diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
index ace9a27..c0a66dd 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/ContentView.swift
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ struct ContentView: View {
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.compositor) private var compositor = 0
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.gamepadType) private var gamepadType = 0
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.bitrateKbps) private var bitrateKbps = 0
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.fullscreenWhileStreaming) private var fullscreenWhileStreaming = true
     @State private var showAddHost = false
     @State private var pairingTarget: StoredHost?
     @State private var speedTestTarget: StoredHost?
@@ -58,6 +59,11 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             }
         }
         .onDisappear { model.disconnect() } // window closed mid-session (Cmd+N spawns more)
+        #if os(macOS)
+        // Fullscreen only while a session is up (incl. the trust prompt over the blurred stream),
+        // windowed on the host list — so the picker isn't forced fullscreen. Opt-out in Settings.
+        .background(FullscreenController(active: fullscreenWhileStreaming && model.connection != nil))
+        #endif
         // On the outer Group so the sheet survives the trust-prompt → home transition
         // (the "Pair with PIN instead" path disconnects first — the host's accept loop
         // is sequential, a pairing connection would queue behind the live session).
@@ -287,3 +293,24 @@ struct ContentView: View {
             autoTrust: true)
     }
 }
+
+#if os(macOS)
+/// Drives the hosting window in/out of native fullscreen from SwiftUI state. Mounted invisibly in
+/// the view tree; on each `active` change it captures the window and toggles fullscreen only when
+/// the current state differs (so it never fights a toggle already in flight, and never touches a
+/// window the user fullscreened manually unless `active` says otherwise).
+private struct FullscreenController: NSViewRepresentable {
+    let active: Bool
+
+    func makeNSView(context: Context) -> NSView { NSView() }
+
+    func updateNSView(_ view: NSView, context: Context) {
+        let want = active
+        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+            guard let window = view.window else { return }
+            let isFull = window.styleMask.contains(.fullScreen)
+            if want != isFull { window.toggleFullScreen(nil) }
+        }
+    }
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SettingsView.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SettingsView.swift
index 9f0bac9..02a48bb 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SettingsView.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkClient/SettingsView.swift
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.presenter) private var presenter = "stage1"
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.cursorMode) private var cursorMode = "auto"
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.libraryEnabled) private var libraryEnabled = false
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.fullscreenWhileStreaming) private var fullscreenWhileStreaming = true
     @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.micEnabled) private var micEnabled = true
     @ObservedObject private var gamepads = GamepadManager.shared
     #if os(macOS)
@@ -374,6 +375,16 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
                     .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
             }
             #if os(macOS)
+            Section {
+                Toggle("Fullscreen while streaming", isOn: $fullscreenWhileStreaming)
+            } header: {
+                Text("Window")
+            } footer: {
+                Text("Take the window fullscreen when a session starts and restore it on the host "
+                    + "list, so only the stream is fullscreen — not the picker.")
+                    .font(.caption)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+            }
             Section {
                 Picker("Cursor in stream", selection: $cursorMode) {
                     Text("Auto (gamescope)").tag("auto")
diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/DefaultsKeys.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/DefaultsKeys.swift
index ee3115a..96774cb 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/DefaultsKeys.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/DefaultsKeys.swift
@@ -24,4 +24,6 @@ public enum DefaultsKey {
     public static let cursorMode = "punktfunk.cursorMode"
     /// Experimental: show the host's game library (browsed over the management API). Off by default.
     public static let libraryEnabled = "punktfunk.libraryEnabled"
+    /// macOS: take the window fullscreen while streaming and restore it on the host list. On by default.
+    public static let fullscreenWhileStreaming = "punktfunk.fullscreenWhileStreaming"
 }
diff --git a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/GamepadCapture.swift b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/GamepadCapture.swift
index f87912f..a9f9a63 100644
--- a/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/GamepadCapture.swift
+++ b/clients/apple/Sources/PunktfunkKit/GamepadCapture.swift
@@ -169,6 +169,15 @@ public final class GamepadCapture {
         ext.valueChangedHandler = { [weak self] g, _ in
             MainActor.assumeIsolated { self?.sync(g) }
         }
+        // The Home/PS button (→ guide; the host maps it to the DualSense PS / Xbox guide bit) does
+        // NOT reliably fire the gamepad's valueChangedHandler on macOS, so its presses were dropped.
+        // A dedicated handler re-syncs on every Home transition.
+        ext.buttonHome?.pressedChangedHandler = { [weak self] _, _, _ in
+            MainActor.assumeIsolated {
+                guard let self, let g = self.bound?.extendedGamepad else { return }
+                self.sync(g)
+            }
+        }
         // Wake the host pad immediately (pads are created lazily from the first event;
         // a DualSense's UHID handshake + initial lightbar write only start then).
         connection.send(.gamepadAxis(GamepadWire.axisLSX, value: 0, pad: 0))