fix(app): paint a long user message collapsed from its first frame

MessagePreview learned it overflowed from onLayout, which arrives after
the mount has painted on web and Fabric. Every mount (opening the chat,
a prompt arriving, a row the list mounts again) painted the text hard-cut
with no fade or Show more, then grew the row by the control a frame later.
The expanded choice also lived in the row and reset with each remount.

Measure the body in a layout effect so the first commit carries the
control, and keep the expanded choice in a per-agent store the timeline
provides, as tool calls already do.

docs/agent-stream-disclosure.md

@@ -39,6 +39,19 @@ The trigger can only stay put when the list has scroll room for the change. When
 content fits the viewport, or a collapse at the end would need an offset past the end, the list
 ends at its end and the trigger moves by the difference.
 
+## State that survives a remount
+
+The list mounts a row again whenever it opens the chat, brings a web row back into the history
+window, or reassigns a native row's LegendList container. State held in the row resets each time.
+Keep a disclosure's open state in the per-agent store the timeline provides, keyed by item id:
+`ToolCallExpansionContext` for tool calls, `UserMessageExpansionContext` for long user messages.
+
+Decide a row's first painted shape in the commit that mounts it. `MessagePreview` measures its body
+in a layout effect, which commits before paint on web and Fabric. `onLayout` lands after the first
+frame: a long message measured there paints capped with no fade or show more, then grows by the
+control's height a frame later. `onLayout` still tracks later size changes. A zero height comes from
+a hidden panel and is ignored.
+
 ## Web
 
 `holdRow` pins the row's trigger edge in the reading anchor and runs `apply`; the next reading

packages/app/e2e/browser/user-message-preview.spec.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+import type { Page } from "@playwright/test";
+import { expect, test } from "../support/fixtures";
+import { expectAgentIdle } from "../support/helpers/agent-stream";
+import { openAgentRoute, seedMockAgentWorkspace } from "../support/helpers/mock-agent";
+
+// A long user message paints capped, with its fade and Show more, in the frame it mounts in. These
+// tests sample every painted frame from before the chat opens and require each long message to
+// show one state, the settled one, for its whole life on screen.
+
+interface PreviewFrame {
+  height: number;
+  fade: boolean;
+  control: string | null;
+}
+
+declare global {
+  interface Window {
+    __previewFrames?: Record<string, PreviewFrame[]>;
+  }
+}
+
+function longPrompt(name: string) {
+  return Array.from({ length: 40 }, (_, line) => `${name} line ${line + 1}`).join("\n");
+}
+
+async function recordPreviewFrames(page: Page) {
+  await page.addInitScript(() => {
+    const frames: Record<string, PreviewFrame[]> = {};
+    window.__previewFrames = frames;
+    const sample = () => {
+      for (const row of document.querySelectorAll('[data-testid="user-message"]')) {
+        const rect = row.getBoundingClientRect();
+        if (rect.height === 0) continue;
+        const text = row.querySelector('[data-message-text="true"]');
+        if (!text) continue;
+        const name = (text.textContent ?? "").split(" line ")[0];
+        // The preview is the ancestor that carries the height cap; the fade paints inside it.
+        let preview = text.parentElement;
+        while (preview && preview !== row && getComputedStyle(preview).maxHeight === "none") {
+          preview = preview.parentElement;
+        }
+        const control = [...row.querySelectorAll("*")].find(
+          (node) => node.children.length === 0 && /^Show (more|less)$/.test(node.textContent ?? ""),
+        );
+        const frame = {
+          height: Math.round(rect.height),
+          fade: preview !== null && preview !== row && preview.querySelector("svg") !== null,
+          control: control?.textContent ?? null,
+        };
+        const seen = (frames[name] ??= []);
+        if (JSON.stringify(seen.at(-1)) !== JSON.stringify(frame)) seen.push(frame);
+      }
+      requestAnimationFrame(sample);
+    };
+    requestAnimationFrame(sample);
+  });
+}
+
+async function expectPaintedCollapsedFromFirstFrame(page: Page, name: string) {
+  const message = page.getByTestId("user-message").filter({ hasText: `${name} line 1` });
+  await expect(message.getByRole("button", { name: "Show more" })).toBeVisible();
+  // Let any late measurement land before reading the frames.
+  await page.waitForTimeout(500);
+  const frames = await page.evaluate((key) => window.__previewFrames?.[key] ?? [], name);
+  expect(frames).toEqual([{ height: expect.any(Number), fade: true, control: "Show more" }]);
+}
+
+test.describe("long user message preview", () => {
+  test("opening a chat paints its long message collapsed from the first frame", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const agent = await seedMockAgentWorkspace({
+      repoPrefix: "user-message-open-",
+      title: "Preview open",
+      initialPrompt: longPrompt("Opened prompt"),
+    });
+    try {
+      await agent.client.waitForFinish(agent.agentId, 30_000);
+      await recordPreviewFrames(page);
+      await openAgentRoute(page, agent);
+      await expectPaintedCollapsedFromFirstFrame(page, "Opened prompt");
+
+      await page.reload();
+      await expectPaintedCollapsedFromFirstFrame(page, "Opened prompt");
+    } finally {
+      await agent.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("a long message arriving in an open chat paints collapsed from the first frame", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const agent = await seedMockAgentWorkspace({
+      repoPrefix: "user-message-arrive-",
+      title: "Preview arrive",
+      initialPrompt: "short",
+    });
+    try {
+      await agent.client.waitForFinish(agent.agentId, 30_000);
+      await recordPreviewFrames(page);
+      await openAgentRoute(page, agent);
+      await expectAgentIdle(page);
+
+      await agent.client.sendAgentMessage(agent.agentId, longPrompt("Arrived prompt"));
+      await expectPaintedCollapsedFromFirstFrame(page, "Arrived prompt");
+    } finally {
+      await agent.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+
+  test("a long message that arrived while its tab was hidden paints collapsed on return", async ({
+    page,
+  }) => {
+    const agent = await seedMockAgentWorkspace({
+      repoPrefix: "user-message-hidden-",
+      title: "Preview first",
+      initialPrompt: "short",
+    });
+    try {
+      await agent.client.createAgent({
+        provider: "mock",
+        cwd: agent.cwd,
+        workspaceId: agent.workspaceId,
+        title: "Preview second",
+        modeId: "load-test",
+        model: "e2e-fast-stream",
+      });
+      await agent.client.waitForFinish(agent.agentId, 30_000);
+      await recordPreviewFrames(page);
+      await openAgentRoute(page, agent);
+      await expectAgentIdle(page);
+
+      await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Preview second", exact: true }).click();
+      await agent.client.sendAgentMessage(agent.agentId, longPrompt("Hidden prompt"));
+      await agent.client.waitForFinish(agent.agentId, 30_000);
+      await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Preview first", exact: true }).click();
+      await expectPaintedCollapsedFromFirstFrame(page, "Hidden prompt");
+    } finally {
+      await agent.cleanup();
+    }
+  });
+});

packages/app/src/agent-stream/disclosure.browser.test.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import { i18n as testI18n } from "@/i18n/i18next";
 import { PlanCard } from "@/components/plan-card";
 import { MessagePreview } from "@/components/user-message";
+import { createUserMessageExpansion } from "@/components/user-message/expansion";
+import { UserMessageExpansionContext } from "@/components/user-message/expansion-context";
 import { DisclosureRow } from "./disclosure";
 import type { DisclosureTriggerEdge, StreamViewportHandle } from "./strategy";
 
@@ -72,26 +74,19 @@ const view = () => within(container);
 
 const preLine = { whiteSpace: "pre-line" } as const;
 
-async function waitForLayout() {
-  await act(async () => {
-    for (let frame = 0; frame < 2; frame += 1) {
-      await new Promise((resolve) => requestAnimationFrame(resolve));
-    }
-  });
-}
-
 describe("timeline disclosures hold their row", () => {
-  it("routes user message show more and show less through the row's hold", async () => {
+  it("routes user message show more and show less through the row's hold", () => {
     const longText = Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, line) => `Line ${line + 1}`).join("\n");
+    const expansion = createUserMessageExpansion();
     const holds = mountRow(
       "message-1",
       () => view().queryByRole("button", { name: "Show less" }) !== null,
-      <MessagePreview>
-        <span style={preLine}>{longText}</span>
-      </MessagePreview>,
+      <UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider value={expansion}>
+        <MessagePreview itemId="message-1">
+          <span style={preLine}>{longText}</span>
+        </MessagePreview>
+      </UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider>,
     );
-    // The preview learns it overflows from its first layout.
-    await waitForLayout();
 
     act(() => view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show more" }).click());
     expect(view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show less" })).toBeTruthy();

packages/app/src/agent-stream/view.tsx

@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ import {
   useAgentToolCallExpansion,
   useExpandedToolCallGroups,
 } from "@/tool-calls/expansion-context";
+import {
+  UserMessageExpansionContext,
+  useAgentUserMessageExpansion,
+} from "@/components/user-message/expansion-context";
 import { ToolCallSheetProvider } from "@/components/tool-call-sheet";
 import { createStreamPresentation } from "./presentation";
 import { OverviewToolCallGroupView } from "@/tool-calls/detail-level/overview/view";
@@ -382,6 +386,7 @@ const AgentStreamViewComponent = forwardRef<AgentStreamViewHandle, AgentStreamVi
       new Set(),
     );
     const toolCallExpansion = useAgentToolCallExpansion(agentId);
+    const userMessageExpansion = useAgentUserMessageExpansion(agentId);
     const expandedToolCallGroups = useExpandedToolCallGroups(toolCallExpansion);
     const [expandedTurnHostIds, setExpandedTurnHostIds] = useState<ReadonlySet<string>>(new Set());
 
@@ -711,6 +716,7 @@ const AgentStreamViewComponent = forwardRef<AgentStreamViewHandle, AgentStreamVi
       (layoutItem: StreamLayoutItem, item: Extract<StreamItem, { kind: "user_message" }>) => {
         return (
           <UserMessage
+            itemId={item.id}
             serverId={resolvedServerId}
             agentId={agentId}
             messageId={item.messageId}
@@ -1169,32 +1175,34 @@ const AgentStreamViewComponent = forwardRef<AgentStreamViewHandle, AgentStreamVi
           <AssistantSelectionCopySurface style={stylesheet.container}>
             <MessageOuterSpacingProvider disableOuterSpacing>
               <ToolCallExpansionContext.Provider value={toolCallExpansion}>
-                {streamRenderStrategy.render({
-                  readingRowReplacements: presentation.readingRowReplacements,
-                  agentId,
-                  segments: renderModel.segments,
-                  historyRowRevision,
-                  liveHeadRowRevision: expandedToolCallGroups,
-                  boundary,
-                  renderers,
-                  listEmptyComponent,
-                  viewportRef,
-                  routeBottomAnchorRequest,
-                  isAuthoritativeHistoryReady,
-                  isInitialHistoryLoading,
-                  revealInitialHistory,
-                  onNearBottomChange: nearBottom.set,
-                  onReadingPositionChange: handleReadingPositionChange,
-                  onNearHistoryStart: loadOlder,
-                  isLoadingOlderHistory: isLoadingOlder,
-                  hasOlderHistory: hasOlder,
-                  olderHistoryProgressKey: progressKey,
-                  scrollEnabled: streamScrollEnabled,
-                  listStyle: stylesheet.list,
-                  baseListContentContainerStyle: stylesheet.listContentContainer,
-                  forwardListContentContainerStyle: stylesheet.forwardListContentContainer,
-                  contentMaxWidth,
-                })}
+                <UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider value={userMessageExpansion}>
+                  {streamRenderStrategy.render({
+                    readingRowReplacements: presentation.readingRowReplacements,
+                    agentId,
+                    segments: renderModel.segments,
+                    historyRowRevision,
+                    liveHeadRowRevision: expandedToolCallGroups,
+                    boundary,
+                    renderers,
+                    listEmptyComponent,
+                    viewportRef,
+                    routeBottomAnchorRequest,
+                    isAuthoritativeHistoryReady,
+                    isInitialHistoryLoading,
+                    revealInitialHistory,
+                    onNearBottomChange: nearBottom.set,
+                    onReadingPositionChange: handleReadingPositionChange,
+                    onNearHistoryStart: loadOlder,
+                    isLoadingOlderHistory: isLoadingOlder,
+                    hasOlderHistory: hasOlder,
+                    olderHistoryProgressKey: progressKey,
+                    scrollEnabled: streamScrollEnabled,
+                    listStyle: stylesheet.list,
+                    baseListContentContainerStyle: stylesheet.listContentContainer,
+                    forwardListContentContainerStyle: stylesheet.forwardListContentContainer,
+                    contentMaxWidth,
+                  })}
+                </UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider>
               </ToolCallExpansionContext.Provider>
             </MessageOuterSpacingProvider>
             <ChatOutlineRail

packages/app/src/components/message.tsx

@@ -92,6 +92,8 @@ export type { InlinePathTarget } from "@/assistant-file-links";
 export type { AssistantForkTarget };
 
 interface UserMessageProps {
+  /** The timeline item's id, which keeps the message's expanded state. */
+  itemId: string;
   sender?: AgentMessage["sender"];
   serverId?: string;
   agentId?: string;
@@ -391,6 +393,7 @@ function UserMessageImagePill({ image, onOpen, accessibilityLabel }: UserMessage
 const MESSAGE_TEXT_DATASET = { messageText: "true" };
 
 export const UserMessage = memo(function UserMessage({
+  itemId,
   sender,
   serverId,
   agentId,
@@ -480,7 +483,7 @@ export const UserMessage = memo(function UserMessage({
       >
         {sender ? <MessageSender sender={sender} serverId={serverId} /> : null}
         <View style={userMessageStylesheet.bubble}>
-          <MessagePreview>
+          <MessagePreview itemId={itemId}>
             {hasImages ? (
               <View style={imagePreviewContainerStyle}>
                 {images.map((image) => (

packages/app/src/components/user-message/expansion-context.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+import { createContext, useCallback, useContext, useState, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
+import { createUserMessageExpansion, type UserMessageExpansion } from "./expansion";
+
+export const UserMessageExpansionContext = createContext<UserMessageExpansion | null>(null);
+
+/** One store per viewed agent; switching agents starts with every message collapsed. */
+export function useAgentUserMessageExpansion(agentId: string): UserMessageExpansion {
+  const [owner, setOwner] = useState(() => ({
+    agentId,
+    expansion: createUserMessageExpansion(),
+  }));
+  if (owner.agentId === agentId) return owner.expansion;
+  const next = { agentId, expansion: createUserMessageExpansion() };
+  setOwner(next);
+  return next.expansion;
+}
+
+/** Subscribes one message to its own expanded state. */
+export function useUserMessageExpanded(itemId: string) {
+  const expansion = useContext(UserMessageExpansionContext);
+  if (!expansion) throw new Error("MessagePreview requires a UserMessageExpansionContext");
+  const subscribe = useCallback(
+    (listener: () => void) => expansion.subscribe(itemId, listener),
+    [expansion, itemId],
+  );
+  const getSnapshot = useCallback(() => expansion.isExpanded(itemId), [expansion, itemId]);
+  const expanded = useSyncExternalStore(subscribe, getSnapshot, getSnapshot);
+  const toggle = useCallback(() => expansion.toggle(itemId), [expansion, itemId]);
+  return { expanded, toggle };
+}

packages/app/src/components/user-message/expansion.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { createUserMessageExpansion } from "./expansion";
+
+describe("user message expansion", () => {
+  it("toggles one message and notifies only that message", () => {
+    const expansion = createUserMessageExpansion();
+    const notified: string[] = [];
+    expansion.subscribe("first", () => notified.push("first"));
+    expansion.subscribe("second", () => notified.push("second"));
+
+    expansion.toggle("first");
+    expect(expansion.isExpanded("first")).toBe(true);
+    expect(expansion.isExpanded("second")).toBe(false);
+
+    expansion.toggle("first");
+    expect(expansion.isExpanded("first")).toBe(false);
+    expect(notified).toEqual(["first", "first"]);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps a message's choice after its subscribers leave, as a remounting row does", () => {
+    const expansion = createUserMessageExpansion();
+    const unsubscribe = expansion.subscribe("first", () => undefined);
+    expansion.toggle("first");
+    unsubscribe();
+
+    const notified: string[] = [];
+    expansion.subscribe("first", () => notified.push("first"));
+    expect(expansion.isExpanded("first")).toBe(true);
+    expect(notified).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});

packages/app/src/components/user-message/expansion.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+type Listener = () => void;
+
+/**
+ * Which of one agent's long user messages the user expanded past the preview. It lives with the
+ * timeline, not the row, so a row that remounts (a virtualized row coming back into view, a row
+ * reassigned to another list container) paints the choice the user made. A toggle notifies only
+ * that message's subscribers.
+ */
+export function createUserMessageExpansion() {
+  const expanded = new Set<string>();
+  const listeners = new Map<string, Set<Listener>>();
+  return {
+    isExpanded: (itemId: string) => expanded.has(itemId),
+    subscribe(itemId: string, listener: Listener) {
+      let itemListeners = listeners.get(itemId);
+      if (!itemListeners) {
+        itemListeners = new Set();
+        listeners.set(itemId, itemListeners);
+      }
+      itemListeners.add(listener);
+      return () => {
+        itemListeners.delete(listener);
+        if (itemListeners.size === 0) listeners.delete(itemId);
+      };
+    },
+    toggle(itemId: string) {
+      if (expanded.has(itemId)) expanded.delete(itemId);
+      else expanded.add(itemId);
+      for (const listener of listeners.get(itemId) ?? []) listener();
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export type UserMessageExpansion = ReturnType<typeof createUserMessageExpansion>;

packages/app/src/components/user-message/index.browser.test.tsx

@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import React, { act } from "react";
+import { createRoot, type Root } from "react-dom/client";
+import { within } from "@testing-library/dom";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { i18n as testI18n } from "@/i18n/i18next";
+import { MessagePreview } from "./index";
+import { createUserMessageExpansion, type UserMessageExpansion } from "./expansion";
+import { UserMessageExpansionContext } from "./expansion-context";
+
+// Load translations so the toggle exposes its real accessible name.
+void testI18n;
+
+// App sources compile against the classic JSX runtime, which expects React on the global.
+beforeEach(() => vi.stubGlobal("React", React));
+
+let root: Root;
+let container: HTMLDivElement;
+
+beforeEach(() => {
+  container = document.createElement("div");
+  container.style.width = "400px";
+  document.body.appendChild(container);
+  root = createRoot(container);
+});
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  act(() => root.unmount());
+  container.remove();
+});
+
+const longText = Array.from({ length: 60 }, (_, line) => `Line ${line + 1}`).join("\n");
+const preLine = { whiteSpace: "pre-line" } as const;
+const view = () => within(container);
+
+function renderMessage(expansion: UserMessageExpansion) {
+  act(() =>
+    root.render(
+      <UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider value={expansion}>
+        <MessagePreview itemId="message-1">
+          <span style={preLine}>{longText}</span>
+        </MessagePreview>
+      </UserMessageExpansionContext.Provider>,
+    ),
+  );
+}
+
+async function waitForLayout() {
+  await act(async () => {
+    for (let frame = 0; frame < 2; frame += 1) {
+      await new Promise((resolve) => requestAnimationFrame(resolve));
+    }
+  });
+}
+
+describe("long user message preview", () => {
+  it("commits the control with the mount, so the first frame is the settled one", async () => {
+    renderMessage(createUserMessageExpansion());
+
+    // Nothing has painted yet: whatever is in the DOM now is the first frame.
+    expect(view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show more" })).toBeTruthy();
+    const firstFrameHeight = container.getBoundingClientRect().height;
+
+    await waitForLayout();
+    expect(view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show more" })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(container.getBoundingClientRect().height).toBe(firstFrameHeight);
+  });
+
+  it("paints the user's expanded choice when the row remounts", async () => {
+    const expansion = createUserMessageExpansion();
+    renderMessage(expansion);
+    act(() => view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show more" }).click());
+    await waitForLayout();
+    const expandedHeight = container.getBoundingClientRect().height;
+
+    act(() => root.render(null));
+    renderMessage(expansion);
+
+    expect(view().getByRole("button", { name: "Show less" })).toBeTruthy();
+    expect(container.getBoundingClientRect().height).toBe(expandedHeight);
+  });
+});

packages/app/src/components/user-message/index.tsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useCallback, useMemo, type ReactNode } from "react";
+import { useState, useCallback, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, type ReactNode } from "react";
 import { View, type LayoutChangeEvent, type ViewStyle } from "react-native";
 import { StyleSheet } from "react-native-unistyles";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { useSessionStore } from "@/stores/session-store";
 import { navigateToAgent } from "@/utils/navigate-to-agent";
 import { isNative } from "@/constants/platform";
 import { useDisclosureHold } from "@/agent-stream/disclosure";
+import { useUserMessageExpanded } from "./expansion-context";
 
 const PREVIEW_HEIGHT = 240;
 // Show more and show less sit under the text they open and close.
@@ -21,24 +22,35 @@ const previewStyle: ViewStyle = {
   overflow: isNative ? "scroll" : "hidden",
 };
 
-export function MessagePreview({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
+/** Caps a long message at the preview height, with a control to read the rest. */
+export function MessagePreview({ itemId, children }: { itemId: string; children: ReactNode }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const [expanded, setExpanded] = useState(false);
+  const { expanded, toggle: toggleExpanded } = useUserMessageExpanded(itemId);
+  const bodyRef = useRef<View>(null);
   const [overflowing, setOverflowing] = useState(false);
+  // A hidden panel lays out at zero height, which says nothing about the message.
+  const applyBodyHeight = useCallback((height: number) => {
+    if (height > 0) setOverflowing(height > PREVIEW_HEIGHT);
+  }, []);
+  // Measure in the commit that mounts the body: an update from a layout effect paints with it, so
+  // the first frame already shows the fade and the control. `onLayout` only lands after paint.
+  useLayoutEffect(() => {
+    applyBodyHeight(bodyRef.current!.getBoundingClientRect().height);
+  }, [applyBodyHeight]);
   const measure = useCallback(
-    (event: LayoutChangeEvent) => setOverflowing(event.nativeEvent.layout.height > PREVIEW_HEIGHT),
-    [],
+    (event: LayoutChangeEvent) => applyBodyHeight(event.nativeEvent.layout.height),
+    [applyBodyHeight],
   );
   const hold = useDisclosureHold();
   const toggle = useCallback(
-    () => hold(() => setExpanded((value) => !value), TRIGGER_BELOW_CONTENT),
-    [hold],
+    () => hold(toggleExpanded, TRIGGER_BELOW_CONTENT),
+    [hold, toggleExpanded],
   );
   const accessibilityState = useMemo(() => ({ expanded }), [expanded]);
   return (
     <>
       <View style={!expanded && previewStyle}>
-        <View style={styles.body} onLayout={measure}>
+        <View ref={bodyRef} style={styles.body} onLayout={measure}>
           {children}
         </View>
         {overflowing && !expanded ? (