diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/BigInput.native.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/BigInput.native.tsx
index c285f0660a..f0e983e833 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/BigInput.native.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/BigInput.native.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { EditorBridge } from '@10play/tentap-editor';
 import * as db from '@tloncorp/shared/dist/db';
 import { useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 import { Dimensions, KeyboardAvoidingView, Platform } from 'react-native';
@@ -154,7 +153,8 @@ export function BigInput({
           placeholder={placeholder}
           bigInput
           channelType={channelType}
-          shouldAutoFocus
+          // TODO: figure out why autofocus breaks backspace
+          // shouldAutoFocus
           draftType={channelType === 'gallery' ? 'text' : undefined}
           ref={editorRef}
         />
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/MessageInput/index.native.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/MessageInput/index.native.tsx
index 6cef5349a0..dadec1e05f 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/MessageInput/index.native.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/MessageInput/index.native.tsx
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
         try {
           getDraft(draftType).then((draft) => {
             if (!editingPost && draft) {
+              messageInputLogger.log(
+                'Not editing and we have draft content',
+                draft
+              );
               const inlines = tiptap.JSONToInlines(draft);
               const newInlines = inlines
                 .map((inline) => {
@@ -244,15 +248,19 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
                 .filter((inline) => inline !== null) as Inline[];
               const newStory = constructStory(newInlines);
               const tiptapContent = tiptap.diaryMixedToJSON(newStory);
-              messageInputLogger.log('Setting draft content', tiptapContent);
+              messageInputLogger.log(
+                'Setting content with draft',
+                tiptapContent
+              );
               // @ts-expect-error setContent does accept JSONContent
               editor.setContent(tiptapContent);
               setEditorIsEmpty(false);
-              messageInputLogger.log('set has set initial content');
+              messageInputLogger.log(
+                'set has set initial content, not editing'
+              );
               setHasSetInitialContent(true);
             }
 
-            messageInputLogger.log('Editing post?', editingPost);
             if (editingPost && editingPost.content) {
               messageInputLogger.log('Editing post', editingPost);
               const {
@@ -298,13 +306,13 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
                 ) as Story
               );
               messageInputLogger.log(
-                'Setting edit post content',
+                'Setting content with edit post content',
                 tiptapContent
               );
               // @ts-expect-error setContent does accept JSONContent
               editor.setContent(tiptapContent);
               setEditorIsEmpty(false);
-              messageInputLogger.log('set has set initial content');
+              messageInputLogger.log('set has set initial content, editing');
               setHasSetInitialContent(true);
             }
 
@@ -351,6 +359,7 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
         !editorState.isFocused &&
         !hasAutoFocused
       ) {
+        messageInputLogger.log('Auto focusing editor', editorState);
         editor.focus();
         messageInputLogger.log('Auto focused editor');
         setHasAutoFocused(true);
@@ -391,6 +400,7 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
           attachments.length === 0;
 
         if (isEmpty !== editorIsEmpty) {
+          messageInputLogger.log('Editor is empty?', isEmpty);
           setEditorIsEmpty(isEmpty);
           setContainerHeight(initialHeight);
         }
@@ -771,6 +781,7 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
     const handleMessage = useCallback(
       async (event: WebViewMessageEvent) => {
         const { data } = event.nativeEvent;
+        messageInputLogger.log('[webview] Message from editor', data);
         if (data === 'enter') {
           handleAddNewLine();
           return;
@@ -868,7 +879,9 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
     );
 
     useEffect(() => {
+      messageInputLogger.log('Setting up keyboard listeners');
       if (bigInput) {
+        messageInputLogger.log('Setting up keyboard listeners for big input');
         Keyboard.addListener('keyboardDidShow', () => {
           // we should always have the keyboard height here but just in case
           const keyboardHeight = Keyboard.metrics()?.height || 300;
@@ -881,6 +894,7 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
       }
 
       if (!bigInput) {
+        messageInputLogger.log('Setting up keyboard listeners for basic input');
         Keyboard.addListener('keyboardDidShow', () => {
           const keyboardHeight = Keyboard.metrics()?.height || 300;
           setMaxInputHeight(maxInputHeightBasic - keyboardHeight);
@@ -895,6 +909,7 @@ export const MessageInput = forwardRef<MessageInputHandle, MessageInputProps>(
     // we need to check if the app within the webview actually loaded
     useEffect(() => {
       if (editorCrashed) {
+        messageInputLogger.warn('Editor crashed', editorCrashed);
         // if it hasn't loaded yet, we need to try loading the content again
         reloadWebview(`Editor crashed: ${editorCrashed}`);
       }
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/PostScreenView.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/PostScreenView.tsx
index 40a69796b6..e429611d82 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/PostScreenView.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/PostScreenView.tsx
@@ -221,10 +221,11 @@ export function PostScreenView({
                   editPost={editPost}
                   channelType="chat"
                   getDraft={getDraft}
-                  shouldAutoFocus={
-                    (channel.type === 'chat' && parentPost?.replyCount === 0) ||
-                    !!editingPost
-                  }
+                  // TODO: figure out why autofocus breaks backspace
+                  // shouldAutoFocus={
+                  // (channel.type === 'chat' && parentPost?.replyCount === 0) ||
+                  // !!editingPost
+                  // }
                   ref={editorRef}
                 />
               )}
diff --git a/packages/ui/src/components/draftInputs/ChatInput.tsx b/packages/ui/src/components/draftInputs/ChatInput.tsx
index 7ce1dc2fea..edbe7b2b29 100644
--- a/packages/ui/src/components/draftInputs/ChatInput.tsx
+++ b/packages/ui/src/components/draftInputs/ChatInput.tsx
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ export function ChatInput({
           setEditingPost={setEditingPost}
           editPost={editPost}
           channelType={channel.type}
-          shouldAutoFocus={!!editingPost}
+          // TODO: figure out why autoFocus breaks backspace
+          // shouldAutoFocus={!!editingPost}
           showInlineAttachments
           showAttachmentButton
         />