diff --git a/web/components/search.react.js b/web/components/search.react.js
--- a/web/components/search.react.js
+++ b/web/components/search.react.js
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   +placeholder?: string,
 };
 
-function Search(props: Props): React.Node {
+function Search(props: Props, ref): React.Node {
   const { searchText, onChangeText, placeholder } = props;
 
   const showClearButton = !!searchText;
@@ -39,10 +39,16 @@
         value={searchText}
         type="text"
         placeholder={placeholder}
+        ref={ref}
       />
       <ClearSearchButton onClick={onClear} active={showClearButton} />
     </div>
   );
 }
 
-export default Search;
+const ForwardedSearch: React.AbstractComponent<
+  Props,
+  HTMLInputElement,
+> = React.forwardRef<Props, HTMLInputElement>(Search);
+
+export default ForwardedSearch;
diff --git a/web/modals/threads/thread-picker-modal.react.js b/web/modals/threads/thread-picker-modal.react.js
--- a/web/modals/threads/thread-picker-modal.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/threads/thread-picker-modal.react.js
@@ -69,6 +69,12 @@
     new Set(),
   );
 
+  const searchRef = React.useRef();
+
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    searchRef.current?.focus();
+  }, []);
+
   const onChangeSearchText = React.useCallback(
     (text: string) => {
       const results = searchIndex.getSearchResults(text);
@@ -126,6 +132,7 @@
           onChangeText={onChangeSearchText}
           searchText={searchText}
           placeholder="Search chats"
+          ref={searchRef}
         />
         <div className={css.contentContainer}>{threadPickerContent}</div>
       </div>