diff --git a/src/view/shell/desktop/Search.tsx b/src/view/shell/desktop/Search.tsx
index ad15e84a8f..9ffe56398c 100644
--- a/src/view/shell/desktop/Search.tsx
+++ b/src/view/shell/desktop/Search.tsx
@@ -1,109 +1,177 @@
 import {useDeferredValue, useRef, useState} from 'react'
+import {type Role, type TextInput, View} from 'react-native'
 import {
-  ActivityIndicator,
-  type StyleProp,
-  type TextInput,
-  View,
-  type ViewStyle,
-} from 'react-native'
+  useDismiss,
+  useFloating,
+  useId,
+  useInteractions,
+  useListNavigation,
+  useRole,
+} from '@floating-ui/react'
 import {msg, Trans} from '@lingui/macro'
 import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
 import {StackActions, useNavigation} from '@react-navigation/native'
+import {useQueryClient} from '@tanstack/react-query'
 
 import {type NavigationProp} from '#/lib/routes/types'
 import {useModerationOpts} from '#/state/preferences/moderation-opts'
 import {useActorAutocompleteQuery} from '#/state/queries/actor-autocomplete'
-import {SearchProfileCard} from '#/screens/Search/components/SearchProfileCard'
-import {atoms as a, useTheme} from '#/alf'
+import {unstableCacheProfileView} from '#/state/queries/unstable-profile-cache'
+import {atoms as a, flatten, useTheme} from '#/alf'
 import {SearchInput} from '#/components/forms/SearchInput'
 import {MagnifyingGlass_Stroke2_Corner0_Rounded as SearchIcon} from '#/components/icons/MagnifyingGlass'
-import {Link, type LinkProps} from '#/components/Link'
+import {Loader} from '#/components/Loader'
+import * as ProfileCard from '#/components/ProfileCard'
 import {Text} from '#/components/Typography'
 
-function SearchLinkCard({
-  label,
-  to,
-  style,
-}: {
-  label: string
-  to: LinkProps['to']
-  style?: StyleProp<ViewStyle>
-}) {
-  const t = useTheme()
-
-  return (
-    <Link to={to} label={label}>
-      {({focused, hovered, pressed}) => (
-        <View
-          style={[
-            a.w_full,
-            t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
-            a.py_lg,
-            a.px_md,
-            (focused || hovered || pressed) && t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
-            style,
-          ]}>
-          <Text style={[a.text_sm, a.leading_snug]}>{label}</Text>
-        </View>
-      )}
-    </Link>
-  )
-}
-
 export function DesktopSearch() {
   const {_} = useLingui()
   const t = useTheme()
   const navigation = useNavigation<NavigationProp>()
+  const qc = useQueryClient()
 
   const searchInputRef = useRef<TextInput>(null)
-  const [isFocused, setIsFocused] = useState(false)
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false)
   const [query, setQuery] = useState('')
   const deferredQuery = useDeferredValue(query)
+  const [activeIndex, setActiveIndex] = useState<number | null>(null)
+  const listRef = useRef<Array<HTMLElement | null>>([])
+
   const {data: autocompleteData, isFetching} = useActorAutocompleteQuery(
     deferredQuery,
     true,
   )
 
   const moderationOpts = useModerationOpts()
+  const profiles = autocompleteData ?? []
+  const hasSearchLink = deferredQuery.length > 0
+
+  // Floating UI setup — used for interaction hooks (ARIA combobox pattern),
+  // not for positioning (we keep the existing CSS absolute layout).
+  const {refs, context} = useFloating({
+    open,
+    onOpenChange(nextOpen, _event, reason) {
+      setOpen(nextOpen)
+      if (!nextOpen && reason === 'escape-key') {
+        setQuery('')
+        searchInputRef.current?.blur()
+      }
+    },
+  })
+
+  const role = useRole(context, {role: 'listbox'})
+  const dismiss = useDismiss(context)
+  const listNav = useListNavigation(context, {
+    listRef,
+    activeIndex,
+    onNavigate: setActiveIndex,
+    virtual: true,
+    loop: true,
+  })
+
+  const {getReferenceProps, getFloatingProps, getItemProps} = useInteractions([
+    role,
+    dismiss,
+    listNav,
+  ])
+
+  const listboxId = useId()
+
+  const navigateToSearch = () => {
+    if (!deferredQuery.length) return
+    navigation.dispatch(StackActions.push('Search', {q: deferredQuery}))
+    setQuery('')
+    setOpen(false)
+    searchInputRef.current?.blur()
+  }
+
+  const navigateToProfile = (profileIndex: number) => {
+    const profile = profiles[profileIndex]
+    if (!profile) return
+    unstableCacheProfileView(qc, profile)
+    navigation.dispatch(StackActions.push('Profile', {name: profile.did}))
+    setQuery('')
+    setOpen(false)
+    searchInputRef.current?.blur()
+  }
+
+  const selectItem = (index: number) => {
+    if (hasSearchLink && index === 0) {
+      navigateToSearch()
+    } else {
+      navigateToProfile(hasSearchLink ? index - 1 : index)
+    }
+  }
 
   const onChangeText = (text: string) => {
     setQuery(text)
+    if (!open) setOpen(true)
+    setActiveIndex(text.length > 0 ? 0 : null)
   }
 
   const onPressCancelSearch = () => {
     setQuery('')
+    setOpen(false)
   }
 
-  const onEscape = () => {
-    setQuery('')
-    searchInputRef.current?.blur()
-  }
+  // getReferenceProps produces the merged keyboard + ARIA props.
+  // We must use onKeyDownCapture because RNW's TextInput internally calls
+  // stopPropagation() on all keydown events, preventing normal bubbling.
+  // Capture phase (parent→child) fires before the target's handler.
+  const referenceProps = getReferenceProps({
+    onKeyDown(e: React.KeyboardEvent) {
+      if (e.key === 'Enter') {
+        e.preventDefault()
+        if (activeIndex != null) {
+          selectItem(activeIndex)
+        } else {
+          navigateToSearch()
+        }
+      }
+    },
+  })
+  const {onKeyDown: refOnKeyDown, ...refAriaProps} = referenceProps
 
-  const onSubmit = () => {
-    if (!deferredQuery.length) return
-    navigation.dispatch(StackActions.push('Search', {q: deferredQuery}))
-    setQuery('')
-  }
-
-  const onSearchProfileCardPress = () => {
-    setQuery('')
-  }
+  // Extract role/id from floating props for the listbox View
+  const floatingProps = getFloatingProps()
 
   return (
     <View style={[a.w_full, a.z_10]}>
-      <SearchInput
-        ref={searchInputRef}
-        value={query}
-        onChangeText={onChangeText}
-        onClearText={onPressCancelSearch}
-        onEscape={onEscape}
-        onSubmitEditing={onSubmit}
-        onFocus={() => setIsFocused(true)}
-        onBlur={() => setIsFocused(false)}
-      />
-      {(deferredQuery !== '' || isFocused) && moderationOpts && (
+      {/* Wrapper div receives floating-ui reference + ARIA props.
+          onKeyDownCapture is needed because RNW's TextInput stops keydown
+          propagation — capture phase fires before that happens. */}
+      <div
+        ref={refs.setReference}
+        onKeyDownCapture={
+          refOnKeyDown as React.KeyboardEventHandler<HTMLDivElement>
+        }
+        {...(refAriaProps as React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>)}
+        style={{width: '100%'}}>
+        <SearchInput
+          ref={searchInputRef}
+          value={query}
+          onChangeText={onChangeText}
+          onClearText={onPressCancelSearch}
+          onFocus={() => setOpen(true)}
+          onBlur={(e: any) => {
+            const relatedTarget = (e as React.FocusEvent)
+              .relatedTarget as Node | null
+            if (
+              relatedTarget &&
+              refs.floating.current?.contains(relatedTarget)
+            ) {
+              return
+            }
+            setOpen(false)
+          }}
+        />
+      </div>
+      {open && moderationOpts && (
         <View style={[a.w_full]}>
           <View
+            ref={refs.setFloating}
+            role={floatingProps.role as Role}
+            id={floatingProps.id as string}
             style={[
               t.atoms.bg,
               t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
@@ -126,27 +194,79 @@ export function DesktopSearch() {
               </View>
             ) : (
               <>
-                <SearchLinkCard
-                  label={_(msg`Search for "${deferredQuery}"`)}
-                  to={{screen: 'Search', params: {q: deferredQuery}}}
-                  style={[
-                    ((autocompleteData?.length ?? 0) > 0 || isFetching) &&
-                      a.border_b,
-                  ]}
-                />
-                {isFetching && !autocompleteData?.length ? (
-                  <View style={[a.p_md]}>
-                    <ActivityIndicator />
+                {/* Search link option */}
+                <div
+                  ref={node => {
+                    listRef.current[0] = node
+                  }}
+                  id={`${listboxId}-option-0`}
+                  role="option"
+                  aria-selected={activeIndex === 0}
+                  style={flatten([
+                    a.w_full,
+                    a.py_lg,
+                    a.px_md,
+                    a.pointer,
+                    (profiles.length > 0 || isFetching) && a.border_b,
+                    t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
+                    activeIndex === 0 && t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
+                  ])}
+                  {...getItemProps({
+                    onClick() {
+                      navigateToSearch()
+                    },
+                  })}>
+                  <Text style={[a.text_sm, a.leading_snug]}>
+                    {_(msg`Search for "${deferredQuery}"`)}
+                  </Text>
+                </div>
+
+                {/* Loading state */}
+                {isFetching && !profiles.length ? (
+                  <View style={[a.p_xl, a.align_center]}>
+                    <Loader size="md" />
                   </View>
                 ) : (
-                  autocompleteData?.map(item => (
-                    <SearchProfileCard
-                      key={item.did}
-                      profile={item}
-                      moderationOpts={moderationOpts}
-                      onPress={onSearchProfileCardPress}
-                    />
-                  ))
+                  profiles.map((profile, i) => {
+                    const itemIndex = 1 + i
+                    return (
+                      <div
+                        key={profile.did}
+                        ref={node => {
+                          listRef.current[itemIndex] = node
+                        }}
+                        id={`${listboxId}-option-${itemIndex}`}
+                        role="option"
+                        aria-selected={activeIndex === itemIndex}
+                        aria-label={_(msg`View ${profile.handle}'s profile`)}
+                        style={flatten([
+                          a.flex,
+                          a.flex_col,
+                          {paddingLeft: 6, paddingRight: 6},
+                          a.px_sm,
+                          a.pointer,
+                          activeIndex === itemIndex && t.atoms.bg_contrast_25,
+                        ])}
+                        {...getItemProps({
+                          onClick() {
+                            navigateToProfile(i)
+                          },
+                        })}>
+                        <ProfileCard.Outer>
+                          <ProfileCard.Header>
+                            <ProfileCard.Avatar
+                              profile={profile}
+                              moderationOpts={moderationOpts}
+                            />
+                            <ProfileCard.NameAndHandle
+                              profile={profile}
+                              moderationOpts={moderationOpts}
+                            />
+                          </ProfileCard.Header>
+                        </ProfileCard.Outer>
+                      </div>
+                    )
+                  })
                 )}
               </>
             )}