fix(desktop): classify timeline prepends so history loads don't bump unread

desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineSnapshot.test.mjs

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import test from "node:test";
 
 import {
+  classifyTimelineMessageDelta,
   BOTTOM_THRESHOLD_PX,
   buildDayGroupBoundaries,
   isDeferredTimelineSnapshotStale,
@@ -339,6 +340,29 @@ test("no-tearing: stale snapshot keeps all three decisions internally consistent
   assert.equal(latestKey, "b");
 });
 
+test("classifyTimelineMessageDelta: detects older-history prepends", () => {
+  const previous = [message({ id: "a" }), message({ id: "b" })];
+  const current = [message({ id: "older" }), ...previous];
+
+  assert.equal(classifyTimelineMessageDelta({ current, previous }), "prepend");
+});
+
+test("classifyTimelineMessageDelta: detects latest-message appends", () => {
+  const previous = [message({ id: "a" }), message({ id: "b" })];
+  const current = [...previous, message({ id: "c" })];
+
+  assert.equal(classifyTimelineMessageDelta({ current, previous }), "append");
+});
+
+test("classifyTimelineMessageDelta: unchanged snapshots do not count as arrivals", () => {
+  const previous = [message({ id: "a" }), message({ id: "b" })];
+
+  assert.equal(
+    classifyTimelineMessageDelta({ current: previous, previous }),
+    "none",
+  );
+});
+
 // --- deferred reply-list render state (thread side pane) --------------------
 //
 // When MessageThreadPanel gates its reply render behind useDeferredValue, the

desktop/src/features/messages/lib/timelineSnapshot.ts

@@ -203,6 +203,46 @@ export function selectTimelineBodySurface({
   return renderState;
 }
 
+export type TimelineMessageDelta = "prepend" | "append" | "replace" | "none";
+
+export function classifyTimelineMessageDelta({
+  current,
+  previous,
+}: {
+  current: readonly Pick<TimelineMessage, "id">[];
+  previous: readonly Pick<TimelineMessage, "id">[];
+}): TimelineMessageDelta {
+  if (previous.length === 0 || current.length === 0) {
+    return previous.length === current.length ? "none" : "replace";
+  }
+
+  const previousFirstId = previous[0]?.id;
+  const previousLastId = previous[previous.length - 1]?.id;
+  const currentFirstId = current[0]?.id;
+  const currentLastId = current[current.length - 1]?.id;
+
+  if (previousFirstId === currentFirstId && previousLastId === currentLastId) {
+    if (previous.length === current.length) {
+      return "none";
+    }
+    return current.length > previous.length ? "append" : "replace";
+  }
+
+  if (
+    previousFirstId !== undefined &&
+    currentFirstId !== previousFirstId &&
+    current.some((message) => message.id === previousFirstId)
+  ) {
+    return "prepend";
+  }
+
+  if (previousLastId !== undefined && currentLastId !== previousLastId) {
+    return "append";
+  }
+
+  return "replace";
+}
+
 export type TimelineSnapshotIdentity = {
   channelId: string | null;
 };

desktop/src/features/messages/ui/useAnchoredScroll.ts

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import * as React from "react";
 
+import { classifyTimelineMessageDelta } from "@/features/messages/lib/timelineSnapshot";
 import type { TimelineMessage } from "@/features/messages/types";
 
 /**
@@ -165,6 +166,7 @@ export function useAnchoredScroll({
   const prevLastMessageIdRef = React.useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
   const prevFirstMessageIdRef = React.useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
   const prevMessageCountRef = React.useRef(0);
+  const prevMessagesRef = React.useRef<TimelineMessage[]>([]);
   const handledTargetIdRef = React.useRef<string | null>(null);
   const highlightTimeoutRef = React.useRef<number | null>(null);
   // Tracks a pending rAF queued by pinToBottomOnMount so it can be cancelled
@@ -194,6 +196,7 @@ export function useAnchoredScroll({
     prevLastMessageIdRef.current = undefined;
     prevFirstMessageIdRef.current = undefined;
     prevMessageCountRef.current = 0;
+    prevMessagesRef.current = [];
     handledTargetIdRef.current = null;
     forceBottomOnNextAppendRef.current = false;
     settlingRef.current = false;
@@ -363,27 +366,28 @@ export function useAnchoredScroll({
       prevLastMessageIdRef.current = messages[messages.length - 1]?.id;
       prevFirstMessageIdRef.current = messages[0]?.id;
       prevMessageCountRef.current = messages.length;
+      prevMessagesRef.current = messages;
       return;
     }
 
     const anchor = anchorRef.current;
     const lastMessage = messages[messages.length - 1];
     const firstMessage = messages[0];
     const prevLastId = prevLastMessageIdRef.current;
-    const prevFirstId = prevFirstMessageIdRef.current;
     const prevCount = prevMessageCountRef.current;
     const newLatestArrived =
       lastMessage !== undefined && lastMessage.id !== prevLastId;
     // Count growth, not tail-id change, is the reliable "messages arrived"
     // signal. The relay can deliver a message that sorts ahead of an existing
     // same-second row, so the list grows without the *last* id changing —
     // `newLatestArrived` misses that case and the unread counter never bumps.
+    const prevMessages = prevMessagesRef.current;
     const messagesArrived = messages.length - prevCount;
-    const frontChanged =
-      firstMessage !== undefined &&
-      prevFirstId !== undefined &&
-      firstMessage.id !== prevFirstId;
-    const isPrepend = frontChanged && !newLatestArrived;
+    const isPrepend =
+      classifyTimelineMessageDelta({
+        current: messages,
+        previous: prevMessages,
+      }) === "prepend";
 
     // One-shot: an outbound send armed `scrollToBottomOnNextUpdate`. When the
     // resulting append lands, snap to bottom regardless of the current anchor,
@@ -399,6 +403,7 @@ export function useAnchoredScroll({
       prevLastMessageIdRef.current = lastMessage?.id;
       prevFirstMessageIdRef.current = firstMessage?.id;
       prevMessageCountRef.current = messages.length;
+      prevMessagesRef.current = messages;
       return;
     }
 
@@ -436,6 +441,7 @@ export function useAnchoredScroll({
     prevLastMessageIdRef.current = lastMessage?.id;
     prevFirstMessageIdRef.current = firstMessage?.id;
     prevMessageCountRef.current = messages.length;
+    prevMessagesRef.current = messages;
   }, [
     isLoading,
     messages,