# When I create a new message, the focus should be on the recipient field, not the subject **URL:** \ **Category:** UX\ **Created:** [2016年七月22日 02:07 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626 "2016-07-22T02:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![barryvan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/barryvan/32/82635_2.png) [@barryvan](https://meta.discourse.org/u/barryvan)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 02:07 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/1 "2016-07-22T02:07:43Z")
When I go to my messages and click the “new message” button, focus is automatically placed in the “subject” field. This means that to set the recipient, I have to backtrack with shifttab or the mouse. The alternative might be to move the recipients below the subject, but I think that’d be worse – it’s antithetical to the way every other messaging system works. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 02:11 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/2 "2016-07-22T02:11:47Z")
In this specific case (compared with clicking the Message button on a user’s card which indicates you want to talk to _that person_) that makes sense – the message is open ended, it could be to “anyone”. ---
**Author:** ![barryvan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/barryvan/32/82635_2.png) [@barryvan](https://meta.discourse.org/u/barryvan)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 02:14 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/3 "2016-07-22T02:14:37Z")
Yep, that’s exactly right. I’m using private messaging a fair bit at present to help get things organised and sorted on our new forums, so I’m doing it from my personal messages hub, rather than off the back of posts etc. ---
**Author:** ![codinghorror](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/codinghorror/32/110067_2.png) [@codinghorror](https://meta.discourse.org/u/codinghorror)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 02:17 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/4 "2016-07-22T02:17:30Z")
Sure @eviltrout perhaps you can take a look, this might be easy. Conditional focus based on how the message was initiated. The odds that you want to talk to yourself.. are low. Usually. Specifically any time “yourself” would be the message target, focus the to: field instead. Not on touch though I guess because that will pop keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![eviltrout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/eviltrout/32/5275_2.png) [@eviltrout](https://meta.discourse.org/u/eviltrout)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 17:56 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/5 "2016-07-22T17:56:55Z")
This wasn’t too hard to change: [https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/c28dd826fec5ba6963cd0dc64e1efb745079a5dd](https://github.com/discourse/discourse/commit/c28dd826fec5ba6963cd0dc64e1efb745079a5dd) ---
**Author:** ![eviltrout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/eviltrout/32/5275_2.png) [@eviltrout](https://meta.discourse.org/u/eviltrout)\ **Post date:** [2016年七月22日 17:57 UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/when-i-create-a-new-message-the-focus-should-be-on-the-recipient-field-not-the-subject/47626/6 "2016-07-22T17:57:07Z")