iOS app: quote part of an assistant reply, like the desktop citations

[Vantrongs]

Since #9146 the desktop and web apps can cite part of an assistant reply: select text, optionally add a comment, and it goes into the next message as a citation. The iOS app shows citations sent from the desktop, as plain text, but cannot create them. To reply to a specific passage on the phone, I copy it, paste it into the composer, and mark it up by hand.

Proposal: in the iOS app, long-press an assistant message (or select text in it) and choose "Quote". It adds the same citation to the mobile composer and sends it in the same <assistant_citations> format, so the agent sees no difference between desktop and phone.

Related: #6981 (reply to selected text, scoped to web and desktop), #6965.

[isacstelian]

Same gap on the Android beta app. Long-pressing assistant text only shows the system menu (Copy, Select all). There's no Cite/Quote action, so the copy-paste-and-mark-up workaround is the only option there too.

From the source, this is shared mobile code, not an iOS-specific limitation. apps/mobile/src/features/threads/ThreadFeed.tsx renders received citations via renderAssistantCitationsAsText, and modules/t3-markdown-text registers no selection-menu action. docs/user/composer.md also scopes Cite to "web and desktop". Could this proposal cover both mobile platforms, maybe as a custom item in the native selection menu (Android ActionMode / iOS edit menu) that builds the citation with serializeAssistantCitation?

Env: Android beta app, server 0.0.46-nightly.20261010.

[Xentox-Phil]

That would be awesome having this functionality! i am always copying and pasting things down when i am using mobile app version of this!

[Abdullah1738]

@juliusmarminge @t3dotgg would you be ok with mobile cite in this shape?

• Select text in an assistant reply. Cite shows up in the native selection menu next to Copy (iOS edit menu, Android action mode). There's no custom toolbar.
• It inserts the same citation link web uses, so nothing changes on the server or for providers. The composer shows it as a quote chip.
• Citing opens a small native sheet with the quote and an optional comment field. Tapping the chip later reopens it to edit the comment or remove the quote.
• Assistant text only, like web. Going to the quote's source from a sent message is left for a follow-up.

I have it built and working on iPhone, iPad and Android in #18796, which was closed until this gets an answer. Happy to cut scope or change the shape if you'd rather it work differently.

[repparw]

Would be super useful on android. I'm resorting to copy-paste and prepending a > then typing my prompt. too much friction

[vdoshi96]

+1, would use this daily on iOS. Happy to implement in the native-selection-menu shape proposed above once a maintainer OKs the scope.

[coah80]

+1 MISSING THIS ON ANDROID LOL

[jlipworth]

+1. On mobile I often want to reply to one specific passage, and without Cite I copy it, paste it and mark it up by hand. The native-selection-menu shape @Abdullah1738 proposed (Cite next to Copy, same t3-citation: link as web) looks right. Mobile already renders citations; it just can't create them.

[aliir74]

Note

Claude writing on behalf of Ali.

+1 for the iOS app. I follow agent threads on my phone, and when I want to reply to one passage I copy it into the composer and mark it up by hand. The shape Abdullah1738 proposed above (Cite next to Copy in the native selection menu, same t3-citation: link as web) would cover this, since mobile already renders the citations it receives.

[mimeeq-neal]

+1 from iOS. The shape proposed above (Cite next to Copy and Copy markdown in the selection menu) is what I want. One tap, and the selected text goes straight into the composer as a citation, the same as on desktop.

It would also be good to cite several passages inline before sending, so they collect in the composer the way desktop citations do.

[mseibert]

+1 from iOS. I follow agent threads on my phone, and replying to one passage means copy, paste and marking it up by hand. That's my daily workflow right now and it's tedious. The shape @Abdullah1738 proposed (Cite next to Copy in the native selection menu, same t3-citation: link as web) covers it. @juliusmarminge, could you confirm the scope so one of the volunteers can start?

[UPSOKen]

+1 from iOS.

I find T3 code incredibly useful when using from my phone, but this feature being missing makes things tougher than using the desktop version.

[marxo126]

+1 from iOS and iPadOS. I use Cite on desktop many times a day to reply to one specific passage. On iPhone and iPad I have to copy, paste and mark it up by hand, so the mobile apps feel incomplete. The native selection menu shape proposed above (Cite next to Copy) would be perfect. PR #29386 already implements it, so it would be great to get a maintainer look at it.