From 32b61d840248601c3d6b5fc9765f4af481754677 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: seanperez <sean@clerk.dev>
Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026 20:55:45 -0400
Subject: [PATCH] fix(expo): preserve mounted native auth view

---
 .changeset/calm-spoons-listen.md              |  5 ++
 packages/expo/ios/ClerkNativeViewHost.swift   |  7 +-
 .../ios/Tests/ClerkNativeViewHostTests.swift  | 66 +++++++++++++++++++
 3 files changed, 77 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
 create mode 100644 .changeset/calm-spoons-listen.md
 create mode 100644 packages/expo/ios/Tests/ClerkNativeViewHostTests.swift

diff --git a/.changeset/calm-spoons-listen.md b/.changeset/calm-spoons-listen.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..66ba8da049e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/calm-spoons-listen.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+'@clerk/expo': patch
+---
+
+Keep post-authentication prompts open in the native `AuthView` when the Clerk iOS SDK configuration refreshes.
diff --git a/packages/expo/ios/ClerkNativeViewHost.swift b/packages/expo/ios/ClerkNativeViewHost.swift
index ee00c57fce2..4e6540aceea 100644
--- a/packages/expo/ios/ClerkNativeViewHost.swift
+++ b/packages/expo/ios/ClerkNativeViewHost.swift
@@ -66,7 +66,8 @@ public class ClerkNativeViewHost: ExpoView {
       object: nil,
       queue: .main
     ) { [weak self] _ in
-      self?.setNeedsHostedViewUpdate()
+      guard let self, !hostingCoordinator.hasAttachedController else { return }
+      setNeedsHostedViewUpdate()
     }
   }
 
@@ -145,6 +146,10 @@ private final class ClerkNativeHostingCoordinator {
   private weak var containerView: UIView?
   private var hostingController: UIViewController?
 
+  var hasAttachedController: Bool {
+    hostingController != nil
+  }
+
   init(containerView: UIView) {
     self.containerView = containerView
   }
diff --git a/packages/expo/ios/Tests/ClerkNativeViewHostTests.swift b/packages/expo/ios/Tests/ClerkNativeViewHostTests.swift
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..acbfed504e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/expo/ios/Tests/ClerkNativeViewHostTests.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import UIKit
+import XCTest
+@testable import ClerkExpo
+
+final class ClerkNativeViewHostTests: XCTestCase {
+  @MainActor
+  func testConfigureNotificationDoesNotReplaceAttachedController() {
+    let hostView = TestClerkNativeViewHost(appContext: nil)
+    let controller = UIViewController()
+    hostView.controller = controller
+    let window = mountInWindow(hostView)
+    let callsBeforeNotification = hostView.makeHostedControllerCallCount
+
+    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .clerkNativeSDKDidConfigure, object: nil)
+
+    XCTAssertEqual(hostView.makeHostedControllerCallCount, callsBeforeNotification)
+    XCTAssertTrue(controller.view.superview === hostView)
+    unmount(hostView, from: window)
+  }
+
+  @MainActor
+  func testConfigureNotificationAttachesControllerWhenInitiallyUnavailable() {
+    let hostView = TestClerkNativeViewHost(appContext: nil)
+    let window = mountInWindow(hostView)
+    let callsBeforeConfiguration = hostView.makeHostedControllerCallCount
+    let controller = UIViewController()
+    hostView.controller = controller
+
+    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .clerkNativeSDKDidConfigure, object: nil)
+
+    XCTAssertEqual(hostView.makeHostedControllerCallCount, callsBeforeConfiguration + 1)
+    XCTAssertTrue(controller.view.superview === hostView)
+
+    NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .clerkNativeSDKDidConfigure, object: nil)
+
+    XCTAssertEqual(hostView.makeHostedControllerCallCount, callsBeforeConfiguration + 1)
+    unmount(hostView, from: window)
+  }
+
+  @MainActor
+  private func mountInWindow(_ hostView: UIView) -> UIWindow {
+    let window = UIWindow(frame: UIScreen.main.bounds)
+    let viewController = UIViewController()
+    window.rootViewController = viewController
+    viewController.view.addSubview(hostView)
+    window.makeKeyAndVisible()
+    return window
+  }
+
+  @MainActor
+  private func unmount(_ hostView: UIView, from window: UIWindow) {
+    hostView.removeFromSuperview()
+    window.isHidden = true
+  }
+}
+
+@MainActor
+private final class TestClerkNativeViewHost: ClerkNativeViewHost {
+  var controller: UIViewController?
+  private(set) var makeHostedControllerCallCount = 0
+
+  override func makeHostedController() -> UIViewController? {
+    makeHostedControllerCallCount += 1
+    return controller
+  }
+}