diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/ComposerToolbarViewModel.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/ComposerToolbarViewModel.swift
index ac48b30432..192e681200 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/ComposerToolbarViewModel.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/ComposerToolbarViewModel.swift
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 
 import Combine
 import Foundation
+import GameKit
 import SwiftUI
 import WysiwygComposer
 
@@ -100,8 +101,10 @@ final class ComposerToolbarViewModel: ComposerToolbarViewModelType, ComposerTool
             .store(in: &cancellables)
         
         setupMentionsHandling(mentionDisplayHelper: mentionDisplayHelper)
+        
+        focusComposerIfHardwareKeyboardConnected()
     }
-
+    
     // MARK: - Public
 
     override func process(viewAction: ComposerToolbarViewAction) {
@@ -361,6 +364,22 @@ final class ComposerToolbarViewModel: ComposerToolbarViewModelType, ComposerTool
     private func removeLinks() {
         wysiwygViewModel.applyLinkOperation(.removeLinks)
     }
+    
+    private func focusComposerIfHardwareKeyboardConnected() {
+        // The simulator always detects the hardware keyboard as connected
+        #if !targetEnvironment(simulator)
+        if GCKeyboard.coalesced != nil {
+            state.bindings.composerFocused = true
+        }
+        
+        NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(hardwareKeyboardDidConnect), name: .GCKeyboardDidConnect, object: nil)
+        #endif
+    }
+    
+    @objc private func hardwareKeyboardDidConnect(_ notification: Notification) {
+        MXLog.error("Hardware keyboard did connect")
+        state.bindings.composerFocused = true
+    }
 }
 
 private extension LinkAction {
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/ComposerToolbar.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/ComposerToolbar.swift
index 24eba0bb79..569340dcf2 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/ComposerToolbar.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/ComposerToolbar.swift
@@ -190,6 +190,9 @@ struct ComposerToolbar: View {
         .onChange(of: composerFocused) { newValue in
             context.composerFocused = newValue
         }
+        .onAppear {
+            composerFocused = context.composerFocused
+        }
     }
     
     private var placeholder: String {
diff --git a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/MessageComposer.swift b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/MessageComposer.swift
index 829d7338bb..2a4e97a070 100644
--- a/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/MessageComposer.swift
+++ b/ElementX/Sources/Screens/ComposerToolbar/View/MessageComposer.swift
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ struct MessageComposer: View {
     let replyCancellationAction: () -> Void
     let editCancellationAction: () -> Void
     let onAppearAction: () -> Void
-    @FocusState private var focused: Bool
     
     @State private var composerTranslation: CGFloat = 0
     private let composerShape = RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 21, style: .circular)
@@ -77,7 +76,6 @@ struct MessageComposer: View {
                        alignment: .top)
                 .tint(.compound.iconAccentTertiary)
                 .padding(.vertical, 10)
-                .focused($focused)
                 .onAppear {
                     onAppearAction()
                 }
diff --git a/changelog.d/1911.feature b/changelog.d/1911.feature
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c4ad89cb0d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/1911.feature
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Automatically focus the composer when a hardware keyboards is connected
\ No newline at end of file