Developer shares how to build a native-feeling six-box OTP code input

A DEV Community tutorial describes common usability problems with six-box one-time code inputs, such as paste landing only in the first box and backspace failing on empty cells. The author explains that their component treats the code as a single digit string that the six inputs merely display, so typing, pasting, and iOS autofill all update the same value. Key behaviors include moving focus to the first empty cell, replacing digits in filled cells, stripping non-digit characters from pasted codes, and shaking the field with a reset on an incorrect code. The article also covers accessibility attributes such as inputMode, autoComplete set to one-time-code on the first cell, and ARIA labels for screen readers. Code excerpts from the shipped React component illustrate the approach.