Fix: Associate error message with form field for screen readers by marufsharifi · Pull Request #82964 · Expensify/App

marufsharifi · 2026-02-19T16:52:19Z

Explanation of Change

When a field has an error, we now explicitly connect the visible error message to that input using accessibility attributes. As a result, screen readers can announce both that the field is invalid and what the error is when users focus the field.

Fixed Issues

$ #76939
PROPOSAL: #76939 (comment)

Tests

Using JAWS + Chrome, open the web app
Navigate using TAB to the phone or email input field.
Trigger an error message, then press Tab/Shift+Tab key to focus the field with an error.
Note how the field is announced.
The error message is associated with the form control, so verify that it is announced upon focusing on the control.

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.2026-02-24.at.8.51.07.PM.mov

Android: mWeb Chrome

Screen.Recording.2026-02-24.at.8.54.32.PM.mov

iOS: Native

Screen.Recording.2026-02-24.at.8.41.52.PM.mov

iOS: mWeb Safari

Screen.Recording.2026-02-24.at.8.44.59.PM.mov

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

Screen.Recording.2026-02-23.at.7.02.36.PM.mp4

melvin-bot · 2026-02-19T16:52:27Z

Hey! I see that you made changes to our Form component. Make sure to update the docs in FORMS.md accordingly. Cheers!

codecov · 2026-02-19T17:02:04Z

Codecov Report

✅ Changes either increased or maintained existing code coverage, great job!

Files with missing lines	Coverage Δ
src/components/FormHelpMessage.tsx	`85.71% <100.00%> (+0.52%)`	⬆️
...s/TextInput/BaseTextInput/implementation/index.tsx	`0.00% <0.00%> (ø)`
... and 6 files with indirect coverage changes

…ibedby

…ation

melvin-bot · 2026-02-24T16:31:14Z

@suneox 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]

joekaufmanexpensify

Good for product 👍

marufsharifi · 2026-02-28T08:02:29Z

@suneox, kindly bump. thanks.

marufsharifi · 2026-03-02T05:02:11Z

@suneox, quick bump. thanks.

suneox · 2026-03-02T06:39:00Z

@suneox, quick bump. thanks.

Sure I'll take a look at this one today

suneox · 2026-03-02T19:08:56Z

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
- I verified the steps for Staging and/or Production testing are in the QA steps section
- 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:
- Android: HybridApp
- Android: mWeb Chrome
- iOS: HybridApp
- iOS: mWeb Safari
- MacOS: Chrome / Safari
If there are any errors in the console that are unrelated to this PR, I either fixed them (preferred) or linked to where I reported them in Slack
I verified proper code patterns were followed (see Reviewing the code)
- I verified that any callback methods that were added or modified are named for what the method does and never what callback they handle (i.e. toggleReport and not onIconClick).
- I verified that comments were added to code that is not self explanatory
- I verified that any new or modified comments were clear, correct English, and explained "why" the code was doing something instead of only explaining "what" the code was doing.
- I verified any copy / text shown in the product is localized by adding it to src/languages/* files and using the translation method
- I verified all numbers, amounts, dates and phone numbers shown in the product are using the localization methods
- I verified any copy / text that was added to the app is grammatically correct in English. It adheres to proper capitalization guidelines (note: only the first word of header/labels should be capitalized), and is either coming verbatim from figma or has been approved by marketing (in order to get marketing approval, ask the Bug Zero team member to add the Waiting for copy label to the issue)
- I verified proper file naming conventions were followed for any new files or renamed files. All non-platform specific files are named after what they export and are not named "index.js". All platform-specific files are named for the platform the code supports as outlined in the README.
- I verified the JSDocs style guidelines (in STYLE.md) were followed
If a new code pattern is added I verified it was agreed to be used by multiple Expensify engineers
I verified that this PR follows the guidelines as stated in the Review Guidelines
I verified other components that can be impacted by these changes have been tested, and I retested again (i.e. if the PR modifies a shared library or component like Avatar, I verified the components using Avatar have been tested & I retested again)
I verified all code is DRY (the PR doesn't include any logic written more than once, with the exception of tests)
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If a new component is created I verified that:
- A similar component doesn't exist in the codebase
- All props are defined accurately and each prop has a /** comment above it */
- The file is named correctly
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- For Class Components, any internal methods passed to components event handlers are bound to this properly so there are no scoping issues (i.e. for onClick={this.submit} the method this.submit should be bound to this in the constructor)
- Any internal methods bound to this are necessary to be bound (i.e. avoid this.submit = this.submit.bind(this); if this.submit is never passed to a component event handler like onClick)
- All JSX used for rendering exists in the render method
- The component has the minimum amount of code necessary for its purpose, and it is broken down into smaller components in order to separate concerns and functions
If any new file was added I verified that:
- The file has a description of what it does and/or why is needed at the top of the file if the code is not self explanatory
If a new CSS style is added I verified that:
- A similar style doesn't already exist
- The style can't be created with an existing StyleUtils function (i.e. StyleUtils.getBackgroundAndBorderStyle(theme.componentBG)
If the PR modifies code that runs when editing or sending messages, I tested and verified there is no unexpected behavior for all supported markdown - URLs, single line code, code blocks, quotes, headings, bold, strikethrough, and italic.
If the PR modifies a generic component, I tested and verified that those changes do not break usages of that component in the rest of the App (i.e. if a shared library or component like Avatar is modified, I verified that Avatar is working as expected in all cases)
If the PR modifies a component related to any of the existing Storybook stories, I tested and verified all stories for that component are still working as expected.
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If the PR modifies the UI (e.g. new buttons, new UI components, changing the padding/spacing/sizing, moving components, etc) or modifies the form input styles:
- I verified that all the inputs inside a form are aligned with each other.
- I added Design label and/or tagged @Expensify/design so the design team can review the changes.
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

CleanShot.2026-03-11.at.21.16.27.2.mp4

CleanShot.2026-03-15.at.22.54.53.3.mp4

Android: mWeb Chrome

CleanShot.2026-03-11.at.21.18.32.3.mp4

CleanShot.2026-03-15.at.23.07.47.4.mp4

iOS: HybridApp

CleanShot.2026-03-11.at.20.56.23.1.mp4

CleanShot.2026-03-15.at.22.41.45.1.mp4

iOS: mWeb Safari

ScreenRecording_03-11-2026.21-30-08_1.1.mp4

MacOS: Chrome / Safari

CleanShot.2026-03-11.at.21.02.13.1.mp4

CleanShot.2026-03-15.at.22.42.53.2.mp4

src/components/TextInput/BaseTextInput/implementation/index.tsx

…ation

marufsharifi · 2026-03-05T10:59:42Z

@suneox, I've addressed your comments. Please take another look when you get a chance. thanks.

marufsharifi · 2026-03-09T07:20:00Z

@suneox, kindly bump. thanks.

marufsharifi · 2026-03-11T06:00:33Z

@suneox, quick bump. thanks.

suneox · 2026-03-11T12:27:53Z

@suneox, quick bump. thanks.

I’m starting to take a look at this one.

marufsharifi · 2026-03-13T12:33:17Z

@suneox I’ve updated the fix for Safari and re-tested it on the other platforms as well. It is now working as expected across all tested platforms.

Video demo:

error-announcemnt-safari.mov

suneox · 2026-03-13T15:25:27Z

@suneox I’ve updated the fix for Safari and re-tested it on the other platforms as well. It is now working as expected across all tested platforms.

Video demo:

error-announcemnt-safari.mov

Great, I’ll take a look at this shortly.

suneox · 2026-03-13T15:27:27Z

src/components/FormHelpMessage.tsx

+    /** Native ID applied to the message text when a direct text association is needed */
+    messageNativeID?: string;


Have you got any reference we need to rename this prop?

suneox · 2026-03-13T15:29:07Z

src/components/TextInput/BaseTextInput/implementation/index.tsx

    // This is workaround for https://github.com/Expensify/App/issues/47939: in case when user is using Chrome on Android we set inputMode to 'search' to disable autocomplete bar above the keyboard.
    // If we need some other inputMode (eg. 'decimal'), then the autocomplete bar will show, but we can do nothing about it as it's a known Chrome bug.
    const inputMode = inputProps.inputMode ?? (isMobileChrome() ? 'search' : undefined);
-    const accessibilityLabel = [label, hint, errorText ? translate('common.yourReviewIsRequired') : ''].filter(Boolean).join(', ');


Is this intended to remove the common.yourReviewIsRequired message?

I did not restore the generic phrase because the final fix uses the actual error text on web, while native error announcement remains unchanged through the native implementation.

suneox · 2026-03-14T08:26:50Z

@codex review new update

suneox · 2026-03-14T08:35:34Z

@marufsharifi The live error message functionality is broken after the new update.

CleanShot.2026-03-14.at.15.29.02.1.mp4

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chatgpt-codex-connector · 2026-03-14T08:38:59Z

src/components/TextInput/BaseTextInput/implementation/index.tsx

-    const accessibilityLabel = [label, hint, errorText ? translate('common.yourReviewIsRequired') : ''].filter(Boolean).join(', ');
+    const inputNativeID = inputProps.nativeID ?? inputProps.id ?? inputID ?? `text-input-${helpMessageId}`;
+    const helpMessageTextID = `${helpMessageId}-text`;
+    const accessibilityLabel = inputProps.accessibilityLabel ?? [label, hint].filter(Boolean).join(', ');


Restore invalid cue in default accessibilityLabel

Removing translate('common.yourReviewIsRequired') from the default accessibilityLabel regresses native screen-reader behavior when a field has errorText: on iOS/Android, the new aria-errormessage/aria-invalid attributes are not what gets announced, so refocusing an invalid input no longer conveys that it is in an error state (previously it always did via the label). This especially affects repeated navigation back to the same field after validation errors.

Useful? React with 👍 / 👎.

the PR change is in the web implementation and native still has its own path

suneox · 2026-03-14T08:56:16Z

@marufsharifi Please review the comments above and including this one.

…ation

marufsharifi · 2026-03-14T12:49:42Z

@suneox I’ve updated the fix based on the latest comments and re-tested it across the affected platforms.

Current result:

Safari + VoiceOver: the error is announced when it appears and also when the invalid input is focused again
Other tested platforms/browsers: still working as expected, with no regression observed in my testing

Please take another look when you have a chance.

safari-error-announcement.mov

marufsharifi · 2026-03-15T11:06:01Z

@suneox could you please re-review when you have a chance?

suneox · 2026-03-15T11:11:45Z

@suneox I’ve updated the fix based on the latest comments and re-tested it across the affected platforms.

@marufsharifi How about your validation on the native platform? Is the error message associated when the input is focused?

CleanShot.2026-03-15.at.18.07.11.1.mp4

marufsharifi · 2026-03-15T11:25:39Z

@suneox yes, on native the error is associated and announced when the screen-reader focus moves back to the input.

For this case, the relevant validation is VoiceOver focus, not just tapping/clicking the field. On the simulator, please move the VoiceOver focus to the input using Control + Option + Left/Right Arrow as shown in the simulator header. When the input receives VoiceOver focus that way, the associated error message is read as expected.

marufsharifi · 2026-03-15T11:51:38Z

@suneox video demo of test on iOS native

Screen.Recording.2026-03-15.at.4.17.09.PM.mov

suneox · 2026-03-15T16:31:37Z

@suneox yes, on native the error is associated and announced when the screen-reader focus moves back to the input.

For this case, the relevant validation is VoiceOver focus, not just tapping/clicking the field. On the simulator, please move the VoiceOver focus to the input using Control + Option + Left/Right Arrow as shown in the simulator header. When the input receives VoiceOver focus that way, the associated error message is read as expected.

It work for me, I've updated screenshot

melvin-bot · 2026-03-15T16:31:48Z

We did not find an internal engineer to review this PR, trying to assign a random engineer to #76939 as well as to this PR... Please reach out for help on Slack if no one gets assigned!

github-actions · 2026-03-15T18:57:59Z

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github-actions · 2026-03-15T19:02:35Z

🧪🧪 Use the links below to test this adhoc build on Android, iOS, and Web. Happy testing! 🧪🧪
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OSBotify · 2026-03-15T19:07:06Z

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

OSBotify · 2026-03-16T10:30:52Z

🚀 Deployed to staging by https://github.com/yuwenmemon in version: 9.3.38-0 🚀

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

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🚀 Deployed to production by https://github.com/cristipaval in version: 9.3.38-4 🚀

platform	result
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🍎 iOS 🍎	success ✅

fix(a11y): associate error message with form field for screen readers

0537fc4

melvin-bot bot assigned marufsharifi Feb 19, 2026

marufsharifi added 4 commits February 22, 2026 16:44

eat(a11y): wire text input error messages via nativeID and aria-descr…

f6d03f7

…ibedby

Merge branch 'main' into fix/screen-reader-error-message-field-associ…

768e6f0

…ation

removed unnecessary changes.

2a84241

Improve TextInput label/input ID wiring and web error ARIA attributes

d0bf56d

marufsharifi marked this pull request as ready for review February 24, 2026 16:31

marufsharifi requested review from a team as code owners February 24, 2026 16:31

melvin-bot bot requested review from suneox and removed request for a team February 24, 2026 16:31

melvin-bot bot requested review from joekaufmanexpensify and removed request for a team February 24, 2026 16:31

joekaufmanexpensify previously approved these changes Feb 24, 2026

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suneox reviewed Mar 2, 2026

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src/components/TextInput/BaseTextInput/implementation/index.tsx Outdated Show resolved Hide resolved

suneox mentioned this pull request Mar 3, 2026

Fix: Error messages not announced by screen readers when displayed #83120

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53 tasks

marufsharifi added 2 commits March 5, 2026 15:08

Merge branch 'main' into fix/screen-reader-error-message-field-associ…

6aa8ae5

…ation

fix(a11y): reuse helpMessageId for TextInput fallback nativeID

b40c2e2

marufsharifi dismissed joekaufmanexpensify’s stale review via b40c2e2 March 5, 2026 10:50

fix(a11y): associate BaseTextInput errors with plain help text on web

ca42220

suneox reviewed Mar 13, 2026

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suneox mentioned this pull request Mar 14, 2026

Screen Reader: Many Pages: The error message is not associated with the field #76939

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marufsharifi added 2 commits March 14, 2026 16:45

Merge branch 'main' into fix/screen-reader-error-message-field-associ…

9b47fa2

…ation

fix(a11y): improve web error announcements for BaseTextInput

ab27f06

suneox approved these changes Mar 15, 2026

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yuwenmemon merged commit 0a415ed into Expensify:main Mar 15, 2026
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OSBotify mentioned this pull request Mar 16, 2026

Deploy Checklist: New Expensify 2026-03-16 #85347

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Ollyws mentioned this pull request Mar 16, 2026

fix: the input field is announced without entered value #82651

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		/** Native ID applied to the message text when a direct text association is needed */
		messageNativeID?: string;

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Explanation of Change

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