, or under poor internet conditions.
● Android: Similar issues occur when the app is backgrounded with unstable internet connections. Additionally, there is uncertainty about the app’s behavior during transitions from offline to online across different Android devices.

Solution

To enhance the user experience, we propose implementing background task processing to manage network requests even when the app is not actively open. This approach aims to:

1. Process Requests in the Background: Allow the app to detect when the device comes back online and send queued requests while in the background.
2. Reduce Queue Size: Implement improvements such as avoiding duplicate requests and simplifying message handling to keep the network queue as empty as possible.

By addressing these issues, we aim to provide a seamless messaging experience, ensuring that messages are sent promptly and reliably, regardless of the app’s state or network conditions.

Additional Solutions for Web and Desktop

Web: Leverage Service Workers for handling background sync when internet connection is re-established.
Desktop: Use Electron’s background task handling capabilities (e.g., electron-ipc).

Before (current app - Android Slow connection)

no_background_processing.mp4

After

background_processing_android_working.mp4

Cases:

1. User is offline or in a poor network connection

2. User takes some actions and serializes network requests

3. User puts app in the background

4. User regains network connection, requests from the queue start executing.

5. User opens the app and has no remaining network requests (or maybe a few)

6. Open the app from a notification

7. Read it

8. Write a response

9. Switch apps

This background processing will prevent a message from not being sent due to moving quickly to the background.

Slack Thread: https://expensify.slack.com/archives/C05LX9D6E07/p1727884875529299

Upwork Automation - Do Not Edit

• Upwork Job URL: https://www.upwork.com/jobs/~021884036697836731036
• Upwork Job ID: 1884036697836731036
• Last Price Increase: 2025-01-28
• Automatic offers:
• shubham1206agra | Reviewer | 105883577

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @

Issue Owner

Current Issue Owner: @mananjadhav

[szymonrybczak]

Hey, I'm Szymon from Callstack and I can work on this 🫡

[szymonrybczak]

Hey, I started working on this issue and in first place I looked on what are possible libraries that we leverage to solve this problem. I've started with Native platforms. There are not many tools that are solving this problem well, and actually there are two that I found that are maintained:

• https://github.com/transistorsoft/react-native-background-fetch
  • no support for New Architecture with latest versions of React Native,
  • API may be outdated due to long-term development, containing legacy code and patterns
  • longer history of use
• https://docs.expo.dev/versions/latest/sdk/background-fetch/
  • supports New Architecture with latest React Native versions
  • uses Expo Modules under the hood which are already used in the project
  • modern & more stable API

I'd go with expo-background-fetch together with expo-task-manager which overall fits as more reliable and better option for this use case.

[szymonrybczak]

Hey, update from my side. I successfully implemented PoC of registering background task with expo-task-manager on iOS. Right now I'm focusing on doing the same on Android, there's one crash when app starts - I'm trying to investigate why is it happening.

[gedu]

Updated P/S

[melvin-bot]

This issue has not been updated in over 15 days. @szymonrybczak eroding to Monthly issue.

P.S. Is everyone reading this sure this is really a near-term priority? Be brave: if you disagree, go ahead and close it out. If someone disagrees, they'll reopen it, and if they don't: one less thing to do!

[szymonrybczak]

Hey, just to update this issue with current status - we'll be developing our own implementation of executing background task. Here's a separate issue with all necessary informations: #52700

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @luacmartins, see https://stackoverflow.com/c/expensify/questions/7972 for more details.

[melvin-bot]

Current assignee @shubham1206agra is eligible for the External assigner, not assigning anyone new.

[melvin-bot]

📣 @shubham1206agra 🎉 An offer has been automatically sent to your Upwork account for the Reviewer role 🎉 Thanks for contributing to the Expensify app!

Offer link
Upwork job

[melvin-bot]

@mananjadhav, @luacmartins, @shubham1206agra, @szymonrybczak Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!

[mananjadhav]

@luacmartins @mountiny Can you assign a BZ for the payout here?

[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @laurenreidexpensify (NewFeature), see https://stackoverflowteams.com/c/expensify/questions/14418#:~:text=BugZero%20process%20steps%20for%20feature%20requests for more details. Please add this Feature request to a GH project, as outlined in the SO.

[mananjadhav]

@laurenreidexpensify Quick bump on the payment summary.

[laurenreidexpensify]

BugZero Checklist:

• [Contributor] Classify the bug:

Bug classification

Source of bug:

• 1a. Result of the original design (eg. a case wasn't considered)
• 1b. Mistake during implementation
• 1c. Backend bug
• 1z. Other:

Where bug was reported:

• 2a. Reported on production (eg. bug slipped through the normal regression and PR testing process on staging)
• 2b. Reported on staging (eg. found during regression or PR testing)
• 2d. Reported on a PR
• 2z. Other:

Who reported the bug:

• 3a. Expensify user
• 3b. Expensify employee
• 3c. Contributor
• 3d. QA
• 3z. Other:

• [Contributor] The offending PR has been commented on, pointing out the bug it caused and why, so the author and reviewers can learn from the mistake.

  Link to comment:

• [Contributor] If the regression was CRITICAL (e.g. interrupts a core flow) A discussion in #expensify-open-source has been started about whether any other steps should be taken (e.g. updating the PR review checklist) in order to catch this type of bug sooner.

  Link to discussion:

• [Contributor] If it was decided to create a regression test for the bug, please propose the regression test steps using the template below to ensure the same bug will not reach production again.

Regression Test Proposal Template

• [BugZero Assignee] Create a GH issue for creating/updating the regression test once above steps have been agreed upon.

  Link to issue:

Regression Test Proposal

Precondition:

Test:

Do we agree 👍 or 👎

[laurenreidexpensify]

Payment Summary:

• @shubham1206agra paid $250 Upwork (Contributor)
• @szymonrybczak does not require payment (Expert Contribtor)
• @mananjadhav reviewer $250 can request via ND (c+)

[laurenreidexpensify]

@mananjadhav sorry for delay - this was a weekly so not on my immediate radar.
Please complete checklist before we can close thanks

[mananjadhav]

This was more of a non-customer issue. There's no specific regression test suite and can be tagged as feature request.

[melvin-bot]

@mananjadhav, @luacmartins, @shubham1206agra, @laurenreidexpensify, @szymonrybczak Uh oh! This issue is overdue by 2 days. Don't forget to update your issues!

[laurenreidexpensify]

Closing as no further action required

[garrettmknight]

$250 approved for @mananjadhav