diff --git a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandler.mm b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandler.mm
index 6f14b1ee89..5802b23914 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandler.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandler.mm
@@ -422,6 +422,16 @@ - (void)handleGesture:(UIGestureRecognizer *)recognizer
 
   _state = [self recognizerState];
 
+  // When the state manager activates a handler it dispatches ACTIVE itself and sets the recognizer's
+  // state to Began so that UIKit keeps driving it. UIKit delivers the action for that
+  // programmatic transition asynchronously, so this method runs later with the recognizer in Began
+  // while ACTIVE has already been sent. `sendEventsInState:` drops that stale event, but by then
+  // `_state` (which touch events report) would have been overwritten. Keep the handler active instead.
+  if (!fromReset && _state == RNGestureHandlerStateBegan && _lastState == RNGestureHandlerStateActive) {
+    _state = RNGestureHandlerStateActive;
+    return;
+  }
+
   // From iOS 26.0 when recognizers are reset, their state is also changed to UIGestureRecognizerStatePossible.
   // This means that our logic that relies on sending events in `reset` methods doesn't work properly. The bug that
   // `onFinalize` was not send after `onBegin` happened because both recognizer states, `Began` and `Possible`, are
diff --git a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandlerModule.mm b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandlerModule.mm
index f605dffdd5..23ac909c1c 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandlerModule.mm
+++ b/packages/react-native-gesture-handler/apple/RNGestureHandlerModule.mm
@@ -245,12 +245,18 @@ - (void)setGestureStateSync:(int)state forHandler:(int)handlerTag
     } else if (state == 3) { // CANCELLED
       handler.recognizer.state = RNGHGestureRecognizerStateCancelled;
     } else if (state == 4) { // ACTIVE
-      // We don't allow activation of gestures which haven't received any touches
-      if (handler.lastState == RNGestureHandlerStateUndetermined) {
+      if (handler.lastState == RNGestureHandlerStateUndetermined && handler.pointerTracker.trackedPointersCount > 0) {
+        [handler handleGesture:handler.recognizer inState:RNGestureHandlerStateBegan fromManualStateChange:YES];
+      }
+
+      if (handler.lastState != RNGestureHandlerStateBegan) {
         return;
       }
+
       [handler stopActivationBlocker];
       handler.recognizer.state = RNGHGestureRecognizerStateBegan;
+      // Don't wait for the next touch move to report ACTIVE.
+      [handler handleGesture:handler.recognizer inState:RNGestureHandlerStateActive fromManualStateChange:YES];
     } else if (state == 5) { // ENDED
       handler.recognizer.state = RNGHGestureRecognizerStateEnded;
     }