Delay in updating user fields

[kevinnammour]

When updating the user displayName for instance:
await updateProfile(AuthUser.firebaseUser as User, { displayName: values.displayName }); console.log(AuthUser.displayName);
This prints the old displayName, how can I get the new displayName? I can't use AuthUser.firebaseUser?.displayName because firebaseUser is null at first and I am using SSR in my app.

[kmjennison]

Quick answer: After updating the Firebase user's name, call AuthUser.getIdToken(true) to force a token refresh, which will update claims and the AuthUser.displayName value.

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This behavior is currently expected. Right now, the AuthUser value is only updated on the client when the ID token changes (see: useFirebaseUser, withAuthUser). Changes to things like display name will not automatically update the AuthUser.

One reason this is good is that it will keep the server-side and client-side AuthUser in sync. On the server side, the displayName value relies on the Firebase ID token's claims (source), and changes to claims are not automatically propagated to the client. If the ID token isn't refreshed, it's possible to have a server-rendered AuthUser with the old display name and a client-rendered AuthUser with the new display name.

More information on refreshing claims from Firebase docs:

After new claims are modified on a user via the Admin SDK, they are propagated to an authenticated user on the client side via the ID token in the following ways:

• A user signs in or re-authenticates after the custom claims are modified. The ID token issued as a result will contain the latest claims.
• An existing user session gets its ID token refreshed after an older token expires.
• An ID token is force refreshed by calling currentUser.getIdToken(true).

I recommend that, after updating the Firebase user's name, you call AuthUser.getIdToken(true) to force a token refresh, which will update claims and the AuthUser.displayName value.

It's possible there's a smoother way to handle this kind of change. Any suggestions welcome!

Edited to provide more detail.

[kevinnammour]

So by calling currentUser.getIdToken(true), AuthUser.displayName will be updated? The thing is that AuthUser.firebaseUser.displayName is updated but not AuthUser.displayName when updating the profile, so there is something wrong with AuthUser not being updated with AuthUser.firebaseUser

[kmjennison]

@kevinnammour I updated the answer to provide some more context for why this behaves like it does. Let me know if you have any feedback or questions.