Frontend API requests lack centralized request abstraction and global auth error handling

[Midoriya-w]

Problem

The mobile frontend currently performs API requests using repeated raw fetch() calls across multiple screens and contexts.

Authorization headers, request setup, and error handling are manually duplicated in several places such as:

• AuthContext
• CardsScreen
• ConnectPlatformsScreen
• DevCardViewScreen
• other mobile screens

This creates several maintainability and scalability issues:

• duplicated Authorization header logic
• inconsistent API error handling
• no centralized handling for 401/403 responses
• repeated request boilerplate
• difficult future API maintenance
• inconsistent session expiration behavior

Currently, expired or invalid tokens may not be handled globally, which can lead to stale sessions or repeated failed requests across the app.

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Suggested Improvement

Introduce a centralized API request abstraction layer for the frontend.

Possible implementation ideas:

• shared fetch wrapper / API client
• centralized Authorization token injection
• global 401/403 handling
• standardized response parsing
• unified error handling strategy

This would improve maintainability, consistency, and future scalability of the mobile frontend networking layer.

[Midoriya-w]

Hey @Harxhit I would like to work on this issue under GSSOC 2026.

Planned approach:

• analyze existing fetch usage across mobile screens
• introduce a centralized API request wrapper
• centralize Authorization header injection
• add unified auth error handling for 401/403 responses
• reduce duplicated request boilerplate
• ensure existing request flows remain compatible

This should improve maintainability and provide more consistent session handling across the app.