diff --git a/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ChatScreenRepresentable.swift b/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ChatScreenRepresentable.swift
index 1cd72b0e..f978f05f 100644
--- a/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ChatScreenRepresentable.swift
+++ b/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ChatScreenRepresentable.swift
@@ -39,8 +39,9 @@ struct ChatScreenRepresentable: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
     let onSendCash: () -> Void
     let conversationController: ConversationController
     let barModel: ConversationBarModel
-    /// Focus the composer when the bar first appears (post-tip open). One-shot:
-    /// the composer requests focus in its `.task`, which runs once on appear.
+    /// Raise the keyboard when the screen first appears (post-tip open). The UIKit screen focuses
+    /// the composer field in `viewDidAppear` — a hosted SwiftUI `@FocusState` never presents the
+    /// keyboard across the hosting boundary.
     let focusOnAppear: Bool
     /// Whether this is a tip DM — the send button then stays minimized.
     let isTipDm: Bool
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ struct ChatScreenRepresentable: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
         let barHost = UIHostingController(rootView: bar(coordinator: context.coordinator))
         barHost.view.backgroundColor = .clear
         let screen = ChatScreenViewController(bar: barHost.view, barController: barHost)
+        screen.focusesComposerOnAppear = focusOnAppear
         screen.onReachTop = onReachTop
         screen.onRetry = onRetry
         screen.onCashCardTap = onCashCardTap
@@ -102,7 +104,6 @@ struct ChatScreenRepresentable: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
                 symbol: symbol,
                 onSendCash: onSendCash,
                 model: barModel,
-                focusOnAppear: focusOnAppear,
                 isTipDm: isTipDm
             )
             .environment(conversationController)
diff --git a/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ConversationBottomBar.swift b/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ConversationBottomBar.swift
index f1feefe7..ae546b3d 100644
--- a/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ConversationBottomBar.swift
+++ b/Flipcash/Core/Screens/Conversation/ConversationBottomBar.swift
@@ -46,8 +46,6 @@ struct ConversationBottomBar: View {
     let symbol: String
     let onSendCash: () -> Void
     let model: ConversationBarModel
-    /// Focus the composer on first appear (post-tip open); false everywhere else.
-    var focusOnAppear: Bool = false
     /// Tip chats always show the compact symbol-only send button; ordinary
     /// chats expand to "Send €" at rest and collapse only while composing.
     var isTipDm: Bool = false
@@ -64,12 +62,8 @@ struct ConversationBottomBar: View {
                 )
             }
             if chatExists {
-                ConversationComposer(
-                    conversationID: conversationID,
-                    model: model,
-                    focusOnAppear: focusOnAppear
-                )
-                .transition(.opacity)
+                ConversationComposer(conversationID: conversationID, model: model)
+                    .transition(.opacity)
             }
         }
         .padding(.horizontal, 12)
@@ -90,8 +84,6 @@ struct ConversationComposer: View {
 
     let conversationID: ConversationID?
     @Bindable var model: ConversationBarModel
-    /// Raise the keyboard on open (post-tip chats only). One-shot via `.task`.
-    var focusOnAppear: Bool = false
 
     @Environment(ConversationController.self) private var conversationController
     @FocusState private var isFocused: Bool
@@ -133,15 +125,6 @@ struct ConversationComposer: View {
 
         return field
             .glassBackground(cornerRadius: BarMetrics.cornerRadius)
-        // Post-tip open: raise the keyboard once the composer appears. Requested
-        // after a short delay so the push transition has settled — focus asked
-        // mid-transition is dropped and the keyboard never rises. `.task` runs
-        // once on appear and is cancelled on disappear.
-        .task {
-            guard focusOnAppear else { return }
-            try? await Task.delay(milliseconds: 350)
-            isFocused = true
-        }
         // Focus is the single source of `isComposing` — the button morph and the
         // screen's interactive-dismiss gate both key off it. Losing focus
         // (keyboard swiped down) ends composing.
diff --git a/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatScreenViewController.swift b/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatScreenViewController.swift
index b71a1578..4b7fad83 100644
--- a/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatScreenViewController.swift
+++ b/FlipcashUI/Sources/FlipcashUI/Chat/ChatScreenViewController.swift
@@ -30,6 +30,13 @@ public final class ChatScreenViewController: UIViewController {
     /// lets the composer overflow below its frame, under the keyboard.
     private var barHeightConstraint: NSLayoutConstraint!
 
+    /// Raise the keyboard once the screen has finished appearing (post-tip open). Driven from
+    /// UIKit rather than a SwiftUI `@FocusState`: a hosted composer's programmatic focus updates
+    /// SwiftUI's focus state but never presents the keyboard across the hosting boundary — only a
+    /// real `becomeFirstResponder` does.
+    public var focusesComposerOnAppear = false
+    private var didFocusComposer = false
+
     /// - Parameters:
     ///   - bar: pinned to the keyboard layout guide; rides the keyboard.
     ///   - barController: the view controller owning the bar, when hosted (e.g. a
@@ -119,6 +126,17 @@ public final class ChatScreenViewController: UIViewController {
         host.setContentScrollView(transcript.collectionView, for: .top)
     }
 
+    public override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
+        super.viewDidAppear(animated)
+        // Raise the keyboard once, after the push transition settles — the composer's field is now
+        // in the key window, so `becomeFirstResponder` presents the keyboard (a hosted SwiftUI
+        // `@FocusState` set programmatically does not). One-shot: guarded so a later re-appear
+        // (app foregrounding) doesn't force the keyboard back up.
+        guard focusesComposerOnAppear, !didFocusComposer else { return }
+        didFocusComposer = true
+        bar.firstTextInputResponder?.becomeFirstResponder()
+    }
+
     /// Set the bar's height to its measured SwiftUI content height.
     public func setBarHeight(_ height: CGFloat) {
         guard barHeightConstraint != nil, barHeightConstraint.constant != height else { return }
@@ -140,4 +158,16 @@ public final class ChatScreenViewController: UIViewController {
         transcript.setBottomInset(bar.frame.height)
     }
 }
+
+private extension UIView {
+    /// The first descendant text-input view that can become first responder — the composer's
+    /// field, wherever SwiftUI nests it inside the hosted bar.
+    var firstTextInputResponder: UIView? {
+        if (self is UITextField || self is UITextView), canBecomeFirstResponder { return self }
+        for subview in subviews {
+            if let responder = subview.firstTextInputResponder { return responder }
+        }
+        return nil
+    }
+}
 #endif