TextInput claims the responder on every selection change, even with no active touch
Nobody has claimed this yet.
- Dominant language
- C++
- Stars
- 127k
- Forks
- 25.3k
- Avg merge
- 1d 23h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 4
Description
Description
Where: Libraries/Components/TextInput/TextInput.js, onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder={emptyFunctionThatReturnsTrue} (line 607 on main today), with {...otherProps} spread before it so a caller cannot override.
What happens: the claim exists for drag-selection with a finger down, but it fires for every selection change the plugin walks, including ones caused by typing, whenever the plugin's touch counter is above zero (see https://github.com/react/react/issues/37571 for how that counter drifts). The focused input then holds the JS responder with no touch active, and the next tap outside it is dropped.
Fix: claim only while event.touchHistory.numberActiveTouches > 0, and let a caller pass their own onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder. Verified in an app patch on RN 0.85.3.
Proposed change (against main, packages/react-native/Libraries/Components/TextInput/TextInput.js, line 607 in InternalTextInput). Claim only while there is an active touch, and let a caller override:
onSelectionChange={_onSelectionChange}
- onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder={emptyFunctionThatReturnsTrue}
+ // The claim exists for drag-selection with a finger down. Typing
+ // also changes the selection, and with no touch active the input
+ // must not take the responder, or the next tap outside it is dropped.
+ onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder={
+ props.onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder ??
+ (e => (e?.touchHistory?.numberActiveTouches ?? 0) > 0)
+ }
selection={selection}
The same line appears once more in the Android branch of the same file. We run this in production through patch-package against React Native 0.85.3.
Steps to reproduce
As described above
React Native Version
0.85.3
Affected Platforms
Runtime - iOS
Output of npx @react-native-community/cli info
System:
OS: macOS 26.5.1
CPU: (12) arm64 Apple M2 Max
Memory: 264.73 MB / 32.00 GB
Shell:
version: "5.9"
path: /bin/zsh
Binaries:
Node:
version: 24.11.0
path: /Users/michaelsageryd/.nvm/versions/node/v24.11.0/bin/node
Yarn: Not Found
npm:
version: 11.3.0
path: /Users/michaelsageryd/dev/plantrail/client/plantrail_mobile/node_modules/.bin/npm
Watchman: Not Found
Managers:
CocoaPods:
version: 1.16.2
path: /opt/homebrew/bin/pod
SDKs:
iOS SDK:
Platforms:
- DriverKit 25.5
- iOS 26.5
- macOS 26.5
- tvOS 26.5
- visionOS 26.5
- watchOS 26.5
Android SDK:
API Levels:
- "31"
- "35"
- "36"
- "36"
Build Tools:
- 35.0.0
- 36.0.0
- 36.1.0
- 37.0.0
System Images:
- android-36 | Google Play ARM 64 v8a
Android NDK: Not Found
IDEs:
Android Studio: 2025.3 AI-253.32098.37.2534.15232325
Xcode:
version: 26.6/17F113
path: /usr/bin/xcodebuild
Languages:
Java:
version: 17.0.18
path: /Library/Java/JavaVirtualMachines/zulu-17.jdk/Contents/Home/bin/javac
Ruby:
version: 3.4.7
path: /opt/homebrew/opt/ruby@3.4/bin/ruby
npmPackages:
"@react-native-community/cli":
installed: 20.1.0
wanted: 20.1.0
react:
installed: 19.2.3
wanted: 19.2.3
react-native:
installed: 0.85.3
wanted: ^0.85.3
react-native-macos: Not Found
npmGlobalPackages:
"*react-native*": Not Found
Android:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: true
iOS:
hermesEnabled: true
newArchEnabled: true
Stacktrace or Logs
No trace
MANDATORY Reproducer
Reproducer: https://github.com/facebook/react-native/pull/58449
Screenshots and Videos
No response
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start in packages/react-native/Libraries/Components/TextInput/TextInput.js at the two onSelectionChangeShouldSetResponder occurrences in InternalTextInput, then inspect the mandatory reproducer PR #58449. Confirm both branches support the requested touch-history condition and caller override. Done means selection changes without an active touch do not claim the responder, while drag-selection still can and callers can provide their own handler.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- javascript, react-native
- Domain
- mobile, mobile-dev
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Active
- Clarity
- Clearly specified
- Newbie friendliness
- 74/100