microsoft · Saadnajmi · Apr 10, 2026
@@ -467,6 +467,12 @@ function InternalTextInput(props: TextInputProps): React.Node {
 
   const setLocalRef = useCallback(
     (instance: HostInstance | null) => {
+      if (__DEV__) {
+        console.log(
+          '[TextInput] setLocalRef called with:',
+          instance != null ? 'instance' : 'null',
+        );
+      }
       // $FlowExpectedError[incompatible-type]
       inputRef.current = instance;
 

@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ jest.unmock('../TextInput');
 
       expect(inputElement.isFocused).toBeInstanceOf(Function); // Would have prevented S168585
       expect(inputElement.clear).toBeInstanceOf(Function);
+      expect(inputElement.setSelection).toBeInstanceOf(Function);
+      expect(inputElement.setGhostText).toBeInstanceOf(Function); // [macOS]
       // $FlowFixMe[method-unbinding]
       expect(inputElement.focus).toBeInstanceOf(jest.fn().constructor);
       // $FlowFixMe[method-unbinding]

@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ @implementation RCTTextInputComponentView {
 
   BOOL _hasInputAccessoryView;
   CGSize _previousContentSize;
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+  NSString *_ghostText;
+  NSInteger _ghostTextPosition;
+#endif // macOS]
 }
 
 #pragma mark - UIView overrides
@@ -477,6 +481,10 @@ - (void)prepareForRecycle
   _lastStringStateWasUpdatedWith = nil;
   _ignoreNextTextInputCall = NO;
   _didMoveToWindow = NO;
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+  _ghostText = nil;
+  _ghostTextPosition = 0;
+#endif // macOS]
   [_backedTextInputView resignFirstResponder];
 }
 
@@ -580,6 +588,17 @@ - (void)textInputDidChange
     return;
   }
 
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+  if (_ghostText != nil) {
+    NSAttributedString *attributedStringWithoutGhostText = [self removingGhostTextFromString:_backedTextInputView.attributedText strict:NO];
+    if (attributedStringWithoutGhostText != nil && ![attributedStringWithoutGhostText isEqual:_backedTextInputView.attributedText]) {
+      _backedTextInputView.attributedText = attributedStringWithoutGhostText;
+    }
+    _ghostText = nil;
+    _ghostTextPosition = 0;
+  }
+#endif // macOS]
+
   if (_ignoreNextTextInputCall && [_lastStringStateWasUpdatedWith isEqual:_backedTextInputView.attributedText]) {
     _ignoreNextTextInputCall = NO;
     return;
@@ -768,6 +787,115 @@ - (void)scrollViewDidScroll:(RCTUIScrollView *)scrollView // [macOS]
   }
 }
 
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+#pragma mark - Ghost Text
+
+- (NSDictionary<NSAttributedStringKey, id> *)ghostTextAttributes
+{
+  NSMutableDictionary<NSAttributedStringKey, id> *textAttributes =
+      [_backedTextInputView.defaultTextAttributes mutableCopy] ?: [NSMutableDictionary new];
+
+  [textAttributes setValue:_backedTextInputView.placeholderColor ?: [RCTPlatformColor placeholderTextColor]
+                    forKey:NSForegroundColorAttributeName];
+
+  return textAttributes;
+}
+
+- (void)setGhostText:(NSString *)ghostText
+{
+  NSRange selectedRange = [_backedTextInputView selectedTextRange];
+  NSInteger selectionStart = selectedRange.location;
+  NSInteger selectionEnd = selectedRange.location + selectedRange.length;
+  NSString *newGhostText = ghostText.length > 0 ? ghostText : nil;
+
+  if (selectionStart != selectionEnd) {
+    newGhostText = nil;
+  }
+
+  if ((_ghostText == nil && newGhostText == nil) || [_ghostText isEqual:newGhostText]) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  if (_backedTextInputView.ghostTextChanging) {
+    // look out for nested callbacks -- this can happen for example when selection changes in response to
+    // attributed text changing. Such callbacks are initiated by Apple, or we could suppress this other ways.
+    return;
+  }
+
+  _backedTextInputView.ghostTextChanging = YES;
+
+  if (_ghostText != nil) {
+    // When setGhostText: is called after making a standard edit, the ghost text may already be gone
+    BOOL ghostTextMayAlreadyBeGone = newGhostText == nil;
+    NSAttributedString *attributedStringWithoutGhostText = [self removingGhostTextFromString:_backedTextInputView.attributedText strict:!ghostTextMayAlreadyBeGone];
+
+    if (attributedStringWithoutGhostText != nil) {
+      _backedTextInputView.attributedText = attributedStringWithoutGhostText;
+      [_backedTextInputView setSelectedTextRange:NSMakeRange(selectionStart, selectionEnd - selectionStart) notifyDelegate:NO];
+    }
+  }
+
+  _ghostText = [newGhostText copy];
+  _ghostTextPosition = selectionStart;
+
+  if (_ghostText != nil) {
+    NSMutableAttributedString *attributedString = [_backedTextInputView.attributedText mutableCopy];
+    NSAttributedString *ghostAttributedString = [[NSAttributedString alloc] initWithString:_ghostText
+                                                                                attributes:self.ghostTextAttributes];
+
+    [attributedString insertAttributedString:ghostAttributedString atIndex:_ghostTextPosition];
+    _backedTextInputView.attributedText = attributedString;
+    [_backedTextInputView setSelectedTextRange:NSMakeRange(_ghostTextPosition, 0) notifyDelegate:NO];
+  }
+
+  _backedTextInputView.ghostTextChanging = NO;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Attempts to remove the ghost text from a provided string given our current state.
+ *
+ * If `strict` mode is enabled, this method assumes the ghost text exists exactly
+ * where we expect it to be. We assert and return `nil` if we don't find the expected ghost text.
+ * It's the responsibility of the caller to make sure the result isn't `nil`.
+ *
+ * If disabled, we allow for the possibility that the ghost text has already been removed,
+ * which can happen if a delegate callback is trying to remove ghost text after invoking `setAttributedText:`.
+ */
+- (NSAttributedString *)removingGhostTextFromString:(NSAttributedString *)string strict:(BOOL)strict
+{
+  if (_ghostText == nil) {
+    return string;
+  }
+
+  NSRange ghostTextRange = NSMakeRange(_ghostTextPosition, _ghostText.length);
+  NSMutableAttributedString *attributedString = [string mutableCopy];
+
+  if ([attributedString length] < NSMaxRange(ghostTextRange)) {
+    if (strict) {
+      RCTAssert(false, @"Ghost text not fully present in text view text");
+      return nil;
+    } else {
+      return string;
+    }
+  }
+
+  NSString *actualGhostText = [[attributedString attributedSubstringFromRange:ghostTextRange] string];
+
+  if (![actualGhostText isEqual:_ghostText]) {
+    if (strict) {
+      RCTAssert(false, @"Ghost text does not match text view text");
+      return nil;
+    } else {
+      return string;
+    }
+  }
+
+  [attributedString deleteCharactersInRange:ghostTextRange];
+  return attributedString;
+}
+
+#endif // macOS]
+
 #pragma mark - Native Commands
 
 - (void)handleCommand:(const NSString *)commandName args:(const NSArray *)args
@@ -844,7 +972,7 @@ - (void)setTextAndSelection:(NSInteger)eventCount
 #else // [macOS
   NSInteger startPosition = MIN(start, end);
   NSInteger endPosition = MAX(start, end);
-  [_backedTextInputView setSelectedTextRange:NSMakeRange(startPosition, endPosition - startPosition) notifyDelegate:YES];
+  [_backedTextInputView setSelectedTextRange:NSMakeRange(startPosition, endPosition - startPosition) notifyDelegate:NO];
 #endif // macOS]
   _comingFromJS = NO;
 }

@@ -18,6 +18,9 @@ NS_ASSUME_NONNULL_BEGIN
                       value:(NSString *__nullable)value
                       start:(NSInteger)start
                         end:(NSInteger)end;
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+- (void)setGhostText:(NSString *__nullable)ghostText;
+#endif // macOS]
 @end
 
 RCT_EXTERN inline void
@@ -96,6 +99,23 @@ RCTTextInputHandleCommand(id<RCTTextInputViewProtocol> componentView, const NSSt
     return;
   }
 
+#if TARGET_OS_OSX // [macOS
+  if ([commandName isEqualToString:@"setGhostText"]) {
+#if RCT_DEBUG
+    if ([args count] != 1) {
+      RCTLogError(
+          @"%@ command %@ received %d arguments, expected %d.", @"TextInput", commandName, (int)[args count], 1);
+      return;
+    }
+#endif
+
+    NSObject *arg0 = args[0];
+    NSString *value = [arg0 isKindOfClass:[NSNull class]] ? nil : (NSString *)arg0;
+    [componentView setGhostText:value];
+    return;
+  }
+#endif // macOS]
+
 #if RCT_DEBUG
   RCTLogError(@"%@ received command %@, which is not a supported command.", @"TextInput", commandName);
 #endif