Text Input autoFocus prop doesn't work anymore in RN v0.83.0 on iOS

[oleksandr-dziuban]

Description

Text Input autoFocus prop doesn't work anymore in RN v0.83.0 on iOS platform.

Seems like latest RN v0.83.0 contains some regression issues for Text Input on iOS.
Inputs with autoFocus property are not auto-focused anymore on component mount.

It could be an issue, that blur event triggered immediately on mount for some reason for Text Input component and removes the focus from input.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install RN v0.83.0 standard template app
2. Add App.tsx code as defined in snack: https://snack.expo.dev/@sanogtx/rn-083-text-input-issue
3. Run iOS build
4. Check that autoFicus doesn't work anymore on mount.

React Native Version

0.83.0

Affected Platforms

Runtime - iOS

Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info

System:
  OS: macOS 15.7.3
  CPU: (10) arm64 Apple M1 Pro
  Memory: 133.92 MB / 16.00 GB
  Shell:
    version: "5.9"
    path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
  Node:
    version: 20.19.6
    path: /Users/test/.nvm/versions/node/v20.19.6/bin/node
  Yarn: Not Found
  npm:
    version: 10.8.2
    path: /Users/test/.nvm/versions/node/v20.19.6/bin/npm
  Watchman:
    version: 2025.09.08.00
    path: /opt/homebrew/bin/watchman
Managers:
  CocoaPods:
    version: 1.16.2
    path: /Users/test/.rbenv/shims/pod
SDKs:
  iOS SDK:
    Platforms:
      - DriverKit 25.2
      - iOS 26.2
      - macOS 26.2
      - tvOS 26.2
      - visionOS 26.2
      - watchOS 26.2
  Android SDK: Not Found
IDEs:
  Android Studio: 2025.2 AI-252.25557.131.2521.14432022
  Xcode:
    version: 26.2/17C52
    path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
  Java:
    version: 17.0.16
    path: /usr/bin/javac
  Ruby:
    version: 3.2.9
    path: /Users/test/.rbenv/shims/ruby
npmPackages:
  "@react-native-community/cli":
    installed: 20.0.2
    wanted: 20.0.2
  react:
    installed: 20.0.2
    wanted: 20.0.2
  react-native:
    installed: 0.83.1
    wanted: 0.83.1
  react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
  "*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
  hermesEnabled: Yes
  newArchEnabled: Yes
iOS:
  hermesEnabled: Yes
  newArchEnabled: Yes

Stacktrace or Logs

N/A

MANDATORY Reproducer

https://snack.expo.dev/@sanogtx/rn-083-text-input-issue

Screenshots and Videos

Before RN v0.83.0 (autoFocus works on mount):

RN v0.83.0 (autoFocus doesn't work, blur event triggered on mount):

[oleksandr-dziuban]

BTW, community also raised some regression issues for RN 0.83 Text Input component, for example here:
#55059

React Native team, could you please take a look? Seems like a blocker for migration to RN v0.83

If possible, can it be fixed as v0.83.2 ?

Thanks a lot

[oleksandr-dziuban]

CC: @migueldaipre

[jparkrr]

I tried to reproduce this in 0.83.1, but I wasn't able to.

[oleksandr-dziuban]

Hello @jparkrr

For our app it's repro after migration to RN 0.83 from RN 0.80

Also it can be repro on clean template project

[oleksandr-dziuban]

Seems like the issue on our side for TextInput facade component after migration....
Double checked on empty project..

Closing this request until further exploration

[filiphosko]

@oleksandr-dziuban I have the same problem with an app that's using 83.0, only on iOS.

[oleksandr-dziuban]

Yeah....

@filiphosko we still digging why it doesn't work after RN 0.83.x migration...

On empty project it works OK, but for our project <0.83 is fine >=0.83 - no autoFocus anymore...

[oleksandr-dziuban]

So some issue really exist, but it's mixed with something else in the system

[jparkrr]

try updating to the newest react-native-screens@4.24.0. That seems to have fixed it for my app!

https://github.com/software-mansion/react-native-screens/releases/tag/4.24.0

maybe one of these two PRs fixed it:
software-mansion/react-native-screens#3652
software-mansion/react-native-screens#3631

I was trying again to reproduce it this morning in a simple app, and I was able to. But I happened to decide to get the latest version of react-native-screens and noticed that it didn't reproduce there! And it didn't seem to happen with the native stack in react-navigation, just the javascript stack.

[oleksandr-dziuban]

wow, I will try, thanks a lot for the suggetsion @jparkrr

Still wondered how RN Screens can break inputs :) Maybe related to screen focus/blur stuff....