diff --git a/bitchat/App/ConversationUIModel.swift b/bitchat/App/ConversationUIModel.swift
index 91f0afef..77f8842d 100644
--- a/bitchat/App/ConversationUIModel.swift
+++ b/bitchat/App/ConversationUIModel.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import UIKit
 final class ConversationUIModel: ObservableObject {
     @Published private(set) var showAutocomplete = false
     @Published private(set) var autocompleteSuggestions: [String] = []
+    @Published private(set) var selectedAutocompleteIndex = 0
     @Published private(set) var currentNickname: String
     @Published private(set) var isBatchingPublic = false
     @Published private(set) var canSendMediaInCurrentContext = true
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ final class ConversationUIModel: ObservableObject {
         self.isBatchingPublic = chatViewModel.isBatchingPublic
         self.showAutocomplete = chatViewModel.showAutocomplete
         self.autocompleteSuggestions = chatViewModel.autocompleteSuggestions
+        self.selectedAutocompleteIndex = chatViewModel.selectedAutocompleteIndex
         self.canSendMediaInCurrentContext = chatViewModel.canSendMediaInCurrentContext
 
         bind()
@@ -104,6 +106,22 @@ final class ConversationUIModel: ObservableObject {
         chatViewModel.completeNickname(nickname, in: &text)
     }
 
+    /// Accept the currently highlighted mention suggestion, if any.
+    func completeSelectedSuggestion(in text: inout String) -> Bool {
+        guard showAutocomplete,
+              autocompleteSuggestions.indices.contains(selectedAutocompleteIndex)
+        else { return false }
+        _ = completeNickname(autocompleteSuggestions[selectedAutocompleteIndex], in: &text)
+        return true
+    }
+
+    func moveAutocompleteSelection(by delta: Int) {
+        guard showAutocomplete, !autocompleteSuggestions.isEmpty else { return }
+        let count = min(4, autocompleteSuggestions.count)
+        let next = (selectedAutocompleteIndex + delta + count) % count
+        chatViewModel.selectedAutocompleteIndex = next
+    }
+
     func formatMessage(_ message: BitchatMessage, colorScheme: ColorScheme, theme: AppTheme? = nil) -> AttributedString {
         chatViewModel.formatMessageAsText(message, colorScheme: colorScheme, theme: theme)
     }
@@ -193,6 +211,10 @@ final class ConversationUIModel: ObservableObject {
             .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)
             .assign(to: &$autocompleteSuggestions)
 
+        chatViewModel.$selectedAutocompleteIndex
+            .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)
+            .assign(to: &$selectedAutocompleteIndex)
+
         chatViewModel.$isBatchingPublic
             .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)
             .assign(to: &$isBatchingPublic)
diff --git a/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift b/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
index b5020980..c82b22c9 100644
--- a/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Views/ContentComposerView.swift
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ struct ContentComposerView: View {
         VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
             if conversationUIModel.showAutocomplete && !conversationUIModel.autocompleteSuggestions.isEmpty {
                 VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 0) {
-                    ForEach(Array(conversationUIModel.autocompleteSuggestions.prefix(4)), id: \.self) { suggestion in
+                    ForEach(Array(conversationUIModel.autocompleteSuggestions.prefix(4).enumerated()), id: \.element) { index, suggestion in
                         Button(action: {
                             _ = conversationUIModel.completeNickname(suggestion, in: &messageText)
                         }) {
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ struct ContentComposerView: View {
                             .padding(.horizontal, 12)
                             .padding(.vertical, 3)
                             .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
+                            .background(
+                                index == conversationUIModel.selectedAutocompleteIndex
+                                    ? palette.secondary.opacity(0.18)
+                                    : Color.clear
+                            )
                         }
                         .buttonStyle(.plain)
                     }
@@ -81,6 +86,16 @@ struct ContentComposerView: View {
                     // dismissed keyboard, so it stays out of this.
                     isTextFieldFocused.wrappedValue = true
                 }
+                .modifier(AutocompleteKeyboardNavigationModifier(
+                    isActive: conversationUIModel.showAutocomplete
+                        && !conversationUIModel.autocompleteSuggestions.isEmpty,
+                    onMove: { delta in
+                        conversationUIModel.moveAutocompleteSelection(by: delta)
+                    },
+                    onAccept: {
+                        conversationUIModel.completeSelectedSuggestion(in: &messageText)
+                    }
+                ))
                 .padding(.vertical, theme.usesGlassChrome ? 8 : 4)
                 .padding(.horizontal, 6)
                 .themedInputBackground()
@@ -374,3 +389,33 @@ private extension ContentComposerView {
         )
     }
 }
+
+/// Arrow/Tab navigation for the mention suggestion list. Inactive when the
+/// panel is hidden so Tab keeps its normal focus-cycle behavior.
+private struct AutocompleteKeyboardNavigationModifier: ViewModifier {
+    let isActive: Bool
+    let onMove: (Int) -> Void
+    let onAccept: () -> Bool
+
+    func body(content: Content) -> some View {
+        if #available(iOS 17.0, macOS 14.0, *) {
+            content
+                .onKeyPress(.upArrow) {
+                    guard isActive else { return .ignored }
+                    onMove(-1)
+                    return .handled
+                }
+                .onKeyPress(.downArrow) {
+                    guard isActive else { return .ignored }
+                    onMove(1)
+                    return .handled
+                }
+                .onKeyPress(.tab) {
+                    guard isActive else { return .ignored }
+                    return onAccept() ? .handled : .ignored
+                }
+        } else {
+            content
+        }
+    }
+}