diff --git a/core/java/android/view/ImeFocusController.java b/core/java/android/view/ImeFocusController.java
index 1afd048c1623d..4e162f58b69e0 100644
--- a/core/java/android/view/ImeFocusController.java
+++ b/core/java/android/view/ImeFocusController.java
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@ import android.util.proto.ProtoOutputStream;
 import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
 
 import com.android.internal.inputmethod.InputMethodDebug;
-import com.android.internal.inputmethod.StartInputFlags;
-import com.android.internal.inputmethod.StartInputReason;
 
 /**
  * Responsible for IME focus handling inside {@link ViewRootImpl}.
@@ -189,13 +187,6 @@ public final class ImeFocusController {
      * @hide
      */
     public interface InputMethodManagerDelegate {
-        /**
-         * Starts the input connection.
-         */
-        boolean startInput(@StartInputReason int startInputReason, View focusedView,
-                @StartInputFlags int startInputFlags,
-                @WindowManager.LayoutParams.SoftInputModeFlags int softInputMode, int windowFlags);
-
         void onPostWindowFocus(View viewForWindowFocus,
                 @NonNull WindowManager.LayoutParams windowAttribute);
         void onViewFocusChanged(@NonNull View view, boolean hasFocus);
diff --git a/core/java/android/view/inputmethod/InputMethodManager.java b/core/java/android/view/inputmethod/InputMethodManager.java
index 08a7583a80e9f..2e8ee77f43f28 100644
--- a/core/java/android/view/inputmethod/InputMethodManager.java
+++ b/core/java/android/view/inputmethod/InputMethodManager.java
@@ -737,11 +737,8 @@ public final class InputMethodManager {
 
     private final class DelegateImpl implements
             ImeFocusController.InputMethodManagerDelegate {
-        /**
-         * Used by {@link ImeFocusController} to start input connection.
-         */
-        @Override
-        public boolean startInput(@StartInputReason int startInputReason, View focusedView,
+
+        private boolean startInput(@StartInputReason int startInputReason, View focusedView,
                 @StartInputFlags int startInputFlags, @SoftInputModeFlags int softInputMode,
                 int windowFlags) {
             ImeTracing.getInstance().triggerClientDump(