diff --git a/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte b/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
index 09935c5..a8f13e1 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
+++ b/frontend/src/components/MessageInput.svelte
@@ -97,14 +97,20 @@
 
 
     // Focus the text area when the component first loads, or when the user selects another channel
-    const focusTextarea = () => messageTextarea && messageTextarea.focus();
+    const focusTextarea = () => {
+        if (messageTextarea && getItem("ui:useragent:formFactor") !== "touch") {
+            messageTextarea.focus();
+        }
+    };
     onMount(focusTextarea);
-    unsubscribers.push(selectedChannel.subscribe(focusTextarea));
+    unsubscribers.push(selectedChannel.watch(focusTextarea));
 
     // Handle the setMessageInput event
     unsubscribers.push(setMessageInputEvent.watch((value) => {
         messageInput = value;
-        focusTextarea();
+        if (messageTextarea) {
+            messageTextarea.focus();
+        }
     }));