Fix screen readers not indicating the emoji picker search field is focused. (#31128)

* Only set active descendant when the user starts typing.

* Fix jest tests.

* Remove aria-hidden

It was failing code quality checks and it actually wasn't addressing the issue.

* Only show highlight on arrow key navigation or updating the search query.

* Update screenshots

* Enter should not select an emoji if it is not highlighted.

* On clearing a query and using arrow kets again the highlighted emoji should be reset to the first.

* Update selector in picker tests

res/css/views/emojipicker/_EmojiPicker.pcss

@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
     }
 }
 
-.mx_EmojiPicker_body .mx_EmojiPicker_item_wrapper [tabindex="0"] .mx_EmojiPicker_item {
+.mx_EmojiPicker_body_showHighlight .mx_EmojiPicker_item_wrapper [tabindex="0"] .mx_EmojiPicker_item {
     background-color: $focus-bg-color;
 }
 

src/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker.tsx

@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ Please see LICENSE files in the repository root for full details.
 
 import React, { type Dispatch } from "react";
 import { DATA_BY_CATEGORY, getEmojiFromUnicode, type Emoji as IEmoji } from "@matrix-org/emojibase-bindings";
+import classNames from "classnames";
 
 import { _t } from "../../../languageHandler";
 import * as recent from "../../../emojipicker/recent";
@@ -50,6 +51,8 @@ interface IState {
     // should be enough to never have blank rows of emojis as
     // 3 rows of overflow are also rendered. The actual value is updated on scroll.
     viewportHeight: number;
+    // Track if user has interacted with arrow keys or search
+    showHighlight: boolean;
 }
 
 class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
@@ -66,6 +69,7 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             filter: "",
             scrollTop: 0,
             viewportHeight: 280,
+            showHighlight: false,
         };
 
         // Convert recent emoji characters to emoji data, removing unknowns and duplicates
@@ -233,6 +237,20 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
     private onKeyDown = (ev: React.KeyboardEvent, state: RovingState, dispatch: Dispatch<RovingAction>): void => {
         if (state.activeNode && [Key.ARROW_DOWN, Key.ARROW_RIGHT, Key.ARROW_LEFT, Key.ARROW_UP].includes(ev.key)) {
+            // If highlight is not shown yet, show it and reset to first emoji
+            if (!this.state.showHighlight) {
+                this.setState({ showHighlight: true });
+                // Reset to first emoji when showing highlight for the first time (or after it was hidden)
+                if (state.nodes.length > 0) {
+                    dispatch({
+                        type: Type.SetFocus,
+                        payload: { node: state.nodes[0] },
+                    });
+                }
+                ev.preventDefault();
+                ev.stopPropagation();
+                return;
+            }
             this.keyboardNavigation(ev, state, dispatch);
         }
     };
@@ -274,6 +292,15 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
 
     private onChangeFilter = (filter: string): void => {
         const lcFilter = filter.toLowerCase().trim(); // filter is case insensitive
+
+        // User has typed a query, show highlight
+        // If filter is cleared, hide highlight again
+        if (lcFilter && !this.state.showHighlight) {
+            this.setState({ showHighlight: true });
+        } else if (!lcFilter && this.state.showHighlight) {
+            this.setState({ showHighlight: false });
+        }
+
         for (const cat of this.categories) {
             let emojis: IEmoji[];
             // If the new filter string includes the old filter string, we don't have to re-filter the whole dataset.
@@ -335,6 +362,9 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
     };
 
     private onEnterFilter = (): void => {
+        // Only select emoji if highlight is shown
+        if (!this.state.showHighlight) return;
+
         const btn = this.scrollRef.current?.containerRef.current?.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(
             '.mx_EmojiPicker_item_wrapper [tabindex="0"]',
         );
@@ -391,7 +421,9 @@ class EmojiPicker extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                             />
                             <AutoHideScrollbar
                                 id="mx_EmojiPicker_body"
-                                className="mx_EmojiPicker_body"
+                                className={classNames("mx_EmojiPicker_body", {
+                                    mx_EmojiPicker_body_showHighlight: this.state.showHighlight,
+                                })}
                                 ref={this.scrollRef}
                                 onScroll={this.onScroll}
                             >

src/components/views/emojipicker/Search.tsx

@@ -71,7 +71,9 @@ class Search extends React.PureComponent<IProps> {
                     onChange={(ev) => this.props.onChange(ev.target.value)}
                     onKeyDown={this.onKeyDown}
                     ref={this.inputRef}
-                    aria-activedescendant={this.context.state.activeNode?.id}
+                    // Setting aria-activedescendant on the input allows screen readers to identify the active emoji.
+                    // Setting it when there is not a query causes screen readers to read out the first emoji when focusing the input, and it continually tells you you are in the table vs the input.
+                    aria-activedescendant={this.props.query ? this.context.state.activeNode?.id : undefined}
                     aria-controls="mx_EmojiPicker_body"
                     aria-haspopup="grid"
                     aria-autocomplete="list"

test/unit-tests/components/views/emojipicker/EmojiPicker-test.tsx

@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@ import SettingsStore from "../../../../../src/settings/SettingsStore";
 describe("EmojiPicker", function () {
     stubClient();
 
+    // Helper to get the currently active emoji's text content from the grid
+    const getActiveEmojiText = (container: HTMLElement): string =>
+        container.querySelector('.mx_EmojiPicker_body .mx_EmojiPicker_item_wrapper [tabindex="0"]')?.textContent || "";
+
     beforeEach(() => {
         // Clear recent emojis to prevent test pollution
         jest.spyOn(SettingsStore, "getValue").mockImplementation((settingName) => {
@@ -77,11 +81,14 @@ describe("EmojiPicker", function () {
         expect(input).toHaveFocus();
 
         function getEmoji(): string {
-            const activeDescendant = input.getAttribute("aria-activedescendant");
+            return getActiveEmojiText(container);
-            return container.querySelector("#" + activeDescendant)!.textContent!;
         }
 
         expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("😀");
+        // First arrow key press shows highlight without navigating
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("😀");
+        // Subsequent arrow keys navigate
         await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
         expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🙂");
         await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowUp]");
@@ -129,9 +136,7 @@ describe("EmojiPicker", function () {
         }
 
         function getVirtuallyFocusedEmoji(): string {
-            const activeDescendant = input.getAttribute("aria-activedescendant");
+            return getActiveEmojiText(container);
-            if (!activeDescendant) return "";
-            return container.querySelector("#" + activeDescendant)?.textContent || "";
         }
 
         // Initially, arrow keys use virtual focus (aria-activedescendant)
@@ -140,6 +145,13 @@ describe("EmojiPicker", function () {
         expect(getVirtuallyFocusedEmoji()).toEqual("😀");
         expect(getEmoji()).toEqual(""); // No actual emoji has focus
 
+        // First arrow key press shows highlight without navigating
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(input).toHaveFocus(); // Input still has focus
+        expect(getVirtuallyFocusedEmoji()).toEqual("😀"); // Virtual focus stayed on first emoji
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual(""); // No actual emoji has focus
+
+        // Second arrow key press navigates
         await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
         expect(input).toHaveFocus(); // Input still has focus
         expect(getVirtuallyFocusedEmoji()).toEqual("🙂"); // Virtual focus moved
@@ -163,4 +175,98 @@ describe("EmojiPicker", function () {
         expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🙃"); // Actual focus moved right
         expect(input).not.toHaveFocus();
     });
+
+    it("should not select emoji on Enter press before highlight is shown", async () => {
+        // mock offsetParent
+        Object.defineProperty(HTMLElement.prototype, "offsetParent", {
+            get() {
+                return this.parentNode;
+            },
+        });
+
+        const onChoose = jest.fn();
+        const onFinished = jest.fn();
+        const { container } = render(<EmojiPicker onChoose={onChoose} onFinished={onFinished} />);
+
+        const input = container.querySelector("input")!;
+        expect(input).toHaveFocus();
+
+        // Wait for emojis to render
+        await waitFor(() => {
+            expect(container.querySelector('[role="gridcell"]')).toBeInTheDocument();
+        });
+
+        // Press Enter immediately without interacting with arrow keys or search
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[Enter]");
+
+        // onChoose and onFinished should not be called
+        expect(onChoose).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+        expect(onFinished).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+
+        // Now press arrow key to show highlight
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+
+        // Press Enter again - now it should work
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[Enter]");
+
+        // onChoose and onFinished should be called
+        expect(onChoose).toHaveBeenCalledWith("😀");
+        expect(onFinished).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it("should reset to first emoji when filter is cleared after navigation", async () => {
+        // mock offsetParent
+        Object.defineProperty(HTMLElement.prototype, "offsetParent", {
+            get() {
+                return this.parentNode;
+            },
+        });
+
+        const onChoose = jest.fn();
+        const onFinished = jest.fn();
+        const { container } = render(<EmojiPicker onChoose={onChoose} onFinished={onFinished} />);
+
+        const input = container.querySelector("input")!;
+        expect(input).toHaveFocus();
+
+        function getEmoji(): string {
+            return getActiveEmojiText(container);
+        }
+
+        // Initially on first emoji
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("😀");
+
+        // Show highlight with first arrow press
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("😀");
+
+        // Navigate to a different emoji
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🙂");
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🤩");
+
+        // Type a search query to filter emojis (this sets showHighlight=true)
+        await userEvent.type(input, "think");
+        await waitFor(() => {
+            // After filtering, we should be on the "thinking" emoji
+            expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🤔");
+        });
+
+        // Clear the search filter
+        await userEvent.clear(input);
+
+        // After clearing, showHighlight is false, so the highlight is hidden
+        // The activeNode might still be on 🤔, but we can't see it
+
+        // Press arrow key - this should reset to first emoji AND show highlight
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        await waitFor(() => {
+            expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("😀"); // Should now be on first emoji with highlight shown
+        });
+
+        // Next arrow key should navigate from first emoji
+        await userEvent.keyboard("[ArrowDown]");
+        expect(getEmoji()).toEqual("🙂");
+    });
 });