diff --git a/native/chat/chat-input-bar.react.js b/native/chat/chat-input-bar.react.js
--- a/native/chat/chat-input-bar.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/chat-input-bar.react.js
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@
 
 import { ChatContext } from './chat-context.js';
 import type { ChatNavigationProp } from './chat.react.js';
+import type { RemoveEditMode } from './message-list-types.js';
 import TypeaheadTooltip from './typeahead-tooltip.react.js';
 import Button from '../components/button.react.js';
 // eslint-disable-next-line import/extensions
@@ -169,13 +170,14 @@
     text: string,
   ) => Promise<SendEditMessageResponse>,
   +navigation: ?ChatNavigationProp<'MessageList'>,
+  +isFocused?: boolean,
 };
 type State = {
   +text: string,
   +textEdited: boolean,
   +buttonsExpanded: boolean,
   +selectionState: SyncedSelectionData,
-  +isExitingEditMode: boolean,
+  +isExitingDuringEditMode: boolean,
 };
 class ChatInputBar extends React.PureComponent<Props, State> {
   textInput: ?React.ElementRef<typeof TextInput>;
@@ -193,6 +195,8 @@
   targetSendButtonContainerOpen: Value;
   sendButtonContainerStyle: AnimatedViewStyle;
 
+  clearFocusListener: () => void;
+  clearBlurListener: () => void;
   clearBeforeRemoveListener: () => void;
 
   constructor(props: Props) {
@@ -202,7 +206,7 @@
       textEdited: false,
       buttonsExpanded: true,
       selectionState: { text: props.draft, selection: { start: 0, end: 0 } },
-      isExitingEditMode: false,
+      isExitingDuringEditMode: false,
     };
 
     this.setUpActionIconAnimations();
@@ -337,14 +341,25 @@
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    if (this.props.isActive) {
+    const { isActive, navigation } = this.props;
+    if (isActive) {
       this.addEditInputMessageListener();
     }
-    if (this.props.navigation) {
-      this.clearBeforeRemoveListener = this.props.navigation.addListener(
+    if (navigation) {
+      this.clearBeforeRemoveListener = navigation.addListener(
         'beforeRemove',
         this.onNavigationBeforeRemove,
       );
+      invariant(navigation, 'navigation must be defined');
+      this.clearBlurListener = navigation.addListener(
+        'blur',
+        this.onNavigationBlur,
+      );
+      invariant(navigation, 'navigation must be defined');
+      this.clearFocusListener = navigation.addListener(
+        'focus',
+        this.onNavigationFocus,
+      );
     }
   }
 
@@ -355,6 +370,12 @@
     if (this.clearBeforeRemoveListener) {
       this.clearBeforeRemoveListener();
     }
+    if (this.clearBlurListener) {
+      this.clearBlurListener();
+    }
+    if (this.clearFocusListener) {
+      this.clearFocusListener();
+    }
   }
 
   componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Props, prevState: State) {
@@ -408,6 +429,13 @@
       this.expandButtons();
       this.setIOSKeyboardHeight();
     }
+
+    if (
+      this.props.inputState?.editState.editedMessage &&
+      !prevProps.inputState?.editState.editedMessage
+    ) {
+      this.blockNavigation();
+    }
   }
 
   addEditInputMessageListener() {
@@ -733,9 +761,12 @@
   };
 
   updateText = (text: string) => {
+    if (this.state.isExitingDuringEditMode) {
+      return;
+    }
     this.setState({ text, textEdited: true });
     this.props.inputState?.setEditedMessageChanged(this.isMessageEdited(text));
-    if (this.isEditMode() || this.state.isExitingEditMode) {
+    if (this.isEditMode()) {
       return;
     }
     this.saveDraft(text);
@@ -851,6 +882,41 @@
     return text !== originalText;
   };
 
+  unblockNavigation = () => {
+    const { navigation } = this.props;
+    if (!navigation) {
+      return;
+    }
+    navigation.setParams({ removeEditMode: null });
+  };
+
+  removeEditMode: RemoveEditMode = action => {
+    const { navigation } = this.props;
+    if (!navigation || this.state.isExitingDuringEditMode) {
+      return 'ignore_action';
+    }
+    if (!this.isMessageEdited()) {
+      this.unblockNavigation();
+      return 'reduce_action';
+    }
+    const unblockAndDispatch = () => {
+      this.unblockNavigation();
+      navigation.dispatch(action);
+    };
+    exitEditAlert(unblockAndDispatch);
+    return 'ignore_action';
+  };
+
+  blockNavigation = () => {
+    const { navigation, isFocused } = this.props;
+    if (!navigation || !isFocused) {
+      return;
+    }
+    navigation.setParams({
+      removeEditMode: this.removeEditMode,
+    });
+  };
+
   editMessage = async (messageID: string, text: string) => {
     if (!this.isMessageEdited()) {
       this.exitEditMode();
@@ -896,12 +962,27 @@
 
   exitEditMode = () => {
     this.props.inputState?.setEditedMessage(null, () => {
+      this.unblockNavigation();
       this.updateText(this.props.draft);
       this.focusAndUpdateButtonsVisibility();
       this.updateSendButton(this.props.draft);
     });
   };
 
+  onNavigationFocus = () => {
+    this.setState({ isExitingDuringEditMode: false });
+  };
+
+  onNavigationBlur = () => {
+    if (!this.isEditMode()) {
+      return;
+    }
+    this.setState(
+      { text: this.props.draft, isExitingDuringEditMode: true },
+      this.exitEditMode,
+    );
+  };
+
   onNavigationBeforeRemove = e => {
     if (!this.isEditMode()) {
       return;
@@ -910,7 +991,7 @@
     e.preventDefault();
     const saveExit = () => {
       this.props.inputState?.setEditedMessage(null, () => {
-        this.setState({ isExitingEditMode: true }, () => {
+        this.setState({ isExitingDuringEditMode: true }, () => {
           if (!this.props.navigation) {
             return;
           }
@@ -1107,6 +1188,7 @@
   +onInputBarLayout?: (event: LayoutEvent) => mixed,
   +openCamera: () => mixed,
   +navigation?: ChatNavigationProp<'MessageList'>,
+  +isFocused?: boolean,
 };
 function ConnectedChatInputBarBase(props: ConnectedChatInputBarBaseProps) {
   const navContext = React.useContext(NavContext);
@@ -1297,12 +1379,15 @@
       });
     }, [keyboardState, navigation, route.key, threadInfo]);
 
+    const isFocused = props.navigation.isFocused();
+
     return (
       <ConnectedChatInputBarBase
         {...restProps}
         onInputBarLayout={onInputBarLayout}
         openCamera={openCamera}
         navigation={navigation}
+        isFocused={isFocused}
       />
     );
   });
diff --git a/native/chat/chat-router.js b/native/chat/chat-router.js
--- a/native/chat/chat-router.js
+++ b/native/chat/chat-router.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
   clearThreadsActionType,
   pushNewThreadActionType,
 } from '../navigation/action-types.js';
+import { getRemoveEditMode } from '../navigation/nav-selectors.js';
 import {
   removeScreensFromStack,
   getThreadIDFromRoute,
@@ -128,7 +129,22 @@
         );
         return baseGetStateForAction(clearedState, navigateAction, options);
       } else {
-        return baseGetStateForAction(lastState, action, options);
+        const result = baseGetStateForAction(lastState, action, options);
+        const removeEditMode = getRemoveEditMode(lastState);
+
+        // We prevent navigating if the user is in edit mode. We don't block
+        // navigating back here because it is handled by the `beforeRemove`
+        // listener in the `ChatInputBar` component.
+        if (
+          result !== null &&
+          result?.index &&
+          result.index > lastState.index &&
+          removeEditMode &&
+          removeEditMode(action) === 'ignore_action'
+        ) {
+          return lastState;
+        }
+        return result;
       }
     },
     actionCreators: {
diff --git a/native/chat/message-list-types.js b/native/chat/message-list-types.js
--- a/native/chat/message-list-types.js
+++ b/native/chat/message-list-types.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import type { ThreadInfo } from 'lib/types/thread-types.js';
 import { type UserInfo } from 'lib/types/user-types.js';
 
+import type { ChatRouterNavigationAction } from './chat-router.js';
 import type { MarkdownRules } from '../markdown/rules.react.js';
 import { useTextMessageRulesFunc } from '../markdown/rules.react.js';
 import { MessageListRouteName } from '../navigation/route-names.js';
@@ -15,8 +16,13 @@
   +threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
   +pendingPersonalThreadUserInfo?: UserInfo,
   +searching?: boolean,
+  +removeEditMode?: ?RemoveEditMode,
 };
 
+export type RemoveEditMode = (
+  action: ChatRouterNavigationAction,
+) => 'ignore_action' | 'reduce_action';
+
 export type MessageListContextType = {
   +getTextMessageMarkdownRules: (useDarkStyle: boolean) => MarkdownRules,
 };
diff --git a/native/navigation/nav-selectors.js b/native/navigation/nav-selectors.js
--- a/native/navigation/nav-selectors.js
+++ b/native/navigation/nav-selectors.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
   threadRoutes,
   CommunityDrawerNavigatorRouteName,
 } from './route-names.js';
+import type { RemoveEditMode } from '../chat/message-list-types';
 import { useSelector } from '../redux/redux-utils.js';
 import type { NavPlusRedux } from '../types/selector-types.js';
 import type { GlobalTheme } from '../types/themes.js';
@@ -316,6 +317,24 @@
     },
   );
 
+function getRemoveEditMode(
+  chatRouteState: ?PossiblyStaleNavigationState,
+): ?RemoveEditMode {
+  if (!chatRouteState) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const messageListRoute =
+    chatRouteState.routes[chatRouteState.routes.length - 1];
+  if (messageListRoute.name !== MessageListRouteName) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (!messageListRoute || !messageListRoute.params) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  const removeEditMode: Function = messageListRoute.params.removeEditMode;
+  return removeEditMode;
+}
+
 function useCurrentLeafRouteName(): ?string {
   const navContext = React.useContext(NavContext);
   return React.useMemo(() => {
@@ -342,4 +361,5 @@
   useCalendarQuery,
   drawerSwipeEnabledSelector,
   useCurrentLeafRouteName,
+  getRemoveEditMode,
 };
diff --git a/native/utils/edit-messages-utils.js b/native/utils/edit-messages-utils.js
--- a/native/utils/edit-messages-utils.js
+++ b/native/utils/edit-messages-utils.js
@@ -14,9 +14,7 @@
       {
         text: 'Discard edit',
         style: 'destructive',
-        onPress: () => {
-          onDiscard();
-        },
+        onPress: onDiscard,
       },
     ],
   );