Fix: Offline message not displayed when opening video in Chat while offline by nabi-ebrahimi · Pull Request #89786 · Expensify/App

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-06T16:39:33Z

Explanation of Change

These changes prevent remote video attachments from trying to load while the user is offline. Instead, the attachment modal shows an offline blocking view, hides attachment actions like download and the three-dot menu, and avoids rendering the video content until connectivity is restored.

This gives users clearer feedback when a video cannot be accessed offline, instead of showing a broken or stuck attachment preview.

Fixed Issues

$ #88216
PROPOSAL: #88216 (comment)

Tests

Navigate to any chat
Upload a video
Disable the internet connection via troubleshoot
Click on the video
Verify that an offline message is displayed and download option is not displayed

Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

Offline tests

Same as Tests.

QA Steps

Same as Tests.

// TODO: These must be filled out, or the issue title must include "[No QA]."

Verify that no errors appear in the JS console

PR Author Checklist

Screenshots/Videos

Android: Native

Screen.Recording.2026-05-07.at.2.00.10.AM.mov

Android: mWeb Chrome

Screen.Recording.2026-05-06.at.11.52.35.PM.mov

iOS: Native

Screen.Recording.2026-05-07.at.12.08.51.PM.mov

iOS: mWeb Safari

Screen.Recording.2026-05-11.at.1.56.07.PM.mov

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screen.Recording.2026-05-07.at.11.59.10.AM.mov

codecov · 2026-05-06T16:53:20Z

Codecov Report

❌ Looks like you've decreased code coverage for some files. Please write tests to increase, or at least maintain, the existing level of code coverage. See our documentation here for how to interpret this table.

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
src/components/VideoPlayer/BaseVideoPlayer.tsx	`47.50% <50.00%> (-0.32%)`	⬇️
src/components/VideoPlayerPreview/index.tsx	`2.32% <0.00%> (-0.12%)`	⬇️
... and 311 files with indirect coverage changes

melvin-bot · 2026-05-07T08:05:42Z

@Ollyws 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]

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-11T07:21:28Z

@Ollyws, friendly bump. thanks.

Ollyws · 2026-05-12T21:31:56Z

Will get to this asap.

Ollyws · 2026-05-13T16:47:16Z

    // Skip API root normalization for search attachments because this route is only opened from preview,
    // which already passes a resolved source. Keep normalization for other types to support email entry points.
    const source = getValidatedImageSource(sourceParam, type !== CONST.ATTACHMENT_TYPE.SEARCH);
+    const fileName = originalFileName ?? (typeof source === 'string' ? getFileName(source) : '');


Could you explain this line?

We need this because the modal offline-video check was not working reliably when originalFileName was missing. AttachmentModalBaseContent uses this value to create file.name, and AttachmentView uses file.name to detect video attachments. Without this fallback, the modal can fail to recognize the attachment as a video and skip the offline handling.

Ollyws · 2026-05-13T16:47:26Z

    const attrHref = htmlAttribs[CONST.ATTACHMENT_SOURCE_ATTRIBUTE] || htmlAttribs.src || htmlAttribs.href || '';
    const sourceURL = tryResolveUrlFromApiRoot(attrHref);
-    const fileName = getFileName(`${sourceURL}`);
+    const fileName = htmlAttribs[CONST.ATTACHMENT_ORIGINAL_FILENAME_ATTRIBUTE] || getFileName(`${sourceURL}`);


And this one.

We need this because the route was sometimes passing a filename derived from an opaque attachment URL, so the modal could fail to detect the attachment as a video. The actual uploaded filename is available in the HTML data-name attribute, so passing that as originalFileName makes the modal’s video/offline logic reliable.

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-14T06:07:33Z

@Ollyws I need one clarification.

This PR currently fixes the attachment modal behavior so the offline view is shown when opening a video while offline.

However, in the chat view itself, the same video can still be played while offline from the preview. Should this PR also block offline video playback directly in chat, or is the expected scope only the attachment modal? Thanks

REC-20260514103200.mp4

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-15T07:50:07Z

@Ollyws, could you please check this comment, when you get a chance. thanks.

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-18T05:54:36Z

@Ollyws, gentle bump. thanks.

Ollyws · 2026-05-18T11:55:15Z

@nabi-ebrahimi Yeah I think it would be best if the same behaviour applied to the preview, i.e it's disabled using the same conditions.

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-21T05:19:01Z

@Ollyws I’ve updated this as well, so the offline indicator is now shown in the chat preview using the same conditions as the modal. Could you please take another look when you get a chance? Thanks!

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-05-25T04:49:14Z

@Ollyws, gentle bump. thanks.

Ollyws · 2026-05-26T09:06:58Z

+                        accessibilityLabel={fileName}
+                        isDeleted={isDeleted}
+                    />
+                    {shouldShowOfflineVideoIndicator && <AttachmentOfflineIndicator isPreview />}


I think this would be better inside the VideoPlayerThumbnail component, as let's make sure it retains the same style, as now it just sits over the top of the image and doesn't have the same border:

Ollyws · 2026-06-04T16:22:10Z

@nabi-ebrahimi Thanks for the update, generally looks good but I'm getting this issue when I move from small to large screen width, the overlay isn't applied in small screen:

Screen.Recording.2026-06-04.at.18.18.45.mov

github-actions · 2026-06-10T11:29:24Z

All contributors have signed the CLA ✍️ ✅
_{Posted by the CLA Assistant Lite bot.}

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-06-10T11:31:40Z

@nabi-ebrahimi Thanks for the update, generally looks good but I'm getting this issue when I move from small to large screen width, the overlay isn't applied in small screen:

@Ollyws Thanks for the feedback. This got resolved as well. Please check it again when you get a chance. Thanks

Ollyws · 2026-06-11T17:52:54Z

@nabi-ebrahimi Thanks for the update, but this leads to an inconsistency where if you haven't started the video we only get the offline placeholder in small screen:

Screen.Recording.2026-06-11.at.19.50.10.mov

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-06-12T14:15:48Z

@nabi-ebrahimi Thanks for the update, but this leads to an inconsistency where if you haven't started the video we only get the offline placeholder in small screen

@Ollyws Thanks for checking. I updated this so while offline we render through BaseVideoPlayer in both small and large previews, instead of only doing it on small screens. Could you please take another look? thanks

nabi-ebrahimi · 2026-06-16T10:12:41Z

@Ollyws Gentle bump. thanks

Ollyws · 2026-06-16T17:50:47Z

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
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- 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:
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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.
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

01_Android_Native.mp4

Android: mWeb Chrome

02_Android_Chrome.mp4

iOS: HybridApp

03_iOS_Native.mp4

iOS: mWeb Safari

04_iOS_Safari.mp4

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

05_MacOS_Chrome.mp4

Ollyws

LGTM.

github-actions · 2026-06-17T14:29:04Z

🚧 @puneetlath has triggered a test Expensify/App build. You can view the workflow run here.

OSBotify · 2026-06-17T14:34:11Z

✋ This PR was not deployed to staging yet because QA is ongoing. It will be automatically deployed to staging after the next production release.

github-actions · 2026-06-17T14:37:00Z

🧪🧪 Use the links below to test this adhoc build on Android, iOS, and Web. Happy testing! 🧪🧪
Built from App PR #89786.

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OSBotify · 2026-06-17T18:41:33Z

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/puneetlath in version: 9.4.10-0 🚀

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

Bundle Size Analysis (Sentry):

Android
iOS

MelvinBot · 2026-06-17T18:43:36Z

Help site review — no changes required

I reviewed the changes in this PR against the help site articles under docs/articles.

Conclusion: No help site updates are needed.

Why:

This PR is a narrow client-side bug fix to the video player's offline behavior. It prevents a remote video attachment from auto-playing/loading while offline, shows the existing offline blocking view, and hides download/three-dot actions until connectivity returns.
The two files changed (src/components/VideoPlayer/BaseVideoPlayer.tsx and src/components/VideoPlayerPreview/index.tsx) only adjust internal player state and rendering logic — no new feature, setting, label, tab, or user-facing workflow is introduced.
I searched docs/articles for any article documenting chat video attachments or offline playback behavior. There is no article describing this behavior, and the existing "video"/"offline" matches are unrelated (embedded help/onboarding videos, Travel terms, SmartScan, QuickBooks Desktop).

Since the help site does not document the offline behavior of in-chat video attachments, there is nothing to add or correct. No draft docs PR was created.

@nabi-ebrahimi, if you believe a help article should document this offline behavior, let me know and I'll draft one.

OSBotify · 2026-06-18T00:17:39Z

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/puneetlath in version: 9.4.12-0 🚀

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

Bundle Size Analysis (Sentry):

Android
iOS

MelvinBot · 2026-06-18T00:20:42Z

🤖 No help site changes required.

I reviewed the changes in this PR against Expensify's help site files under App/docs/articles.

This PR is a narrow frontend behavior fix: while offline, it prevents remote video attachments from auto-playing/loading, shows the player's offline indicator, and hides actions like download and the three-dot menu until connectivity is restored (src/components/VideoPlayer/BaseVideoPlayer.tsx, src/components/VideoPlayerPreview/index.tsx).

I searched App/docs/articles for any public documentation covering:

Video attachment playback in chat
Offline attachment behavior
Attachment download / the attachment three-dot menu

None of the help articles document this UI-level behavior. The chat articles (e.g. Create-a-New-Chat, Chat-Features-and-Moderation-Tools) describe chat features but not how attachments render offline. Since no published help content describes or contradicts this behavior, there is nothing to update, and I did not create a draft docs PR.

If you'd like a new help article added to document expected offline attachment behavior, let me know and I can draft one.

@nabi-ebrahimi, since no draft help site PR was created, there is nothing to review here. If you disagree and believe a docs update is warranted, reply and I'll create a draft PR for you to review and mark Ready for review.

OSBotify · 2026-06-18T03:03:14Z

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/puneetlath in version: 9.4.14-0 🚀

platform	result
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🤖 android 🤖	success ✅
🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅

Bundle Size Analysis (Sentry):

Android
iOS

OSBotify · 2026-06-18T17:13:59Z

🚀 Deployed to production by https://github.com/puneetlath in version: 9.4.14-1 🚀

platform	result
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🤖 android 🤖	success ✅
🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅

fix(chat): show offline message when opening video without connection

324f72f

Nabi added 2 commits May 7, 2026 10:47

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

2e27e96

fix prettier

778c932

melvin-bot Bot requested review from Ollyws and heyjennahay May 7, 2026 08:05

melvin-bot Bot removed request for a team May 7, 2026 08:05

github-actions Bot reviewed May 7, 2026

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Comment thread src/components/Attachments/AttachmentView/index.tsx Resolved

Nabi added 2 commits May 7, 2026 13:48

simplify isLocalVideoSource condition

a819e3c

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

c9a4894

Ollyws reviewed May 13, 2026

View reviewed changes

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

e831599

Nabi added 2 commits May 21, 2026 09:06

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

28cfce5

Fix offline video handling in chat preview

d8fbe7e

Ollyws reviewed May 26, 2026

View reviewed changes

Nabi added 4 commits May 28, 2026 12:17

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

3770f28

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

c15c563

Fix cached video playback while offline

9e9652c

remove un used import

7098de7

Nabi added 2 commits June 2, 2026 08:25

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

f4e056a

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

5c7a959

Nabi added 3 commits June 9, 2026 17:55

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

3fa5232

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

b852ae5

Fix offline video preview overlay on small screens

1584122

Nabi added 2 commits June 12, 2026 11:01

Merge branch 'main' into fix/chat-offline-message-missing-video-open

6056f55

Fix offline video player rendering logic for consistent display

78e1284

Ollyws approved these changes Jun 17, 2026

View reviewed changes

melvin-bot Bot requested a review from puneetlath June 17, 2026 13:05

puneetlath approved these changes Jun 17, 2026

View reviewed changes

puneetlath merged commit 687b8b0 into Expensify:main Jun 17, 2026
33 checks passed

OSBotify mentioned this pull request Jun 17, 2026

Deploy Checklist: New Expensify 2026-06-17 #93863

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melvin-bot Bot mentioned this pull request Jun 18, 2026

[Due for payment 2026-06-25] [$250] Chat - Offline message not displayed when opening video offline #88216

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Ollyws mentioned this pull request Jun 30, 2026

Expo-av to expo-video migration after revert #75270

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Explanation of Change

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