microsoft / microsoft/TypeScript

abstract type guard does not narrow when keyed with a unique symbol

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Bug Domain: check: Control Flow Help Wanted
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Description

### 🔎 Search Terms

abstract type guard symbol

### 🕗 Version & Regression Information

- This is the behavior in every version I tried, and I reviewed the FAQ for entries about abstract type guard

### ⏯ Playground Link

https://www.typescriptlang.org/play/?ts=6.0.0-dev.20250810&ssl=28&ssc=2&pln=1&pc=1#code/FAYw9gdgzgLgBASygIQIYCc4F44GUCeAtgEZgA2AFAERJrpUCUA3MMKsbOqiPCGalChwAYmDBwA3sDgy47Tt3i0MFBgC44MABZJEQui1lyOMLjzgBtZegC6qjdt26DrI4QCm2sABN7cAG5gCN6S0kayCABmcBSOUFYoGHYMDKHh6XAA9JlwACo6QlBaYACuZCEQYPDE7nIQcO7o6GDoYRmycQB0xBgAsp7Fvsxt4QC+DWRQtVExXdaqqVLtRl096P1eQ4YZoyO7u6D8gnB0DQAeMO4Q3kKi4kuyYP6N6MHTieh+cXonGGkZ6E8JXQ9VMJXc2xkByMTxeb0s1mSDgKP1OD3SgJgwNB6HBkLg0Nkaw2gz8gWCkn2QA

### 💻 Code

```ts
const isBar = Symbol("isBar");

abstract class Foo {
abstract isBar(): this is Bar;
abstract [isBar](): this is Bar;

method(): void {
if (this[isBar]()) {
// This should not be an error, it should work the same as .isBar()
this.barMethod();
} else if (this.isBar()) {
this.barMethod();
}
}
}

class Bar extends Foo {
override isBar(): this is Bar {
return true;
}

override [isBar](): this is Bar {
return true;
}

barMethod(): void {}
}
```

### 🙁 Actual behavior

TS reports an error:

> `Property 'barMethod' does not exist on type 'Foo'. Did you mean 'method'?(2551)`

### 🙂 Expected behavior

No error should happen here, the type guard should work the same as the non-symbol version of the method.

### Additional information about the issue

_No response_

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the linked TypeScript Playground and reproduce the difference between the unique-symbol call and the named isBar() call in Foo.method(). Trace the type narrowing behavior for both abstract type guards, then verify that the symbol-keyed call narrows this to Bar and no longer reports the barMethod error.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
typescript
Domain
compilers
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
42/100

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