Android - Tags - Multi level tags file cannot be imported

[mitarachim]

If you haven’t already, check out our contributing guidelines for onboarding and email contributors@expensify.com to request to join our Slack channel!

---

Version Number: 9.3.36-0
Reproducible in staging?: Yes
Reproducible in production?: No
If this was caught during regression testing, add the test name, ID and link from BrowserStack: #83359
Email or phone of affected tester (no customers): sjodijsnodijdnoijsido@gmail.com
Issue reported by: Applause Internal Team
Bug source: Pull Request QA execution
Device used: Mac 26.2 / Chrome
App Component: Money Requests

Action Performed:

1. Launch Expensify app.
2. Go to workspace settings > Tags.
3. Tap Import.
4. Tap Multi-level tags.
5. Upload file.
6. Tap Next.
7. Tap Import.

Expected Result:

Multi level tags file can be imported.

Actual Result:

Multi level tags file cannot be imported.

Workaround:

Unknown

Platforms:

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

Screenshots/Videos

Bug7100354_1773260886651.Screen_Recording_20260312_042709_Expensify.mp4

View all open jobs on GitHub

[melvin-bot]

You have been assigned to this deploy blocker because you recently merged this PR: #83359

[melvin-bot]

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

[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.

[OSBotify]

Investigation Summary

Classification: Frontend bug
Causing PR: #83359 - "Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle" by @rinej (High confidence)
Related Issues: #80844 (previous identical issue)

Recommendation: REVERT

PR #83359 re-introduced the same babel/metro config changes that caused identical tag import failures in January 2026. The PR enabled experimentalImportSupport and disableImportExportTransform which breaks dynamic imports of the xlsx library used for spreadsheet parsing in tag imports.

This is a known regression - the exact same changes were previously merged in PR #80110, caused the same tag import failure (issue #80844), and were reverted in PR #80984. PR #83359 attempts to reintroduce these changes but has not resolved the underlying issue.

Labels: Keeping DeployBlockerCash (App deploy is blocked). This is a frontend bug requiring revert of App PR #83359.

Detailed Analysis

Evidence

• Issue only reproducible on staging (v9.3.36-0), not production - aligns with PR Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle #83359 deployment
• Identical symptoms to issue #80844: multi-level tag import fails on Android App
• PR Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle #83359 makes identical babel.config.js and metro.config.js changes to previously-reverted PR Cleanup platform specifics from hermes build #80110
• PR Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle #83359 QA steps explicitly mention testing tag import to avoid regression, suggesting known risk
• Issue affects Android App platform specifically, consistent with native bundle changes

Verification

• Affected component: /home/runner/_work/App/App/src/components/ImportSpreadsheet.tsx
• Dynamic import at line 104: import('xlsx') - this is the import affected by babel/metro config changes
• Changes in PR Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle #83359:
  • metro.config.js line 38: Added experimentalImportSupport: true
  • babel.config.js line 66: Added disableImportExportTransform: true to React Native preset
• Confirmed: Only one file in the codebase uses dynamic import of xlsx library (ImportSpreadsheet.tsx)

Root Cause

The babel/metro configuration changes enable platform tree shaking but break dynamic imports on Android native builds. When disableImportExportTransform: true is set with experimentalImportSupport: true, Metro handles ES6 imports differently, which causes the dynamic import('xlsx') call to fail at runtime on Android.

The xlsx library is dynamically imported to reduce initial bundle size. The tree shaking configuration changes how Metro processes this dynamic import, resulting in the import failing silently or the xlsx module being unavailable when the import resolves, causing the "import failed" error when users try to upload tag spreadsheets.

History

1. PR Cleanup platform specifics from hermes build #80110 (Jan 2026): First attempt at platform tree shaking - caused tag import regression
2. Issue Tags - Import multi-level tags to workspace is failed #80844: Multi-level tags import failed - identical symptoms to current issue
3. PR [CP Staging] Revert "Cleanup platform specifics from hermes build" #80984 (Jan 2026): Reverted Cleanup platform specifics from hermes build #80110 to fix the regression
4. PR Enable platform tree shaking in hermes bundle #83359 (Mar 2026): Re-introduced identical changes - same regression has reoccurred
5. Issue Android - Tags - Multi level tags file cannot be imported #84969: Current issue - same failure pattern

The PR description for #83359 states "What is NOT changed (vs reverted PR 80110)" but the core babel/metro changes that caused the original regression are still present.