diff --git a/aztec/src/main/kotlin/org/wordpress/aztec/AztecText.kt b/aztec/src/main/kotlin/org/wordpress/aztec/AztecText.kt
index a5d97bfec..cc4e30682 100644
--- a/aztec/src/main/kotlin/org/wordpress/aztec/AztecText.kt
+++ b/aztec/src/main/kotlin/org/wordpress/aztec/AztecText.kt
@@ -1501,22 +1501,38 @@ open class AztecText : AppCompatEditText, TextWatcher, UnknownHtmlSpan.OnUnknown
     }
 
     open fun fromHtml(source: String, isInit: Boolean = true) {
-        val builder = SpannableStringBuilder()
-        val parser = AztecParser(alignmentRendering, plugins)
+        val builder = getBuilderFromHtml(source)
+        setupCursorPosition(builder)
+        calculateSha(isInit)
+        loadMedia()
+    }
 
-        var cleanSource = CleaningUtils.cleanNestedBoldTags(source)
-        cleanSource = Format.removeSourceEditorFormatting(cleanSource, isInCalypsoMode, isInGutenbergMode)
-        builder.append(parser.fromHtml(cleanSource, context, shouldSkipTidying(), shouldIgnoreWhitespace()))
+    open suspend fun fromHtmlAsync(source: String, isInit: Boolean = true) = withContext(Dispatchers.Default) {
+        val builder = getBuilderFromHtml(source)
+        withContext(Dispatchers.Main) {
+            setupCursorPosition(builder)
+        }
 
-        Format.preProcessSpannedText(builder, isInCalypsoMode)
+        calculateSha(isInit)
+        loadMedia()
+    }
 
-        switchToAztecStyle(builder, 0, builder.length)
-        disableTextChangedListener()
+    private fun loadMedia() {
+        loadImages()
+        loadVideos()
+        mediaCallback?.mediaLoadingStarted()
+    }
 
-        builder.getSpans(0, builder.length, AztecDynamicImageSpan::class.java).forEach {
-            it.textView = WeakReference(this)
+    private fun calculateSha(isInit: Boolean) {
+        if (isInit) {
+            initialEditorContentParsedSHA256 = calculateInitialHTMLSHA(
+                toPlainHtml(false),
+                initialEditorContentParsedSHA256
+            )
         }
+    }
 
+    private fun setupCursorPosition(builder: SpannableStringBuilder) {
         val cursorPosition = consumeCursorPosition(builder)
         setSelection(0)
 
@@ -1524,14 +1540,36 @@ open class AztecText : AppCompatEditText, TextWatcher, UnknownHtmlSpan.OnUnknown
         enableTextChangedListener()
 
         setSelection(cursorPosition)
+    }
 
-        if (isInit) {
-            initialEditorContentParsedSHA256 = calculateInitialHTMLSHA(toPlainHtml(false), initialEditorContentParsedSHA256)
-        }
+    private fun getBuilderFromHtml(source: String): SpannableStringBuilder {
+        val builder = SpannableStringBuilder()
+        val parser = AztecParser(alignmentRendering, plugins)
 
-        loadImages()
-        loadVideos()
-        mediaCallback?.mediaLoadingStarted()
+        var cleanSource = CleaningUtils.cleanNestedBoldTags(source)
+        cleanSource = Format.removeSourceEditorFormatting(
+            cleanSource,
+            isInCalypsoMode,
+            isInGutenbergMode
+        )
+        builder.append(
+            parser.fromHtml(
+                cleanSource,
+                context,
+                shouldSkipTidying(),
+                shouldIgnoreWhitespace()
+            )
+        )
+
+        Format.preProcessSpannedText(builder, isInCalypsoMode)
+
+        switchToAztecStyle(builder, 0, builder.length)
+        disableTextChangedListener()
+
+        builder.getSpans(0, builder.length, AztecDynamicImageSpan::class.java).forEach {
+            it.textView = WeakReference(this)
+        }
+        return builder
     }
 
     private fun loadImages() {
diff --git a/media-placeholders/src/main/java/org/wordpress/aztec/placeholders/PlaceholderManager.kt b/media-placeholders/src/main/java/org/wordpress/aztec/placeholders/PlaceholderManager.kt
index c4898c100..ff95be985 100644
--- a/media-placeholders/src/main/java/org/wordpress/aztec/placeholders/PlaceholderManager.kt
+++ b/media-placeholders/src/main/java/org/wordpress/aztec/placeholders/PlaceholderManager.kt
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.Mutex
 import kotlinx.coroutines.sync.withLock
+import kotlinx.coroutines.withContext
 import org.wordpress.aztec.AztecAttributes
 import org.wordpress.aztec.AztecContentChangeWatcher
 import org.wordpress.aztec.AztecText
@@ -519,7 +520,7 @@ class PlaceholderManager(
         }
     }
 
-    private suspend fun clearAllViews() {
+    private suspend fun clearAllViews() = withContext(Dispatchers.Main){
         positionToIdMutex.withLock {
             for (placeholder in positionToId) {
                 container.findViewWithTag<View>(placeholder.uuid)?.let {
@@ -664,7 +665,7 @@ class PlaceholderManager(
     }
 
     override fun beforeHtmlProcessed(source: String): String {
-        runBlocking {
+        launch {
             clearAllViews()
         }
         return source
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index ed67ef1fb..811816072 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 pluginManagement {
     gradle.ext.kotlinVersion = '1.6.10'
-    gradle.ext.agpVersion = '8.1.0'
+    gradle.ext.agpVersion = '8.1.2'
     gradle.ext.automatticPublishToS3Version = '0.8.0'
 
     plugins {