diff --git a/ui/desktop/eslint.config.js b/ui/desktop/eslint.config.js
index a1587d15f..cae0f57ea 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/eslint.config.js
+++ b/ui/desktop/eslint.config.js
@@ -69,6 +69,7 @@ module.exports = [
         setInterval: 'readonly',
         clearTimeout: 'readonly',
         CustomEvent: 'readonly',
+        Element: 'readonly',
         HTMLElement: 'readonly',
         HTMLInputElement: 'readonly',
         HTMLSelectElement: 'readonly',
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/components/ChatInput.tsx b/ui/desktop/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
index fc075d943..83ddea4f9 100644
--- a/ui/desktop/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/components/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import { AlertType, useAlerts } from './alerts';
 import { useModelAndProvider } from './ModelAndProviderContext';
 import { acpGetProviderDetails } from '../acp/providers';
 import { useAudioRecorder } from '../hooks/useAudioRecorder';
+import { useFocusOnTyping } from '../hooks/useFocusOnTyping';
 import { toastError } from '../toasts';
 import MentionPopover, { DisplayItemWithMatch } from './MentionPopover';
 import { COST_TRACKING_ENABLED } from '../updates';
@@ -575,6 +576,8 @@ export default function ChatInput({
     }
   }, [textAreaRef]);
 
+  useFocusOnTyping(textAreaRef, !isRecording);
+
   // Load providers and get current model's token limit
   const loadProviderDetails = async () => {
     try {
diff --git a/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useFocusOnTyping.ts b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useFocusOnTyping.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..fcfe55fef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ui/desktop/src/hooks/useFocusOnTyping.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import { RefObject, useEffect } from 'react';
+
+function isEditableElement(element: Element | null): boolean {
+  if (!element) return false;
+  if (
+    element instanceof HTMLInputElement ||
+    element instanceof HTMLTextAreaElement ||
+    element instanceof HTMLSelectElement
+  ) {
+    return true;
+  }
+  return element instanceof HTMLElement && element.isContentEditable;
+}
+
+const SPACE_ACTIVATABLE_INPUT_TYPES = new Set([
+  'checkbox',
+  'radio',
+  'submit',
+  'button',
+  'reset',
+  'file',
+  'range',
+  'color',
+]);
+
+const SPACE_ACTIVATABLE_ROLES = new Set([
+  'button',
+  'checkbox',
+  'radio',
+  'switch',
+  'menuitem',
+  'menuitemcheckbox',
+  'menuitemradio',
+  'tab',
+  'link',
+]);
+
+function isSpaceActivatableControl(element: Element | null): boolean {
+  if (!(element instanceof HTMLElement)) return false;
+  const tag = element.tagName;
+  if (tag === 'BUTTON' || tag === 'A' || tag === 'SUMMARY') return true;
+  if (tag === 'INPUT') {
+    return SPACE_ACTIVATABLE_INPUT_TYPES.has((element as HTMLInputElement).type);
+  }
+  const role = element.getAttribute('role');
+  return role !== null && SPACE_ACTIVATABLE_ROLES.has(role);
+}
+
+const COMPOSITE_WIDGET_SELECTOR =
+  '[role="menu"], [role="listbox"], [role="tree"], [role="grid"], [role="combobox"], [data-radix-collection-item]';
+
+function isInsideCompositeWidget(element: Element | null): boolean {
+  return element instanceof HTMLElement && element.closest(COMPOSITE_WIDGET_SELECTOR) !== null;
+}
+
+export function useFocusOnTyping(
+  targetRef: RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement | null>,
+  enabled: boolean
+) {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!enabled) return;
+
+    const handleKeyDown = (e: KeyboardEvent) => {
+      if (e.defaultPrevented) return;
+      if (e.metaKey || e.ctrlKey) return;
+      if (e.key.length !== 1) return;
+      if (isEditableElement(document.activeElement)) return;
+      if (isInsideCompositeWidget(document.activeElement)) return;
+      if (e.key === ' ' && isSpaceActivatableControl(document.activeElement)) return;
+
+      const selection = window.getSelection();
+      if (selection && !selection.isCollapsed) return;
+
+      targetRef.current?.focus();
+    };
+
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
+    return () => {
+      document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown);
+    };
+  }, [targetRef, enabled]);
+}