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..bb15ffc3e2aeee 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
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ public boolean performAccessibilityAction(View host, int action, Bundle args) {
                 // selection on accessibility click to undo that.
                 setSelection(length);
               }
-              return requestFocusInternal();
+              return requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
             }
             return super.performAccessibilityAction(host, action, args);
           }
@@ -347,18 +347,8 @@ 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();
     }
@@ -634,7 +624,7 @@ public void maybeUpdateTypeface() {
 
   // VisibleForTesting from {@link TextInputEventsTestCase}.
   public void requestFocusFromJS() {
-    requestFocusInternal();
+    requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
   }
 
   /* package */ void clearFocusFromJS() {
@@ -1087,7 +1077,7 @@ public void onAttachedToWindow() {
     }
 
     if (mAutoFocus && !mDidAttachToWindow) {
-      requestFocusInternal();
+      requestFocus(View.FOCUS_DOWN, null);
     }
 
     mDidAttachToWindow = true;