Phantom notification in DiscourseHub app

Contribute Bug

AI-generated summary

Users are reporting a persistent ‘phantom notification’ bug in the DiscourseHub iOS app, where a green or red badge (indicating unread notifications) remains visible even after all notifications are marked as read in the web interface. Multiple users (ChrisBeach, spdegabrielle, gingerbeardman) confirm the issue began recently and is not resolved by reinstalling the app or dismissing notifications. Some trace the bug to private messages or timed bookmarks not being properly marked as read in the mobile app. The workaround—removing and re-adding the forum—clears the badge but disrupts forum order and muscle memory Jagster. pmusaraj released a beta version (1.8.12) that aligns DiscourseHub’s notification logic with the web app’s new user menu, which should resolve the issue. While some users successfully joined the beta via TestFlight gingerbeardman, others encountered link issues not-ethan. The fix has been submitted to Apple and is expected to be available in a few days pmusaraj. A related, long-standing issue where viewing one forum clears notifications for another still persists in the beta gingerbeardman.

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For a week or so, I’ve had a single notification (green) count badge shown in my DiscourseHub app. Similarly, an iOS update count badge of 1 is shown on my homescreen against the app

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In the forum itself I have no notifications, and no unread messages.

This is driving my OCD and notification-dopamine cycles really crazy. Any suggestions on how I can find the root cause?

I’ve tried reinstalling the app. That didn’t help.

Also looked at the https://forum.caption.me/notifications.json endpoint but all the notifications there were "read":true

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Green message notification in iOS Hub app won't clear
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Try getting another notification there, then using Dismiss All. That might kill your phantom notification :ghost:

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Great idea @Firepup650. I tried this and initially it didn’t seem to work. Then I swiped to delete my forum from DiscourseHub and re-added it. At that point there were zero notifications. Problem solved! Many thanks.

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I have same. Came after I moved messages between channels. This is an issue that bothers DiscourseHub every now and then. It was away quite a time but I reckon it came back after latest update of the app.

Sure, deleting an instance is one solution. I hate it because it breaks order of forums and I’m working on muscle memory :smirking_face:

It will go away after some time, on my forum it takes one week if I’m remembering right my settings.

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It is possible to re-order the forum list by long-pressing and dragging

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Oh no! The phantom notification is back :sob:

Seemed to correspond with a timed bookmark reminder - I wonder if the bug relates to that feature?

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I’ve got the same experience, it seems to be linked to private messages not being seen as read.

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I had the same problem. It didn’t seem to be clearing after a week so I’ve just removed the forum from DiscourseHub and added it back again. Notification cleared.

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The mobile app shows an outstanding notification, both in-app as a number 1 in a green losenge to the right of the server name, and a corresponding red notification on the app icon in iOS

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I’ve used the desktop ui via chrome to verify I have no outstanding notifications.

This seems like it only started in the last few days or weeks.

Has anyone else experienced this?

PS removed and reinstalled in case it was a data problem

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Try removing the forum from the app and then re-adding it.

Also, this topic is about the same issue:

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Ahh thank you.

I think I’ve been able to reproduce:

Removing and re-adding the server removed the green losenge, but another (private) chat message reinstated it, but reading the related message did not clear the indicator.

S.

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I think I’ve successfully reproduced:

https://meta.discourse.org/t/mobile-app-notification-count/282364/3?u=spdegabrielle

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  1. See there’s a green moderation notification badge
  2. Open forum to find out it’s already been taken care of by another moderator
  3. Notification badge doesn’t go away

The only way I can get this to disappear is to completely remove the forum and re-add it to the iOS app.

So it seems like an app caching issue?

iOS App: 1.8.11
Discourse forum: 3.1.2 (ef3f415439)

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So I’ve successfully reproduce the problem, but how do I log a bug report?

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Let’s combine these two topics and slip them into the Contribute > Bug category to see if we can get someone to take a closer look. :eyes:

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Is this using DiscourseHub?

If so, I think we have another couple of reports on similar that I can merge this one into as well:

I think Red is Review Queue notifications, and green is normal notifications, if that’s relevant too.

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Thanks for the detailed report!

Do you, by any chance, remember where you read the chat message? Was it in the DiscourseHub app?

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Yes, the iOS app DiscourseHub.

edit: got my colours mixed up.

With the red one you have to find the unread item which is like finding a needle in a haystack. But it’s possible.

With the green one removing and re-adding the forum is enough to clear it.

Also see this 3-year-old issue of mine about disappearing badges. iOS app: viewing first forum erases notifications of second - #26 by gingerbeardman

I think there’s something really wrong with the badge system in the app.

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I’ve merged it in. :+1: I think I may have pushed the ‘merge and keep chronology’ to the limits with this topic though, but I think it still makes sense. :crossed_fingers:

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All in the mobile app!