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@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441

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@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
Assignees
chriscanin

Description

@brandonatdashtag
brandonatdashtag
opened on May 2, 2026

Preliminary Checks

Reproduction

No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.

Publishable key

pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k

Description

After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.

Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.

Environment

ComponentVersion
@clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
Expo SDK54
React Native0.81
iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
macOS26.3

Setup

  • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
  • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
  • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
  • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
  • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert

Diagnosis (with detailed traces)

I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.

Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):

mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.

Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.

Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.

What's interesting

  1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.

  2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.

  3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.

  4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.

Suggested fix

Either:

  • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
  • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
  • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.

Related issues

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@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
    Skip to content
    @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
    Closed
    Closed
    @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
    Assignees
    chriscanin
    Description
    @brandonatdashtag
    brandonatdashtag
    opened on May 2, 2026
    Preliminary Checks
    Reproduction
    No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
    Publishable key
    pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
    Description
    After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
    Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
    Environment
    ComponentVersion
    @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
    clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
    Expo SDK54
    React Native0.81
    iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
    macOS26.3
    Setup
    • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
    • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
    • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
    • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
    • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
    Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
    I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
    Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
    mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

    Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
    Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
    Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
    What's interesting
    1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
    2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
    3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
    4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
    Suggested fix
    Either:
    • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
    • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
    • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
    Related issues
    Metadata
    Metadata
    Assignees
    Labels
    No labels
    No labels
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    No type
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    No projects
      Milestone
      No milestone
      Relationships
      None yet
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      No branches or pull requests
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@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
      Skip to content
      @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
      Closed
      Closed
      @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
      Assignees
      chriscanin
      Description
      @brandonatdashtag
      brandonatdashtag
      opened on May 2, 2026
      Preliminary Checks
      Reproduction
      No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
      Publishable key
      pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
      Description
      After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
      Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
      Environment
      ComponentVersion
      @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
      clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
      Expo SDK54
      React Native0.81
      iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
      macOS26.3
      Setup
      • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
      • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
      • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
      • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
      • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
      Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
      I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
      Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
      mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

      Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
      Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
      Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
      What's interesting
      1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
      2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
      3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
      4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
      Suggested fix
      Either:
      • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
      • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
      • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
      Related issues
      Metadata
      Metadata
      Assignees
      Labels
      No labels
      No labels
      Type
      No type
      Projects
      No projects
        Milestone
        No milestone
        Relationships
        None yet
        Development
        No branches or pull requests
        Issue actions
        
, 'i');
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@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
        Skip to content
        @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
        Closed
        Closed
        @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
        Assignees
        chriscanin
        Description
        @brandonatdashtag
        brandonatdashtag
        opened on May 2, 2026
        Preliminary Checks
        Reproduction
        No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
        Publishable key
        pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
        Description
        After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
        Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
        Environment
        ComponentVersion
        @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
        clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
        Expo SDK54
        React Native0.81
        iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
        macOS26.3
        Setup
        • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
        • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
        • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
        • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
        • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
        Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
        I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
        Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
        mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

        Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
        Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
        Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
        What's interesting
        1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
        2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
        3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
        4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
        Suggested fix
        Either:
        • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
        • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
        • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
        Related issues
        Metadata
        Metadata
        Assignees
        Labels
        No labels
        No labels
        Type
        No type
        Projects
        No projects
          Milestone
          No milestone
          Relationships
          None yet
          Development
          No branches or pull requests
          Issue actions
          
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var __m = "youtube.com";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + "youtube\\.com" + '
@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
          Skip to content
          @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
          Closed
          Closed
          @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
          Assignees
          chriscanin
          Description
          @brandonatdashtag
          brandonatdashtag
          opened on May 2, 2026
          Preliminary Checks
          Reproduction
          No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
          Publishable key
          pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
          Description
          After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
          Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
          Environment
          ComponentVersion
          @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
          clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
          Expo SDK54
          React Native0.81
          iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
          macOS26.3
          Setup
          • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
          • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
          • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
          • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
          • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
          Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
          I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
          Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
          mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

          Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
          Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
          Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
          What's interesting
          1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
          2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
          3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
          4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
          Suggested fix
          Either:
          • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
          • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
          • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
          Related issues
          Metadata
          Metadata
          Assignees
          Labels
          No labels
          No labels
          Type
          No type
          Projects
          No projects
            Milestone
            No milestone
            Relationships
            None yet
            Development
            No branches or pull requests
            Issue actions
            
, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
// Auto-enable theater mode on YouTube
(function() {
function tryTheater() {
var btn = document.querySelector('button[aria-label="Theater mode"], ytd-player #player button[title="Theater mode"]');
if (btn && !btn.classList.contains('activated')) {
btn.click();
}
}
// Try immediately
tryTheater();
// Try after navigation (SPA)
var lastUrl = location.href;
setInterval(function() {
if (location.href !== lastUrl) {
lastUrl = location.href;
setTimeout(tryTheater, 500);
}
}, 1000);
// Also try on player load
var observer = new MutationObserver(tryTheater);
observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true });
})();
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:YouTube Theater Mode Default]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
            Skip to content
            @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
            Closed
            Closed
            @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
            Assignees
            chriscanin
            Description
            @brandonatdashtag
            brandonatdashtag
            opened on May 2, 2026
            Preliminary Checks
            Reproduction
            No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
            Publishable key
            pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
            Description
            After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
            Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
            Environment
            ComponentVersion
            @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
            clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
            Expo SDK54
            React Native0.81
            iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
            macOS26.3
            Setup
            • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
            • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
            • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
            • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
            • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
            Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
            I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
            Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
            mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

            Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
            Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
            Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
            What's interesting
            1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
            2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
            3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
            4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
            Suggested fix
            Either:
            • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
            • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
            • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
            Related issues
            Metadata
            Metadata
            Assignees
            Labels
            No labels
            No labels
            Type
            No type
            Projects
            No projects
              Milestone
              No milestone
              Relationships
              None yet
              Development
              No branches or pull requests
              Issue actions
              
, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
// Remove or un-stick sticky/fixed headers that block content
(function() {
function unstick() {
document.querySelectorAll('header, nav, [role="banner"], .header, .navbar, .sticky, .fixed-top, [style*="position: fixed"], [style*="position:sticky"]').forEach(function(el) {
if (el.style.position === 'fixed' || el.style.position === 'sticky' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'fixed' || getComputedStyle(el).position === 'sticky') {
el.style.position = 'static';
el.style.top = 'auto';
el.style.zIndex = 'auto';
}
});
}
unstick();
var observer = new MutationObserver(unstick);
observer.observe(document.body, { childList: true, subtree: true, attributes: true, attributeFilter: ['style', 'class'] });
})();
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Kill Sticky Headers]', __e); }
})();
(function(){
try {
var __m = "*";
var __re = new RegExp('^' + ".*" + '
@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
              Skip to content
              @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
              Closed
              Closed
              @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
              Assignees
              chriscanin
              Description
              @brandonatdashtag
              brandonatdashtag
              opened on May 2, 2026
              Preliminary Checks
              Reproduction
              No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
              Publishable key
              pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
              Description
              After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
              Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
              Environment
              ComponentVersion
              @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
              clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
              Expo SDK54
              React Native0.81
              iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
              macOS26.3
              Setup
              • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
              • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
              • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
              • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
              • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
              Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
              I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
              Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
              mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

              Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
              Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
              Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
              What's interesting
              1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
              2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
              3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
              4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
              Suggested fix
              Either:
              • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
              • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
              • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
              Related issues
              Metadata
              Metadata
              Assignees
              Labels
              No labels
              No labels
              Type
              No type
              Projects
              No projects
                Milestone
                No milestone
                Relationships
                None yet
                Development
                No branches or pull requests
                Issue actions
                
, 'i');
if (__m === '*' || __re.test(location.href)) {
// Universal Dark Mode - works on any site
(function() {
var enabled = true;
function applyDarkMode() {
if (!enabled) return;
// Create style element if it doesn't exist
var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');
if (!style) {
style = document.createElement('style');
style.id = 'universal-dark-mode-style';
document.head.appendChild(style);
}
// Dark mode CSS - inverts colors but preserves images/video
style.textContent = '
/* Invert everything except media */
html {
filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;
background: #1a1a2e !important;
}
/* Restore images, videos, iframes, canvas */
img, video, iframe, canvas, svg, picture, [style*="background-image"] {
filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;
}
/* Preserve specific elements that should not be inverted */
.no-dark-mode, .no-dark-mode *,
[data-theme="light"], [data-theme="light"],
.ace_editor, .ace_editor *,
.CodeMirror, .CodeMirror *,
.monaco-editor, .monaco-editor *,
.markdown-body pre, .markdown-body pre *,
.highlight, .highlight *,
pre code, pre code * {
filter: none !important;
}
/* Fix common UI elements */
.modal, .popup, .dropdown-menu, .tooltip, .popover {
filter: invert(1) hue-rotate(180deg) !important;
background: #2d2d44 !important;
border-color: #444 !important;
}
/* Scrollbars */
::-webkit-scrollbar { background: #1a1a2e !important; }
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb { background: #444 !important; }
::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover { background: #555 !important; }
/* Selection */
::selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }
::-moz-selection { background: #4ecdc4 !important; color: #1a1a2e !important; }
';
}
function removeDarkMode() {
var style = document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style');
if (style) style.remove();
}
// Toggle with Alt+Shift+D
document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
if (e.altKey && e.shiftKey && e.key === 'D') {
e.preventDefault();
enabled = !enabled;
if (enabled) {
applyDarkMode();
console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Enabled');
} else {
removeDarkMode();
console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Disabled');
}
}
});
// Apply on load
applyDarkMode();
// Re-apply on dynamic content
var observer = new MutationObserver(function(mutations) {
if (enabled && !document.getElementById('universal-dark-mode-style')) {
applyDarkMode();
}
});
observer.observe(document.head, { childList: true });
console.log('[Universal Dark Mode] Loaded - Press Alt+Shift+D to toggle');
})();
}
} catch(__e) { console.warn('[Userscript:Universal Dark Mode]', __e); }
})();
})();
@clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) · Issue #8441 · clerk/javascript · GitHub
                Skip to content
                @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code) #8441
                Closed
                Closed
                @clerk/expo v3 iOS: AuthView session not restored on cold start despite valid JWT in keychain (works on Android, same code)#8441
                Assignees
                chriscanin
                Description
                @brandonatdashtag
                brandonatdashtag
                opened on May 2, 2026
                Preliminary Checks
                Reproduction
                No standalone repro repo, but reproduces in any Expo SDK 54 + @clerk/expo 3.2.7 app on iOS using <AuthView> from @clerk/expo/native. We've reproduced it in two separate apps in our monorepo (one consumer app, one chat app) with completely different code.
                Publishable key
                pk_live_Y2xlcmsudGhlZGFzaHRhZy5jb20k
                Description
                After cold-start (force-quit + relaunch) on iOS only, the user's Clerk session is not restored from the JWT in expo-secure-store. The same code works perfectly on Android — sessions persist as expected.
                Symptoms: user sees the unauthenticated/sign-in screen on every app launch, even though __clerk_client_jwt is intact in keychain.
                Environment
                ComponentVersion
                @clerk/expo3.2.7 (also reproduced on 3.2.8-canary.v20260501194208)
                clerk-ios (SwiftPM)1.0.0
                Expo SDK54
                React Native0.81
                iOS (physical device)26.3.1 (iPhone 15 Pro Max)
                macOS26.3
                Setup
                • <ClerkProvider publishableKey={CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY} tokenCache={tokenCache}> (default tokenCache from @clerk/expo/token-cache)
                • <AuthView mode="signInOrUp" /> from @clerk/expo/native
                • useAuth({ treatPendingAsSignedOut: false }) everywhere
                • @clerk/expo plugin in app.config.ts plugins array
                • iOS bundle id com.dashtag.app.dev, signed with our developer cert
                Diagnosis (with detailed traces)
                I patched node_modules/@clerk/expo/dist/provider/ClerkProvider.js to add console logging and isolated the bug to native ClerkExpo.getSession() returning undefined indefinitely after cold-start, despite configure(pk, jwt) resolving successfully and a valid JWT being passed.
                Cold-start trace (consistent pattern):
                mount | isSignedIn=undefined isLoaded=false jwt=eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: calling native configure with bearerToken= eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIs...(len 518)
bootstrap: configure resolved ← native promise resolves cleanly
mount | isSignedIn=false isLoaded=true ← Clerk JS finishes loading
bootstrap: poll #1 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #5 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #15 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: poll #30 getSession() -> undefined
bootstrap: NO SESSION after 30 polls (3s timeout — original behavior)

                Workaround attempt #1 — extended polling 3s → 30s: marginal improvement, not reliable.
                Workaround attempt #2 — re-call configure(pk, jwt) repeatedly: sometimes triggers eventual restore (~30% of attempts), but unreliable. After 60s of retries (20 × 3s intervals), getSession() still returns undefined for fresh sessions created moments before the test.
                Workaround attempt #3 — block spurious setActive({session: null}): never observed this code path being triggered; the bug is purely in getSession() returning null.
                What's interesting
                1. Same code, same JWT length, same Clerk user — works on Android, fails on iOS. I tested side-by-side with the same Metro instance serving both an Android device and an iPhone using the exact same JS bundle. Android: session restored within 1-2s of cold start, every time. iOS: session restored maybe 30% of the time, often never.
                2. The JWT in keychain is fresh and valid. Just-created sessions (signed in moments before the test) fail to restore.
                3. The ClerkViewFactory.swiftsyncTokenState logic looks suspect. Lines 72-91 of node_modules/@clerk/expo/ios/ClerkViewFactory.swift compare the JS-keychain JWT against the nativeDeviceToken keychain entry; if they differ, clearCachedClerkData() is called to wipe cachedClient and cachedEnvironment. After the cache wipe, the SDK relies on a network round-trip to repopulate. If that round-trip is slow or fails silently, Clerk.shared.session stays nil and getSession() returns null. This iOS-specific keychain-dance code does not have an Android equivalent — which matches our observation that Android always works.
                4. The configure() promise resolving says nothing about whether the session is loaded. Clerk.shared.session might still be nil when configure() resolves.
                Suggested fix
                Either:
                • Make ClerkExpo.configure(pk, bearerToken) not resolve until Clerk.shared.session is non-nil OR a definitive failure has occurred (currently waitForLoadedSession() polls but the promise resolves regardless).
                • Surface an onAuthStateChange event when the native SDK eventually loads the session post-configure(), so the JS bootstrap can react via useNativeAuthEvents instead of polling getSession().
                • Avoid clearCachedClerkData() on cold-start when existingToken == nil (first-launch case) — only clear when the token actually changed and there's a stale cached client to reconcile.
                Related issues
                Metadata
                Metadata
                Assignees
                Labels
                No labels
                No labels
                Type
                No type
                Projects
                No projects
                  Milestone
                  No milestone
                  Relationships
                  None yet
                  Development
                  No branches or pull requests
                  Issue actions