compose-focus-navigation

Create a FocusRequester with remember, attach it via Modifier.focusRequester, and call requestFocus() inside a LaunchedEffect rather than the composable body. If the target appears after loading, key the effect to the loaded condition so focus is requested only once the item exists.

Use focusable components like Button by default and override directional behavior with Modifier.focusProperties only where spatial search fails. For custom key handling, use Modifier.onPreviewKeyEvent and return true only for keys you actually consume.

Restoration fails when focus requesters are keyed by list index instead of stable item identity. Track the focused item by id, use stable key values in lazy lists, and re-request focus for the same id after refresh, falling back to a deterministic neighbor if it no longer exists.

Send real key input with performKeyInput and pressKey, then assert focus with assertIsFocused on the target node. Avoid clicking nodes in TV or keyboard UIs, and reserve screenshot tests for focus appearance rather than focus ownership.

Avoid focusProperties when default spatial search already produces correct navigation. Hard-coding many directional links creates stale focus graphs when layouts change, so override only the specific broken edges or intentional traps your design requires.