diff --git a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+SnapshotAcquisition.swift b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+SnapshotAcquisition.swift
index 434b9f9f0e..455d0dd4dc 100644
--- a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+SnapshotAcquisition.swift
+++ b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+SnapshotAcquisition.swift
@@ -417,13 +417,27 @@ extension RunnerTests {
   }
 
   private func snapshotHasFocus(_ snapshot: XCUIElementSnapshot) -> Bool {
-    var focused = false
+    return focusBool(snapshot as! NSObject)
+  }
+
+  /// Either focus is focus. `hasFocus` is the focus engine's answer (tvOS, keyboard navigation);
+  /// the field a software keyboard is typing into holds `hasKeyboardFocus` instead, which the
+  /// text-entry readiness check already consults. Both an element and its snapshot answer the two
+  /// keys through KVC, so one reader serves the XCTest producers (recursive tree, query sweep,
+  /// collapsed tabs); a key the object lacks reads as false. The private-AX bridge is not among
+  /// them: the AX server declares no keyboard-focus attribute, so it reads `hasFocus` alone.
+  func focusBool(_ object: NSObject) -> Bool {
+    return kvcBool(object, forKey: "hasKeyboardFocus") || kvcBool(object, forKey: "hasFocus")
+  }
+
+  private func kvcBool(_ object: NSObject, forKey key: String) -> Bool {
+    var result = false
     _ = RunnerObjCExceptionCatcher.catchException({
-      if let value = (snapshot as! NSObject).value(forKey: "hasFocus") as? Bool {
-        focused = value
+      if let value = object.value(forKey: key) as? Bool {
+        result = value
       }
     })
-    return focused
+    return result
   }
 
   private func snapshotIsSelected(_ snapshot: XCUIElementSnapshot) -> Bool {
diff --git a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+TvRemote.swift b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+TvRemote.swift
index 677f30b39b..b768656c87 100644
--- a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+TvRemote.swift
+++ b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/RunnerTests+TvRemote.swift
@@ -52,13 +52,7 @@ extension RunnerTests {
   }
 
   func elementHasFocus(_ element: XCUIElement) -> Bool {
-    var focused = false
-    _ = RunnerObjCExceptionCatcher.catchException({
-      if let value = (element as NSObject).value(forKey: "hasFocus") as? Bool {
-        focused = value
-      }
-    })
-    return focused
+    return focusBool(element as NSObject)
   }
 
   func activateElement(
diff --git a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/UnitTests/RunnerTests+TvRemoteTests.swift b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/UnitTests/RunnerTests+TvRemoteTests.swift
index 3cdcc89651..1715151a00 100644
--- a/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/UnitTests/RunnerTests+TvRemoteTests.swift
+++ b/apple/runner/AgentDeviceRunner/AgentDeviceRunnerUITests/UnitTests/RunnerTests+TvRemoteTests.swift
@@ -21,5 +21,48 @@ extension RunnerTests {
       XCTAssertNil(tvRemoteButton(from: raw))
     }
   }
+
+  /// `focusBool` is the one reader behind `snapshotHasFocus` and `elementHasFocus`. A live element
+  /// or snapshot answers both keys through KVC; the fixtures answer the same way, so the read that
+  /// production performs is the read under test.
+  func testFocusBoolReadsKeyboardFocusBesideTheFocusEnginesFocus() {
+    XCTAssertTrue(
+      focusBool(FocusFixture(hasFocus: false, hasKeyboardFocus: true)),
+      "the field a software keyboard is typing into holds keyboard focus alone"
+    )
+    XCTAssertTrue(
+      focusBool(FocusFixture(hasFocus: true, hasKeyboardFocus: false)),
+      "the focus engine's focus (tvOS, keyboard navigation) still counts"
+    )
+    XCTAssertFalse(focusBool(FocusFixture(hasFocus: false, hasKeyboardFocus: false)))
+    XCTAssertTrue(
+      focusBool(KeyboardFocusOnlyFixture()),
+      "an object that exposes no hasFocus key at all still reports its keyboard focus"
+    )
+    XCTAssertTrue(
+      focusBool(NativeFocusOnlyFixture()),
+      "an object that exposes no hasKeyboardFocus key at all still reports the focus engine's focus"
+    )
+    XCTAssertFalse(focusBool(NSObject()), "an object with neither key reads as unfocused, not as an exception")
+  }
+}
+
+/// KVC-readable the way XCTest exposes an element's or a snapshot's focus attributes.
+private final class FocusFixture: NSObject {
+  @objc let hasFocus: NSNumber
+  @objc let hasKeyboardFocus: NSNumber
+
+  init(hasFocus: Bool, hasKeyboardFocus: Bool) {
+    self.hasFocus = NSNumber(value: hasFocus)
+    self.hasKeyboardFocus = NSNumber(value: hasKeyboardFocus)
+  }
+}
+
+private final class KeyboardFocusOnlyFixture: NSObject {
+  @objc let hasKeyboardFocus: NSNumber = true
+}
+
+private final class NativeFocusOnlyFixture: NSObject {
+  @objc let hasFocus: NSNumber = true
 }
 #endif