fix(scroll-assist): allow focus on input's siblings

core/src/components/input/input.tsx

@@ -868,15 +868,6 @@ export class Input implements ComponentInterface {
                    */
                   ev.preventDefault();
                 }}
-                onFocusin={(ev) => {
-                  /**
-                   * Prevent the focusin event from bubbling otherwise it will cause the focusin
-                   * event listener in scroll assist to fire. When this fires, focus will be moved
-                   * back to the input even if the clear button was never tapped. This poses issues
-                   * for screen readers as it means users would be unable to swipe past the clear button.
-                   */
-                  ev.stopPropagation();
-                }}
                 onClick={this.clearTextInput}
               >
                 <ion-icon aria-hidden="true" icon={clearIconData}></ion-icon>

core/src/utils/input-shims/hacks/scroll-assist.ts

@@ -181,6 +181,24 @@ const setManualFocus = (el: HTMLElement) => {
     return;
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Optimization for scenarios where the currently focused element is a sibling
+   * of the target element. In such cases, we avoid setting `SKIP_SCROLL_ASSIST`.
+   *
+   * This is crucial for accessibility: input elements can now contain focusable
+   * siblings (e.g., clear buttons, slotted elements). If we didn't skip setting
+   * the attribute here, screen readers would be unable to navigate to and interact
+   * with these sibling elements.
+   *
+   * Without this check, we would need to call `ev.stopPropagation()` on the
+   * 'focusin' event of each focusable sibling to prevent the scroll assist
+   * listener from incorrectly moving focus back to the input. That approach
+   * would be less maintainable and more error-prone.
+   */
+  if (document.activeElement?.parentNode === el.parentNode) {
+    return;
+  }
+
   el.setAttribute(SKIP_SCROLL_ASSIST, 'true');
   el.focus();
 };