[Bug]: Bottom toolbar is not visible in the iOS 18 mobile app

[BradyHazell]

Before submitting

• I searched existing issues and did not find a duplicate.
• I included enough detail to reproduce or investigate the problem.

Area

apps/mobile

Steps to reproduce

1. Open the native app on iOS 18.
2. Navigate to the Threads screen.

Expected behavior

The bottom toolbar should be visible and provide:

• Thread filtering
• Thread search
• A global New Thread action
• Access to the project chooser and add-project flow

Actual behavior

The entire bottom toolbar is missing on iOS 18. Filtering, search, and the global New Thread action are therefore unavailable from the Threads screen. The only way to start a thread is to use the add button on the project in Threads V1, in Threads V2 there is no current way to start a new thread.

Impact

Major degradation or frequent failure

Version or commit

0.1.0 (OTA 019fab6)

Environment

iOS 18.6.2

Logs or stack traces

Screenshots, recordings, or supporting files

t3-code-ios-threads-v2.jpeg

Workaround

Disable Threads V2.

This only restores the per-project add button beside eligible project headings. It allows a thread to be started directly in that project, but it does not restore the bottom toolbar, global project chooser, search, filtering, or add-project flow.

[moosashah]

Investigation by 5.6 Sol, feel free to ignore below.

---

I traced this to the iOS toolbar capability gate on current main.

Root cause

• apps/mobile/src/features/home/HomeHeader.tsx selects createNativeMailSearchToolbarItem() for every iOS version and suppresses both headerSearchBarOptions and the standard NativeHeaderToolbar fallback whenever Platform.OS === "ios".
• The patched native implementation in patches/react-native-screens@4.25.2.patch only constructs that Mail-style toolbar inside if (@available(iOS 26.0, *)) and has no pre-iOS 26 fallback.
• The app deployment target is iOS 18.0, so on iOS 18 the configuration is accepted but renders nothing. That removes search, filtering, and the global New Task action together.

Smallest fix

Use the existing NATIVE_LIQUID_GLASS_SUPPORTED capability instead of Platform.OS === "ios" when deciding whether to use the Mail-style toolbar:

1. In IosHomeHeader, only set unstable_headerToolbarItems to createNativeMailSearchToolbarItem(...) when NATIVE_LIQUID_GLASS_SUPPORTED is true.
2. When it is false, enable the existing headerSearchBarOptions fallback.
3. Render the existing bottom NativeHeaderToolbar (filter menu + compose button) when NATIVE_LIQUID_GLASS_SUPPORTED is false, including on iOS 18. The settings item can remain in unstable_headerRightItems.

In outline:

const usesMailSearchToolbar = NATIVE_LIQUID_GLASS_SUPPORTED;

unstable_headerToolbarItems: usesMailSearchToolbar
  ? () => [createNativeMailSearchToolbarItem(/* existing config */)]
  : undefined,
headerSearchBarOptions: usesMailSearchToolbar
  ? undefined
  : { /* existing fallback config */ },

{usesMailSearchToolbar ? null : (
  <NativeHeaderToolbar placement="bottom">
    {/* existing filter menu, spacers, and New task button */}
  </NativeHeaderToolbar>
)}`

This keeps the iOS 26 Liquid Glass presentation unchanged and restores functional native controls on the supported iOS 18 deployment target. The same unconditional Mail-toolbar selection also appears in Archived Threads and Files, so those screens should be checked for the same pre-iOS 26 failure, although fixing the Threads home path alone resolves this issue’s blocking New Task action.

Model: GPT-5.6 Sol | Harness: Codex in T3 Code

[moosashah]

thanks @gabrielelpidio

#4984

[gabrielelpidio]

Fix is out, please update the app in the AppStore