diff --git a/packages/edit-post/src/components/header/header-toolbar/index.native.js b/packages/edit-post/src/components/header/header-toolbar/index.native.js
index 26ab309d2e7a0..540bad7e8a518 100644
--- a/packages/edit-post/src/components/header/header-toolbar/index.native.js
+++ b/packages/edit-post/src/components/header/header-toolbar/index.native.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * External dependencies
  */
-import { Platform, ScrollView, View } from 'react-native';
+import { Platform, ScrollView, View, Keyboard } from 'react-native';
 
 /**
  * WordPress dependencies
@@ -185,6 +185,12 @@ export default compose( [
 			onHideKeyboard() {
 				clearSelectedBlock();
 				togglePostTitleSelection( false );
+				// Explicitly dismiss the keyboard for circumstances where Aztec race
+				// conditions lead to one block's rich text focused, but a different
+				// non-rich-text block selected. In this context, merely clearing block
+				// selection does not trigger a blur event and therefore will not
+				// dismiss the keyboard.
+				Keyboard.dismiss();
 			},
 		};
 	} ),
diff --git a/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecInputState.js b/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecInputState.js
index 973b8179ea5ec..94b612be50e7e 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecInputState.js
+++ b/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecInputState.js
@@ -83,6 +83,15 @@ export const notifyInputChange = () => {
 	}
 };
 
+/**
+ * Sets the current focused element ref held within TextInputState.
+ *
+ * @param {RefObject} element Element to be set as the focused element.
+ */
+export const focusInput = ( element ) => {
+	TextInputState.focusInput( element );
+};
+
 /**
  * Focuses the specified element.
  *
diff --git a/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecView.js b/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecView.js
index 456fde3ed8b69..1c50c2e5d434f 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecView.js
+++ b/packages/react-native-aztec/src/AztecView.js
@@ -231,13 +231,41 @@ class AztecView extends Component {
 		}
 	}
 
-	_onAztecFocus( event ) {
-		// IMPORTANT: the onFocus events from Aztec are thrown away on Android as these are handled by onPress() in the upper level.
-		// It's necessary to do this otherwise onFocus may be set by `{...otherProps}` and thus the onPress + onFocus
-		// combination generate an infinite loop as described in https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/gutenberg-mobile/issues/302
-		// For iOS, this is necessary to let the system know when Aztec was focused programatically.
-		if ( Platform.OS === 'ios' ) {
-			this._onPress( event );
+	_onAztecFocus() {
+		// IMPORTANT: This function serves two purposes:
+		//
+		// Android: This intentional no-op function prevents focus loops originating
+		// when the native Aztec module programmatically focuses the instance. The
+		// no-op is explicitly passed as an `onFocus` prop to avoid future prop
+		// spreading from inadvertently introducing focus loops. The user-facing
+		// focus of the element is handled by `onPress` instead.
+		//
+		// See: https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/gutenberg-mobile/issues/302
+		//
+		// iOS: Programmatic focus from the native Aztec module is required to
+		// ensure the React-based `TextStateInput` ref is properly set when focus
+		// is *returned* to an instance, e.g. dismissing a bottom sheet. If the ref
+		// is not updated, attempts to dismiss the keyboard via the `ToolbarButton`
+		// will fail.
+		//
+		// See: https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/gutenberg-mobile/issues/702
+		if (
+			// The Android keyboard is, likely erroneously, already dismissed in the
+			// contexts where programmatic focus may be required on iOS.
+			//
+			// - https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/28748
+			// - https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/29048
+			// - https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/WordPress-Android/issues/16167
+			Platform.OS === 'ios'
+		) {
+			// Programmatically swapping input focus creates an infinite loop if the
+			// user taps a different input in between the programmatic focus and
+			// the resulting update to the React Native TextInputState focused element
+			// ref. To mitigate this, the below updates the focused element ref, but
+			// does not call the native focus methods.
+			//
+			// See: https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/WordPress-iOS/issues/18783
+			AztecInputState.focusInput( this.aztecViewRef.current );
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -269,9 +297,7 @@ class AztecView extends Component {
 					onBackspace={ this.props.onKeyDown && this._onBackspace }
 					onKeyDown={ this.props.onKeyDown && this._onKeyDown }
 					deleteEnter={ this.props.deleteEnter }
-					// IMPORTANT: the onFocus events are thrown away as these are handled by onPress() in the upper level.
-					// It's necessary to do this otherwise onFocus may be set by `{...otherProps}` and thus the onPress + onFocus
-					// combination generate an infinite loop as described in https://github.com/wordpress-mobile/gutenberg-mobile/issues/302
+					// IMPORTANT: Do not remove the `onFocus` prop, see `_onAztecFocus`
 					onFocus={ this._onAztecFocus }
 					onBlur={ this._onBlur }
 					ref={ this.aztecViewRef }
diff --git a/packages/react-native-editor/CHANGELOG.md b/packages/react-native-editor/CHANGELOG.md
index 2cd7647c0e0f6..f5e1e63e5731c 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-editor/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/packages/react-native-editor/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ For each user feature we should also add a importance categorization label  to i
 -->
 
 ## Unreleased
+-   [*] [iOS] Fix focus loop when quickly tapping the block appender [#44988]
 
 ## 1.85.0
 -   [*] [iOS] Fixed iOS Voice Control support within Image block captions. [#44850]