Feature request - focusing between widgets using tab

[mvniekerk]

Hello
Thank you for the library.

It is especially obvious in the login screen. The user has to click around between text fields and then the login button

[MiaKoring]

Thank you for the issue, thats definetely something that’s needed.

A basic implementation (not fideling with the order ourselves) doesn’t seem to hard. Below I added some documentation on how its done on the main backends.
I’d like to implement it together with @focusstate for fine grained control, but I can’t say exactly when I’ll come to it. If someone got time before I do, I hope the links help you.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/navigating-an-app-s-user-interface-using-a-keyboard
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/adding-user-focusable-elements-to-a-tvos-app
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/appkit/nsview/canbecomekeyview
https://docs.gtk.org/gtk4/property.Widget.focusable.html
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/uwp/api/windows.ui.xaml.controls.control.istabstop?view=winrt-26100

[MiaKoring]

@mvniekerk which backend are you using/testing this on? For Example the GreetingGeneratorExample already supports focus switching through tab

[MiaKoring]

I’m going to split the .focusable modifier and @focusstate into two separate PRs.
On WinUI (Windows 11), AppKit (26.1 Beta) and Gtk (Ubuntu 25.04) the tab focus worked by default, but of course the modifier can disable it.

I don’t know why it didn’t work for you @mvniekerk

At least switching between the TextFields should’ve been possible.

onTapGesture doesn’t work with tab, because its not a button. Maybe that was the issue?

[mvniekerk]

@MiaKoring - AppKit / macOS / tab-key... If that helps?

[MiaKoring]

@MiaKoring - AppKit / macOS / tab-key... If that helps?

Can you send me the code/repo please?

[stackotter]

In my experience tab selection doesn’t work with AppKit by default. Either they changed the default in macOS 26 or you have the systemwide setting enabled that enables tab selection (which I found in the past when looking into these same features).

[MiaKoring]

In my experience tab selection doesn’t work with AppKit by default. Either they changed the default in macOS 26 or you have the systemwide setting enabled that enables tab selection (which I found in the past when looking into these same features).

Ah I didn't know that. Thank you :) In that case the modifier is more useful than I thought after doing my tests and implementations.