diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/components/ComposerToolbar.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/components/ComposerToolbar.tsx
index 8963a4039d5f..93ec96ca1b19 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/components/ComposerToolbar.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/components/ComposerToolbar.tsx
@@ -60,7 +60,12 @@ export function ComposerInlineControl(props: {
         accessibilityState={
           props.static ? undefined : { disabled: props.disabled, selected: props.selected }
         }
-        className="h-[44px] flex-row items-center gap-2 rounded-xl px-2 active:bg-subtle"
+        // Icon-only, the control sits right after the composer's text, where
+        // leading padding would take taps meant for the text field.
+        className={cn(
+          "h-[44px] flex-row items-center gap-2 rounded-xl pr-2 active:bg-subtle",
+          props.iconOnly ? "pl-1" : "pl-2",
+        )}
         disabled={props.disabled || props.static}
         onPress={props.onPress}
         style={{ opacity: props.disabled ? 0.45 : 1 }}
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/ThreadComposer.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/ThreadComposer.tsx
index 4f0b76d6865a..9907f4cb579a 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/ThreadComposer.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/ThreadComposer.tsx
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ import {
 import { StackActions, useFocusEffect, useNavigation } from "@react-navigation/native";
 import type { ReactNode } from "react";
 import { useEffect, useEffectEvent, useRef, useState, type RefObject } from "react";
-import { I18nManager, Keyboard, Platform, View, type ViewStyle } from "react-native";
+import { I18nManager, Keyboard, Platform, Pressable, View, type ViewStyle } from "react-native";
 import { composerImageGallery } from "../../lib/composerImageGallery";
 import { filePreviewGallery } from "../../lib/filePreviewGallery";
 import { FilePreviewModal, type FilePreviewSource } from "../../components/FilePreviewModal";
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ export const COMPOSER_COLLAPSED_CHROME = 60;
 
 const NO_MACHINES: ReadonlyArray<ComposerEnvironmentCandidate> = [];
 const COLLAPSED_EDITOR_DEFAULT_INSET = 6;
+// Space between the compact editor and the icon-only model control. It belongs
+// to the editor slot, so a tap that lands short of the icon focuses the editor.
+const COMPACT_EDITOR_TRAILING_GAP = 12;
 // iOS puts line-height slack above glyphs. DM Sans's lowercase midline is
 // descender (0.31em) + half x-height (0.504em) above the line bottom.
 const LOWERCASE_MIDLINE_EM = 0.562;
@@ -170,7 +173,9 @@ function useCompactComposerEditor(text: ScaledTextRole, value: string) {
           slotWidth: editorWidth.value,
           rowWidth: rowWidth.value,
           isRTL,
+          trailingGap: COMPACT_EDITOR_TRAILING_GAP,
         })),
+
     // The full-width editor must move above the controls in the same frame it widens.
     bottom: isExpanded ? 52 : (compactRowHeight - minimum) / 2,
   }));
@@ -187,7 +192,9 @@ function useCompactComposerEditor(text: ScaledTextRole, value: string) {
       if (!isExpanded) {
         editorX.set(event.nativeEvent.layout.x);
         editorWidth.set(event.nativeEvent.layout.width);
-        setCompactWidth(Math.max(0, event.nativeEvent.layout.width - 8));
+        setCompactWidth(
+          Math.max(0, event.nativeEvent.layout.width - 4 - COMPACT_EDITOR_TRAILING_GAP),
+        );
       }
     },
     editorProps: {
@@ -913,7 +920,14 @@ export const ThreadComposer = function ThreadComposer(props: ThreadComposerProps
                   compactEditor.containerStyle,
                   compactEditor.isExpanded ? { flex: 0, width: 0 } : undefined,
                 ]}
-              ></Animated.View>
+              >
+                {/* The editor overlay is inset from this slot; taps on the inset still focus it. */}
+                <Pressable
+                  accessible={false}
+                  className="flex-1"
+                  onPress={() => inputRef.current?.focus()}
+                />
+              </Animated.View>
               {!isExpanded && stripAttachments.length > 0 ? (
                 <View className="h-[44px] shrink-0 flex-row items-center gap-1 pl-1">
                   {stripAttachments.slice(0, compactAttachmentLimit).map((attachment) => (
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.test.ts
index ebb7a39f85a2..b909d20923c5 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.test.ts
@@ -4,14 +4,26 @@ import { compactEditorInsets } from "./compactEditorInsets";
 
 describe("compact editor insets", () => {
   it("keeps the measured slot position in left-to-right layouts", () => {
-    expect(compactEditorInsets({ slotX: 48, slotWidth: 200, rowWidth: 360, isRTL: false })).toEqual(
-      { left: 52, right: 116 },
-    );
+    expect(
+      compactEditorInsets({
+        slotX: 48,
+        slotWidth: 200,
+        rowWidth: 360,
+        isRTL: false,
+        trailingGap: 12,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ left: 52, right: 124 });
   });
 
   it("swaps the insets in right-to-left layouts so the editor stays over its slot", () => {
-    expect(compactEditorInsets({ slotX: 112, slotWidth: 200, rowWidth: 360, isRTL: true })).toEqual(
-      { left: 52, right: 116 },
-    );
+    expect(
+      compactEditorInsets({
+        slotX: 112,
+        slotWidth: 200,
+        rowWidth: 360,
+        isRTL: true,
+        trailingGap: 12,
+      }),
+    ).toEqual({ left: 52, right: 124 });
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.ts b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.ts
index 46cb521b9b30..083a4d77eedc 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/threads/compactEditorInsets.ts
@@ -9,9 +9,15 @@ export function compactEditorInsets(input: {
   readonly slotWidth: number;
   readonly rowWidth: number;
   readonly isRTL: boolean;
+  readonly trailingGap?: number;
 }): { left: number; right: number } {
   "worklet";
-  const fromLeft = input.slotX + COMPACT_EDITOR_SLOT_INSET;
-  const fromRight = input.rowWidth - input.slotX - input.slotWidth + COMPACT_EDITOR_SLOT_INSET;
+  const trailingGap = input.trailingGap ?? COMPACT_EDITOR_SLOT_INSET;
+  const fromLeft = input.slotX + (input.isRTL ? trailingGap : COMPACT_EDITOR_SLOT_INSET);
+  const fromRight =
+    input.rowWidth -
+    input.slotX -
+    input.slotWidth +
+    (input.isRTL ? COMPACT_EDITOR_SLOT_INSET : trailingGap);
   return input.isRTL ? { left: fromRight, right: fromLeft } : { left: fromLeft, right: fromRight };
 }