diff --git a/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.js b/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.js
index b60fa72a4d404..4d6b53df4d9c3 100644
--- a/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.js
+++ b/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.js
@@ -1,13 +1,17 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import {TextInput} from 'react-native';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import _ from 'underscore';
 
 const propTypes = {
+    // A ref to forward to the text input
+    forwardedRef: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+
     // Maximum number of lines in the text input
     maxLines: PropTypes.number,
 
-    // The value of the comment box
-    value: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+    // The default value of the comment box
+    defaultValue: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
 };
 
 const defaultProps = {
@@ -28,12 +32,20 @@ class TextInputFocusable extends React.Component {
 
     componentDidMount() {
         this.focusInput();
+
+        // This callback prop is used by the parent component using the constructor to
+        // get a ref to the inner textInput element e.g. if we do
+        // <constructor ref={el => this.textInput = el} /> this will not
+        // return a ref to the component, but rather the HTML element by default
+        if (this.props.forwardedRef && _.isFunction(this.props.forwardedRef)) {
+            this.props.forwardedRef(this.textInput);
+        }
     }
 
     componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
         this.focusInput();
 
-        if (prevProps.value !== this.props.value) {
+        if (prevProps.defaultValue !== this.props.defaultValue) {
             this.updateNumberOfLines();
         }
     }
@@ -76,10 +88,6 @@ class TextInputFocusable extends React.Component {
 
     focusInput() {
         this.textInput.focus();
-        if (this.props.value) {
-            this.textInput.selectionStart = this.props.value.length;
-            this.textInput.selectionEnd = this.props.value.length;
-        }
     }
 
     render() {
@@ -100,4 +108,7 @@ class TextInputFocusable extends React.Component {
 TextInputFocusable.propTypes = propTypes;
 TextInputFocusable.defaultProps = defaultProps;
 
-export default TextInputFocusable;
+export default React.forwardRef((props, ref) => (
+    /* eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-props-no-spreading */
+    <TextInputFocusable {...props} forwardedRef={ref} />
+));
diff --git a/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.native.js b/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.native.js
index c609e023b5e61..338445874c732 100644
--- a/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.native.js
+++ b/src/components/TextInputFocusable/index.native.js
@@ -1,13 +1,45 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import {TextInput} from 'react-native';
+import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
+import _ from 'underscore';
+
+const propTypes = {
+    // A ref to forward to the text input
+    forwardedRef: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+};
 
 /**
  * On native layers we like to have the Text Input not focused so the user can read new chats without they keyboard in
  * the way of the view
  */
-// eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-props-no-spreading
-const TextInputFocusable = props => (<TextInput maxHeight={116} {...props} />);
+class TextInputFocusable extends React.Component {
+    componentDidMount() {
+        // This callback prop is used by the parent component using the constructor to
+        // get a ref to the inner textInput element e.g. if we do
+        // <constructor ref={el => this.textInput = el} /> this will not
+        // return a ref to the component, but rather the HTML element by default
+        if (this.props.forwardedRef && _.isFunction(this.props.forwardedRef)) {
+            this.props.forwardedRef(this.textInput);
+        }
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        return (
+            <TextInput
+                ref={el => this.textInput = el}
+                maxHeight={116}
+                /* eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-props-no-spreading */
+                {...this.props}
+            />
+        );
+    }
+}
 
 TextInputFocusable.displayName = 'TextInputFocusable';
+TextInputFocusable.propTypes = propTypes;
 
-export default TextInputFocusable;
+// export default TextInputFocusable;
+export default React.forwardRef((props, ref) => (
+    /* eslint-disable-next-line react/jsx-props-no-spreading */
+    <TextInputFocusable {...props} forwardedRef={ref} />
+));
diff --git a/src/page/home/report/ReportActionCompose.js b/src/page/home/report/ReportActionCompose.js
index a92e454e80794..934c6a6a90e56 100644
--- a/src/page/home/report/ReportActionCompose.js
+++ b/src/page/home/report/ReportActionCompose.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import PropTypes from 'prop-types';
 import {View, Image, TouchableOpacity} from 'react-native';
+import _ from 'underscore';
 import styles, {colors} from '../../../style/StyleSheet';
 import TextInputFocusable from '../../../components/TextInputFocusable';
 import sendIcon from '../../../../assets/images/icon-send.png';
@@ -32,9 +33,29 @@ class ReportActionCompose extends React.Component {
         super(props);
 
         this.updateComment = this.updateComment.bind(this);
+        this.debouncedSaveReportComment = _.debounce(this.debouncedSaveReportComment.bind(this), 1000, false);
         this.submitForm = this.submitForm.bind(this);
         this.triggerSubmitShortcut = this.triggerSubmitShortcut.bind(this);
         this.submitForm = this.submitForm.bind(this);
+        this.comment = '';
+    }
+
+    componentDidUpdate(prevProps) {
+        // The first time the component loads the props is empty and the next time it may contain value.
+        // If it does let's update this.comment so that it matches the defaultValue that we show in textInput.
+        if (this.props.comment && prevProps.comment === '' && prevProps.comment !== this.props.comment) {
+            this.comment = this.props.comment;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Save our report comment in Ion. We debounce this method in the constructor so that it's not called too often
+     * to update Ion and re-render this component.
+     *
+     * @param {string} comment
+     */
+    debouncedSaveReportComment(comment) {
+        saveReportComment(this.props.reportID, comment || '');
     }
 
     /**
@@ -43,7 +64,8 @@ class ReportActionCompose extends React.Component {
      * @param {string} newComment
      */
     updateComment(newComment) {
-        saveReportComment(this.props.reportID, newComment || '');
+        this.comment = newComment;
+        this.debouncedSaveReportComment(newComment);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -69,7 +91,7 @@ class ReportActionCompose extends React.Component {
             e.preventDefault();
         }
 
-        const trimmedComment = this.props.comment.trim();
+        const trimmedComment = this.comment.trim();
 
         // Don't submit empty comments
         // @TODO show an error in the UI
@@ -78,6 +100,7 @@ class ReportActionCompose extends React.Component {
         }
 
         this.props.onSubmit(trimmedComment);
+        this.textInput.clear();
         this.updateComment('');
     }
 
@@ -101,11 +124,12 @@ class ReportActionCompose extends React.Component {
                         multiline
                         textAlignVertical="top"
                         placeholder="Write something..."
+                        ref={el => this.textInput = el}
                         placeholderTextColor={colors.textSupporting}
                         onChangeText={this.updateComment}
                         onKeyPress={this.triggerSubmitShortcut}
                         style={[styles.textInput, styles.textInputCompose, styles.flex4]}
-                        value={this.props.comment || ''}
+                        defaultValue={this.props.comment || ''}
                         maxLines={16} // This is the same that slack has
                     />
                     <TouchableOpacity