diff --git a/internal/runner/runner.go b/internal/runner/runner.go
index 36392f0..5ab9e9e 100644
--- a/internal/runner/runner.go
+++ b/internal/runner/runner.go
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ func Run(ctx context.Context, options Options) (Summary, error) {
 
 		applySkipped := false
 		if nextErr == nil {
-			if err := applyAction(ctx, options.Driver, nextAction, tree, options.IdleTimeout); err != nil {
+			if err := applyAction(ctx, options.Driver, nextAction, tree); err != nil {
 				if isWDADrop(err) {
 					return summary, fmt.Errorf("step %d: the iOS XCTest runner could not be restarted - re-run the test: %w", stepIndex, err)
 				}
@@ -416,6 +416,12 @@ func ensureForeground(ctx context.Context, options Options, logger *slog.Logger,
 // never hang the run.
 const foregroundReadyAttempts = 8
 
+// focusTapSettle is the pause after tapping a field to focus it, before typing.
+// Long enough for focus to land, short enough to avoid the ~500ms-1s full
+// settle the keyboard's open animation would otherwise cost every InputText
+// step on a physical device.
+const focusTapSettle = 250 * time.Millisecond
+
 // waitForForeground blocks until the app under test is actually on screen, so
 // the first observe never captures a leftover screen or a freshly-booted
 // device's system dialog (e.g. Android's "set a screen lock" prompt). Drivers
@@ -507,7 +513,7 @@ func settleForForeground(ctx context.Context, options Options) {
 	cancel()
 }
 
-func applyAction(ctx context.Context, drv driver.DeviceDriver, action verifier.Action, tree *hierarchy.Tree, idleTimeout time.Duration) error {
+func applyAction(ctx context.Context, drv driver.DeviceDriver, action verifier.Action, tree *hierarchy.Tree) error {
 	switch action.Kind {
 	case verifier.ActionKindTap:
 		x, y, ok := resolveCoordinates(action, tree)
@@ -556,13 +562,19 @@ func applyAction(ctx context.Context, drv driver.DeviceDriver, action verifier.A
 			}
 			tapped = true
 		}
-		// The focus tap raises the keyboard. Settle before sending key
-		// events so the keyboard animation cannot race them into the wrong
-		// field (or drop them entirely).
+		// The focus tap raises the keyboard. The tap registers focus
+		// immediately and the text is injected into the focused view (not typed
+		// on the visible keyboard), so a brief pause is enough for focus to land
+		// rather than a full settle, which costs ~500ms-1s per InputText step on
+		// a physical device while the keyboard animates in.
 		if tapped {
-			idleCtx, idleCancel := context.WithTimeout(ctx, idleTimeout)
-			_ = drv.WaitForIdle(idleCtx, idleTimeout)
-			idleCancel()
+			timer := time.NewTimer(focusTapSettle)
+			select {
+			case <-ctx.Done():
+				timer.Stop()
+				return ctx.Err()
+			case <-timer.C:
+			}
 		}
 		// InputText replaces the field's content: erase what the target
 		// holds before typing. Appending instead lets repeated draws grow
diff --git a/internal/runner/runner_test.go b/internal/runner/runner_test.go
index f447170..a87fc87 100644
--- a/internal/runner/runner_test.go
+++ b/internal/runner/runner_test.go
@@ -662,41 +662,39 @@ func TestApplyAction_InputTextErasesExistingTextBeforeTyping(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, On: "id:username", Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("applyAction: %v", err)
 	}
+	// The post-tap settle is now a brief internal sleep, not a WaitForIdle RPC,
+	// so the recorded driver actions are tap, erase, input.
 	actions := driverMock.Actions()
-	if len(actions) != 4 {
-		t.Fatalf("want tap, wait_for_idle, erase, input; got %v", actions)
+	if len(actions) != 3 {
+		t.Fatalf("want tap, erase, input; got %v", actions)
 	}
 	if actions[0].Kind != mockdriver.ActionTap {
 		t.Errorf("first action = %v, want tap", actions[0].Kind)
 	}
-	if actions[1].Kind != mockdriver.ActionWaitForIdle {
-		t.Errorf("second action = %v, want wait_for_idle (settle after focus tap)", actions[1].Kind)
+	if actions[1].Kind != mockdriver.ActionEraseText || actions[1].CharacterCount != len("stale-value") {
+		t.Errorf("second action = %+v, want erase_text of %d characters", actions[1], len("stale-value"))
 	}
-	if actions[2].Kind != mockdriver.ActionEraseText || actions[2].CharacterCount != len("stale-value") {
-		t.Errorf("third action = %+v, want erase_text of %d characters", actions[2], len("stale-value"))
-	}
-	if actions[3].Kind != mockdriver.ActionInputText || actions[3].Text != "alice" {
-		t.Errorf("fourth action = %+v, want input_text alice", actions[3])
+	if actions[2].Kind != mockdriver.ActionInputText || actions[2].Text != "alice" {
+		t.Errorf("third action = %+v, want input_text alice", actions[2])
 	}
 }
 
-// TestApplyAction_InputTextWithoutTargetSkipsSettle pins that the post-tap
-// settle only runs when a focus tap actually happened: with no resolvable
-// target there is no keyboard animation to absorb.
-func TestApplyAction_InputTextWithoutTargetSkipsSettle(t *testing.T) {
+// TestApplyAction_InputTextWithoutTargetSkipsFocusTap pins that with no
+// resolvable target there is no focus tap (and so no settle), and InputText
+// still runs at the cursor.
+func TestApplyAction_InputTextWithoutTargetSkipsFocusTap(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, X: -1, Y: -1, Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("applyAction: %v", err)
 	}
-	for _, recorded := range driverMock.Actions() {
-		if recorded.Kind == mockdriver.ActionWaitForIdle {
-			t.Errorf("no focus tap happened; settle must be skipped: %v", driverMock.Actions())
-		}
+	actions := driverMock.Actions()
+	if len(actions) != 1 || actions[0].Kind != mockdriver.ActionInputText {
+		t.Errorf("no target: want input_text only (no focus tap), got %v", actions)
 	}
 }
 
@@ -714,7 +712,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_InputTextSkipsEraseForReplacingDriver(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock.ReplacesText = true
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, On: "id:username", Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("applyAction: %v", err)
 	}
 	if containsAction(driverMock.Actions(), mockdriver.ActionEraseText, "") {
@@ -735,7 +733,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_InputTextSkipsEraseWhenTargetEmpty(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, On: "id:username", Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("applyAction: %v", err)
 	}
 	if containsAction(driverMock.Actions(), mockdriver.ActionEraseText, "") {
@@ -749,7 +747,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_InputTextSurfacesFocusTapError(t *testing.T) {
 		driverMock.Failures[mockdriver.ActionTapSelector] = errors.New("adb unreachable")
 		action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, On: "id:username", Text: "alice"}
 
-		err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond)
+		err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil)
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Fatalf("expected focus tap failure to surface, got nil")
 		}
@@ -762,7 +760,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_InputTextSurfacesFocusTapError(t *testing.T) {
 		driverMock.Failures[mockdriver.ActionTap] = errors.New("tap driver error")
 		action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, X: 10, Y: 20, Text: "alice"}
 
-		err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond)
+		err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil)
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Fatalf("expected focus tap failure to surface, got nil")
 		}
@@ -776,7 +774,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_V8InputTextTapsAtCoordinates(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, X: 50, Y: 100, Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	actions := driverMock.Actions()
@@ -795,7 +793,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_V8InputTextAtOriginStillTaps(t *testing.T) {
 	// InputText with (0,0) is a deliberate edge tap, not a sentinel).
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindInputText, X: 0, Y: 0, Text: "alice"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	if !containsAction(driverMock.Actions(), mockdriver.ActionTap, "") {
@@ -807,7 +805,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_DoubleTapDispatchesDoubleTapAtCoordinates(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindDoubleTap, X: 100, Y: 200}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	taps := 0
@@ -825,7 +823,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_DoubleTapDispatchesDoubleTapSelector(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindDoubleTap, On: "id:save"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	taps := 0
@@ -843,7 +841,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_LongPressDispatchesAtResolvedCoordinates(t *testing.T) {
 	driverMock := mockdriver.New()
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindLongPress, X: 120, Y: 240}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	found := false
@@ -869,7 +867,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_ScrollWithPrecomputedEndpointsSwipes(t *testing.T) {
 		DurationMillis: 300,
 	}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, nil); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	found := false
@@ -892,7 +890,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_ScrollDirectionUsesInversion(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindScroll, Direction: "down", On: "id:list"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	var swipe *mockdriver.Action
@@ -921,7 +919,7 @@ func TestApplyAction_ScrollScreenFallback(t *testing.T) {
 	// On unset: container falls back to whole-screen (root) bounds.
 	action := verifier.Action{Kind: verifier.ActionKindScroll, Direction: "up"}
 
-	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree, time.Millisecond); err != nil {
+	if err := applyAction(context.Background(), driverMock, action, tree); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("apply action: %v", err)
 	}
 	var swipe *mockdriver.Action