diff --git a/native/chat/chat-thread-list-search.react.js b/native/chat/chat-thread-list-search.react.js
--- a/native/chat/chat-thread-list-search.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/chat-thread-list-search.react.js
@@ -19,17 +19,20 @@
   +onChangeText: (updatedSearchText: string) => mixed,
   +onBlur: () => mixed,
   +additionalProps?: $Shape<React.ElementConfig<typeof Search>>,
-  +onSearchCancel: () => void,
+  +onSearchCancel: () => mixed,
   +searchStatus: SearchStatus,
+  +innerSearchAutoFocus?: boolean,
+  +innerSearchActive?: boolean,
 };
 function ChatThreadListSearch(props: Props): React.Node {
   const {
     searchText,
     onChangeText,
     onBlur,
-    additionalProps,
     onSearchCancel,
     searchStatus,
+    innerSearchActive,
+    innerSearchAutoFocus,
   } = props;
   const styles = useStyles(unboundStyles);
 
@@ -96,7 +99,8 @@
           onBlur={onBlur}
           placeholder="Search chats"
           ref={searchInputRef}
-          {...additionalProps}
+          autoFocus={innerSearchAutoFocus}
+          active={innerSearchActive}
         />
       </AnimatedView>
     </>
diff --git a/native/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js b/native/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
--- a/native/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/chat-thread-list.react.js
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
   ChatNavigationProp,
 } from './chat.react.js';
 import { useNavigateToThread } from './message-list-types.js';
-import Search from '../components/search.react.js';
 import {
   SidebarListModalRouteName,
   HomeChatThreadListRouteName,
@@ -196,28 +195,6 @@
   }, [clearSearch, onChangeSearchText]);
 
   const searchInputRef = React.useRef();
-  const renderSearch = React.useCallback(
-    (additionalProps?: $Shape<React.ElementConfig<typeof Search>>) => (
-      <View style={styles.searchContainer}>
-        <ChatThreadListSearch
-          searchText={searchText}
-          onChangeText={onChangeSearchText}
-          onBlur={onSearchBlur}
-          additionalProps={additionalProps}
-          searchStatus={searchStatus}
-          onSearchCancel={onSearchCancel}
-        />
-      </View>
-    ),
-    [
-      onChangeSearchText,
-      onSearchBlur,
-      onSearchCancel,
-      searchStatus,
-      searchText,
-      styles.searchContainer,
-    ],
-  );
 
   const onPressItem = React.useCallback(
     (threadInfo: ThreadInfo, pendingPersonalThreadUserInfo?: UserInfo) => {
@@ -258,15 +235,37 @@
     return true;
   }, [navigation, onSearchCancel, searchStatus]);
 
+  const searchItem = React.useMemo(
+    () => (
+      <TouchableWithoutFeedback onPress={onSearchFocus}>
+        <View style={styles.searchContainer}>
+          <ChatThreadListSearch
+            searchText={searchText}
+            onChangeText={onChangeSearchText}
+            onBlur={onSearchBlur}
+            searchStatus={searchStatus}
+            onSearchCancel={onSearchCancel}
+            innerSearchActive={false}
+          />
+        </View>
+      </TouchableWithoutFeedback>
+    ),
+    [
+      onChangeSearchText,
+      onSearchBlur,
+      onSearchCancel,
+      onSearchFocus,
+      searchStatus,
+      searchText,
+      styles.searchContainer,
+    ],
+  );
+
   const renderItem = React.useCallback(
     (row: { item: Item, ... }) => {
       const item = row.item;
       if (item.type === 'search') {
-        return (
-          <TouchableWithoutFeedback onPress={onSearchFocus}>
-            {renderSearch({ active: false })}
-          </TouchableWithoutFeedback>
-        );
+        return searchItem;
       }
       if (item.type === 'empty') {
         const EmptyItem = item.emptyItem;
@@ -285,10 +284,9 @@
     [
       onPressItem,
       onPressSeeMoreSidebars,
-      onSearchFocus,
       onSwipeableWillOpen,
       openedSwipeableID,
-      renderSearch,
+      searchItem,
     ],
   );
 
@@ -350,11 +348,30 @@
     );
   }, [composeThread]);
 
-  const fixedSearch = React.useMemo(
-    () =>
-      searchStatus === 'active' ? renderSearch({ autoFocus: true }) : null,
-    [renderSearch, searchStatus],
-  );
+  const fixedSearch = React.useMemo(() => {
+    if (searchStatus !== 'active') {
+      return null;
+    }
+    return (
+      <View style={styles.searchContainer}>
+        <ChatThreadListSearch
+          searchText={searchText}
+          onChangeText={onChangeSearchText}
+          onBlur={onSearchBlur}
+          searchStatus={searchStatus}
+          onSearchCancel={onSearchCancel}
+          innerSearchAutoFocus={true}
+        />
+      </View>
+    );
+  }, [
+    onChangeSearchText,
+    onSearchBlur,
+    onSearchCancel,
+    searchStatus,
+    searchText,
+    styles.searchContainer,
+  ]);
 
   const scrollEnabled =
     searchStatus === 'inactive' || searchStatus === 'active';