chore!: remove the deprecated remoteConfig option

.changeset/android-v4-major.md

@@ -10,3 +10,4 @@
 - **Breaking:** remove the deprecated `PostHogSessionReplayConfig.debouncerDelayMs`; use `throttleDelayMs` instead
 - **Breaking:** return `null` instead of the raw string for a malformed, empty or whitespace-only feature flag payload from `getFeatureFlagResult(key)?.payload`; payloads must be valid JSON (a JSON `null` payload now also reads as `null` instead of the string `"null"`)
 - **Breaking:** make SDK-internal helpers in the `com.posthog.internal` and `com.posthog.android.replay.internal` packages non-public
+- **Breaking:** remove the deprecated `remoteConfig` config option; the SDK now always loads remote config at setup

posthog-android-surveys-compose/src/testDebug/java/com/posthog/android/surveys/compose/internal/PostHogSurveyHostTest.kt

@@ -279,7 +279,6 @@ internal class PostHogSurveyHostTest {
         PostHogConfig("host-reset", "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
             cachePreferences = PostHogMemoryPreferences()
             preloadFeatureFlags = false
-            remoteConfig = false
             reuseAnonymousId = true
         }
 }

posthog-android/src/main/java/com/posthog/android/replay/PostHogReplayIntegration.kt

@@ -3054,15 +3054,9 @@ public class PostHogReplayIntegration(
     }
 
     // Whether to buffer until the live remote config resolves: only when a remote config holder
-    // exists and hasn't resolved yet, AND a fetch will actually be attempted at setup. If neither
-    // remoteConfig nor preloadFeatureFlags is enabled, PostHog.setup dispatches no /config or /flags
-    // request, so no onRemoteConfig callback ever arrives to disarm the gate —
-    // buffering would then grow unbounded for the whole session. Don't arm in that case.
+    // exists and hasn't resolved yet. PostHog.setup always requests /config, so the
+    // onRemoteConfig callback disarms the gate.
     private fun shouldAwaitFirstRemoteConfig(): Boolean {
-        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
-        if (!config.remoteConfig && !config.preloadFeatureFlags) {
-            return false
-        }
         return config.remoteConfigHolder?.let { !it.hasRemoteConfigFetched() } ?: false
     }
 

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/PostHogAndroidAppVersionTest.kt

@@ -43,10 +43,9 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidAppVersionTest {
         events: MutableList<PostHogEvent>,
         configure: PostHogAndroidConfig.() -> Unit = {},
     ): PostHogAndroidConfig =
-        PostHogAndroidConfig(projectToken).apply {
+        PostHogAndroidConfig(projectToken, "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
             cachePreferences = preferences
             captureApplicationLifecycleEvents = captureLifecycle
-            remoteConfig = false
             preloadFeatureFlags = false
             configure()
             addBeforeSend {

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest.kt

@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
         sut.captureException(fixedThrowable(), mapOf("handled" to true, "component" to "checkout"))
         sut.flush()
 
-        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests("/flags/?v=2", "/batch").single { it.path == "/batch" }
+        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests(CONFIG_PATH, "/flags/?v=2", "/batch").single { it.path == "/batch" }
         val snapshot = requestSnapshot(request, fixture.config)
         normalizeBatchVolatileFields(snapshot)
 
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
         fixture.client.reloadFeatureFlags(PostHogOnFeatureFlags { loaded.countDown() })
 
         assertTrue(loaded.await(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS), "Feature flags request did not finish")
-        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests("/flags/?v=2").single()
+        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests(CONFIG_PATH, "/flags/?v=2").single { it.path == "/flags/?v=2" }
 
         assertSnapshot("flags-request.json", requestSnapshot(request, fixture.config), fixture.config)
     }
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
         )
         fixture.client.flush()
 
-        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests("/s/").single()
+        val request = fixture.server.takeRequests(CONFIG_PATH, "/s/").single { it.path == "/s/" }
         val snapshot = requestSnapshot(request, fixture.config)
         normalizeReplayVolatileFields(snapshot)
 
@@ -163,6 +163,8 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
         mockContextAppStart(context, tmpDir)
         val server =
             MockWebServer().apply {
+                // setup always requests /config first
+                enqueue(MockResponse().setBody(CONFIG_RESPONSE).setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json"))
                 repeat(10) {
                     enqueue(MockResponse().setBody(FLAGS_RESPONSE).setHeader("Content-Type", "application/json"))
                 }
@@ -185,8 +187,6 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
                 flushIntervalSeconds = 60
                 maxBatchSize = 20
                 preloadFeatureFlags = false
-                @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
-                remoteConfig = false
                 captureApplicationLifecycleEvents = false
                 captureDeepLinks = false
                 captureScreenViews = false
@@ -412,6 +412,8 @@ internal class PostHogAndroidEventSnapshotsTest {
         private val FIXED_DATE = Date(FIXED_MILLIS)
         private val SESSION_ID = UUID.fromString("018bcfe5-687b-7abc-8def-0123456789ab")
         private const val FIXED_TIMESTAMP = "2023-11-14T22:13:20.123Z"
+        private const val CONFIG_PATH = "/array/$PROJECT_TOKEN/config"
+        private const val CONFIG_RESPONSE = """{"hasFeatureFlags":true}"""
         private const val FLAGS_RESPONSE =
             """{
                 "flags": {

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/internal/InteractionActivityTest.kt

@@ -46,16 +46,14 @@ internal class InteractionActivityTest {
     fun `real Compose and embedded Views capture through window with replay off`() {
         val events = CopyOnWriteArrayList<PostHogEvent>()
         val config =
-            PostHogAndroidConfig("test").apply {
+            PostHogAndroidConfig("test", "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
                 captureElementInteractions = true
                 sessionReplay = false
                 captureApplicationLifecycleEvents = false
                 captureScreenViews = false
                 captureDeepLinks = false
                 capturePushNotificationOpened = false
                 capturePushNotificationSubscriptions = false
-                @Suppress("DEPRECATION") // Test isolation: do not fetch remote configuration.
-                remoteConfig = false
                 preloadFeatureFlags = false
                 addBeforeSend { event ->
                     events += event

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/internal/InteractionDetectorActivityTest.kt

@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ internal class InteractionDetectorActivityTest {
     @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
     private fun setup() {
         val config =
-            PostHogAndroidConfig("test").apply {
+            PostHogAndroidConfig("test", "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
                 captureRageClicks = true
                 captureDeadClicks = true
                 sessionReplay = false
@@ -62,7 +62,6 @@ internal class InteractionDetectorActivityTest {
                 captureDeepLinks = false
                 capturePushNotificationOpened = false
                 capturePushNotificationSubscriptions = false
-                remoteConfig = false
                 preloadFeatureFlags = false
                 addBeforeSend { event ->
                     events += event

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/internal/InteractionDetectorIntegrationTest.kt

@@ -48,12 +48,11 @@ internal class InteractionDetectorIntegrationTest {
 
     @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
     private val config =
-        PostHogAndroidConfig(PROJECT_TOKEN).apply {
+        PostHogAndroidConfig(PROJECT_TOKEN, "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
             captureRageClicks = true
             captureDeadClicks = true
             sessionReplay = false
             cachePreferences = PostHogMemoryPreferences()
-            remoteConfig = false
             preloadFeatureFlags = false
             addBeforeSend { event ->
                 if (event.event in listOf("\$rageclick", "\$dead_click", "\$autocapture")) events += event
@@ -253,9 +252,8 @@ internal class InteractionDetectorIntegrationTest {
     fun `secondary session changes use normal capture context when owner is not notified`() {
         val secondary =
             PostHog.with(
-                PostHogAndroidConfig("secondary-test-key").apply {
+                PostHogAndroidConfig("secondary-test-key", "http://127.0.0.1:1").apply {
                     cachePreferences = PostHogMemoryPreferences()
-                    remoteConfig = false
                     preloadFeatureFlags = false
                     addBeforeSend { null }
                 },

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/replay/PostHogReplayIntegrationTest.kt

@@ -2127,53 +2127,6 @@ internal class PostHogReplayIntegrationTest {
         }
     }
 
-    @Test
-    fun `gate does not arm when neither remoteConfig nor preloadFeatureFlags will fetch`() {
-        // With both remoteConfig and preloadFeatureFlags disabled, setup dispatches no /config or
-        // /flags request, so no onRemoteConfig callback arrives to disarm the gate. Arming it would
-        // buffer every snapshot for the whole session; instead it must stay disarmed and persist.
-        val remoteConfigMock =
-            mock<PostHogRemoteConfig> {
-                on { isSessionReplayFlagActive() } doReturn true
-                on { hasRemoteConfigFetched() } doReturn false
-                on { makeSamplingDecision(any()) } doReturn true
-                on { getEventTriggers() } doReturn emptySet<String>()
-                on { getRecordingMinimumDurationMs() } doReturn null
-            }
-        val config =
-            PostHogAndroidConfig(PROJECT_TOKEN).apply {
-                remoteConfigHolder = remoteConfigMock
-                sessionReplay = true
-                @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
-                remoteConfig = false
-                preloadFeatureFlags = false
-            }
-        val storagePrefix = tmpDir.newFolder().absolutePath
-        val executor = createReplayExecutor()
-        val innerQueue =
-            PostHogQueue(
-                config,
-                EndpointSpec.snapshot(config, PostHogApi(config), storagePrefix),
-                executor,
-            )
-        val replayQueue = PostHogReplayQueue(config, innerQueue, storagePrefix, executor)
-        config.replayQueueHolder = replayQueue
-        val sut = PostHogReplayIntegration(mock<Context>(), config, MainHandler())
-        val postHog = mock<PostHogInterface>()
-        whenever(postHog.getSessionId()).thenReturn(UUID.randomUUID())
-        sut.install(postHog)
-        sut.start(resumeCurrent = true)
-        try {
-            // No remote-config callback will ever fire, so buffering must not be armed.
-            replayQueue.add(createTestEvent("snapshot_1"))
-            awaitCondition { replayQueue.depth == 1 }
-            assertEquals(0, replayQueue.bufferDepth)
-            assertEquals(1, replayQueue.depth)
-        } finally {
-            sut.uninstall()
-        }
-    }
-
     @Test
     fun `mid-session resume forces a fresh keyframe by clearing per-view snapshot state`() {
         // A mid-session flag-on resume must emit a fresh full snapshot: while stopped, per-view state
@@ -2599,9 +2552,7 @@ internal class PostHogReplayIntegrationTest {
     @Test
     @Config(sdk = [26], shadows = [SnapshotBoundaryShadowPixelCopy::class])
     fun `committed snapshot keeps its session when rotation precedes core enrichment`() {
-        val config = PostHogAndroidConfig(PROJECT_TOKEN)
-        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
-        config.remoteConfig = false
+        val config = PostHogAndroidConfig(PROJECT_TOKEN, "http://127.0.0.1:1")
         config.preloadFeatureFlags = false
         var captured: PostHogEvent? = null
         config.addBeforeSend { event ->

posthog-android/src/test/java/com/posthog/android/surveys/PostHogSurveysRestartTest.kt

@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ internal class PostHogSurveysRestartTest {
                         PostHogAndroidConfig(projectToken),
                     )
                 preloadFeatureFlags = false
-                remoteConfig = false
                 surveys = true
                 surveysConfig.surveysDelegate = renderer
                 surveysConfig.overrideDisplayLanguage = language

posthog-server/src/main/java/com/posthog/server/PostHogConfig.kt

@@ -306,7 +306,6 @@ public open class PostHogConfig constructor(
                 debug = debug,
                 sendFeatureFlagEvent = sendFeatureFlagEvent,
                 preloadFeatureFlags = preloadFeatureFlags,
-                remoteConfig = remoteConfig,
                 flushAt = flushAt,
                 maxQueueSize = maxQueueSize,
                 maxBatchSize = maxBatchSize,

posthog-server/src/test/java/com/posthog/server/PostHogConfigTest.kt

@@ -175,7 +175,6 @@ internal class PostHogConfigTest {
         assertEquals(true, coreConfig.debug)
         assertEquals(false, coreConfig.sendFeatureFlagEvent)
         assertEquals(false, coreConfig.preloadFeatureFlags)
-        assertEquals(false, coreConfig.remoteConfig)
         assertEquals(15, coreConfig.flushAt)
         assertEquals(750, coreConfig.maxQueueSize)
         assertEquals(30, coreConfig.maxBatchSize)

posthog/api/posthog.api

@@ -156,8 +156,8 @@ public class com/posthog/PostHogConfig {
 	public static final field DEFAULT_MAX_QUEUE_SIZE I
 	public static final field DEFAULT_US_ASSETS_HOST Ljava/lang/String;
 	public static final field DEFAULT_US_HOST Ljava/lang/String;
-	public fun <init> (Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;ZZZIZLjava/util/List;ZZIIIIIILcom/posthog/PostHogEncryption;Lcom/posthog/PostHogOnFeatureFlags;ZLkotlin/jvm/functions/Function1;ZLcom/posthog/PersonProfiles;ZLjava/net/Proxy;Lcom/posthog/surveys/PostHogSurveysConfig;Lcom/posthog/logs/PostHogLogsConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function6;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function5;Lcom/posthog/errortracking/PostHogErrorTrackingConfig;Ljava/lang/String;Lcom/posthog/PostHogBootstrapConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;)V
-	public synthetic fun <init> (Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;ZZZIZLjava/util/List;ZZIIIIIILcom/posthog/PostHogEncryption;Lcom/posthog/PostHogOnFeatureFlags;ZLkotlin/jvm/functions/Function1;ZLcom/posthog/PersonProfiles;ZLjava/net/Proxy;Lcom/posthog/surveys/PostHogSurveysConfig;Lcom/posthog/logs/PostHogLogsConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function6;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function5;Lcom/posthog/errortracking/PostHogErrorTrackingConfig;Ljava/lang/String;Lcom/posthog/PostHogBootstrapConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;ILkotlin/jvm/internal/DefaultConstructorMarker;)V
+	public fun <init> (Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;ZZZIZLjava/util/List;ZIIIIIILcom/posthog/PostHogEncryption;Lcom/posthog/PostHogOnFeatureFlags;ZLkotlin/jvm/functions/Function1;ZLcom/posthog/PersonProfiles;ZLjava/net/Proxy;Lcom/posthog/surveys/PostHogSurveysConfig;Lcom/posthog/logs/PostHogLogsConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function6;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function5;Lcom/posthog/errortracking/PostHogErrorTrackingConfig;Ljava/lang/String;Lcom/posthog/PostHogBootstrapConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;)V
+	public synthetic fun <init> (Ljava/lang/String;Ljava/lang/String;ZZZIZLjava/util/List;ZIIIIIILcom/posthog/PostHogEncryption;Lcom/posthog/PostHogOnFeatureFlags;ZLkotlin/jvm/functions/Function1;ZLcom/posthog/PersonProfiles;ZLjava/net/Proxy;Lcom/posthog/surveys/PostHogSurveysConfig;Lcom/posthog/logs/PostHogLogsConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function6;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function5;Lcom/posthog/errortracking/PostHogErrorTrackingConfig;Ljava/lang/String;Lcom/posthog/PostHogBootstrapConfig;Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;ILkotlin/jvm/internal/DefaultConstructorMarker;)V
 	public final fun addBeforeSend (Lcom/posthog/PostHogBeforeSend;)V
 	public final fun addIntegration (Lcom/posthog/PostHogIntegration;)V
 	public final fun getBeforeSendList ()Ljava/util/List;
@@ -196,7 +196,6 @@ public class com/posthog/PostHogConfig {
 	public final fun getPushIdentityProvider ()Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;
 	public final fun getQueueProvider ()Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function5;
 	public final fun getReleaseIdentifier ()Ljava/lang/String;
-	public final fun getRemoteConfig ()Z
 	public final fun getRemoteConfigHolder ()Lcom/posthog/internal/PostHogRemoteConfig;
 	public final fun getRemoteConfigProvider ()Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function6;
 	public final fun getReplayStoragePrefix ()Ljava/lang/String;
@@ -246,7 +245,6 @@ public class com/posthog/PostHogConfig {
 	public final fun setProxy (Ljava/net/Proxy;)V
 	public final fun setPushIdentityProvider (Lkotlin/jvm/functions/Function3;)V
 	public final fun setReleaseIdentifier (Ljava/lang/String;)V
-	public final fun setRemoteConfig (Z)V
 	public final fun setRemoteConfigHolder (Lcom/posthog/internal/PostHogRemoteConfig;)V
 	public final fun setReplayStoragePrefix (Ljava/lang/String;)V
 	public final fun setRequestHeaders (Ljava/util/Map;)V

posthog/src/main/java/com/posthog/PostHog.kt

@@ -393,23 +393,17 @@ public class PostHog private constructor(
                 }
 
                 // only because of testing in isolation, this flag is always enabled
-                @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
                 if (reloadFeatureFlags) {
                     // Bootstrap already seeded the flags in RemoteConfig's init; fire the flags-loaded
                     // callbacks now so listeners aren't blocked on the first network response.
                     if (remoteConfig?.hasBootstrapFlags() == true) {
                         notifyFeatureFlagsCallback(internalOnFeatureFlagsLoaded)
                         notifyFeatureFlagsCallback(config.onFeatureFlags)
                     }
-                    when {
-                        config.remoteConfig ->
-                            loadRemoteConfigRequest(
-                                internalOnFeatureFlagsLoaded,
-                                config.onFeatureFlags,
-                            )
-
-                        config.preloadFeatureFlags -> reloadFeatureFlags(config.onFeatureFlags)
-                    }
+                    loadRemoteConfigRequest(
+                        internalOnFeatureFlagsLoaded,
+                        config.onFeatureFlags,
+                    )
                 }
 
                 // Reconcile a differing identified bootstrap after the setup reload is dispatched.

posthog/src/main/java/com/posthog/PostHogConfig.kt

@@ -108,15 +108,6 @@ public open class PostHogConfig(
      * Default: true
      */
     public var setDefaultPersonProperties: Boolean = true,
-    /**
-     * Preload PostHog remote config automatically
-     * Defaults to true
-     */
-    @Deprecated(
-        message = "Remote config is now always enabled. This option is a no-op and will be removed in a future version.",
-        level = DeprecationLevel.WARNING,
-    )
-    public var remoteConfig: Boolean = true,
     /**
      * Number of minimum events before they are sent over the wire
      * Defaults to 20

posthog/src/test/java/com/posthog/PostHogBeforeSendTest.kt

@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ internal class PostHogBeforeSendTest {
                 storagePrefix = tmpDir.newFolder().absolutePath
                 replayStoragePrefix = tmpDir.newFolder().absolutePath
                 preloadFeatureFlags = false
-                remoteConfig = false
                 cachePreferences = PostHogMemoryPreferences()
                 hooks.forEach { addBeforeSend(it) }
             }