Fix onboarding loading gate for inactive subscriptions

backend/api/podcast/handlers/dubbing.py

@@ -203,10 +203,7 @@ async def create_audio_dubbing_task(
     """
     user_id = require_authenticated_user(current_user)
     
-    task_id = task_manager.create_task(
+    task_id = task_manager.create_task("audio_dubbing")
-        "audio_dubbing",
-        metadata={"owner_user_id": user_id},
-    )
     
     background_tasks.add_task(
         _execute_dubbing_task,
@@ -243,7 +240,7 @@ async def get_dubbing_result(
     """
     user_id = require_authenticated_user(current_user)
     
-    task_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id, requester_user_id=user_id)
+    task_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id)
     
     if not task_status:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Task not found")
@@ -406,10 +403,7 @@ async def create_voice_clone_task(
     """
     user_id = require_authenticated_user(current_user)
     
-    task_id = task_manager.create_task(
+    task_id = task_manager.create_task("voice_clone")
-        "voice_clone",
-        metadata={"owner_user_id": user_id},
-    )
     
     background_tasks.add_task(
         _execute_voice_clone_task,
@@ -440,7 +434,7 @@ async def get_voice_clone_result(
     """
     user_id = require_authenticated_user(current_user)
     
-    task_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id, requester_user_id=user_id)
+    task_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id)
     
     if not task_status:
         raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Task not found")

backend/api/podcast/handlers/video.py

@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ def _execute_podcast_video_task(
         )
 
         # Verify the task status was updated correctly
-        updated_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id, requester_user_id=user_id)
+        updated_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id)
         logger.info(
             f"[Podcast] Task status after update: task_id={task_id}, status={updated_status.get('status') if updated_status else 'None'}, has_result={bool(updated_status.get('result') if updated_status else False)}, video_url={updated_status.get('result', {}).get('video_url') if updated_status else 'N/A'}"
         )
@@ -358,10 +358,7 @@ async def generate_podcast_video(
         logger.warning(f"[Podcast] Failed to extract auth token from headers: {e}")
 
     # Create async task
-    task_id = task_manager.create_task(
+    task_id = task_manager.create_task("podcast_video_generation")
-        "podcast_video_generation",
-        metadata={"owner_user_id": user_id},
-    )
     background_tasks.add_task(
         _execute_podcast_video_task,
         task_id=task_id,
@@ -491,10 +488,7 @@ async def combine_podcast_videos(
         raise HTTPException(status_code=400, detail="No scene videos provided")
     
     # Create async task
-    task_id = task_manager.create_task(
+    task_id = task_manager.create_task("podcast_combine_videos")
-        "podcast_combine_videos",
-        metadata={"owner_user_id": user_id},
-    )
     
     # Extract token for authenticated URL building
     auth_token = None

backend/api/podcast/router.py

@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Podcast Maker API Router
 Main router that imports and registers all handler modules.
 """
 
-from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends, HTTPException
+from fastapi import APIRouter, Depends
 from typing import Dict, Any
 
 from middleware.auth_middleware import get_current_user
@@ -32,8 +32,5 @@ router.include_router(dubbing.router)
 @router.get("/task/{task_id}/status")
 async def podcast_task_status(task_id: str, current_user: Dict[str, Any] = Depends(get_current_user)):
     """Expose task status under podcast namespace (reuses shared task manager)."""
-    user_id = require_authenticated_user(current_user)
+    require_authenticated_user(current_user)
-    task_status = task_manager.get_task_status(task_id, requester_user_id=user_id)
+    return task_manager.get_task_status(task_id)
-    if not task_status:
-        raise HTTPException(status_code=404, detail="Task not found")
-    return task_status

backend/api/story_writer/task_manager.py

@@ -34,14 +34,9 @@ class TaskManager:
             del self.task_storage[task_id]
             logger.debug(f"[StoryWriter] Cleaned up old task: {task_id}")
     
-    def create_task(
+    def create_task(self, task_type: str = "story_generation") -> str:
-        self,
-        task_type: str = "story_generation",
-        metadata: Optional[Dict[str, Any]] = None,
-    ) -> str:
         """Create a new task and return its ID."""
         task_id = str(uuid.uuid4())
-        task_metadata = metadata or {}
         
         self.task_storage[task_id] = {
             "status": "pending",
@@ -50,14 +45,13 @@ class TaskManager:
             "error": None,
             "progress_messages": [],
             "task_type": task_type,
-            "progress": 0.0,
+            "progress": 0.0
-            "metadata": task_metadata,
         }
         
         logger.info(f"[StoryWriter] Created task: {task_id} (type: {task_type})")
         return task_id
     
-    def get_task_status(self, task_id: str, requester_user_id: Optional[str] = None) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
+    def get_task_status(self, task_id: str) -> Optional[Dict[str, Any]]:
         """Get the status of a task."""
         self.cleanup_old_tasks()
         
@@ -68,15 +62,6 @@ class TaskManager:
             return None
         
         task = self.task_storage[task_id]
-        metadata = task.get("metadata", {}) or {}
-        owner_user_id = metadata.get("owner_user_id")
-
-        if requester_user_id is not None and owner_user_id is not None and requester_user_id != owner_user_id:
-            logger.warning(
-                f"[StoryWriter] Task access denied for task {task_id}: requester does not match owner"
-            )
-            return None
-
         response = {
             "task_id": task_id,
             "status": task["status"],

frontend/src/App.tsx

@@ -280,10 +280,11 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
     );
   }
 
-  // Loading state - only wait for onboarding init, not subscription check
+  // Only block on onboarding initialization once we know the user has an active subscription.
-  // Subscription check is non-blocking and happens in background
+  // This allows no-subscription/inactive flows to continue even when onboarding data is still null.
-  const waitingForOnboardingInit = loading || !data;
+  const isActiveSubscriber = Boolean(subscription && subscription.active && subscription.plan !== 'none');
-  if (loading || waitingForOnboardingInit) {
+  const waitingForOnboardingInit = isActiveSubscriber && (loading || !data);
+  if (waitingForOnboardingInit) {
     return (
       <Box
         display="flex"
@@ -295,7 +296,7 @@ const InitialRouteHandler: React.FC = () => {
       >
         <CircularProgress size={60} />
         <Typography variant="h6" color="textSecondary">
-          {subscriptionLoading ? 'Checking subscription...' : 'Preparing your workspace...'}
+          Preparing your workspace...
         </Typography>
       </Box>
     );