[Patch] Analytics — app-switch-open:succeeded can be lost on app suspension

[NastassiaRodzik]

Reason for changes

The problem: AnalyticsService.sendEvent() wraps its HTTP request in a Swift Task(priority: .background).
Task(priority: .background) sets Swift concurrency thread priority — it is not an iOS background task. When the app is suspended by the OS (which happens immediately after UIApplication.open() successfully launches the PayPal app), all Swift tasks are frozen and the network request is never sent.

Analytics events at risk: "paypal-web-payments:checkout:app-switch-open:succeeded"

Summary of changes

• Add sendEventWithBackgroundProtection method that protects Analytics events with an iOS background task.

Checklist

• Added a changelog entry

Authors

List GitHub usernames for everyone who contributed to this pull request.

• NastassiaRodzik

Evidence

When using sendEventWithBackgroundProtection:

App Switch flow:
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/0f6d82b6-933c-4cd3-8fe7-d98d84564256

Analytics:

paypal-web-payments:checkout:started - sent ✅ 
paypal-web-payments:checkout:app-switch-open:succeeded - sent with BG Protection ✅ 

[sshropshire]

Hey @NastassiaRodzik do you have a link to some documentation related to this change? I'm not super familiar with background tasks. I think I used them a while ago with WatchOS, but I'd like to know more in the context of iOS.

[NastassiaRodzik]

Hey @NastassiaRodzik do you have a link to some documentation related to this change? I'm not super familiar with background tasks. I think I used them a while ago with WatchOS, but I'd like to know more in the context of iOS.

We use UIApplication.beginBackgroundTask — Apple’s API for finishing short work when the app is about to be suspended. Docs: beginBackgroundTask and background execution overview.

[sshropshire]

@NastassiaRodzik thank you this is helpful. I feel like this may be difficult to add unit tests for, but I would like to try if possible.

[sshropshire]

Suggested change

	var bgTaskID: UIBackgroundTaskIdentifier = .invalid
	var eventTask: Task<Void, Never>?
	let bgTaskID: UIBackgroundTaskIdentifier
	let eventTask: Task<Void, Never>

I'm just curious here: does this code snippet ^ break compilation?

[NastassiaRodzik]

yes, it's because we need to capture them both by a closure on line 79 and 84

[NastassiaRodzik]

@NastassiaRodzik thank you this is helpful. I feel like this may be difficult to add unit tests for, but I would like to try if possible.

Good catch! Added Unit tests to cover the change, let me know what you think