diff --git a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-delete-tab.react.js b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-delete-tab.react.js
index 976fc418f..041e56171 100644
--- a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-delete-tab.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-delete-tab.react.js
@@ -1,51 +1,44 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import css from './thread-settings-modal.css';
 
 type ThreadSettingsDeleteTabProps = {
   +accountPassword: string,
   +onChangeAccountPassword: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => void,
   +inputDisabled: boolean,
-  +accountPasswordInputRef: (accountPasswordInput: ?HTMLInputElement) => void,
 };
 
 function ThreadSettingsDeleteTab(
   props: ThreadSettingsDeleteTabProps,
 ): React.Node {
-  const {
-    accountPassword,
-    onChangeAccountPassword,
-    inputDisabled,
-    accountPasswordInputRef,
-  } = props;
+  const { accountPassword, onChangeAccountPassword, inputDisabled } = props;
   return (
     <>
       <div>
         <p className={css.italic}>
           Your thread will be permanently deleted. There is no way to reverse
           this.
         </p>
       </div>
       <div className={css.edit_thread_account_password}>
         <p className={css.confirm_account_password}>
           Please enter your account password to confirm your identity
         </p>
         <div className={css.form_title}>Account password</div>
         <div className={css.form_content}>
           <input
             type="password"
             placeholder="Personal account password"
             value={accountPassword}
             onChange={onChangeAccountPassword}
             disabled={inputDisabled}
-            ref={accountPasswordInputRef}
           />
         </div>
       </div>
     </>
   );
 }
 
 export default ThreadSettingsDeleteTab;
diff --git a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-general-tab.react.js b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-general-tab.react.js
index ebec84f58..8e078428e 100644
--- a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-general-tab.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-general-tab.react.js
@@ -1,76 +1,73 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import Input from '../input.react.js';
 import ColorSelector from './color-selector.react.js';
 import css from './thread-settings-general-tab.css';
 
 type ThreadSettingsGeneralTabProps = {
   +threadNameValue: string,
   +threadNamePlaceholder: string,
   +threadNameOnChange: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => void,
   +threadNameDisabled: boolean,
-  +threadNameInputRef: (nameInput: ?HTMLInputElement) => void,
   +threadDescriptionValue: string,
   +threadDescriptionOnChange: (
     event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>,
   ) => void,
   +threadDescriptionDisabled: boolean,
   +threadColorCurrentColor: string,
   +threadColorOnColorSelection: (color: string) => void,
 };
 function ThreadSettingsGeneralTab(
   props: ThreadSettingsGeneralTabProps,
 ): React.Node {
   const {
     threadNameValue,
     threadNamePlaceholder,
     threadNameOnChange,
     threadNameDisabled,
-    threadNameInputRef,
     threadDescriptionValue,
     threadDescriptionOnChange,
     threadDescriptionDisabled,
     threadColorCurrentColor,
     threadColorOnColorSelection,
   } = props;
 
   return (
     <div>
       <div>
         <div className={css.form_title}>Thread name</div>
         <div className={css.form_content}>
           <Input
             type="text"
             value={threadNameValue}
             placeholder={threadNamePlaceholder}
             onChange={threadNameOnChange}
             disabled={threadNameDisabled}
-            ref={threadNameInputRef}
           />
         </div>
       </div>
       <div className={css.form_textarea_container}>
         <div className={css.form_title}>Description</div>
         <div className={css.form_content}>
           <textarea
             value={threadDescriptionValue}
             placeholder="Thread description"
             onChange={threadDescriptionOnChange}
             disabled={threadDescriptionDisabled}
           />
         </div>
       </div>
       <div className={css.edit_thread_color_container}>
         <div className={`${css.form_title} ${css.color_title}`}>Color</div>
         <ColorSelector
           currentColor={threadColorCurrentColor}
           onColorSelection={threadColorOnColorSelection}
         />
       </div>
     </div>
   );
 }
 
 export default ThreadSettingsGeneralTab;
diff --git a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-modal.react.js b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-modal.react.js
index 00782505c..259611624 100644
--- a/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-modal.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/threads/thread-settings-modal.react.js
@@ -1,516 +1,503 @@
 // @flow
 
 import classNames from 'classnames';
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import {
   deleteThreadActionTypes,
   deleteThread,
   changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
   changeThreadSettings,
 } from 'lib/actions/thread-actions';
 import { createLoadingStatusSelector } from 'lib/selectors/loading-selectors';
 import { threadInfoSelector } from 'lib/selectors/thread-selectors';
 import { threadHasPermission, robotextName } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils';
 import { type SetState } from 'lib/types/hook-types.js';
 import {
   type ThreadInfo,
   threadTypes,
   assertThreadType,
   type ChangeThreadSettingsPayload,
   type UpdateThreadRequest,
   type LeaveThreadPayload,
   threadPermissions,
   type ThreadChanges,
 } from 'lib/types/thread-types';
 import type { UserInfos } from 'lib/types/user-types';
 import {
   useDispatchActionPromise,
   useServerCall,
   type DispatchActionPromise,
 } from 'lib/utils/action-utils';
 import { firstLine } from 'lib/utils/string-utils';
 
 import Button from '../../components/button.react';
 import { useModalContext } from '../../modals/modal-provider.react';
 import { useSelector } from '../../redux/redux-utils';
 import Modal from '../modal.react';
 import ThreadSettingsDeleteTab from './thread-settings-delete-tab.react';
 import ThreadSettingsGeneralTab from './thread-settings-general-tab.react';
 import css from './thread-settings-modal.css';
 import ThreadSettingsPrivacyTab from './thread-settings-privacy-tab.react';
 
 type TabType = 'general' | 'privacy' | 'delete';
 type TabProps = {
   +name: string,
   +tabType: TabType,
   +selected: boolean,
   +onClick: (tabType: TabType) => void,
 };
 class Tab extends React.PureComponent<TabProps> {
   render() {
     const classNamesForTab = classNames({
       [css['current-tab']]: this.props.selected,
       [css['delete-tab']]:
         this.props.selected && this.props.tabType === 'delete',
     });
     return (
       <li className={classNamesForTab} onClick={this.onClick}>
         <a>{this.props.name}</a>
       </li>
     );
   }
 
   onClick = () => {
     return this.props.onClick(this.props.tabType);
   };
 }
 
 type BaseProps = {
   +threadID: string,
 };
 type Props = {
   ...BaseProps,
   +threadInfo: ThreadInfo,
   +changeInProgress: boolean,
   +viewerID: ?string,
   +userInfos: UserInfos,
   +dispatchActionPromise: DispatchActionPromise,
   +deleteThread: (
     threadID: string,
     currentAccountPassword: string,
   ) => Promise<LeaveThreadPayload>,
   +changeThreadSettings: (
     update: UpdateThreadRequest,
   ) => Promise<ChangeThreadSettingsPayload>,
   +onClose: () => void,
   +errorMessage: string,
   +setErrorMessage: SetState<string>,
   +accountPassword: string,
   +setAccountPassword: SetState<string>,
   +currentTabType: TabType,
   +setCurrentTabType: SetState<TabType>,
   +queuedChanges: ThreadChanges,
   +setQueuedChanges: SetState<ThreadChanges>,
   +namePlaceholder: string,
   +changeQueued: boolean,
   +onChangeName: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => void,
   +onChangeDescription: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => void,
   +onChangeColor: (color: string) => void,
   +onChangeThreadType: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => void,
   +onChangeAccountPassword: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => void,
   +hasPermissionForTab: (thread: ThreadInfo, tab: TabType) => boolean,
   +deleteThreadAction: () => Promise<LeaveThreadPayload>,
   +onDelete: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLElement>) => void,
   +changeThreadSettingsAction: () => Promise<ChangeThreadSettingsPayload>,
   +onSubmit: (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLElement>) => void,
 };
 class ThreadSettingsModal extends React.PureComponent<Props> {
-  nameInput: ?HTMLInputElement;
-  accountPasswordInput: ?HTMLInputElement;
-
   constructor(props: Props) {
     super(props);
   }
 
   possiblyChangedValue(key: string) {
     const valueChanged =
       this.props.queuedChanges[key] !== null &&
       this.props.queuedChanges[key] !== undefined;
     return valueChanged
       ? this.props.queuedChanges[key]
       : this.props.threadInfo[key];
   }
 
   render() {
     const { threadInfo } = this.props;
     const inputDisabled =
       this.props.changeInProgress ||
       !this.props.hasPermissionForTab(threadInfo, this.props.currentTabType);
 
     let mainContent = null;
     if (this.props.currentTabType === 'general') {
       mainContent = (
         <ThreadSettingsGeneralTab
           threadNameValue={firstLine(this.possiblyChangedValue('name'))}
           threadNamePlaceholder={this.props.namePlaceholder}
           threadNameOnChange={this.props.onChangeName}
           threadNameDisabled={inputDisabled}
-          threadNameInputRef={this.nameInputRef}
           threadDescriptionValue={this.possiblyChangedValue('description')}
           threadDescriptionOnChange={this.props.onChangeDescription}
           threadDescriptionDisabled={inputDisabled}
           threadColorCurrentColor={this.possiblyChangedValue('color')}
           threadColorOnColorSelection={this.props.onChangeColor}
         />
       );
     } else if (this.props.currentTabType === 'privacy') {
       mainContent = (
         <ThreadSettingsPrivacyTab
           possiblyChangedThreadType={this.possiblyChangedValue('type')}
           onChangeThreadType={this.props.onChangeThreadType}
           inputDisabled={inputDisabled}
         />
       );
     } else if (this.props.currentTabType === 'delete') {
       mainContent = (
         <ThreadSettingsDeleteTab
           accountPassword={this.props.accountPassword}
           onChangeAccountPassword={this.props.onChangeAccountPassword}
           inputDisabled={inputDisabled}
-          accountPasswordInputRef={this.accountPasswordInputRef}
         />
       );
     }
 
     let buttons = null;
     if (this.props.currentTabType === 'delete') {
       buttons = (
         <Button
           onClick={this.props.onDelete}
           variant="danger"
           disabled={inputDisabled}
         >
           Delete
         </Button>
       );
     } else {
       buttons = (
         <Button
           type="submit"
           onClick={this.props.onSubmit}
           disabled={inputDisabled || !this.props.changeQueued}
           className={css.save_button}
         >
           Save
         </Button>
       );
     }
 
     const tabs = [
       <Tab
         name="General"
         tabType="general"
         onClick={this.props.setCurrentTabType}
         selected={this.props.currentTabType === 'general'}
         key="general"
       />,
     ];
 
     // This UI needs to be updated to handle sidebars but we haven't gotten
     // there yet. We'll probably end up ripping it out anyways, so for now we
     // are just hiding the privacy tab for any thread that was created as a
     // sidebar
     const canSeePrivacyTab =
       this.possiblyChangedValue('parentThreadID') &&
       threadInfo.sourceMessageID &&
       (threadInfo.type === threadTypes.COMMUNITY_OPEN_SUBTHREAD ||
         threadInfo.type === threadTypes.COMMUNITY_SECRET_SUBTHREAD);
 
     if (canSeePrivacyTab) {
       tabs.push(
         <Tab
           name="Privacy"
           tabType="privacy"
           onClick={this.props.setCurrentTabType}
           selected={this.props.currentTabType === 'privacy'}
           key="privacy"
         />,
       );
     }
     const canDeleteThread = this.props.hasPermissionForTab(
       threadInfo,
       'delete',
     );
     if (canDeleteThread) {
       tabs.push(
         <Tab
           name="Delete"
           tabType="delete"
           onClick={this.props.setCurrentTabType}
           selected={this.props.currentTabType === 'delete'}
           key="delete"
         />,
       );
     }
 
     return (
       <Modal name="Thread settings" onClose={this.props.onClose}>
         <ul className={css.tab_panel}>{tabs}</ul>
         <div className={css.modal_body}>
           <form method="POST">
             {mainContent}
             <div className={css.form_footer}>
               {buttons}
               <div className={css.modal_form_error}>
                 {this.props.errorMessage}
               </div>
             </div>
           </form>
         </div>
       </Modal>
     );
   }
-
-  nameInputRef = (nameInput: ?HTMLInputElement) => {
-    this.nameInput = nameInput;
-  };
-
-  accountPasswordInputRef = (accountPasswordInput: ?HTMLInputElement) => {
-    this.accountPasswordInput = accountPasswordInput;
-  };
 }
 
 const deleteThreadLoadingStatusSelector = createLoadingStatusSelector(
   deleteThreadActionTypes,
 );
 const changeThreadSettingsLoadingStatusSelector = createLoadingStatusSelector(
   changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
 );
 
 const ConnectedThreadSettingsModal: React.ComponentType<BaseProps> = React.memo<BaseProps>(
   function ConnectedThreadSettingsModal(props) {
     const changeInProgress = useSelector(
       state =>
         deleteThreadLoadingStatusSelector(state) === 'loading' ||
         changeThreadSettingsLoadingStatusSelector(state) === 'loading',
     );
     const viewerID = useSelector(
       state => state.currentUserInfo && state.currentUserInfo.id,
     );
     const userInfos = useSelector(state => state.userStore.userInfos);
     const callDeleteThread = useServerCall(deleteThread);
     const callChangeThreadSettings = useServerCall(changeThreadSettings);
     const dispatchActionPromise = useDispatchActionPromise();
     const threadInfo: ?ThreadInfo = useSelector(
       state => threadInfoSelector(state)[props.threadID],
     );
     const modalContext = useModalContext();
     const [errorMessage, setErrorMessage] = React.useState('');
     const [accountPassword, setAccountPassword] = React.useState('');
     const [currentTabType, setCurrentTabType] = React.useState<TabType>(
       'general',
     );
     const [queuedChanges, setQueuedChanges] = React.useState<ThreadChanges>(
       Object.freeze({}),
     );
 
     const namePlaceholder: string = React.useMemo(() => {
       invariant(threadInfo, 'threadInfo should exist in namePlaceholder');
       return robotextName(threadInfo, viewerID, userInfos);
     }, [threadInfo, userInfos, viewerID]);
 
     const changeQueued: boolean = React.useMemo(
       () =>
         Object.values(queuedChanges).some(v => v !== null && v !== undefined),
       [queuedChanges],
     );
 
     const onChangeName = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
         const target = event.currentTarget;
         setQueuedChanges(
           Object.freeze({
             ...queuedChanges,
             name: firstLine(
               target.value !== threadInfo?.name ? target.value : undefined,
             ),
           }),
         );
       },
       [queuedChanges, threadInfo?.name],
     );
 
     const onChangeDescription = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLTextAreaElement>) => {
         const target = event.currentTarget;
         setQueuedChanges(
           Object.freeze({
             ...queuedChanges,
             description:
               target.value !== threadInfo?.description
                 ? target.value
                 : undefined,
           }),
         );
       },
       [queuedChanges, threadInfo?.description],
     );
 
     const onChangeColor = React.useCallback(
       (color: string) => {
         setQueuedChanges(
           Object.freeze({
             ...queuedChanges,
             color: color !== threadInfo?.color ? color : undefined,
           }),
         );
       },
       [queuedChanges, threadInfo?.color],
     );
 
     const onChangeThreadType = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
         const uiValue = assertThreadType(
           parseInt(event.currentTarget.value, 10),
         );
         setQueuedChanges(
           Object.freeze({
             ...queuedChanges,
             type: uiValue !== threadInfo?.type ? uiValue : undefined,
           }),
         );
       },
       [queuedChanges, threadInfo?.type],
     );
 
     const onChangeAccountPassword = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
         const target = event.currentTarget;
         setAccountPassword(target.value);
       },
       [],
     );
 
     const hasPermissionForTab = React.useCallback(
       (thread: ThreadInfo, tab: TabType) => {
         if (tab === 'general') {
           return threadHasPermission(
             thread,
             threadPermissions.EDIT_THREAD_NAME,
           );
         } else if (tab === 'privacy') {
           return threadHasPermission(
             thread,
             threadPermissions.EDIT_PERMISSIONS,
           );
         } else if (tab === 'delete') {
           return threadHasPermission(thread, threadPermissions.DELETE_THREAD);
         }
         invariant(false, `invalid tab: ${tab}`);
       },
       [],
     );
 
     const deleteThreadAction = React.useCallback(async () => {
       invariant(threadInfo, 'threadInfo should exist in deleteThreadAction');
       try {
         const response = await callDeleteThread(threadInfo.id, accountPassword);
         modalContext.clearModal();
         return response;
       } catch (e) {
         setErrorMessage(
           e.message === 'invalid_credentials'
             ? 'wrong password'
             : 'unknown error',
         );
         setAccountPassword('');
         // TODO: accountPasswordInput.focus()
         // (once ref is moved up to functional component)
         throw e;
       }
     }, [accountPassword, callDeleteThread, modalContext, threadInfo]);
 
     const onDelete = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
         event.preventDefault();
         dispatchActionPromise(deleteThreadActionTypes, deleteThreadAction());
       },
       [deleteThreadAction, dispatchActionPromise],
     );
 
     const changeThreadSettingsAction = React.useCallback(async () => {
       invariant(
         threadInfo,
         'threadInfo should exist in changeThreadSettingsAction',
       );
       try {
         const response = await callChangeThreadSettings({
           threadID: threadInfo.id,
           changes: queuedChanges,
         });
         modalContext.clearModal();
         return response;
       } catch (e) {
         setErrorMessage('unknown_error');
         setAccountPassword('');
         setCurrentTabType('general');
         setQueuedChanges(Object.freeze({}));
         // TODO: nameInput.focus()
         // (once ref is moved up to functional component)
         throw e;
       }
     }, [callChangeThreadSettings, modalContext, queuedChanges, threadInfo]);
 
     const onSubmit = React.useCallback(
       (event: SyntheticEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
         event.preventDefault();
         dispatchActionPromise(
           changeThreadSettingsActionTypes,
           changeThreadSettingsAction(),
         );
       },
       [changeThreadSettingsAction, dispatchActionPromise],
     );
 
     React.useEffect(() => {
       // TODO: nameInput.focus()
       // (once ref is moved up to functional component)
 
       if (
         threadInfo &&
         currentTabType !== 'general' &&
         !hasPermissionForTab(threadInfo, currentTabType)
       ) {
         setCurrentTabType('general');
       }
     }, [currentTabType, hasPermissionForTab, threadInfo]);
 
     if (!threadInfo) {
       return (
         <Modal onClose={modalContext.clearModal} name="Invalid thread">
           <div className={css.modal_body}>
             <p>You no longer have permission to view this thread</p>
           </div>
         </Modal>
       );
     }
 
     return (
       <ThreadSettingsModal
         {...props}
         threadInfo={threadInfo}
         changeInProgress={changeInProgress}
         viewerID={viewerID}
         userInfos={userInfos}
         deleteThread={callDeleteThread}
         changeThreadSettings={callChangeThreadSettings}
         dispatchActionPromise={dispatchActionPromise}
         onClose={modalContext.clearModal}
         errorMessage={errorMessage}
         setErrorMessage={setErrorMessage}
         accountPassword={accountPassword}
         setAccountPassword={setAccountPassword}
         currentTabType={currentTabType}
         setCurrentTabType={setCurrentTabType}
         queuedChanges={queuedChanges}
         setQueuedChanges={setQueuedChanges}
         namePlaceholder={namePlaceholder}
         changeQueued={changeQueued}
         onChangeName={onChangeName}
         onChangeDescription={onChangeDescription}
         onChangeColor={onChangeColor}
         onChangeThreadType={onChangeThreadType}
         onChangeAccountPassword={onChangeAccountPassword}
         hasPermissionForTab={hasPermissionForTab}
         deleteThreadAction={deleteThreadAction}
         onDelete={onDelete}
         changeThreadSettingsAction={changeThreadSettingsAction}
         onSubmit={onSubmit}
       />
     );
   },
 );
 
 export default ConnectedThreadSettingsModal;