Web-Ecard-App freezes when clicking on the Go to Expensify cards button

[mitarachim]

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Version Number: v9.3.37-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: No
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: https://test-management.browserstack.com/projects/2219752/folder/13176890/test-cases/41237379
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): applausetester+ag120326ec@applause.expensifail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Regression TC Execution
Device used: Windows 11/ Chrome
App Component: Workspace Settings

Action Performed:

Preconditions: Have a workspace with Expensify cards enabled.
At least one Expensify card is assigned with the limit type set to Smart limit.

1. Navigate to https://staging.new.expensify.com/
2. Go to workspace settings > More features > Workflows
3. Click on the locked toggle switch
4. Click on the "Go to Expensify Cards" button

Expected Result:

App redirects to the Expensify Card tab and is fully functional.

Actual Result:

The app freezes.
After refreshing the page, the app works again.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

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

Screenshots/Videos

Bug7101747_1773369097122.app_freezes.mp4

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[melvin-bot]

Triggered auto assignment to @Valforte (DeployBlockerCash), see https://stackoverflowteams.com/c/expensify/questions/9980/ for more details.

[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.

[melvin-bot]

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

[OSBotify]

Investigation Summary

Classification: Frontend bug
Causing PR: #84844 - "Update the input whenever the draft is updated" by @bernhardoj (High confidence)
Related Issues: None found

Recommendation: REVERT

PR #84844 introduces a critical bug in FormProvider that causes infinite render loops, freezing the application.

Labels: Keeping both DeployBlockerCash and DeployBlocker as this affects Web (reproducible on staging, not production per issue description)

Detailed Analysis

Evidence

The issue reports that clicking "Go to Expensify Cards" button in workspace settings > More features causes the app to freeze. PR #84844 was merged on March 12, 2026 at 15:07:25Z, which is in the v9.3.37-0 deploy where this bug was found.

Root Cause

PR #84844 changed FormProvider to update state during render instead of in useEffect:

Before (correct):

useEffect(() => {
    if (isLoadingDraftValues || !prevIsLoadingDraftValues) {
        return;
    }
    setInputValues({...draftValues});
}, [isLoadingDraftValues, draftValues, prevIsLoadingDraftValues]);

After (buggy):

if (!isLoadingDraftValues && draftValues !== previousDraftValues.current) {
    previousDraftValues.current = draftValues;
    setInputValues({...inputValues, ...draftValues});
}

The new code creates an infinite render loop because:

1. It calls setState during render (React anti-pattern)
2. It spreads inputValues (current state) into the new state object
3. Even if values are identical, {...inputValues, ...draftValues} creates a new object reference
4. New object triggers re-render
5. Condition still passes, triggers another setState
6. Loop continues indefinitely, freezing the UI

Verification

• File affected: src/components/Form/FormProvider.tsx
• PR modified this file: Yes, confirmed in PR diff
• Timing: PR merged March 12 15:07 UTC, in staging deploy v9.3.37-0
• Bug reproduces: Only on staging (where v9.3.37-0 is deployed), not production

Why This Affects Navigation

While the WorkspaceMoreFeaturesPage itself doesn't use FormProvider, any FormProvider instances mounted in the app during navigation (e.g., in other workspace pages, components, or navigation context) will trigger this infinite loop when their draft values update, causing the app to freeze.