TypeCellOS / TypeCellOS/BlockNote

iOS: inserting any `createReactBlockSpec` block freezes the tab (infinite mutation⇄re-render loop; no `ignoreMutation` seam to fix it)

Open
#2,994 8 comments 0 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

Dominant language
TypeScript
Stars
10.2k
Forks
772
Avg merge
3d 11h
Merged PRs (30d)
17

Description

Summary

On iOS/iPadOS Safari, inserting a custom React block (createReactBlockSpec) into the editor while it is focused locks the main thread in an infinite loop. The tab freezes with no exception and no console output; iOS then kills it. Native blocks (paragraph, quote, heading…) are unaffected.

Verified on @blocknote/react@0.51.4 and still present in the code of 0.54.0 (with @tiptap/core@3.26.1 / 3.30.2).

Mechanism

@tiptap/core's NodeView.ignoreMutation has an iOS/Android branch (added for ueberdosis/tiptap#1971):

if (this.dom.contains(mutation.target) && mutation.type === "childList"
    && (isiOS() || isAndroid()) && this.editor.isFocused) {
  const changedNodes = [...mutation.addedNodes, ...mutation.removedNodes];
  if (changedNodes.every((node) => node.isContentEditable)) return false; // "do NOT ignore"
}

this.dom is the whole node view, so React mounting the block's own rendered content inside it also matches:

  1. React mounts the block component inside the node view → childList mutation, added nodes contentEditable
  2. ignoreMutation returns false → ProseMirror redraws the node view
  3. React remounts → another childList mutation → back to 2, forever

The loop is synchronous and reschedules in a microtask (processRootScheduleInMicrotask → flushSyncWorkAcrossRoots_impl → performSyncWorkOnRoot), so the thread never yields. A CPU profile at the freeze is dominated by appendChild/removeChild, ignoreMutation, and the React node-view teardown/rebuild cycle.

Why users can't work around it

TipTap consults this.options.ignoreMutation before the iOS branch — so a per-node-view override would fix it cleanly. But @blocknote/react hardcodes the renderer options:

ReactNodeViewRenderer(component, { className: "bn-react-node-view-renderer" })

createReactBlockSpec exposes no way to pass ignoreMutation through (same gap as ueberdosis/tiptap#1538). The only fix available today is patching @tiptap/core (we ship patch-package narrowing the branch's this.dom to this.contentDOM, which preserves the mobile-keyboard fix the branch exists for while excluding node-view chrome).

Reproduction (no device needed)

TipTap's isiOS() is platform ∈ {iPad, iPhone, iPod, …} || (navigator.userAgent.includes("Mac") && "ontouchend" in document) — so Chrome/Chromium with touch emulation enabled and any Mac-containing UA reproduces it exactly (e.g. CDP Emulation.setTouchEmulationEnabled or DevTools device toolbar):

  1. Editor with any createReactBlockSpec block registered, touch emulation on
  2. Focus the editor, open the slash menu, insert the React block (keyboard Enter suffices — no tap involved)
  3. Main thread wedges: 1+1 in the console never evaluates

Neither viewport width nor the mobile UA matters; touch capability alone flips isiOS()'s second clause. On a real iPhone navigator.platform === "iPhone" makes it unconditional.

Ask

Either:

  • forward an ignoreMutation option from createReactBlockSpec through to ReactNodeViewRenderer, or
  • have BlockNote's renderer supply a default ignoreMutation that ignores mutations originating from the React-rendered part of the node view (everything outside contentDOM).

Happy to PR either direction if you have a preference. (We're also filing the underlying this.dom vs this.contentDOM question with TipTap, but BlockNote exposing the seam is what lets consumers fix this without vendor patches.)

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start at createReactBlockSpec and its ReactNodeViewRenderer(component, { className: "bn-react-node-view-renderer" }) call, then inspect how TipTap orders options.ignoreMutation and its mobile branch. Reproduce with touch emulation, a Mac-containing user agent, and a focused custom React block. Done means insertion no longer enters the synchronous mutation/re-render loop while native blocks and the mobile-keyboard behavior remain unaffected.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
react, typescript
Domain
frontend, web-dev
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Active
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
55/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.