diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.test.mjs b/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0eab8dc3fa6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import test from "node:test";
+
+import { matchHistoryNavigationShortcut } from "./historyNavigationShortcuts.ts";
+
+function probe(overrides) {
+  return {
+    key: "",
+    code: "",
+    metaKey: false,
+    ctrlKey: false,
+    altKey: false,
+    shiftKey: false,
+    ...overrides,
+  };
+}
+
+test("mac back chord matches bracket key and code", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "[", code: "BracketLeft", metaKey: true }),
+      true,
+    ),
+    "back",
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "Dead", code: "BracketLeft", metaKey: true }),
+      true,
+    ),
+    "back",
+  );
+});
+
+test("mac forward chord matches bracket key and code", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "]", code: "BracketRight", metaKey: true }),
+      true,
+    ),
+    "forward",
+  );
+});
+
+test("windows back and forward use alt arrows without modifiers", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "ArrowLeft", altKey: true }),
+      false,
+    ),
+    "back",
+  );
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "ArrowRight", altKey: true }),
+      false,
+    ),
+    "forward",
+  );
+});
+
+test("shift modifier blocks history chords", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "ArrowLeft", altKey: true, shiftKey: true }),
+      false,
+    ),
+    null,
+  );
+});
+
+test("ctrl arrow left is not history navigation on windows", () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      probe({ key: "ArrowLeft", ctrlKey: true }),
+      false,
+    ),
+    null,
+  );
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..81a88546c62
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+export type HistoryNavigationDirection = "back" | "forward";
+
+export type HistoryShortcutProbe = {
+  key: string;
+  code: string;
+  metaKey: boolean;
+  ctrlKey: boolean;
+  altKey: boolean;
+  shiftKey: boolean;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Match global back/forward history chords. These intentionally bypass the
+ * editable-target guard — they have no text-editing semantics in composers.
+ */
+export function matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+  probe: HistoryShortcutProbe,
+  isMac: boolean,
+): HistoryNavigationDirection | null {
+  if (probe.shiftKey) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  if (isMac) {
+    if (!probe.metaKey || probe.ctrlKey || probe.altKey) {
+      return null;
+    }
+    if (probe.key === "[" || probe.code === "BracketLeft") {
+      return "back";
+    }
+    if (probe.key === "]" || probe.code === "BracketRight") {
+      return "forward";
+    }
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  if (!probe.altKey || probe.metaKey || probe.ctrlKey) {
+    return null;
+  }
+  if (probe.key === "ArrowLeft") {
+    return "back";
+  }
+  if (probe.key === "ArrowRight") {
+    return "forward";
+  }
+  return null;
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useBackForwardControls.ts b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useBackForwardControls.ts
index 7f7d84f6d72..59034c444a4 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/navigation/useBackForwardControls.ts
+++ b/desktop/src/app/navigation/useBackForwardControls.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import {
   useRouterState,
 } from "@tanstack/react-router";
 
+import { matchHistoryNavigationShortcut } from "@/app/navigation/historyNavigationShortcuts";
 import { isMacPlatform } from "@/shared/lib/platform";
 import { trimMapToSize } from "@/shared/lib/trimMapToSize";
 
@@ -14,19 +15,6 @@ type RouterHistoryState = {
   key?: string;
 };
 
-function isEditableTarget(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
-  if (!(target instanceof HTMLElement)) {
-    return false;
-  }
-
-  return (
-    target.isContentEditable ||
-    target.closest(
-      'input, textarea, select, [contenteditable=""], [contenteditable="true"]',
-    ) !== null
-  );
-}
-
 export function useBackForwardControls() {
   const router = useRouter();
   const canGoBack = useCanGoBack();
@@ -81,41 +69,25 @@ export function useBackForwardControls() {
   }, [canGoForward, router.history]);
 
   const handleKeyDown = React.useEffectEvent((event: KeyboardEvent) => {
-    if (isEditableTarget(event.target)) {
-      return;
-    }
-
-    const isMac = isMacPlatform();
-    const isBackShortcut = isMac
-      ? event.metaKey &&
-        !event.ctrlKey &&
-        !event.altKey &&
-        !event.shiftKey &&
-        (event.key === "[" || event.code === "BracketLeft")
-      : event.altKey &&
-        !event.metaKey &&
-        !event.ctrlKey &&
-        !event.shiftKey &&
-        event.key === "ArrowLeft";
-    const isForwardShortcut = isMac
-      ? event.metaKey &&
-        !event.ctrlKey &&
-        !event.altKey &&
-        !event.shiftKey &&
-        (event.key === "]" || event.code === "BracketRight")
-      : event.altKey &&
-        !event.metaKey &&
-        !event.ctrlKey &&
-        !event.shiftKey &&
-        event.key === "ArrowRight";
-
-    if (isBackShortcut) {
+    const direction = matchHistoryNavigationShortcut(
+      {
+        key: event.key,
+        code: event.code,
+        metaKey: event.metaKey,
+        ctrlKey: event.ctrlKey,
+        altKey: event.altKey,
+        shiftKey: event.shiftKey,
+      },
+      isMacPlatform(),
+    );
+
+    if (direction === "back") {
       event.preventDefault();
       goBack();
       return;
     }
 
-    if (isForwardShortcut) {
+    if (direction === "forward") {
       event.preventDefault();
       goForward();
     }
diff --git a/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts b/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
index f7a96cd568b..e119bab4618 100644
--- a/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
+++ b/desktop/tests/e2e/navigation.spec.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,31 @@ test("global back and forward move across channel routes", async ({ page }) => {
   await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
 });
 
+test("back and forward keyboard chords work while the composer is focused", async ({
+  page,
+}) => {
+  await page.goto("/");
+
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-general").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+
+  await page.getByTestId("channel-random").click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
+
+  const composer = page.getByTestId("message-composer");
+  await composer.click();
+  await expect(composer).toBeFocused();
+
+  await page.keyboard.press(process.platform === "darwin" ? "Meta+[" : "Alt+ArrowLeft");
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("general");
+
+  await composer.click();
+  await page.keyboard.press(
+    process.platform === "darwin" ? "Meta+]" : "Alt+ArrowRight",
+  );
+  await expect(page.getByTestId("chat-title")).toHaveText("random");
+});
+
 // FIXME: the forum post "Back to posts" header renders under the fixed top
 // chrome drag region, which intercepts the click. Pre-existing breakage —
 // this spec file was never registered in playwright.config.ts until now.