diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/editor-html.test.ts b/src/lib/__tests__/editor-html.test.ts
index d5cac31a..e7373922 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/editor-html.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/editor-html.test.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
-import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
-import { buildEditorCsp, buildEditorHtml, shouldBlockEditorRemoteImages } from '../editor-html';
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
+import {
+  buildEditorCsp, buildEditorHtml, CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS, shouldBlockEditorRemoteImages,
+} from '../editor-html';
 import { LIGHT_COLORS, DARK_COLORS } from '../../theme/tokens';
 
 function extractScript(html: string): string {
@@ -120,3 +122,77 @@ describe('shouldBlockEditorRemoteImages', () => {
     expect(shouldBlockEditorRemoteImages({ ...opts, seedHtml: '<p>Hi</p><img src="https://me.example/logo.png">' })).toBe(false);
   });
 });
+
+// Runs the page script against a minimal fake DOM to check what it posts to
+// RN while the user types (PF8: each post re-renders the whole composer).
+describe('editor page messages', () => {
+  function boot() {
+    const listeners: Record<string, Array<() => void>> = {};
+    const docListeners: Record<string, Array<() => void>> = {};
+    const posted: Array<{ type: string; payload: unknown }> = [];
+    const editor = {
+      innerHTML: '',
+      get textContent() { return this.innerHTML.replace(/<[^>]*>/g, ''); },
+      scrollHeight: 100,
+      querySelector: () => null,
+      setAttribute: () => undefined,
+      focus: () => undefined,
+      addEventListener: (name: string, fn: () => void) => { (listeners[name] ??= []).push(fn); },
+    };
+    const commandState: Record<string, boolean> = {};
+    const document = {
+      activeElement: editor as unknown,
+      getElementById: () => editor,
+      addEventListener: (name: string, fn: () => void) => { (docListeners[name] ??= []).push(fn); },
+      queryCommandState: (name: string) => !!commandState[name],
+    };
+    const window = {
+      ReactNativeWebView: { postMessage: (msg: string) => posted.push(JSON.parse(msg)) },
+      addEventListener: () => undefined,
+      getSelection: () => null,
+    };
+    const script = extractScript(buildEditorHtml({ initialHtml: '<p><br></p>', placeholder: '', c: LIGHT_COLORS }));
+    new Function('window', 'document', script)(window, document);
+    const changes = () => posted.filter((m) => m.type === 'change').map((m) => m.payload);
+    const selections = () => posted.filter((m) => m.type === 'selection');
+    const type = (html: string) => { editor.innerHTML = html; listeners.input.forEach((fn) => fn()); };
+    const fire = (name: string) => (listeners[name] ?? docListeners[name]).forEach((fn) => fn());
+    return { changes, selections, type, fire, commandState, posted };
+  }
+
+  beforeEach(() => { vi.useFakeTimers(); });
+  afterEach(() => { vi.useRealTimers(); });
+
+  it('posts the first keystroke at once and then at most one change per window', () => {
+    const page = boot();
+    const before = page.changes().length;
+    page.type('<p>H</p>');
+    expect(page.changes().slice(before)).toEqual(['<p>H</p>']);
+    page.type('<p>He</p>');
+    page.type('<p>Hel</p>');
+    expect(page.changes().slice(before)).toEqual(['<p>H</p>']);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS);
+    expect(page.changes().slice(before)).toEqual(['<p>H</p>', '<p>Hel</p>']);
+  });
+
+  it('flushes a pending change on blur', () => {
+    const page = boot();
+    page.type('<p>A</p>');
+    page.type('<p>AB</p>');
+    page.fire('blur');
+    expect(page.changes().slice(-1)).toEqual(['<p>AB</p>']);
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS * 2);
+    expect(page.changes().filter((c) => c === '<p>AB</p>')).toHaveLength(1);
+  });
+
+  it('posts the selection state only when the formatting changes', () => {
+    const page = boot();
+    page.fire('selectionchange');
+    page.fire('selectionchange');
+    expect(page.selections()).toHaveLength(1);
+    page.commandState.bold = true;
+    page.fire('selectionchange');
+    expect(page.selections()).toHaveLength(2);
+    expect((page.selections()[1].payload as { bold: boolean }).bold).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/editor-html.ts b/src/lib/editor-html.ts
index f0e1ad4d..46db006e 100644
--- a/src/lib/editor-html.ts
+++ b/src/lib/editor-html.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,11 @@ import type { ThemePalette } from '../theme/tokens';
 // user types, and the parent ScrollView handles overflow.
 export const MIN_EDITOR_HEIGHT = 220;
 
+// Shortest gap between two `change` posts while typing (see the page script).
+// Readers that need the current body - send, save, format switch - ask the
+// page with `getHtml` instead of waiting for the next post.
+export const CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS = 400;
+
 /**
  * The editor page's Content-Security-Policy, mirroring the viewer's
  * (`src/lib/email-html.ts`). Nothing but images, styles and our own inline
@@ -134,15 +139,18 @@ export function buildEditorHtml(opts: {
   var editor = document.getElementById('editor');
   var lastHtml = null;
   var lastHeight = 0;
+  var lastSelection = '';
+  // Every 'change' re-renders the whole composer, so typing posts at most
+  // one per window: the first keystroke at once (the composer learns it is
+  // dirty), then the latest content when the window ends. Commands, blur
+  // and setHtml post straight away.
+  var CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS = ${CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS};
+  var lastChangeAt = 0;
+  var changeTimer = null;
 
+  // Checked on every keystroke, so it avoids serializing innerHTML.
   function refreshEmpty() {
-    var html = editor.innerHTML;
-    var isEmpty =
-      html === '' ||
-      html === '<br>' ||
-      html === '<p></p>' ||
-      html === '<p><br></p>' ||
-      editor.textContent.trim() === '' && editor.querySelectorAll('img').length === 0;
+    var isEmpty = editor.textContent.trim() === '' && !editor.querySelector('img');
     editor.setAttribute('data-empty', isEmpty ? 'true' : 'false');
   }
 
@@ -160,13 +168,36 @@ export function buildEditorHtml(opts: {
   }
 
   function reportChange() {
+    if (changeTimer) {
+      clearTimeout(changeTimer);
+      changeTimer = null;
+    }
     refreshEmpty();
     var html = editor.innerHTML;
     if (html === lastHtml) return;
     lastHtml = html;
+    lastChangeAt = Date.now();
     post('change', html);
   }
 
+  function scheduleChange() {
+    refreshEmpty();
+    if (changeTimer) return;
+    var wait = CHANGE_THROTTLE_MS - (Date.now() - lastChangeAt);
+    if (wait <= 0) {
+      reportChange();
+      return;
+    }
+    changeTimer = setTimeout(function () {
+      changeTimer = null;
+      reportChange();
+    }, wait);
+  }
+
+  function flushChange() {
+    if (changeTimer) reportChange();
+  }
+
   function reportSelection() {
     function active(name) {
       try { return document.queryCommandState(name); } catch (e) { return false; }
@@ -196,6 +227,11 @@ export function buildEditorHtml(opts: {
       alignRight: active('justifyRight'),
       link: inBlock('A'),
     };
+    // The caret moves on every keystroke; only a change of the formatting
+    // state is worth a message (and a composer re-render).
+    var key = JSON.stringify(state);
+    if (key === lastSelection) return;
+    lastSelection = key;
     post('selection', state);
   }
 
@@ -206,10 +242,13 @@ export function buildEditorHtml(opts: {
   lastHtml = editor.innerHTML;
 
   editor.addEventListener('input', function () {
-    reportChange();
+    scheduleChange();
     reportHeight();
   });
-  editor.addEventListener('blur', function () { post('blur', null); });
+  editor.addEventListener('blur', function () {
+    flushChange();
+    post('blur', null);
+  });
   editor.addEventListener('focus', function () { post('focus', null); });
   document.addEventListener('selectionchange', function () {
     if (document.activeElement === editor) reportSelection();
diff --git a/src/screens/ComposeScreen.tsx b/src/screens/ComposeScreen.tsx
index bdaf094b..b8166204 100644
--- a/src/screens/ComposeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/ComposeScreen.tsx
@@ -1043,10 +1043,13 @@ export default function ComposeScreen({ route, navigation }: Props) {
     att: s.attachments.filter((a) => !a.inline).map((a) => a.blobId ?? a.localId),
   });
 
-  const currentSnapshot = snapshotOf({
+  // Memoized: the snapshot copies the whole body, and the screen re-renders
+  // for plenty that doesn't touch it (PF8).
+  const currentSnapshot = React.useMemo(() => snapshotOf({
     to: finalTo, cc: finalCc, bcc: finalBcc, subject,
     body: plainTextMode ? plainBody : bodyHtml, attachments,
-  });
+    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+  }), [finalTo, finalCc, finalBcc, subject, plainTextMode, plainBody, bodyHtml, attachments]);
   const baselineRef = React.useRef(snapshotOf({
     to: initialTo, cc: initialCc, bcc: initialBcc, subject: initialSubject,
     body: plainTextMode ? initialPlainBody : initialBodyHtml, attachments: initialAttachments,
@@ -1322,7 +1325,8 @@ export default function ComposeScreen({ route, navigation }: Props) {
     saveTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => {
       saveTimerRef.current = null;
       if (sendingRef.current || !latestRef.current.needsSave) return;
-      saveDraftRef.current({ live: false }).catch((err) => {
+      // Live: the editor posts its content throttled, so read the DOM itself.
+      saveDraftRef.current({ live: true }).catch((err) => {
         console.warn('[compose] autosave failed', err);
       });
     }, wait);