diff --git a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
index 56a10692cf15a3..23ab6f6a174d6d 100644
--- a/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
+++ b/packages/react-native/ReactAndroid/src/main/java/com/facebook/react/views/textinput/ReactEditText.java
@@ -347,24 +347,18 @@ public void clearFocus() {
 
   @Override
   public boolean requestFocus(int direction, Rect previouslyFocusedRect) {
-    // This is a no-op so that when the OS calls requestFocus(), nothing will happen. ReactEditText
-    // is a controlled component, which means its focus is controlled by JS, with two exceptions:
-    // autofocus when it's attached to the window, and responding to accessibility events. In both
-    // of these cases, we call requestFocusInternal() directly.
-    return isFocused();
-  }
-
-  private boolean requestFocusInternal() {
     setFocusableInTouchMode(true);
-    // We must explicitly call this method on the super class; if we call requestFocus() without
-    // any arguments, it will call into the overridden requestFocus(int, Rect) above, which no-ops.
-    boolean focused = super.requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
+    boolean focused = super.requestFocus(direction, previouslyFocusedRect);
     if (getShowSoftInputOnFocus()) {
       showSoftKeyboard();
     }
     return focused;
   }
 
+  public boolean requestFocusInternal() {
+    return requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
+  }
+
   @Override
   public void addTextChangedListener(TextWatcher watcher) {
     if (mListeners == null) {