diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
index d52c950d81..eba301b51c 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -15,29 +15,28 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, UIApplicationDelegate {
     func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey : Any]? = nil) -> Bool {
         logger.debug("AppDelegate: didFinishLaunchingWithOptions")
         application.registerForRemoteNotifications()
-        if #available(iOS 17.0, *) { trackKeyboard() }
+        trackKeyboard()
         NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(pasteboardChanged), name: UIPasteboard.changedNotification, object: nil)
         removePasscodesIfReinstalled()
         prepareForLaunch()
         return true
     }
 
-    @available(iOS 17.0, *)
     private func trackKeyboard() {
         NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(keyboardWillShow), name: UIResponder.keyboardWillShowNotification, object: nil)
         NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(keyboardWillHide), name: UIResponder.keyboardWillHideNotification, object: nil)
     }
 
-    @available(iOS 17.0, *)
     @objc func keyboardWillShow(_ notification: Notification) {
         if let keyboardFrame: NSValue = notification.userInfo?[UIResponder.keyboardFrameEndUserInfoKey] as? NSValue {
             ChatModel.shared.keyboardHeight = keyboardFrame.cgRectValue.height
+            ChatModel.shared.keyboardShown = true
         }
     }
 
-    @available(iOS 17.0, *)
     @objc func keyboardWillHide(_ notification: Notification) {
         ChatModel.shared.keyboardHeight = 0
+        ChatModel.shared.keyboardShown = false
     }
 
     @objc func pasteboardChanged() {
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
index 7dae94dfcd..10eeac01bb 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
@@ -108,6 +108,7 @@ final class ChatModel: ObservableObject {
     @Published var draftChatId: String?
     // tracks keyboard height via subscription in AppDelegate
     @Published var keyboardHeight: CGFloat = 0
+    @Published var keyboardShown = false
     @Published var pasteboardHasStrings: Bool = UIPasteboard.general.hasStrings
     @Published var networkInfo = UserNetworkInfo(networkType: .other, online: true)
 
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
index 2e95f13e22..2dee60ee04 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ struct ChatView: View {
     @State private var revealedChatItem: ChatItem?
     @State private var searchMode = false
     @State private var searchText: String = ""
-    @FocusState private var searchFocussed
     // opening GroupMemberInfoView on member icon
     @State private var selectedMember: GMember? = nil
     // opening GroupLinkView on link button (incognito)
@@ -57,10 +56,6 @@ struct ChatView: View {
     private var viewBody: some View {
         let cInfo = chat.chatInfo
         return VStack(spacing: 0) {
-//            if searchMode {
-//                searchToolbar()
-//                Divider()
-//            }
             ZStack(alignment: .bottomTrailing) {
                 let wallpaperImage = theme.wallpaper.type.image
                 let wallpaperType = theme.wallpaper.type
@@ -82,8 +77,11 @@ struct ChatView: View {
             )
             .disabled(!cInfo.sendMsgEnabled)
         }
-        .if(searchMode) {
-            $0.searchable(text: $searchText, placement: .navigationBarDrawer(displayMode: .always))
+        .if(searchMode) { v in
+            v.searchable(text: $searchText, placement: .navigationBarDrawer(displayMode: .always))
+        }
+        .onChange(of: chatModel.keyboardShown) { shown in
+            if !shown { searchMode = false }
         }
         .navigationTitle(cInfo.chatViewName)
         .background(theme.colors.background)
@@ -282,39 +280,6 @@ struct ChatView: View {
         }
     }
 
-    private func searchToolbar() -> some View {
-        HStack(spacing: 12) {
-            HStack(spacing: 4) {
-                Image(systemName: "magnifyingglass")
-                TextField("Search", text: $searchText)
-                    .focused($searchFocussed)
-                    .foregroundColor(theme.colors.onBackground)
-                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
-
-                Button {
-                    searchText = ""
-                } label: {
-                    Image(systemName: "xmark.circle.fill").opacity(searchText == "" ? 0 : 1)
-                }
-            }
-            .padding(EdgeInsets(top: 7, leading: 7, bottom: 7, trailing: 7))
-            .foregroundColor(theme.colors.secondary)
-            .background(Color(.tertiarySystemFill))
-            .cornerRadius(10.0)
-
-            Button ("Cancel") {
-                searchText = ""
-                searchMode = false
-                searchFocussed = false
-                DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.35) {
-                    loadChat(chat: chat)
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        .padding(.horizontal)
-        .padding(.vertical, 8)
-    }
-
     private func voiceWithoutFrame(_ ci: ChatItem) -> Bool {
         ci.content.msgContent?.isVoice == true && ci.content.text.count == 0 && ci.quotedItem == nil && ci.meta.itemForwarded == nil
     }
@@ -512,7 +477,6 @@ struct ChatView: View {
     private func searchButton() -> some View {
         Button {
             searchMode = true
-            searchFocussed = true
             searchText = ""
         } label: {
             Label("Search", systemImage: "magnifyingglass")