fix(cli): allow sub-agent confirmation requests in UI while preventing background flicker

[abhipatel12]

Summary

This PR fixes a regression where subagent tool confirmation requests were not being displayed in the UI. It also refines the tool filtering logic to prevent background "thinking" tools (like read_file or grep_search) from flickering in the UI after a subagent confirmation has been shown.

Details

In commit c914fd0700665790aea3faaf6cdc59ccffd9119c, a blanket filter was added to useToolScheduler.ts that blocked all updates from non-root schedulers. While this successfully prevented flickering from subagent internal tools, it also suppressed all AwaitingApproval status updates, making it impossible for users to see or respond to subagent confirmation requests.

This PR introduces a more granular, per-tool-call filtering strategy:

• Root Scheduler: All tool calls are displayed as before.
• Subagent Schedulers: A tool call is displayed only if:
  1. It is currently in AwaitingApproval status.
  2. It was previously displayed (meaning it was confirmed and is now executing or completed).

This ensures that only the relevant tools requiring user interaction are shown, while all other background activity from the subagent remains hidden, preserving the intended clean UI.

Related Issues

Fixes the regression introduced in c914fd0.

How to Validate

1. Run the updated unit tests: npm test -w @google/gemini-cli -- src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.test.ts
2. (Manual) Trigger a subagent that requires confirmation (e.g., using a tool that requires approval). Verify the confirmation appears.
3. (Manual) Verify that background reads/searches from the subagent do not appear in the tool list/history.

Pre-Merge Checklist

• Updated relevant documentation and README (if needed)
• Added/updated tests (if needed)
• Noted breaking changes (if any)
• Validated on required platforms/methods:
  • MacOS
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker
    • Podman
    • Seatbelt
  • Windows
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker
  • Linux
    • npm run
    • npx
    • Docker

[gemini-code-assist]

Summary of Changes

Hello, I'm Gemini Code Assist¹! I'm currently reviewing this pull request and will post my feedback shortly. In the meantime, here's a summary to help you and other reviewers quickly get up to speed!

This pull request addresses a critical UI issue where subagent tool confirmation requests were not visible to users. It introduces a sophisticated filtering mechanism to ensure that only necessary subagent interactions are displayed, thereby improving user experience by eliminating distracting background tool activity while restoring essential approval prompts. The changes enhance the clarity and responsiveness of the tool scheduler in the UI.

Highlights

• Subagent Confirmation Requests: Fixed a regression that prevented subagent tool confirmation requests from being displayed in the UI, ensuring users can now see and respond to them.
• Refined Tool Filtering Logic: Implemented a more granular, per-tool-call filtering strategy for subagents to prevent background 'thinking' tools (like read_file or grep_search) from flickering in the UI, while still showing relevant tools requiring user interaction.
• Enhanced Test Coverage: Added new unit tests to validate the correct display and filtering behavior of subagent tool calls, including scenarios for awaiting approval and preserving approved tools.

Changelog

• packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.test.ts
  • Imported WaitingToolCall type for improved type safety in tests.
  • Added dispose method to the mocked Scheduler to align with new API.
  • Updated test data for subagent calls to explicitly include AwaitingApproval status and confirmationDetails.
  • Modified assertions in existing tests to correctly reflect the display of both root and subagent tool calls.
  • Renamed a test case to clarify that non-root scheduler updates are ignored only when no tools await approval.
  • Introduced new test cases to verify that subagent tools awaiting approval are displayed and that approved tools remain visible, while background tools are hidden.
• packages/cli/src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.ts
  • Replaced the blanket filter for non-root schedulers with a granular, per-tool-call filtering strategy within the useEffect hook.
  • Implemented logic to display subagent tool calls only if they are AwaitingApproval or were previously displayed.
  • Added an optimization to prevent unnecessary re-renders for subagents when no relevant tools are present or were previously shown.
  • Refactored the setToolCallsMap update to encapsulate the new filtering logic and internalAdaptToolCalls call.

Activity

• abhipatel12 updated unit tests for @google/gemini-cli in src/ui/hooks/useToolScheduler.test.ts.
• abhipatel12 manually validated the changes on MacOS using npm run.

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[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request effectively addresses a regression where sub-agent tool confirmation requests were not being displayed in the UI. No security vulnerabilities were found. The introduction of a more granular filtering logic in useToolScheduler is a solid improvement, ensuring that only relevant tool calls (those awaiting approval or previously displayed) are shown for sub-agents. This correctly prevents UI flicker from background tasks while re-enabling the crucial confirmation workflow. The accompanying unit tests are comprehensive and validate the new logic thoroughly.

[github-actions]

Size Change: +396 B (0%)

Total Size: 25.8 MB

ℹ️ View Unchanged

Filename	Size	Change
./bundle/gemini.js	25.3 MB	+396 B (0%)
./bundle/node_modules/@google/gemini-cli-devtools/dist/client/main.js	221 kB	0 B
./bundle/node_modules/@google/gemini-cli-devtools/dist/src/_client-assets.js	227 kB	0 B
./bundle/node_modules/@google/gemini-cli-devtools/dist/src/index.js	11.5 kB	0 B
./bundle/node_modules/@google/gemini-cli-devtools/dist/src/types.js	132 B	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-open.sb	890 B	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-permissive-proxied.sb	1.31 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-open.sb	3.36 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-restrictive-proxied.sb	3.56 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-strict-open.sb	4.82 kB	0 B
./bundle/sandbox-macos-strict-proxied.sb	5.02 kB	0 B

_{compressed-size-action}

[quinell343-dsd]

THANK U LETS CHECK IT OUT