diff --git a/core/src/utils/focus-visible.ts b/core/src/utils/focus-visible.ts
index b5473c9e680..2dd45846518 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/focus-visible.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/focus-visible.ts
@@ -22,39 +22,54 @@ export interface FocusVisibleUtility {
 
 export const startFocusVisible = (rootEl?: HTMLElement): FocusVisibleUtility => {
   let currentFocus: Element[] = [];
-  let keyboardMode = true;
+  // Tracks if the last interaction was a pointer event (mouse, touch, pen)
+  // Used to distinguish between pointer and keyboard navigation for focus styling
+  let hadPointerEvent = false;
 
   const ref = rootEl ? rootEl.shadowRoot! : document;
   const root = rootEl ? rootEl : document.body;
 
+  // Adds or removes the focused class for styling
   const setFocus = (elements: Element[]) => {
     currentFocus.forEach((el) => el.classList.remove(ION_FOCUSED));
     elements.forEach((el) => el.classList.add(ION_FOCUSED));
     currentFocus = elements;
   };
-  const pointerDown = () => {
-    keyboardMode = false;
-    setFocus([]);
+
+  // Do not set focus on pointer interactions
+  const pointerDown = (ev: Event) => {
+    if (ev instanceof PointerEvent && ev.pointerType !== '') {
+      hadPointerEvent = true;
+      // Reset after the event loop so only the immediate focusin is suppressed
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        hadPointerEvent = false;
+      }, 0);
+    }
   };
 
+  // Clear hadPointerEvent so keyboard navigation shows focus
+  // Also, clear focus if the key is not a navigation key
   const onKeydown = (ev: Event) => {
-    keyboardMode = FOCUS_KEYS.includes((ev as KeyboardEvent).key);
-    if (!keyboardMode) {
+    hadPointerEvent = false;
+
+    const keyboardEvent = ev as KeyboardEvent;
+    if (!FOCUS_KEYS.includes(keyboardEvent.key)) {
       setFocus([]);
     }
   };
+
+  // Set focus if the last interaction was NOT a pointer event
+  // This works around iOS/Safari bugs where keydown is not fired for Tab
   const onFocusin = (ev: Event) => {
-    if (keyboardMode && ev.composedPath !== undefined) {
-      const toFocus = ev.composedPath().filter((el: any) => {
-        // TODO(FW-2832): type
-        if (el.classList) {
-          return el.classList.contains(ION_FOCUSABLE);
-        }
-        return false;
-      }) as Element[];
+    const target = ev.target as HTMLElement;
+    if (target.classList.contains(ION_FOCUSABLE) && !hadPointerEvent) {
+      const toFocus = ev
+        .composedPath()
+        .filter((el): el is HTMLElement => el instanceof HTMLElement && el.classList.contains(ION_FOCUSABLE));
       setFocus(toFocus);
     }
   };
+
   const onFocusout = () => {
     if (ref.activeElement === root) {
       setFocus([]);
@@ -64,15 +79,13 @@ export const startFocusVisible = (rootEl?: HTMLElement): FocusVisibleUtility =>
   ref.addEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
   ref.addEventListener('focusin', onFocusin);
   ref.addEventListener('focusout', onFocusout);
-  ref.addEventListener('touchstart', pointerDown, { passive: true });
-  ref.addEventListener('mousedown', pointerDown);
+  ref.addEventListener('pointerdown', pointerDown, { passive: true });
 
   const destroy = () => {
     ref.removeEventListener('keydown', onKeydown);
     ref.removeEventListener('focusin', onFocusin);
     ref.removeEventListener('focusout', onFocusout);
-    ref.removeEventListener('touchstart', pointerDown);
-    ref.removeEventListener('mousedown', pointerDown);
+    ref.removeEventListener('pointerdown', pointerDown);
   };
 
   return {