fix(vdisplay/kwin): the streamed output declares it mirrors nothing, so a stored replicationSource can't clone a panel into the stream

KWin stores output configuration per *setup* — the exact set of connected outputs, matched by EDID/connector — in `kwinoutputconfig.json`, and `replicationSource` is one of the fields it saves and restores (`OutputConfigurationStore::storeConfig` / `setupToConfig`). Our virtual output carries a STABLE name on purpose, so once any setup has an entry making `Virtual-punktfunk` a mirror of a physical head, KWin re-applies it to OUR output on every session that reproduces that same monitor set — and only that set, which is why the failure looks environment-dependent: a field report has the stream cloning the panel whenever exactly one monitor is live, and behaving normally the moment the others come back (a different setup key, a different stored entry). A mirroring output is not a desktop. KWin's `applyMirroring` overrides its scale and render offset to the source's, so the stream carries the physical screen's viewport at the physical screen's size instead of the mode the client negotiated. The protocol says the rest out loud on `priority`: "an output may not be in the output order if it's disabled or mirroring another screen" — so the primary assertion this module works so hard to verify silently stops meaning anything too. Nothing we sent ever contradicted the stored value. The topology config enabled our output, took priority 1 and disabled the others, but never stated the one property that decides whether the thing is its own screen. Now it does: `set_replication_source(ours, "")` rides along in the config we already build (free, idempotent — an empty source is exactly what KWin resolves to "mirrors nothing"), gated on management v13 where the request appeared, since wayland-rs does not range-check requests and an out-of-range opcode would kill the connection. `extend`/`auto` issue no topology calls by design — the streamed output is meant to join the desk without rearranging it — but a mirror is not an arrangement, it is a broken source under every topology. So they get `clear_replication_source`, which enumerates and applies ONLY when our output really is mirroring. The device's `replication_source` event is now read, so the state is visible: a mirrored streamed output names its source in a warn instead of leaving "the stream just shows my monitor" as something only the reporter can see. Verified on 192.168.1.25 (Ubuntu, cargo 1.96): `cargo test -p pf-vdisplay` 128 pass (7 in `kwin_output_mgmt`), `cargo clippy -p pf-vdisplay --all-targets --locked -D warnings` clean, `scripts/xcheck.sh linux` clean, fmt clean. NOT yet on-glass — no KDE box here reproduces a stored mirror; the reporter's setup is the real test. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 5 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
fix(client/decode): AV1 hardware decode stops silently opening libdav1d
2026-08-02 11:55:34 +02:00 · 2026-08-02 09:54:43 +02:00 · 2026-08-02 09:53:36 +02:00 · 2026-08-02 09:53:36 +02:00 · 2026-08-02 09:53:36 +02:00 · 2026-08-02 09:53:29 +02:00
471 changed files with 39755 additions and 13320 deletions
@@ -0,0 +1,95 @@
+# Move a versionCode that is ALREADY on Google Play between tracks — no rebuild.
+#
+# Why this is separate from android.yml: promotion must not rebuild. A rebuild produces a fresh
+# versionCode (github.run_number) from possibly-newer sources, so it ships something nobody tested;
+# promoting assigns the byte-identical artifact the testers already ran. Bolting this onto
+# android.yml would mean an `if:` on all ten of its build steps.
+#
+# What it is for:
+#   * promote a tested build up a track (alpha -> production)
+#   * roll production back by re-pointing it at an older versionCode (to_track=production,
+#     version_code=<the good one>, from_track blank)
+#   * halt a rollout (status=halted)
+#
+# Defaults are deliberately the safe ones: dry_run starts TRUE, so a mis-typed versionCode
+# validates and deletes the edit instead of publishing. Flip it to false only when the dry run
+# printed what you meant.
+name: android-promote
+
+# Two concurrent promotions would race on the same Play edit; the loser fails with a stale-edit
+# error. One at a time, and never cancel one mid-flight — a half-applied track change is worse
+# than a queued one.
+concurrency:
+  group: android-promote
+  cancel-in-progress: false
+
+on:
+  workflow_dispatch:
+    inputs:
+      version_code:
+        description: 'versionCode already on Play (e.g. 10816)'
+        required: true
+      to_track:
+        description: 'destination track'
+        required: true
+        default: 'production'
+      from_track:
+        description: 'track to verify it is on, then clear (blank = touch nothing else)'
+        required: false
+        default: 'alpha'
+      notes_tag:
+        description: "tag whose docs/releases/whatsnew/<tag>.txt to attach, e.g. v0.23.0 (blank = none)"
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+      status:
+        description: 'completed (100%) | inProgress (needs user_fraction) | halted | draft'
+        required: true
+        default: 'completed'
+      user_fraction:
+        description: 'staged rollout fraction for inProgress, e.g. 0.2 (blank otherwise)'
+        required: false
+        default: ''
+      dry_run:
+        description: 'validate only, publish nothing'
+        required: true
+        default: 'true'
+
+jobs:
+  promote:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    # Same image as android.yml purely for python3 + openssl (play-upload.py's only deps); it is
+    # already warm on the runner. Nothing here builds.
+    container:
+      image: 192.168.1.58:5010/punktfunk-android-ci:latest
+    timeout-minutes: 15
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Promote
+        env:
+          SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON: ${{ secrets.SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON }}
+          VERSION_CODE: ${{ inputs.version_code }}
+          TO_TRACK: ${{ inputs.to_track }}
+          FROM_TRACK: ${{ inputs.from_track }}
+          NOTES_TAG: ${{ inputs.notes_tag }}
+          STATUS: ${{ inputs.status }}
+          USER_FRACTION: ${{ inputs.user_fraction }}
+          DRY_RUN: ${{ inputs.dry_run }}
+        run: |
+          set -- --package io.unom.punktfunk \
+                 --promote "$VERSION_CODE" \
+                 --track "$TO_TRACK" --status "$STATUS"
+          # Explicit `if`, not `[ ] && …`: under `sh -e` a false AND-OR list that ends up LAST in
+          # the script aborts the step, and these get reordered.
+          if [ -n "$FROM_TRACK" ]; then set -- "$@" --promote-from "$FROM_TRACK"; fi
+          if [ -n "$USER_FRACTION" ]; then set -- "$@" --user-fraction "$USER_FRACTION"; fi
+          if [ -n "$NOTES_TAG" ]; then
+            NOTES="docs/releases/whatsnew/${NOTES_TAG}.txt"
+            # Fail loudly rather than silently publishing with the PREVIOUS release's text still
+            # showing on the store listing.
+            [ -f "$NOTES" ] || { echo "ERROR: no such notes file: $NOTES"; exit 1; }
+            set -- "$@" --release-notes-file "$NOTES"
+          fi
+          if [ "$DRY_RUN" = "true" ]; then set -- "$@" --no-commit; fi
+          echo "promoting versionCode=$VERSION_CODE -> $TO_TRACK (dry_run=$DRY_RUN)"
+          python3 clients/android/ci/play-upload.py "$@"
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ on:
      - 'rust-toolchain.toml'
      - 'scripts/ci/**'
      - '.gitea/workflows/android.yml'
-    # Single project version: a `vX.Y.Z` tag is THE release (uploads to Play's `alpha` closed
-    # track for manual promotion + attaches the .aab/.apk to the unified Gitea Release). A main
-    # push is canary (Play `internal`).
+    # Single project version: a `vX.Y.Z` tag is THE release (publishes to Play `production` at
+    # 100% + attaches the .aab/.apk to the unified Gitea Release). A main push is canary
+    # (Play `internal`). Production access was granted 2026-08-01; before that a tag could only
+    # reach `alpha` and someone had to promote it by hand in the Console.
    tags: ['v*']
  pull_request:
    paths:
@@ -75,6 +76,56 @@ jobs:
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

+      # FIRST, because it costs a second and everything after it costs ten minutes.
+      #
+      # A release tag MUST carry its own Play "What's new". If the file is absent Play does not
+      # show nothing — it carries the PREVIOUS release's text onto this version, so production
+      # users read notes for a build they are not getting. That is the same defect the v0.22.3
+      # notes shipped (see docs/releases/README.md), and it is invisible until someone reads the
+      # store listing. Failing here also means a missing file cannot leave a half-published
+      # release: nothing is built, nothing is attached to the Gitea release, nothing reaches Play.
+      #
+      # Canary is exempt on purpose: it has no curated notes, and Play reusing text for internal
+      # testers costs nothing.
+      - name: Play release notes gate (tags only)
+        if: startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
+        run: |
+          NOTES="docs/releases/whatsnew/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}.txt"
+          if [ ! -f "$NOTES" ]; then
+            echo "ERROR: $NOTES does not exist."
+            echo "A production release needs its own Play 'What's new' (<=500 chars, written for"
+            echo "phone/TV users). Without it Play reuses the previous release's text."
+            echo "See docs/releases/README.md; copy docs/releases/whatsnew/TEMPLATE.txt."
+            exit 1
+          fi
+          # A verbatim copy of another release's file is the same bug wearing a hat: the store
+          # listing still describes the wrong build. Cheap to check, and only ever trips on an
+          # actual copy-paste that was never edited.
+          for other in docs/releases/whatsnew/*.txt; do
+            if [ "$other" != "$NOTES" ] && [ "$other" != "docs/releases/whatsnew/TEMPLATE.txt" ]; then
+              if cmp -s "$NOTES" "$other"; then
+                echo "ERROR: $NOTES is byte-identical to $other."
+                echo "Write notes describing THIS release, not the one before it."
+                exit 1
+              fi
+            fi
+          done
+          # Length is checked here as well as in play-upload.py. Not redundant: the uploader is
+          # the last line of defence (and the only one android-promote.yml gets), but it runs at
+          # step 9 — this catches an unedited TEMPLATE copy at step 1 instead of after the build.
+          # Must count CHARACTERS, not bytes: Play's cap is 500 chars and `•` is 3 bytes in UTF-8,
+          # so `wc -c` would reject a file that is comfortably legal.
+          python3 - "$NOTES" <<'PY'
+          import sys
+          path = sys.argv[1]
+          text = open(path, encoding="utf-8").read().strip()
+          if not text:
+              sys.exit(f"ERROR: {path} is empty.")
+          if len(text) > 500:
+              sys.exit(f"ERROR: {path} is {len(text)} chars; Play allows 500. Trim it.")
+          print(f"Play release notes OK: {path} ({len(text)}/500 chars)")
+          PY
+
      # Everything below the checkout used to be four download steps (JDK, SDK,
      # NDK+CMake, cargo-ndk — the flakiest, heaviest part of the job); it is all baked
      # into the image now. This guard only re-asserts the Android targets so a
@@ -122,11 +173,20 @@ jobs:
        run: |
          eval "$(bash scripts/ci/pf-version.sh)"   # -> PF_BASE (one minor ahead of the latest stable tag)
          case "$GITHUB_REF" in
-            refs/tags/v*) VN="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"; TRACK="alpha" ;;   # alpha = built-in closed testing
+            refs/tags/v*) VN="${GITHUB_REF_NAME#v}"; TRACK="production" ;;
            *)            VN="${PF_BASE}-ci${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}"; TRACK="internal" ;;
          esac
          echo "VERSION_NAME=$VN" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
          echo "PLAY_TRACK=$TRACK" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          # Play's own "What's new" (500-char cap, its own file — the vX.Y.Z.md body is ~34 KB).
+          # On a tag the gate step above already proved this exists, so the else branch is only
+          # ever the canary path. See docs/releases/README.md.
+          NOTES="docs/releases/whatsnew/${GITHUB_REF_NAME}.txt"
+          if [ -f "$NOTES" ]; then
+            echo "PLAY_NOTES=$NOTES" >> "$GITHUB_ENV"
+          else
+            echo "no Play release notes at $NOTES (canary — Play keeps the previous text)"
+          fi
          echo "android version $VN -> Play track '$TRACK'"

      - name: Build Release (signed AAB + universal APK)
@@ -199,15 +259,21 @@ jobs:
      # Direct Publishing-API upload instead of r0adkll/upload-google-play — that action hides the
      # real API error behind "Unknown error occurred."; this prints it. stdlib + openssl only (no
      # pip), reuses SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON (raw JSON or base64), auto-handles changesNotSentForReview.
-      # Track: canary main -> `internal`; a vX.Y.Z release -> `alpha` (closed testing) for manual
-      # promotion to production in the Play console.
+      # Track: canary main -> `internal`; a vX.Y.Z release -> `production` at 100% (`completed`).
+      #
+      # A tag therefore ships to real users with no further click. Two things keep that honest:
+      # the tag is only pushed once every platform is green, and Play reviews each production
+      # release before it reaches anyone. To ramp instead of going straight to 100%, this is
+      # `--status inProgress --user-fraction 0.2`; to undo a bad one, halt or roll back from the
+      # Console (or `android-promote.yml`, which can re-point production at an older versionCode).
      - name: Upload to Google Play
        if: github.event_name == 'push' && (github.ref == 'refs/heads/main' || startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v'))
        env:
          SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON: ${{ secrets.SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON }}
        run: |
          echo "uploading to Play track '$PLAY_TRACK'"
-          python3 clients/android/ci/play-upload.py \
-            --package io.unom.punktfunk \
-            --aab clients/android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab \
-            --track "$PLAY_TRACK" --status completed
+          set -- --package io.unom.punktfunk \
+                 --aab clients/android/app/build/outputs/bundle/release/app-release.aab \
+                 --track "$PLAY_TRACK" --status completed
+          if [ -n "${PLAY_NOTES:-}" ]; then set -- "$@" --release-notes-file "$PLAY_NOTES"; fi
+          python3 clients/android/ci/play-upload.py "$@"
@@ -31,6 +31,37 @@ jobs:
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v4

+      # Publish the SIGNED stable update manifest — the moment every host's update check learns
+      # about this release (planning: host-update-from-web-console.md §3.3). Deliberately here in
+      # announce, not on the tag: the manual "fleet is green, go" gate doubles as the gate for the
+      # fleet-wide "update available". Fails the announce loudly if the key is missing (fail-closed)
+      # or the installer's live bytes don't match their .sha256 sidecar. Pre-release tags are
+      # ALWAYS skipped — an -rc must never enter the stable feed, even with allow_prerelease.
+      - name: Publish the stable update manifest
+        env:
+          REGISTRY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+          UPDATE_MANIFEST_KEY: ${{ secrets.UPDATE_MANIFEST_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          TAG="${{ inputs.tag }}"
+          case "$TAG" in
+            *-*) echo "pre-release tag $TAG — not publishing to the stable update feed"; exit 0 ;;
+          esac
+          VER="${TAG#v}"
+          URL="https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/releases/download/${TAG}/punktfunk-host-setup-${VER}.exe"
+          # Re-download and re-hash the real bytes; the sidecar is a cross-check, never the truth.
+          curl -fsSL "$URL" -o /tmp/installer.exe
+          curl -fsSL "$URL.sha256" -o /tmp/installer.sha256
+          SHA="$(sha256sum /tmp/installer.exe | awk '{print $1}')"
+          grep -qi "$SHA" /tmp/installer.sha256 || {
+            echo "ERROR: installer sha256 $SHA does not match the release's .sha256 sidecar" >&2
+            exit 1
+          }
+          CHANNEL=stable VERSION="$VER" REQUIRE_KEY=1 \
+            WINDOWS_URL="$URL" WINDOWS_SHA256="$SHA" \
+            NOTES_URL="https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/releases/tag/${TAG}" \
+            bash scripts/ci/publish-update-manifest.sh
+
      - name: Post release announcement to Discord
        env:
          GITEA_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
@@ -210,6 +210,13 @@ jobs:
            rm -rf dist-gamescope   # never cache a failed build (an empty path is not saved)
          fi

+      # NOTE deliberately NO sysext image is built or published here: a prebuilt HOST binary on
+      # SteamOS breaks on the next A/B soname bump (and /var — where sysexts live — is
+      # per-partition-set), which is the standing packaging verdict behind the on-device
+      # distrobox build (scripts/steamdeck/, see scripts/steamdeck/README.md). That flow builds
+      # its own HDR gamescope too. packaging/arch/build-sysext.sh remains a by-hand tool for the
+      # Deck CLIENT image and for operators who accept the prebuilt-host trade-off.
+
      - name: Publish to the Gitea Arch registry
        env:
          TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
@@ -147,15 +147,16 @@ jobs:
          PUNKTFUNK_BUILD_VERSION: ${{ env.VERSION }}   # stamped into the binaries (build.rs)
        run: |
          git config --global --add safe.directory "$PWD"
-          # THREE binaries ship in the client .deb, so all three are built here: the GTK shell,
-          # punktfunk-client-session (the Vulkan/Skia streamer the shell execs for a connect), and
-          # punktfunk-cli (the headless `punktfunk` front-end). build-client-deb.sh installs all
-          # three; leaving punktfunk-cli out here made it fall over on `install: No such file or
+          # FOUR binaries ship in the client .deb, so all four are built here: the GTK shell,
+          # punktfunk-client-session (the Vulkan/Skia streamer the shell execs for a connect),
+          # punktfunk-cli (the headless `punktfunk` front-end), and pf-update (the root helper
+          # behind `punktfunk-client --apply-update`). build-client-deb.sh installs all four;
+          # leaving punktfunk-cli out here made it fall over on `install: No such file or
          # directory`, because its build-if-missing guard only tested the first two and so decided
          # everything was already built. The HOST is built separately in the build-publish-host
          # job (Ubuntu 24.04 image + bundled FFmpeg 8).
          cargo build --release --locked \
-            -p punktfunk-client-linux -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli
+            -p punktfunk-client-linux -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli -p pf-update

      - name: Build + smoke-boot web console (bun preset)
        # Gate the .deb on a real bun boot: the punktfunk-web .deb runs the Nitro `bun` preset
@@ -348,6 +348,21 @@ jobs:
          Stop-Process -Id $p.Id -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
          Write-Output "web console smoke (bun): /login -> $code"
          if ($code -ne 200) { throw "web console failed to boot under bun" }
+
+      # WEB_OUTPUT_DIR has to be exported whether or not the step above ran. It used to be that step's
+      # last line, so a CACHE HIT skipped it and left the variable unset — and pack-host-installer.ps1
+      # treats an unset WEB_OUTPUT_DIR as "don't bundle the console", silently ("installer built
+      # WITHOUT the web console"). That shipped in 0.22.1 and 0.22.2: no {app}\web, so no web-run.cmd,
+      # so `web setup` bails, so no PunktfunkWeb task and no console at all. It also removed the only
+      # thing that stopped bun before the copy (StopBunRuntimes was #ifdef WithWeb), while bun.exe kept
+      # shipping under WithScripting — which is the "DeleteFile failed; code 5" modal on bun.exe.
+      # The throw is the point: never silently ship a console-less installer again.
+      - name: Export the console output dir (cache hit or fresh build)
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          if (-not (Test-Path 'web\.output\server\index.mjs')) {
+            throw "web\.output is missing - neither the cache restore nor the build produced it, and the installer must not ship without the console"
+          }
          "WEB_OUTPUT_DIR=$((Resolve-Path 'web\.output').Path)" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append -Encoding utf8

      - name: Build plugin/script runner bundle (bun)
@@ -368,16 +383,40 @@ jobs:
          }
          "SCRIPTING_BUNDLE=C:\t\scripting\runner-cli.js" | Out-File -FilePath $env:GITHUB_ENV -Append -Encoding utf8

-      # The UMDF drivers build IN-TREE inside the pack step (a relocated CARGO_TARGET_DIR
-      # breaks wdk-build's manifest walk), and checkout's clean wipes that tree every run —
-      # ~1 min of rebuild for crates that rarely change. Cache the in-tree target; cargo's
-      # own fingerprints decide what's still fresh after a restore.
-      - name: Cache drivers workspace target (built in-tree by the pack step)
-        uses: actions/cache@v4
-        with:
-          path: packaging/windows/drivers/target
-          key: drivers-target-${{ hashFiles('packaging/windows/drivers/**', 'crates/pf-driver-proto/**') }}
-          restore-keys: drivers-target-
+      # NOT cached, and it must stay that way: the UMDF drivers build IN-TREE inside the pack
+      # step (a relocated CARGO_TARGET_DIR breaks wdk-build's manifest walk), and act rotates
+      # the job workspace path (~/.cache/act/<hash>/hostexecutor) between runs. A cargo target
+      # dir restored under a DIFFERENT absolute path brings state that points at the old one:
+      # measured 2026-07-30, `pf-umdf-util` died with 14 × "unable to create file lock (os
+      # error 3)" and took the whole job with it. ~1 min of rebuild is the correct price; the
+      # same rotation is why the other Windows jobs use a fixed C:\t instead of a cached
+      # workspace-relative target.
+      # Every payload this job is SUPPOSED to bundle, asserted before packing. The packer treats each
+      # one as optional — correct for a local debug pack, and the reason 0.22.1/0.22.2 shipped with no
+      # web console: an unset WEB_OUTPUT_DIR omitted it behind a single Write-Host. CI knows it bundles
+      # all of these, so here a missing input is a build failure rather than a quietly smaller
+      # installer. (pack-host-installer.ps1 already does this for VB-CABLE, for the same reason.)
+      - name: Verify every installer payload is present
+        shell: pwsh
+        run: |
+          $need = @(
+            @{ n = 'web console (WEB_OUTPUT_DIR)';    p = $env:WEB_OUTPUT_DIR;   f = 'server\index.mjs' }
+            @{ n = 'bun runtime (BUN_EXE)';           p = $env:BUN_EXE;          f = '' }
+            @{ n = 'plugin runner (SCRIPTING_BUNDLE)';p = $env:SCRIPTING_BUNDLE; f = '' }
+            @{ n = 'FFmpeg DLLs (FFMPEG_DIR\bin)';    p = $env:FFMPEG_DIR;       f = 'bin' }
+            @{ n = 'VB-CABLE (VBCABLE_DIR)';          p = $env:VBCABLE_DIR;      f = 'VBCABLE_Setup_x64.exe' }
+          )
+          $missing = @()
+          foreach ($x in $need) {
+            if (-not $x.p) { $missing += "$($x.n): env var not set"; continue }
+            $full = if ($x.f) { Join-Path $x.p $x.f } else { $x.p }
+            if (-not (Test-Path $full)) { $missing += "$($x.n): missing $full" }
+            else { Write-Output "payload OK - $($x.n) -> $full" }
+          }
+          if ($missing.Count) {
+            $missing | ForEach-Object { Write-Output "MISSING PAYLOAD - $_" }
+            throw "$($missing.Count) installer payload(s) missing - refusing to ship an incomplete installer"
+          }

      - name: Pack + sign installer
        shell: pwsh
@@ -463,6 +502,36 @@ jobs:
  # A separate Linux job, not another step in `package`: the deploy actions are Docker-based and do
  # not run on a Windows runner. `needs: package` also gives the ordering that matters — build-data
  # reads the manifests from the release, so it must not run before they are attached.
+  # Publish the SIGNED canary update manifest after the canary installer lands (planning:
+  # host-update-from-web-console.md §3.3 — canary rides this workflow because the installer is
+  # the only artifact the manifest references by URL; other canary channels may trail by minutes,
+  # which the per-PM apply path tolerates). A Linux job: the signer is bash+openssl. Skips (with
+  # a warning) when UPDATE_MANIFEST_KEY is absent — a canary build must not fail over it.
+  canary-manifest:
+    needs: package
+    if: gitea.ref == 'refs/heads/main'
+    runs-on: ubuntu-24.04
+    timeout-minutes: 10
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
+      - name: Publish the canary update manifest
+        env:
+          REGISTRY_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.REGISTRY_TOKEN }}
+          UPDATE_MANIFEST_KEY: ${{ secrets.UPDATE_MANIFEST_KEY }}
+        run: |
+          set -euo pipefail
+          # Same derivation the package job used: canary = <next-minor base>'s major.minor + run#.
+          eval "$(bash scripts/ci/pf-version.sh)"
+          VER="${PF_MAJOR}.${PF_MINOR}.${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}"
+          URL="https://${REGISTRY}/api/packages/${OWNER}/generic/${PKG}/${VER}/punktfunk-host-setup-${VER}.exe"
+          curl -fsSL "$URL" -o /tmp/installer.exe
+          SHA="$(sha256sum /tmp/installer.exe | awk '{print $1}')"
+          CHANNEL=canary VERSION="$VER" CI_RUN="${GITHUB_RUN_NUMBER}" \
+            WINDOWS_URL="$URL" WINDOWS_SHA256="$SHA" \
+            NOTES_URL="https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/releases" \
+            bash scripts/ci/publish-update-manifest.sh
+
  winget-source:
    needs: package
    if: startsWith(gitea.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
@@ -139,16 +139,20 @@ jobs:
      # Both client binaries. ARM64: no skia-binaries prebuilt for the target, so the session
      # drops its `ui` feature there (pf-console-ui excluded; --no-default-features is a no-op
      # for the shell, which has no features).
+      # punktfunk-cli is in every gate: windows-msix.yml ships its `punktfunk.exe` alias, so
+      # a CLI that only the release workflow compiles is a release-day surprise. Its tests
+      # RUN the binary (help contract), as the session's contract_smoke runs the session —
+      # the gate class that catches a compiling-but-wrong binary (the 0.22.0 clobber).
      - name: Build
        shell: pwsh
        run: |
          $sf = @(); if ('${{ matrix.target }}' -eq 'aarch64-pc-windows-msvc') { $sf = @('--no-default-features') }
-          cargo build -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session @sf --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+          cargo build -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli @sf --target ${{ matrix.target }}

      - name: Clippy (-D warnings)
        shell: pwsh
        run: |
-          $pkgs = @('-p','punktfunk-client-windows','-p','punktfunk-client-session','-p','pf-client-core','-p','pf-presenter','-p','pf-ffvk')
+          $pkgs = @('-p','punktfunk-client-windows','-p','punktfunk-client-session','-p','punktfunk-cli','-p','pf-client-core','-p','pf-presenter','-p','pf-ffvk')
          $sf = @()
          if ('${{ matrix.target }}' -eq 'aarch64-pc-windows-msvc') { $sf = @('--no-default-features') } else { $pkgs += @('-p','pf-console-ui') }
          cargo clippy @pkgs --all-targets @sf --target ${{ matrix.target }} -- -D warnings
@@ -156,9 +160,9 @@ jobs:
      - name: Rustfmt check
        if: matrix.target == 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc'
        shell: pwsh
-        run: cargo fmt -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p pf-client-core -p pf-presenter -p pf-console-ui -p pf-ffvk -- --check
+        run: cargo fmt -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli -p pf-client-core -p pf-presenter -p pf-console-ui -p pf-ffvk -- --check

      - name: Test
        if: matrix.target == 'x86_64-pc-windows-msvc'
        shell: pwsh
-        run: cargo test -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p pf-client-core -p pf-presenter -p pf-console-ui -p pf-ffvk --target ${{ matrix.target }}
+        run: cargo test -p punktfunk-client-windows -p punktfunk-client-session -p punktfunk-cli -p pf-client-core -p pf-presenter -p pf-console-ui -p pf-ffvk --target ${{ matrix.target }}
@@ -1,10 +1,10 @@
-# Contributing to punktfunk
+# Contributing to Punktfunk

 Thanks for your interest in contributing!

 ## Licensing of contributions (inbound = outbound)

-punktfunk is dual-licensed under **MIT OR Apache-2.0**.
+Punktfunk is dual-licensed under **MIT OR Apache-2.0**.

 > Unless you explicitly state otherwise, any contribution intentionally submitted for inclusion in
 > the work by you, as defined in the Apache-2.0 license, shall be dual licensed as **MIT OR
@@ -28,6 +28,28 @@ If you add a new third-party dependency, it must be permissive (MIT / Apache-2.0
 Unicode-3.0 / etc.). `about.toml` holds the accepted-license allow-list; regenerate the attribution
 file with `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh` when the dependency tree changes.

+## Prerequisites
+
+The Rust toolchain is **pinned exactly** in `rust-toolchain.toml`; rustup installs it for you the
+first time you build, so don't override it — a different rustc reformats files nobody touched.
+
+The workspace links real system libraries, so a bare `cargo build --workspace` fails on a stock
+machine. The authoritative list is what CI installs, in `ci/rust-ci.Dockerfile` — on **Ubuntu 26.04**,
+which is what gets you FFmpeg 8:
+
+```sh
+sudo apt install build-essential clang libclang-dev pkg-config cmake \
+  libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev libavutil-dev libswscale-dev libavfilter-dev libavdevice-dev \
+  libpipewire-0.3-dev libopus-dev libwayland-dev libxkbcommon-dev \
+  libgl-dev libegl-dev libgbm-dev \
+  libgtk-4-dev libadwaita-1-dev libsdl3-dev \
+  libvulkan-dev
+```
+
+(The last two groups are the Linux client shell and `pf-ffvk`; skip them only if you never build
+those crates. `scripts/bootstrap-ubuntu.sh` sets up an Ubuntu **capture-test host** — NVIDIA, Sway,
+PipeWire — and is not a substitute for the list above.)
+
 ## Before you push

 Enable the repo git hooks once per clone — they run the exact rustfmt gates CI runs (main
@@ -38,18 +60,40 @@ on formatting alone:
 git config core.hooksPath scripts/git-hooks
 ```

-Then the usual full pass:
+Then the usual full pass. Use `--locked` as CI does — otherwise a silent `Cargo.lock` update can pass
+locally and fail CI:

 ```sh
 cargo fmt --all --check
-cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
-cargo test  --workspace
+cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets --locked -- -D warnings
+cargo test  --workspace --locked
 ```

-Generated artifacts are checked in and CI fails on drift: `include/punktfunk_core.h` (cbindgen) and
-`api/openapi.json` (`cargo run -p punktfunk-host -- openapi`). Match the surrounding code's comment
-density and naming. Commit messages end with the `Co-Authored-By` trailer (see `git log`).
+Two more gates that only apply to some changes:

-See the [README's Build & test section](README.md#build--test-from-source) and
-[Design invariants](README.md#design-invariants) for the full build/test/run guide, and the
-[docs site](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io) for architecture and per-platform guides.
+- **Touched `web/` or `docs-site/`?** CI builds and typechecks both. Run, in that directory:
+  ```sh
+  bun install && bun run build && bun run lint
+  ```
+  Build first — it generates the API client / MDX typegen that the typecheck imports.
+- **Touched Windows- or Linux-gated code from another OS?** `scripts/xcheck.sh windows` (or
+  `linux`) type-checks and lints that platform's `#[cfg(target_os = …)]` code in about a second,
+  instead of waiting for the CI job that compiles it.
+
+Generated artifacts are checked in. `include/punktfunk_core.h` (cbindgen) is regenerated by the build
+and CI fails if the committed copy drifts. `api/openapi.json` is **not** gated — nothing in CI
+regenerates or diffs it, so regenerate and commit it yourself whenever you touch the management API,
+and copy the snapshot the docs site serves:
+
+```sh
+cargo run -p punktfunk-host -- openapi > api/openapi.json
+cp api/openapi.json docs-site/public/openapi.json
+```
+
+Match the surrounding code's comment density and naming. Commit messages end with the
+`Co-Authored-By` trailer (see `git log`).
+
+See the [README's Build & test section](README.md#build--test-from-source) for the extra dev
+commands (the FEC loss harness, the standalone C-ABI proof) and
+[Design invariants](README.md#design-invariants) for the rules a change is expected to hold to, and
+the [docs site](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io) for architecture and per-platform guides.
@@ -947,7 +947,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "cursor-probe"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "pf-capture",
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "display-disturb"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "windows 0.62.2 (registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index)",
 ]
@@ -2221,7 +2221,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "latency-probe"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"

 [[package]]
 name = "lazy_static"
@@ -2326,7 +2326,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "libvpl-sys"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "bindgen",
 "cmake",
@@ -2361,7 +2361,7 @@ checksum = "0ceec5bc11778974d1bcb055b18002eba7f4b3518b6a0081b3af5f21666da9ad"

 [[package]]
 name = "loss-harness"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "punktfunk-core",
 ]
@@ -2850,7 +2850,7 @@ checksum = "9b4f627cb1b25917193a259e49bdad08f671f8d9708acfd5fe0a8c1455d87220"

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-capture"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ashpd",
@@ -2871,7 +2871,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-client-core"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ash",
@@ -2880,6 +2880,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "mdns-sd",
 "opus",
 "pf-ffvk",
+ "pf-update-check",
 "pipewire",
 "punktfunk-core",
 "pyrowave-sys",
@@ -2896,7 +2897,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-clipboard"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ashpd",
@@ -2914,7 +2915,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-console-ui"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ash",
@@ -2935,7 +2936,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-encode"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ash",
@@ -2959,7 +2960,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-ffvk"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "ash",
 "bindgen",
@@ -2968,7 +2969,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-frame"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "libc",
@@ -2980,7 +2981,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-gpu"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "pf-host-config",
@@ -2994,11 +2995,11 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-host-config"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-inject"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ashpd",
@@ -3027,14 +3028,14 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-paths"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "tracing",
 ]

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-presenter"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ash",
@@ -3047,9 +3048,29 @@ dependencies = [
 "windows-sys 0.61.2",
 ]

+[[package]]
+name = "pf-update"
+version = "0.23.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "pf-update-check"
+version = "0.23.0"
+dependencies = [
+ "anyhow",
+ "base64",
+ "ring",
+ "serde",
+ "serde_json",
+ "ureq",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "pf-vdisplay"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ashpd",
@@ -3082,7 +3103,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-win-display"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "pf-paths",
@@ -3094,7 +3115,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "pf-zerocopy"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ash",
@@ -3302,7 +3323,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-cli"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "pf-client-core",
 "punktfunk-core",
@@ -3313,7 +3334,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-android"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "android_logger",
 "jni",
@@ -3329,7 +3350,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-linux"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "async-channel",
@@ -3346,18 +3367,13 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-session"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
- "async-channel",
- "glib-build-tools",
- "gtk4",
- "libadwaita",
 "pf-client-core",
 "pf-console-ui",
 "pf-presenter",
 "punktfunk-core",
- "relm4",
 "serde_json",
 "tracing",
 "tracing-subscriber",
@@ -3366,7 +3382,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-client-windows"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "async-channel",
 "ffmpeg-next",
@@ -3386,7 +3402,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-core"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "aes-gcm",
 "bytes",
@@ -3418,7 +3434,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-host"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "aes",
 "aes-gcm",
@@ -3454,6 +3470,7 @@ dependencies = [
 "pf-host-config",
 "pf-inject",
 "pf-paths",
+ "pf-update-check",
 "pf-vdisplay",
 "pf-win-display",
 "pf-zerocopy",
@@ -3502,7 +3519,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-probe"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "mdns-sd",
@@ -3516,7 +3533,7 @@ dependencies = [

 [[package]]
 name = "punktfunk-tray"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "anyhow",
 "ksni",
@@ -3539,7 +3556,7 @@ checksum = "d55d956fa96f5ec02be2e13af0e20391a5aa83d6a074e3ad368959d0fab299ea"

 [[package]]
 name = "pyrowave-sys"
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 dependencies = [
 "bindgen",
 "cmake",
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ members = [
    "crates/pf-ffvk",
    "crates/pf-driver-proto",
    "crates/pf-paths",
+    "crates/pf-update",
+    "crates/pf-update-check",
    "crates/pf-host-config",
    "crates/pf-gpu",
    "crates/pf-zerocopy",
@@ -51,7 +53,7 @@ exclude = [
 ndk = { path = "clients/android/native/vendor/ndk" }

 [workspace.package]
-version = "0.22.0"
+version = "0.23.0"
 edition = "2021"
 rust-version = "1.82"
 license = "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 <p align="center">
-  <img src="assets/punktfunk-logo.svg" alt="punktfunk" width="320" />
+  <img src="assets/punktfunk-logo.svg" alt="Punktfunk" width="320" />
 </p>

 <p align="center"><b>Low-latency desktop and game streaming with first-class Linux and Windows hosts.</b></p>
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ access** · **[r/Punktfunk](https://www.reddit.com/r/Punktfunk/)**.
 🔒 **Security:** found a vulnerability? Report it privately to **security@punktfunk.com** — see
 [SECURITY.md](SECURITY.md). Please don't open a public issue.

-punktfunk pairs a **virtual-display streaming host** with native clients on every platform. It speaks
+Punktfunk pairs a **virtual-display streaming host** with native clients on every platform. It speaks
 the existing **GameStream** protocol, so any [Moonlight](https://moonlight-stream.org/) client works
 day one — and adds its own faster **`punktfunk/1`** protocol that breaks the ~1 Gbps FEC wall with a
 **GF(2¹⁶) Leopard-RS** transport. A single shared **Rust core** (`punktfunk-core`) holds the
@@ -43,8 +43,13 @@ on Linux and Windows, and over a stable C ABI from the Apple and Android apps.
 - **Low latency, GPU end to end.** Frames go straight from the compositor to the NVENC encoder with
  zero CPU copies (dmabuf → CUDA/Vulkan → NVENC), over a transport tuned for responsiveness rather
  than throughput. Stable 240 fps at 5120×1440; sub-millisecond capture-to-reassembly on-box,
-  ~1.3 ms cross-machine on a LAN. (AMD/Intel encode via VAAPI, and a GPU-less software H.264
-  encoder exists as a fallback.)
+  ~1.3 ms cross-machine on a LAN. (On Linux AMD/Intel, Vulkan Video for HEVC and AV1 with VAAPI for
+  H.264 and as the fallback; a GPU-less software H.264 encoder exists as a last resort.)
+- **A library that fills itself.** Steam and non-Steam titles show up as a grid on every client, and
+  plugins add their own sources — ROM Manager (your ROM collection, matched to installed emulators),
+  Playnite, VirtualHere. Install them from the console's **Plugins** page or with
+  `punktfunk-host plugins add`. See
+  [Plugins](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/plugins).
 - **Works with what you already have.** Any Moonlight/Artemis client connects over GameStream — and
  native apps for macOS, Linux, Windows, and Android use the lower-latency `punktfunk/1` protocol.
 - **Secure by default.** Hosts require a one-time SPAKE2 **PIN pairing**; after that, devices
@@ -58,12 +63,12 @@ on Linux and Windows, and over a stable C ABI from the Apple and Android apps.
 | **Core** — `punktfunk-core` + C ABI (protocol · FEC · crypto · QUIC) | ✅ Complete & hardened |
 | **GameStream host** → stock Moonlight | ✅ Live end-to-end: pairing, RTSP, audio, per-client virtual output at native resolution, GPU zero-copy NVENC, gamepads |
 | **Native protocol** — `punktfunk/1` | ✅ Validated live: QUIC control + GF(2¹⁶) FEC/AES-GCM data plane, PIN pairing, mDNS discovery, mid-stream mode renegotiation |
-| **Windows host** (Windows 11 22H2+, x64) | 🟡 Implemented & shipping as a signed installer: its own all-Rust IddCx **virtual display** (secure-desktop capable) with a **sealed IDD-push** capture path — finished frames pushed straight into its own driver, not screen-scraped (no DDA/WGC) · GPU encode (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF/QSV on AMD/Intel, software H.264 without a GPU) · WASAPI audio · bundled virtual-gamepad drivers (no ViGEmBus) · HDR incl. Vulkan-game HDR. NVIDIA live-validated; AMD/Intel CI-green |
+| **Windows host** (Windows 11 22H2+, x64) | ✅ Beta — shipping as a signed installer: its own all-Rust IddCx **virtual display** (secure-desktop capable) with a **sealed IDD-push** capture path — finished frames pushed straight into its own driver, not screen-scraped (no DDA/WGC) · GPU encode (NVENC on NVIDIA, AMF/QSV on AMD/Intel, software H.264 without a GPU) · WASAPI audio · bundled virtual-gamepad drivers (no ViGEmBus) · HDR incl. Vulkan-game HDR. NVIDIA live-validated; AMD/Intel CI-green |
 | **macOS / iOS / tvOS client** (`clients/apple`) | ✅ Streaming live: VideoToolbox decode (HEVC, and AV1 on hardware that decodes it), controllers incl. DualSense, discovery, pairing, speed test |
 | **Linux client** (`clients/linux` + `clients/session`) | ✅ Streaming live: relm4/GTK4 launcher shell that spawns a Vulkan session binary — Vulkan Video / VAAPI / software decode, PipeWire audio, SDL3 controllers, Skia console UI; ships as Flatpak/apt/rpm/Arch |
 | **Android client** (`clients/android`, phone + TV) | ✅ Streaming live: AMediaCodec decode + HDR10, AAudio audio, controllers, discovery, pairing |
-| **Windows client** (`clients/windows`, WinUI 3) | ✅ Streaming live: WinUI 3 shell + Vulkan session presenter, hardware decode on all GPU vendors via Vulkan Video → D3D11VA → software (NVIDIA + Intel validated on glass), WASAPI audio, SDL3 controllers, discovery, pairing; ships as signed MSIX (x64 + ARM64). HDR10 implemented, on-glass validation pending |
-| **Web console + management API** (`web/`) | ✅ TanStack console over the OpenAPI mgmt API: host status, paired devices, on-demand PIN pairing, GPU selection, performance capture graphs, live host logs |
+| **Windows client** (`clients/windows`, WinUI 3) | ✅ Streaming live: WinUI 3 shell + Vulkan session presenter, hardware decode on all GPU vendors via Vulkan Video → D3D11VA → software (NVIDIA + Intel validated on glass), WASAPI audio, SDL3 controllers, discovery, pairing; ships as signed MSIX (x64 + ARM64). Hardware decode and HDR10 present validated on glass on NVIDIA and Intel, including HDR pass-through on the Intel D3D11VA path |
+| **Web console + management API** (`web/`) | ✅ TanStack console over the OpenAPI mgmt API: host status, paired devices, on-demand PIN pairing, game library, virtual-display presets, plugin store, GPU selection, performance capture graphs, live host logs, host updates |

 Every native client also ships a tiered **stats overlay** (Compact / Normal / Detailed) with a
 shared vocabulary across platforms, and the session client carries a full gamepad-driven **console
@@ -81,36 +86,76 @@ Both run from **one process**: bare `punktfunk-host serve` is the **secure nativ
 GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes (opt-in, trusted-LAN only — GameStream has inherent on-path
 weaknesses). The host is managed through a REST API and web console. Builds against FFmpeg 7 or 8.

-Full milestone status: **[docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/status](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/status)** ·
-roadmap: **[/docs/roadmap](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/roadmap)**.
+What works where: **[the support matrix](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/support-matrix)** ·
+where it's heading: **[the roadmap](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/roadmap)**.

 ## Install the host

 Pick your platform and install from its package registry — the per-platform guide covers adding the
-repo, first run, and the web console. The Linux host is the primary, most battle-tested path; a
-Windows host also ships as a signed installer (all-vendor: NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).
+repo, first run, and the web console. The Linux host is the primary, most battle-tested path; on
+SteamOS the host is built on-device by a script instead, and a Windows host ships as a signed
+installer (all-vendor: NVIDIA, AMD, Intel).

 | Platform | Install | Guide |
 |--------|---------|-------|
-| **Ubuntu / Debian** (apt) | `sudo apt install punktfunk-host` *(after adding the repo)* | [Ubuntu — GNOME](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/ubuntu-gnome) · [KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/ubuntu-kde) |
-| **Bazzite / Fedora Atomic** (systemd-sysext) | `sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install` *(no layering, no reboot; rpm-ostree + bootc also supported)* | [Bazzite](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/bazzite) |
-| **Fedora** (dnf) | `dnf install punktfunk punktfunk-web` *(after adding the repo)* | [Fedora — KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/fedora-kde) |
-| **Arch / Steam Deck** (pacman / sysext) | `pacman -Sy punktfunk-host` *(binary repo)* · sysext `.raw` *(SteamOS)* | [packaging/arch](packaging/arch/README.md) |
+| **Ubuntu / Debian** (apt) | `sudo apt install punktfunk-host` *(after adding the repo)* | [Ubuntu / Debian](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/ubuntu) · [packaging/debian](packaging/debian/README.md) |
+| **Bazzite / Fedora Atomic** (systemd-sysext) | `curl -fsSLO https://git.unom.io/unom/punktfunk/raw/branch/main/packaging/bazzite/punktfunk-sysext.sh && sudo bash punktfunk-sysext.sh install` *(no layering, no reboot; rpm-ostree + bootc also supported)* | [Bazzite](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/bazzite) |
+| **Fedora** (dnf) | `sudo dnf install punktfunk` *(after adding the repo; the console comes with it)* | [Fedora](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/fedora) · [packaging/rpm](packaging/rpm/README.md) |
+| **Arch / CachyOS** (pacman) | `sudo pacman -Syu punktfunk-host` *(binary repo — always a full `-Syu`)* | [Arch Linux](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/arch) · [packaging/arch](packaging/arch/README.md) |
+| **SteamOS / Steam Deck** (on-device build) | `bash ~/punktfunk/scripts/steamdeck/install.sh` *(after cloning this repo to `~/punktfunk`)* | [SteamOS (Host)](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/steamos-host) |
 | **Windows** (11 22H2+, x64) | `winget install unom.PunktfunkHost` *(after `winget source add -n punktfunk https://winget.punktfunk.unom.io -t Microsoft.Rest`)* · or the signed `setup.exe` from the package registry | [Windows Host](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/windows-host) · [packaging/winget](packaging/winget/README.md) |

 `punktfunk-host` is the streaming host; `punktfunk-web` is the browser console (pairing + status).
-After install, run `punktfunk-host serve` inside your desktop session (the secure native default;
-add `--gamestream` on a trusted LAN if you also want stock Moonlight clients), then pair from the web
-console. Full instructions: **[docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/install](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/install)**.
+
+**Linux:** every package ships systemd **user** units, so you don't launch the host by hand. The
+host unit won't start until `~/.config/punktfunk/host.env` exists, so copy the template your package
+installed first:
+
+```sh
+mkdir -p ~/.config/punktfunk
+# /usr/share/punktfunk/ on Fedora/Arch/Bazzite, /usr/share/punktfunk-host/ on Debian/Ubuntu
+# (on Bazzite take host.env.bazzite instead)
+cp /usr/share/punktfunk/host.env.example ~/.config/punktfunk/host.env
+
+systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-host   # the streaming host
+systemctl --user enable --now punktfunk-web    # the web console (Arch: install punktfunk-web first)
+```
+
+The shipped host unit runs `serve --gamestream` — the native `punktfunk/1` plane **plus** the
+GameStream/Moonlight-compat planes, which belong on a trusted LAN only; for a native-only host drop
+the flag with a `systemctl --user edit punktfunk-host` drop-in (which needs an empty `ExecStart=`
+line before the replacement — the install guide has the snippet). Then open
+`https://<host-ip>:47992` and pair.
+
+How the virtual display and input are wired up depends on your desktop — see
+[KDE](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/kde) · [GNOME](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/gnome) ·
+[Steam / gamescope](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/gamescope) ·
+[Sway](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/sway).
+
+**Windows:** the installer registers and starts the host as a `LocalSystem` service, so there is
+nothing to run by hand — open the web console and pair. Use
+`punktfunk-host service start|stop|restart|status` if you need to control it. Upgrades happen in
+place — the console's **Updates** card, `winget upgrade unom.PunktfunkHost`, or the newer
+`setup.exe` over the old install; uninstall from Add/Remove Programs.
+
+Full instructions: **[docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/install](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/install)**.
+
+The console's **Host** page also shows when a newer host is out, along with the exact command for
+how *this* box was installed (or a one-click **Update now** on Windows) — see
+[Updating the host](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/updating). To remove it again, or to go back
+to an earlier version, see [Uninstalling](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/uninstall) and
+[Release Channels](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/channels#pin-a-version-or-roll-back).

 ## Connect a client

 | Streaming to… | Use |
 |---|---|
 | Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | The **Apple app** (`clients/apple`) — also on TestFlight |
-| Linux desktop / laptop, Steam Deck | **`punktfunk-client`** (Flatpak / apt / rpm / Arch) |
+| Linux desktop / laptop | **`punktfunk-client`** (Flatpak / apt / rpm / Arch) |
+| Steam Deck | The **Decky plugin** in Gaming Mode — it launches the client for you ([Steam Deck](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/steam-deck)); in Desktop Mode, the Flatpak directly |
 | Android phone or TV | The **Android app** (`clients/android`) |
 | Windows | Native **`punktfunk-client`** (signed MSIX) or **Moonlight** |
+| Scripts, automation, another launcher | **`punktfunk`** — the headless CLI shipped in the Linux client packages (`punktfunk pair`, `punktfunk hosts list --json`, `punktfunk launch <host>`) |
 | Anything else (browser, old phone, smart TV) | **Moonlight** over GameStream |

 Each client discovers hosts on the network automatically and does a one-time
@@ -122,7 +167,7 @@ Each client discovers hosts on the network automatically and does a one-time
 For development, or as an install fallback where no package is available:

 ```sh
-cargo build --workspace          # core, host, tray, shared client crates, Linux shell + session client, probe (Linux & macOS)
+cargo build --workspace          # core, host, tray, shared client crates, Linux shell + session client, the `punktfunk` CLI, probe (Linux & macOS)
 cargo test  --workspace          # unit + loopback + proptest + C ABI harness
 cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings
 cargo fmt --all --check
@@ -154,11 +199,14 @@ clients/
  session/  punktfunk-session, the Vulkan streaming session (Rust · SDL3 · ash · Skia console UI) — also runs standalone (gamescope, Decky)
  windows/  Windows desktop app (Rust · WinUI 3 · D3D11 · WASAPI · SDL3)
  android/  Android phone + TV app (Kotlin · Rust JNI core · AMediaCodec · AAudio)
+  cli/      punktfunk, the headless client CLI — pair · hosts · wake · library · launch · punktfunk:// links
  probe/    headless reference / measurement client for punktfunk/1
  decky/    Steam Deck Decky plugin
-web/                         web console (TanStack) over the management API — status · devices · pairing · GPUs · performance · logs
+web/                         web console (TanStack) over the management API — status · devices · pairing · library · displays · plugins · GPUs · performance · logs · updates
 api/openapi.json             management-API OpenAPI spec (regenerated via `punktfunk-host openapi`, checked in)
-packaging/                   apt · rpm / COPR · Arch · Flatpak · Bazzite bootc image
+sdk/                         `@punktfunk/host` — TypeScript management-API client + event stream (Effect)
+plugin-kit/                  `@punktfunk/plugin-kit` — the plugin authoring kit (bun / TypeScript)
+packaging/                   apt · rpm / COPR · Arch · Flatpak · Bazzite sysext + bootc · Windows installer + drivers · winget · Nix · gamescope
 docs-site/                   public documentation site (Fumadocs) — https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io
 include/punktfunk_core.h     cbindgen-generated C header (checked in)
 tools/                       latency-probe · loss-harness (measurement)
@@ -195,7 +243,7 @@ additional terms or conditions. See [CONTRIBUTING.md](CONTRIBUTING.md).

 ### Third-party components

-punktfunk's own source is MIT/Apache-2.0. Shipped binaries additionally link third-party components
+Punktfunk's own source is MIT/Apache-2.0. Shipped binaries additionally link third-party components
 under their own (permissive) licenses — see [`THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt`](THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt)
 (regenerate with `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.sh`). The Windows host and client builds also
 bundle FFmpeg under the **LGPL v2.1+** (dynamically linked, replaceable DLLs; the license text and
@@ -203,7 +251,7 @@ notice ship in the installed `licenses/` folder).

 ### Trademarks

-punktfunk is an independent project and is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by**
+Punktfunk is an independent project and is **not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by**
 NVIDIA, Microsoft, Sony, Valve, or the Moonlight project. "GameStream", "Moonlight", "Xbox",
 "DualSense", "DualShock", and "PlayStation" are trademarks of their respective owners and are used
 here only to describe interoperability.
@@ -1,8 +1,17 @@
 # Security Policy

-punktfunk is a low-latency desktop/game streaming stack. A host is effectively remote control of a
+Punktfunk is a low-latency desktop/game streaming stack. A host is effectively remote control of a
 machine, so we take security reports seriously and appreciate responsible disclosure.

+## Supported versions
+
+Punktfunk ships on two tracks — **stable** (a `vX.Y.Z` tag; the current line is **0.22.x**) and
+**canary** (built from `main`). Fixes ship as a new release on those tracks; in practice
+we don't backport to older minor versions, so the supported versions are the latest stable release
+and the current canary build. If you're on an older build, please check that the issue still
+reproduces on the latest stable before reporting it. See
+[Release Channels](https://docs.punktfunk.unom.io/docs/channels).
+
 ## Reporting a vulnerability

 **Please report security issues privately by email to security@punktfunk.com.**
@@ -14,7 +23,7 @@ exposes other users before a fix exists.

 The more of this you can give us, the faster we can act:

- The component and version (e.g. `punktfunk-host 0.9.0`, Windows or Linux, which client).
+- The component and version (e.g. `punktfunk-host 0.22.3`, Windows or Linux, which client).
 - The impact — what an attacker can do, and from what position (same LAN, a local service account,
  admin, a paired client, …).
 - Steps to reproduce, a proof-of-concept, or a crash/log if you have one.
@@ -98,4 +107,4 @@ pursue legal action against researchers who:
 - give us reasonable time to remediate before public disclosure,
 - don't exfiltrate more data than needed to demonstrate the issue.

-Thank you for helping keep punktfunk and its users safe.
+Thank you for helping keep Punktfunk and its users safe.
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ VENDORED THIRD-PARTY SOURCE (inside first-party crates)
  Vulkan-Headers (vendored, crates/pyrowave-sys) — https://github.com/KhronosGroup/Vulkan-Headers
  Font Awesome Free brand icons (vendored, assets/os-icons) — https://fontawesome.com
  Simple Icons (vendored, assets/os-icons) — https://simpleicons.org
+  Bazzite logo (vendored, assets/os-icons) — https://github.com/ublue-os/bazzite

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 MANIFEST (crate version — SPDX license — source)
@@ -2930,6 +2931,25 @@ IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR OTHER
 DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.


+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+The following license (bazzite.txt) applies to: Bazzite logo (vendored, assets/os-icons)
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+Bazzite — the `bazzite` mark in assets/os-icons/ is derived from the Bazzite logo in
+the Bazzite source repository (repo_content/Bazzite.svg).
+
+Copyright (c) Universal Blue (https://github.com/ublue-os/bazzite)
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0,
+https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+
+Modifications: the logo's "b" letterform was lifted out of the surrounding badge, the
+gradient and decorative overlays were dropped, and the path was translated and scaled
+into a 24x24 box with a monochrome fill (fill="currentColor").
+
+Brand icons are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification
+purposes only; their use does not imply endorsement.
+
+
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The following license (LICENSE) applies to: bindgen 0.72.1
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -6283,8 +6303,8 @@ the following restrictions:
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The following license (font-awesome-brands.txt) applies to: Font Awesome Free brand icons (vendored, assets/os-icons)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Font Awesome Free — brand icons (windows, apple, linux, steam, ubuntu, fedora,
-opensuse in assets/os-icons/) are from Font Awesome Free.
+Font Awesome Free — brand icons (apple, linux, steam, ubuntu, fedora, opensuse in
+assets/os-icons/) are from Font Awesome Free.

 Copyright (c) Fonticons, Inc. (https://fontawesome.com)

@@ -12997,8 +13017,9 @@ SOFTWARE.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 The following license (simple-icons.txt) applies to: Simple Icons (vendored, assets/os-icons)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Simple Icons — brand icons (arch, nixos, debian in assets/os-icons/) are from
-Simple Icons (https://simpleicons.org, https://github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons).
+Simple Icons — brand icons (arch, nixos, debian, cachyos, nobara in assets/os-icons/)
+are from Simple Icons
+(https://simpleicons.org, https://github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons).

 The Simple Icons SVG path data is released under CC0 1.0 Universal (public domain
 dedication), https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ — no attribution
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
      "name": "MIT OR Apache-2.0",
      "identifier": "MIT OR Apache-2.0"
    },
-    "version": "0.21.0"
+    "version": "0.22.3"
  },
  "paths": {
    "/api/v1/clients": {
@@ -3432,6 +3432,142 @@
          }
        }
      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/update/apply": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": [
+          "update"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Apply the available update",
+        "description": "Starts the one-click apply for install kinds that support it (Windows installer). The\nrequest carries no version or URL — the host installs exactly what its verified manifest\nannounced. Progress is polled via `GET /update/status` (`job`); the host restarts as part\nof the apply, and the outcome lands in `last_result` after it comes back.",
+        "operationId": "applyUpdate",
+        "requestBody": {
+          "content": {
+            "application/json": {
+              "schema": {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApplyRequest"
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "required": true
+        },
+        "responses": {
+          "202": {
+            "description": "Apply started — poll `GET /update/status`",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateStatus"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "409": {
+            "description": "Refused: unsupported install kind, apply disabled (PUNKTFUNK_UPDATE_APPLY=0), a job already running, an active streaming session without `force`, or nothing newer to apply",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/update/check": {
+      "post": {
+        "tags": [
+          "update"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Check for updates now",
+        "description": "Forces a manifest fetch + verification and returns the refreshed state. Rate-limited to\none forced check per 30 s.",
+        "operationId": "forceUpdateCheck",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Refreshed update-check state (`last_error` carries a failed check; `not_published` an empty channel, which is not one)",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateStatus"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "409": {
+            "description": "Update checks are disabled on this host",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "429": {
+            "description": "A forced check ran less than 30 s ago",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+    },
+    "/api/v1/update/status": {
+      "get": {
+        "tags": [
+          "update"
+        ],
+        "summary": "Update-check status",
+        "description": "How this host was installed, which channel it follows, whether a newer release is known,\nand how to update. Reading this may kick a background refresh when the cached check is\nolder than 6 h; the response never blocks on the network.",
+        "operationId": "getUpdateStatus",
+        "responses": {
+          "200": {
+            "description": "Current update-check state",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateStatus"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          "401": {
+            "description": "Missing or invalid bearer token",
+            "content": {
+              "application/json": {
+                "schema": {
+                  "$ref": "#/components/schemas/ApiError"
+                }
+              }
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
    }
  },
  "components": {
@@ -3764,6 +3900,15 @@
          }
        }
      },
+      "ApplyRequest": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "properties": {
+          "force": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "Proceed even while a streaming session is live (the stream will drop when the host\nrestarts — the console warns before sending this)."
+          }
+        }
+      },
      "ApprovePending": {
        "type": "object",
        "description": "Approve-pending-device request body. Send `{}` to keep the device's own name.",
@@ -4799,6 +4944,59 @@
              }
            }
          },
+          {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "A verified update manifest announced a release newer than the running host. Emitted\nonce per discovered version (a steady-state \"newer exists\" doesn't re-fire on every\nrefresh).",
+            "required": [
+              "version",
+              "channel",
+              "install_kind",
+              "kind"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "channel": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "description": "The channel it was announced on (`stable` | `canary`)."
+              },
+              "install_kind": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "description": "This host's install kind (`apt`, `windows-installer`, …) — lets a hook or the\ntray render the right \"how to update\" hint without a second call."
+              },
+              "kind": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": [
+                  "update.available"
+                ]
+              },
+              "version": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "description": "The newer release's version string."
+              }
+            }
+          },
+          {
+            "type": "object",
+            "description": "A host update completed: emitted by boot-time reconciliation, i.e. by the NEW binary's\nfirst start after a successful apply.",
+            "required": [
+              "from",
+              "to",
+              "kind"
+            ],
+            "properties": {
+              "from": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "kind": {
+                "type": "string",
+                "enum": [
+                  "update.applied"
+                ]
+              },
+              "to": {
+                "type": "string"
+              }
+            }
+          },
          {
            "type": "object",
            "required": [
@@ -7040,6 +7238,233 @@
            "type": "string"
          }
        }
+      },
+      "UpdateJobInfo": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "A running apply job (or a spawned installer that hasn't resolved yet).",
+        "required": [
+          "target_version",
+          "stage",
+          "received_bytes",
+          "started_unix"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "received_bytes": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "stage": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "`downloading` | `verifying` | `applying` | `restarting`."
+          },
+          "started_unix": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "target_version": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The version being installed."
+          },
+          "total_bytes": {
+            "type": [
+              "integer",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "UpdateManifestInfo": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "One channel's manifest facts, as much as the console renders.",
+        "required": [
+          "version",
+          "serial",
+          "published_at",
+          "notes_url",
+          "stale"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "notes_url": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Release-notes link (pinned to our forge by the manifest validator)."
+          },
+          "published_at": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "RFC-3339 publish time (display only)."
+          },
+          "serial": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "Publish serial (unix seconds) — monotonic per channel.",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "stale": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "The last verified manifest is suspiciously old (>45 days) — the freeze/stale hint."
+          },
+          "version": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The released version this manifest announces."
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "UpdateResultInfo": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "Durable outcome of the most recent apply attempt (survives the host's own restart).",
+        "required": [
+          "ok",
+          "from",
+          "to",
+          "finished_unix"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "error": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ]
+          },
+          "finished_unix": {
+            "type": "integer",
+            "format": "int64",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "from": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "log_path": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "description": "The installer's own log file on this host, for diagnosis."
+          },
+          "ok": {
+            "type": "boolean"
+          },
+          "stage": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "description": "The stage that failed; absent on success."
+          },
+          "staged": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "Applied but activates on the next reboot (rpm-ostree)."
+          },
+          "to": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        }
+      },
+      "UpdateStatus": {
+        "type": "object",
+        "description": "The full update-check state for this host.",
+        "required": [
+          "install_kind",
+          "channel",
+          "current_version",
+          "apply",
+          "channel_hint",
+          "check_disabled",
+          "available",
+          "not_published"
+        ],
+        "properties": {
+          "apply": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "What the console may offer for this install: `notify` (show the command) — later\nphases add `full` (one-click apply) and `staged` (apply + reboot to finish)."
+          },
+          "available": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "A newer release than `current_version` exists for this channel (definitive\ncomparisons only — an unparseable version pair never flags)."
+          },
+          "channel": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "Release channel this install follows: `stable` | `canary`."
+          },
+          "channel_hint": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The copy-pastable update command for this install kind."
+          },
+          "check_disabled": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "Update checks are disabled on this host (`PUNKTFUNK_UPDATE_CHECK=0`)."
+          },
+          "current_version": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "The running host version."
+          },
+          "install_kind": {
+            "type": "string",
+            "description": "How this host was installed: `windows-installer` | `sysext` | `rpm-ostree` | `apt` |\n`dnf` | `pacman` | `steamos-source` | `nix` | `source`."
+          },
+          "job": {
+            "oneOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateJobInfo",
+                "description": "The apply in flight, if any."
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "last_checked_unix": {
+            "type": [
+              "integer",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "format": "int64",
+            "description": "When the last successful check happened (unix seconds).",
+            "minimum": 0
+          },
+          "last_error": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "description": "Why the last check failed, verbatim, if it did."
+          },
+          "last_result": {
+            "oneOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateResultInfo",
+                "description": "Outcome of the most recent apply attempt."
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "manifest": {
+            "oneOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "null"
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/components/schemas/UpdateManifestInfo",
+                "description": "The last verified manifest, if any check has succeeded."
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "not_published": {
+            "type": "boolean",
+            "description": "The check reached the feed and found this channel has **no release published yet** —\nan expected state (a channel nobody has announced to answers with a 404), not a\nfailure. Mutually exclusive with `last_error`, so a UI can say \"nothing published yet\"\ninstead of painting an empty feed as a broken host. Never set once a manifest has been\nseen for this channel: a feed that loses a document it used to serve stays an error."
+          },
+          "opt_in_hint": {
+            "type": [
+              "string",
+              "null"
+            ],
+            "description": "This install could one-click apply, but the operator hasn't opted in yet — the\ncommand to run (Linux: join the `punktfunk-update` group)."
+          }
+        }
      }
    },
    "securitySchemes": {
@@ -7110,6 +7535,10 @@
    {
      "name": "store",
      "description": "Plugin store: browse signed catalogs (verified first-party entries, attributed third-party sources), install/uninstall as tracked jobs, and switch the plugin runner on"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "update",
+      "description": "Host update check: install kind + channel, the last verified release manifest, and whether a newer host exists (admin lane only)"
    }
  ]
 }
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Bazzite — the `bazzite` mark in assets/os-icons/ is derived from the Bazzite logo in
+the Bazzite source repository (repo_content/Bazzite.svg).
+
+Copyright (c) Universal Blue (https://github.com/ublue-os/bazzite)
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0,
+https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.
+
+Modifications: the logo's "b" letterform was lifted out of the surrounding badge, the
+gradient and decorative overlays were dropped, and the path was translated and scaled
+into a 24x24 box with a monochrome fill (fill="currentColor").
+
+Brand icons are trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification
+purposes only; their use does not imply endorsement.
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-Font Awesome Free — brand icons (windows, apple, linux, steam, ubuntu, fedora,
-opensuse in assets/os-icons/) are from Font Awesome Free.
+Font Awesome Free — brand icons (apple, linux, steam, ubuntu, fedora, opensuse in
+assets/os-icons/) are from Font Awesome Free.

 Copyright (c) Fonticons, Inc. (https://fontawesome.com)

@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
-Simple Icons — brand icons (arch, nixos, debian in assets/os-icons/) are from
-Simple Icons (https://simpleicons.org, https://github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons).
+Simple Icons — brand icons (arch, nixos, debian, cachyos, nobara in assets/os-icons/)
+are from Simple Icons
+(https://simpleicons.org, https://github.com/simple-icons/simple-icons).

 The Simple Icons SVG path data is released under CC0 1.0 Universal (public domain
 dedication), https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ — no attribution
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ Android `ImageVector`s). One file per **icon token** of the host's OS-identity c

 | token | mark | source |
 |---|---|---|
-| `windows` | Windows | Font Awesome Free brands (CC BY 4.0) |
+| `windows` | Windows (the current four-pane mark, no perspective skew) | own geometry |
 | `apple` | Apple (also `macos` via alias) | Font Awesome Free brands (CC BY 4.0) |
 | `linux` | Tux | Font Awesome Free brands (CC BY 4.0) |
 | `steam` | Steam (also `steamos` via alias) | Font Awesome Free brands (CC BY 4.0) |
@@ -17,14 +17,36 @@ Android `ImageVector`s). One file per **icon token** of the host's OS-identity c
 | `arch` | Arch Linux | Simple Icons (CC0 1.0) |
 | `nixos` | NixOS | Simple Icons (CC0 1.0) |
 | `debian` | Debian | Simple Icons (CC0 1.0) |
+| `bazzite` | Bazzite | ublue-os/bazzite (Apache-2.0) |
+| `cachyos` | CachyOS | Simple Icons (CC0 1.0) |
+| `nobara` | Nobara | Simple Icons (CC0 1.0, slug `nobaralinux`) |

-Distros with no file here (Bazzite, CachyOS, Nobara, Pop!_OS, Mint, …) are intentional:
-the host advertises the full chain (`linux/fedora/bazzite`), and clients walk it
-most-specific-first, so they degrade to the family mark and finally to Tux.
+The last three are **distro leaves, not families**: a chain walks most-specific-first, so
+`linux/fedora/bazzite` would otherwise draw the Fedora mark. They earn their own art because
+"a Bazzite box" and "a Fedora box" are different machines to the person reading the card, and
+they are what this project's hosts actually run. Every other distro with no file here (Pop!_OS,
+Mint, …) still degrades to its family's mark and finally to Tux — that fallback is the design,
+not a gap.

-All files are monochrome (`fill="currentColor"`), original per-icon viewBoxes preserved.
-Licensing: attribution notices live in `LICENSES/` and are folded into
-`THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt` by `scripts/gen-third-party-notices.py`. The marks are
-trademarks of their respective owners; they are used here nominatively — to *identify*
-the operating system a host runs, the standard practice in this ecosystem — and imply no
-affiliation or endorsement.
+Windows is the one mark drawn here rather than sourced: every icon set that ships a "Windows"
+brand glyph still carries the **Windows 8/10 flag with the perspective skew**, which reads as
+dated next to the flat four-pane mark Microsoft has used since Windows 11. Four equal squares
+(11.377 + 1.246 gap) is the current proportion.
+
+All files are monochrome (`fill="currentColor"`), original per-icon viewBoxes preserved. Because
+those viewBoxes are not all square, a client must letterbox rather than stretch — see the aspect
+note in `clients/android/.../components/OsIcons.kt`.
+
+## Regenerating the per-client derivatives
+
+`bash scripts/gen-os-icons.sh [token ...]` turns a master into the three baked forms (GTK
+symbolic SVG, Windows PNG, Apple template PDF) and prints the path data for the three clients
+that inline it (web console, Decky plugin, Android). Adding a **new** token also means adding it
+to each client's shipped-token list — the script prints that checklist too.
+
+## Licensing
+
+Attribution notices live in `LICENSES/` and are folded into `THIRD-PARTY-NOTICES.txt` by
+`scripts/gen-third-party-notices.py`. The marks are trademarks of their respective owners; they
+are used here nominatively — to *identify* the operating system a host runs, the standard
+practice in this ecosystem — and imply no affiliation or endorsement.
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<!-- bazzite — the Bazzite "b", from ublue-os/bazzite repo_content/Bazzite.svg (Apache-2.0), lifted out of the badge and normalized to a 24x24 box. See README.md. -->
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path d="M7.178 0h3.589v7.178h7.524c3.153 0 5.709 2.556 5.709 5.709 0 6.138-4.976 11.113-11.113 11.113-3.153 0-5.709-2.556-5.709-5.709V10.766H0v-3.589h7.178zm3.589 10.766v7.524c0 1.171.949 2.12 2.12 2.12 4.156 0 7.524-3.369 7.524-7.524 0-1.171-.949-2.12-2.12-2.12z"/></svg>
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<!-- cachyos — from Simple Icons (CC0 1.0). See README.md. -->
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path d="M5.301 2.646 0 11.771l5.541 9.583h11.486l2.904-5.017H8.102l-2.56-4.429L8.067 7.54h6.063l2.83-4.893ZM20.058 4.12a.748.748 0 0 0 0 1.496.748.748 0 0 0 0-1.496m-1.983 4.303a1.45 1.45 0 0 0 0 2.9 1.45 1.45 0 0 0 0-2.9m4.02 3.98a1.904 1.904 0 0 0 0 3.809 1.904 1.904 0 0 0 0-3.81"/></svg>
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<!-- nobara — from Simple Icons (CC0 1.0), slug "nobaralinux". See README.md. -->
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path d="M23.808 11.808v8.281a3.542 3.542 0 0 1-3.542 3.527h-.46a3.543 3.543 0 0 1-3.083-3.513v-7.282l3.543-1.013-3.66-1.045a4.724 4.724 0 0 0-9.33 1.045v2.362a2.362 2.362 0 0 0 2.362 2.362 3.543 3.543 0 0 1 3.543 3.542V24a3.539 3.539 0 0 0-3.542-3.542 3.537 3.537 0 0 0-3.063 1.76 3.54 3.54 0 0 1-2.382 1.398h-.46A3.542 3.542 0 0 1 .192 20.09V3.543a3.542 3.542 0 0 1 6.323-2.194A11.756 11.756 0 0 1 12 0c6.521 0 11.808 5.287 11.808 11.808zm-9.446 0A2.359 2.359 0 0 1 12 14.17a2.362 2.362 0 1 1 2.362-2.362z"/></svg>
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-<!-- windows — from Font Awesome Free 5 brands (CC BY 4.0), via react-icons FaWindows. See README.md. -->
-<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 448 512" fill="currentColor"><path d="M0 93.7l183.6-25.3v177.4H0V93.7zm0 324.6l183.6 25.3V268.4H0v149.9zm203.8 28L448 480V268.4H203.8v177.9zm0-380.6v180.1H448V32L203.8 65.7z"/></svg>
+<!-- windows — the modern (Windows 11) four-pane mark: four equal squares, no perspective skew. Own geometry, see README.md. -->
+<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor"><path d="M0 0h11.377v11.377H0zm12.623 0H24v11.377H12.623zM0 12.623h11.377V24H0zm12.623 0H24V24H12.623z"/></svg>
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalContext
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
+import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.DsDevice
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Gamepad
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Sc2Capture
 import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
@@ -149,13 +150,14 @@ fun ControllersScreen(gamepadSetting: Int, onBack: () -> Unit) {
    ) {
        Text("Controllers", style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineMedium)

-        // Steam Controller 2 detection: never an InputDevice (lizard mode is kb/mouse; the
-        // capture claims even those away), so it's enumerated on the capture side — USB device
-        // list + bonded BLE — and re-checked on USB hot-plug.
-        var sc2Generation by remember { mutableIntStateOf(0) }
+        // Capture-side detection, re-checked on USB hot-plug. The SC2 is never an InputDevice
+        // (lizard mode is kb/mouse; the capture claims even those away) so it's enumerated from
+        // the USB device list + bonded BLE; a Sony pad IS an InputDevice until claimed, so its
+        // row supplements the PadRow below with the capture status + the USB grant.
+        var usbGeneration by remember { mutableIntStateOf(0) }
        DisposableEffect(Unit) {
            val receiver = object : android.content.BroadcastReceiver() {
-                override fun onReceive(c: Context?, i: android.content.Intent?) { sc2Generation++ }
+                override fun onReceive(c: Context?, i: android.content.Intent?) { usbGeneration++ }
            }
            val filter = android.content.IntentFilter().apply {
                addAction(android.hardware.usb.UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED)
@@ -170,16 +172,23 @@ fun ControllersScreen(gamepadSetting: Int, onBack: () -> Unit) {
            onDispose { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(receiver) } }
        }
        val sc2Probe = remember { Sc2Capture(context) }
-        val sc2Usb = remember(sc2Generation) { sc2Probe.findUsbDevice() }
-        val sc2Ble = remember(sc2Generation) {
+        val sc2Usb = remember(usbGeneration) { sc2Probe.findUsbDevice() }
+        val sc2Ble = remember(usbGeneration) {
            if (context.checkSelfPermission(android.Manifest.permission.BLUETOOTH_CONNECT) ==
                android.content.pm.PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED
            ) sc2Probe.pairedBleAddress() else null
        }
        val sc2Present = sc2Usb != null || sc2Ble != null
+        val dsUsb = remember(usbGeneration) {
+            (context.getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as android.hardware.usb.UsbManager)
+                .deviceList.values.firstOrNull {
+                    it.vendorId == DsDevice.VID_SONY && it.productId in DsDevice.USB_PIDS
+                }
+        }

        Group("Gamepads") {
            if (sc2Present) Sc2Row(sc2Usb, activity)
+            dsUsb?.let { DsRow(it) }
            if (pads.isEmpty() && !sc2Present) {
                Text(
                    "No controller detected. punktfunk can only forward devices Android " +
@@ -319,6 +328,104 @@ private fun Sc2Row(usbDev: android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice?, activity: MainActivi
    }
 }

+/**
+ * Broadcast action for the Sony-pad USB grants — fired by both the menu-time auto-ask
+ * ([MainActivity.maybeAskDsPermission]) and [DsRow]'s explicit button, so an open card
+ * refreshes whichever dialog was answered.
+ */
+internal const val DS_USB_PERMISSION_ACTION = "io.unom.punktfunk.DS_CONTROLLERS_USB_PERMISSION"
+
+/**
+ * The Sony USB pad card — capture status + the USB grant. The grant normally arrives via the
+ * menu-time auto-ask the moment the pad attaches ([MainActivity.maybeAskDsPermission]); the
+ * button here is the recovery path after a deny (the auto-ask fires once per attach). Shown
+ * ALONGSIDE the pad's ordinary [PadRow] (unclaimed it is still an InputDevice); the capture
+ * itself only runs inside a stream, so at menu time this card is pure status.
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun DsRow(usbDev: android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice) {
+    val context = LocalContext.current
+    val settingOn = remember { SettingsStore(context).load().dsCapture }
+    val usbManager = context.getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as android.hardware.usb.UsbManager
+    var permitted by remember(usbDev) { mutableStateOf(usbManager.hasPermission(usbDev)) }
+    val model = DsDevice.modelFor(usbDev.productId)
+    val label = when (model) {
+        DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE -> "DualSense"
+        DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE -> "DualSense Edge"
+        DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4 -> "DualShock 4"
+        null -> return
+    }
+    // Refresh `permitted` when the grant dialog answers (the grant itself is system-recorded;
+    // this receiver only updates the card).
+    val action = DS_USB_PERMISSION_ACTION
+    DisposableEffect(usbDev) {
+        val receiver = object : android.content.BroadcastReceiver() {
+            override fun onReceive(c: Context?, i: android.content.Intent?) {
+                if (i?.action == action) permitted = usbManager.hasPermission(usbDev)
+            }
+        }
+        androidx.core.content.ContextCompat.registerReceiver(
+            context,
+            receiver,
+            android.content.IntentFilter(action),
+            androidx.core.content.ContextCompat.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED,
+        )
+        onDispose { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(receiver) } }
+    }
+    OutlinedCard(modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()) {
+        Column(
+            modifier = Modifier.padding(16.dp),
+            verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(6.dp),
+        ) {
+            Text("$label passthrough", style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyLarge)
+            Text(
+                "Wired (USB)",
+                style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+            )
+            when {
+                !settingOn -> Text(
+                    "Passthrough is disabled in Settings — enable \"DualSense / DualShock " +
+                        "passthrough (USB)\" to capture it.",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                )
+                !permitted -> {
+                    Text(
+                        "Needs USB access — grant it now and streams capture the pad silently.",
+                        style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                        color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                    )
+                    OutlinedButton(onClick = {
+                        usbManager.requestPermission(
+                            usbDev,
+                            android.app.PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
+                                context, 3, // requestCode 3 — 0/1/2 are the SC2/stream grants
+                                android.content.Intent(action).setPackage(context.packageName),
+                                // MUTABLE: the USB stack appends the grant extras to this intent.
+                                android.app.PendingIntent.FLAG_MUTABLE,
+                            ),
+                        )
+                    }) {
+                        Text("Grant USB access")
+                    }
+                }
+                else -> Text(
+                    if (model == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) {
+                        "Ready — captured at stream start: rumble, lightbar and gyro are " +
+                            "driven directly."
+                    } else {
+                        "Ready — captured at stream start: rumble, adaptive triggers, lightbar " +
+                            "and gyro are driven directly."
+                    },
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                )
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /** One detected gamepad: identity, what it streams as, and a rumble test. */
@Composable
 private fun PadRow(dev: InputDevice, forwarded: Boolean, gamepadSetting: Int) {
@@ -395,6 +395,11 @@ private fun buildSettingsRows(
            "mic", null, "Microphone", "Send this device's microphone to the host's virtual mic.",
            s.micEnabled,
        ) { update(s.copy(micEnabled = it)) },
+        toggle(
+            "echoCancel", null, "Echo cancellation",
+            "Filter the stream's own audio out of the mic pickup. Applies while the microphone is on.",
+            s.echoCancel,
+        ) { update(s.copy(echoCancel = it)) },

        choice(
            "padType", "Controllers", "Controller type",
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package io.unom.punktfunk

 import android.content.Context
 import android.os.Build
+import android.util.Log
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Gamepad
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.NativeBridge
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.VideoDecoders
@@ -45,14 +46,40 @@ suspend fun connectToHost(
        // Transport-level half of "Low-latency mode (experimental)" (DSCP marking on the media
        // sockets) — must be applied before connect, since sockets are tagged at creation.
        NativeBridge.nativeSetLowLatencyMode(settings.lowLatencyMode)
+        val multiSlice = VideoDecoders.multiSliceTolerant()
+        val partialFrame = VideoDecoders.partialFrameCapable()
+        // Slice-progressive delivery: decoder truth AND the async decode loop — the legacy
+        // sync loop feeds whole AUs only, so parts must never arrive when it is selected.
+        val frameParts = settings.lowLatencyMode && partialFrame
+        val codecBits = VideoDecoders.decodableCodecBits()
+        // Automatic codec (P5, measured NP3 ↔ RTX 4090): AV1 beat HEVC by ~1.2 ms end-to-end at
+        // identical conditions, so under "Automatic" this device prefers AV1 when it hardware-
+        // decodes it (the AV1 bit is only ever set for a real, non-blocked hardware decoder) AND
+        // it lacks FEATURE_PartialFrame — a partial-frame device keeps HEVC, whose slice overlap
+        // AV1 cannot ride (AV1 has no slices; the host's chunked poll never arms). The host
+        // honors the preference only inside the probed shared codec set, so an AV1-less encoder
+        // still resolves HEVC. An explicit user choice always wins unchanged.
+        val preferredCodec = settings.preferredCodec().takeIf { it != 0 }
+            ?: if (codecBits and 4 != 0 && !partialFrame) 4 else 0
+        // The connect-time capability readout (`adb logcat -s pf.caps`): the P2 slice pipeline
+        // is client-inert unless BOTH probes pass — this line says which decoder failed one.
+        Log.i(
+            "pf.caps",
+            VideoDecoders.capsReport() +
+                " → multiSlice=$multiSlice parts=$frameParts prefer=$preferredCodec" +
+                " (lowLatency=${settings.lowLatencyMode})",
+        )
        NativeBridge.nativeConnect(
            host, port, w, h, hz,
            identity.certPem, identity.privateKeyPem, pinHex,
            settings.bitrateKbps, settings.compositor, gamepadPref,
-            hdrEnabled, settings.audioChannels,
+            hdrEnabled, multiSlice,
+            frameParts,
+            settings.audioChannels,
            // What this device can decode (H.264|HEVC always, AV1 when a real decoder exists) +
-            // the user's soft codec preference — the host resolves the emitted codec from both.
-            VideoDecoders.decodableCodecBits(), settings.preferredCodec(), timeoutMs,
+            // the soft codec preference (user choice, or the Automatic AV1 rule above) — the
+            // host resolves the emitted codec from both.
+            codecBits, preferredCodec, timeoutMs,
            launch,
            // The host's approval-list / trust-store label for this device — the same
            // Build.MODEL convention the pairing dialogs use for nativePair.
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
 import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
 import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.DsDevice
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Gamepad
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.GamepadRouter
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Keymap
@@ -169,6 +170,10 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    private var sc2Receiver: BroadcastReceiver? = null
    private var sc2PermissionAsked = false

+    /** Sony-pad USB grant asked this attach — a deny doesn't re-nag until a fresh attach (or the
+     *  Controllers screen's explicit button). */
+    private var dsPermissionAsked = false
+
    /**
     * Compose focus hook for the SC2's synthetic D-pad (set by [onCreate]'s composition). A
     * synthetic KeyEvent dispatched from OUTSIDE the real input pipeline never reaches
@@ -225,6 +230,8 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
                    UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_ATTACHED -> {
                        sc2PermissionAsked = false // a fresh attach may ask once again
                        startSc2MenuNav()
+                        dsPermissionAsked = false
+                        maybeAskDsPermission()
                    }
                    SC2_MENU_PERMISSION -> {
                        if (intent.getBooleanExtra(UsbManager.EXTRA_PERMISSION_GRANTED, false)) {
@@ -281,6 +288,7 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    override fun onResume() {
        super.onResume()
        startSc2MenuNav()
+        maybeAskDsPermission()
    }

    override fun onPause() {
@@ -341,6 +349,37 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
        sc2MenuActive = false
    }

+    /**
+     * Ask for USB access to an attached Sony pad the moment it appears — a fresh attach while
+     * the app is open, or the app coming to the foreground with one already plugged in — at most
+     * once per attach, so the stream-mode capture ([io.unom.punktfunk.kit.DsCapture]) engages
+     * silently instead of interrupting stream start with the dialog. Unlike the SC2's menu flow
+     * there is nothing to START on the grant: an uncaptured Sony pad is an ordinary InputDevice
+     * at menu time, so the grant is simply recorded (Android keeps it while the pad stays
+     * attached). The broadcast only refreshes the Controllers screen's card if it happens to be
+     * open; a deny leaves that card's explicit button as the re-ask.
+     */
+    private fun maybeAskDsPermission() {
+        if (streamHandle != 0L) return // StreamScreen owns its own permission flow while streaming
+        if (dsPermissionAsked) return
+        if (!SettingsStore(this).load().dsCapture) return
+        val usbManager = getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as UsbManager
+        val dev = usbManager.deviceList.values.firstOrNull {
+            it.vendorId == DsDevice.VID_SONY && it.productId in DsDevice.USB_PIDS
+        } ?: return
+        if (usbManager.hasPermission(dev)) return
+        dsPermissionAsked = true
+        usbManager.requestPermission(
+            dev,
+            PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
+                this, 4, // requestCode 4 — 0..3 are the SC2 stream/menu + DS stream/card grants
+                Intent(DS_USB_PERMISSION_ACTION).setPackage(packageName),
+                // MUTABLE: the USB stack appends the grant extras to this intent.
+                PendingIntent.FLAG_MUTABLE,
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+
    /**
     * One SC2 navigation key transition from the menu-time capture (main thread) — routed the
     * same way [dispatchKeyEvent]'s not-streaming branch routes a real pad's buttons: B backs,
@@ -405,8 +444,8 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
    /**
     * Opt the CONSOLE UI into the panel's highest refresh mode. Some OEMs (Nothing OS among them) pin
     * third-party apps to 60Hz unless they explicitly ask for more, which halves the smoothness of the
-     * UI's scrolling/animation on a 120/144Hz panel. [StreamScreen] turns this OFF while streaming so
-     * its own `ANativeWindow_setFrameRate` (matched to the video) governs the panel instead.
+     * UI's scrolling/animation on a 120/144Hz panel. [StreamScreen] replaces this with
+     * [setStreamDisplayMode] while streaming (matched to the video, not to the panel maximum).
     */
    fun setConsoleHighRefreshRate(high: Boolean) {
        if (highRefreshModeId == 0) return
@@ -415,6 +454,64 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
        }
    }

+    /**
+     * Pin the panel to a display mode matching the STREAM's refresh for the session's duration —
+     * exact rate first, else the smallest integer multiple (120 for a 60 stream: judder-free 2:1
+     * pulldown), else the highest available. Same-resolution modes only.
+     *
+     * The window-level mode pin is the belt to the decoder's `ANativeWindow_setFrameRate` braces:
+     * the surface hint alone is advisory, and several OEM refresh governors (Nothing OS's LTPO
+     * logic among them) ignore it entirely for third-party apps — leaving a 120 Hz session
+     * presenting on a 60/90 Hz panel, which reads as judder + a refresh of extra latency. The
+     * preferredDisplayModeId is the one signal they all honor. [hz] ≤ 0 falls back to releasing
+     * the pin (the pre-pin behaviour).
+     */
+    fun setStreamDisplayMode(hz: Int) {
+        if (hz <= 0) {
+            setConsoleHighRefreshRate(false)
+            return
+        }
+        val target = streamModeFor(hz) ?: return
+        window.attributes = window.attributes.apply { preferredDisplayModeId = target.modeId }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The panel refresh rate a [hz] stream runs against — [streamModeFor]'s pick, from the mode
+     * TABLE rather than `display.refreshRate`. The distinction matters: under a per-uid frame
+     * rate override (games get a 60 fps default on Android 15+) `refreshRate` reports the
+     * override, not the panel — observed on-glass as a 120 Hz panel reading back as 60. The
+     * supported-modes list is not override-filtered. `0` when unresolvable.
+     */
+    fun streamPanelFps(hz: Int): Int =
+        streamModeFor(hz)?.refreshRate?.let { kotlin.math.round(it).toInt() } ?: 0
+
+    /** The same-resolution display mode [setStreamDisplayMode] pins for a [hz] stream. */
+    private fun streamModeFor(hz: Int): android.view.Display.Mode? {
+        if (hz <= 0) return null
+        @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
+        val disp = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) display else windowManager.defaultDisplay
+        val current = disp?.mode ?: return null
+        val sameRes = disp.supportedModes.filter {
+            it.physicalWidth == current.physicalWidth && it.physicalHeight == current.physicalHeight
+        }
+        fun multiple(rate: Float): Int {
+            val k = (rate / hz).toInt()
+            return if (k >= 2 && kotlin.math.abs(rate - hz * k) < 1f) k else 0
+        }
+        return sameRes.minWithOrNull(
+            compareBy(
+                {
+                    when {
+                        kotlin.math.abs(it.refreshRate - hz) < 1f -> 0 // exact
+                        multiple(it.refreshRate) > 0 -> 1 // integer multiple — prefer smallest
+                        else -> 2 // no relation — prefer highest so at least nothing is halved
+                    }
+                },
+                { if (multiple(it.refreshRate) > 0) it.refreshRate else -it.refreshRate },
+            ),
+        )
+    }
+
    override fun dispatchKeyEvent(event: KeyEvent): Boolean {
        val handle = streamHandle
        if (handle != 0L) {
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
    val compositor: Int? = null,
    val audioChannels: Int? = null,
    val micEnabled: Boolean? = null,
+    val echoCancel: Boolean? = null,
    val touchMode: TouchMode? = null,
    val mouseMode: MouseMode? = null,
    val invertScroll: Boolean? = null,
@@ -48,6 +49,9 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
     * else, but here it is the one knob a marginal link wants turned off per host.
     */
    val lowLatencyMode: Boolean? = null,
+    /** The timeline presenter's intent pair — cross-client keys, see [Settings.presentPriority]. */
+    val presentPriority: String? = null,
+    val smoothBuffer: Int? = null,
    /**
     * Overlay keys a newer build wrote and this one doesn't model — carried through a load→save
     * round-trip untouched. The don't-clobber rule: opening and saving a profile on an older client
@@ -67,12 +71,15 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        compositor = compositor ?: base.compositor,
        audioChannels = audioChannels ?: base.audioChannels,
        micEnabled = micEnabled ?: base.micEnabled,
+        echoCancel = echoCancel ?: base.echoCancel,
        touchMode = touchMode ?: base.touchMode,
        mouseMode = mouseMode ?: base.mouseMode,
        invertScroll = invertScroll ?: base.invertScroll,
        gamepad = gamepad ?: base.gamepad,
        statsVerbosity = statsVerbosity ?: base.statsVerbosity,
        lowLatencyMode = lowLatencyMode ?: base.lowLatencyMode,
+        presentPriority = presentPriority ?: base.presentPriority,
+        smoothBuffer = smoothBuffer ?: base.smoothBuffer,
    )

    /**
@@ -98,12 +105,15 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        compositor = if (after.compositor != before.compositor) after.compositor else compositor,
        audioChannels = if (after.audioChannels != before.audioChannels) after.audioChannels else audioChannels,
        micEnabled = if (after.micEnabled != before.micEnabled) after.micEnabled else micEnabled,
+        echoCancel = if (after.echoCancel != before.echoCancel) after.echoCancel else echoCancel,
        touchMode = if (after.touchMode != before.touchMode) after.touchMode else touchMode,
        mouseMode = if (after.mouseMode != before.mouseMode) after.mouseMode else mouseMode,
        invertScroll = if (after.invertScroll != before.invertScroll) after.invertScroll else invertScroll,
        gamepad = if (after.gamepad != before.gamepad) after.gamepad else gamepad,
        statsVerbosity = if (after.statsVerbosity != before.statsVerbosity) after.statsVerbosity else statsVerbosity,
        lowLatencyMode = if (after.lowLatencyMode != before.lowLatencyMode) after.lowLatencyMode else lowLatencyMode,
+        presentPriority = if (after.presentPriority != before.presentPriority) after.presentPriority else presentPriority,
+        smoothBuffer = if (after.smoothBuffer != before.smoothBuffer) after.smoothBuffer else smoothBuffer,
    )

    /**
@@ -121,12 +131,15 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        "compositor" -> copy(compositor = null)
        "audio_channels" -> copy(audioChannels = null)
        "mic_enabled" -> copy(micEnabled = null)
+        "echo_cancel" -> copy(echoCancel = null)
        "touch_mode" -> copy(touchMode = null)
        "mouse_mode" -> copy(mouseMode = null)
        "invert_scroll" -> copy(invertScroll = null)
        "gamepad" -> copy(gamepad = null)
        "stats_verbosity" -> copy(statsVerbosity = null)
        "low_latency_mode" -> copy(lowLatencyMode = null)
+        "present_priority" -> copy(presentPriority = null)
+        "smooth_buffer" -> copy(smoothBuffer = null)
        else -> this
    }

@@ -141,12 +154,15 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        if (compositor != null) add("compositor")
        if (audioChannels != null) add("audio_channels")
        if (micEnabled != null) add("mic_enabled")
+        if (echoCancel != null) add("echo_cancel")
        if (touchMode != null) add("touch_mode")
        if (mouseMode != null) add("mouse_mode")
        if (invertScroll != null) add("invert_scroll")
        if (gamepad != null) add("gamepad")
        if (statsVerbosity != null) add("stats_verbosity")
        if (lowLatencyMode != null) add("low_latency_mode")
+        if (presentPriority != null) add("present_priority")
+        if (smoothBuffer != null) add("smooth_buffer")
    }

    /**
@@ -169,12 +185,15 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        compositor?.let { j.put("compositor", it) }
        audioChannels?.let { j.put("audio_channels", it) }
        micEnabled?.let { j.put("mic_enabled", it) }
+        echoCancel?.let { j.put("echo_cancel", it) }
        touchMode?.let { j.put("touch_mode", it.name) }
        mouseMode?.let { j.put("mouse_mode", it.storedName) }
        invertScroll?.let { j.put("invert_scroll", it) }
        gamepad?.let { j.put("gamepad", it) }
        statsVerbosity?.let { j.put("stats_verbosity", it.name) }
        lowLatencyMode?.let { j.put("low_latency_mode", it) }
+        presentPriority?.let { j.put("present_priority", it) }
+        smoothBuffer?.let { j.put("smooth_buffer", it) }
        return j
    }

@@ -185,8 +204,9 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
        /** Keys this build models; everything else in a stored overlay is carried through. */
        private val KNOWN = setOf(
            "width", "height", "refresh_hz", "bitrate_kbps", "render_scale", "codec",
-            "hdr_enabled", "compositor", "audio_channels", "mic_enabled", "touch_mode",
-            "mouse_mode", "invert_scroll", "gamepad", "stats_verbosity", "low_latency_mode",
+            "hdr_enabled", "compositor", "audio_channels", "mic_enabled", "echo_cancel",
+            "touch_mode", "mouse_mode", "invert_scroll", "gamepad", "stats_verbosity",
+            "low_latency_mode", "present_priority", "smooth_buffer",
        )

        internal fun fromJson(j: JSONObject): SettingsOverlay = SettingsOverlay(
@@ -200,6 +220,7 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
            compositor = j.optIntOrNull("compositor"),
            audioChannels = j.optIntOrNull("audio_channels"),
            micEnabled = j.optBooleanOrNull("mic_enabled"),
+            echoCancel = j.optBooleanOrNull("echo_cancel"),
            touchMode = j.optStringOrNull("touch_mode")
                ?.let { n -> TouchMode.entries.firstOrNull { it.name == n } },
            mouseMode = j.optStringOrNull("mouse_mode")
@@ -209,6 +230,8 @@ data class SettingsOverlay(
            statsVerbosity = j.optStringOrNull("stats_verbosity")
                ?.let { n -> StatsVerbosity.entries.firstOrNull { it.name == n } },
            lowLatencyMode = j.optBooleanOrNull("low_latency_mode"),
+            presentPriority = j.optStringOrNull("present_priority"),
+            smoothBuffer = j.optIntOrNull("smooth_buffer"),
            extra = j.keys().asSequence().filter { it !in KNOWN }.associateWith { j.get(it) },
        )
    }
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package io.unom.punktfunk

 import android.content.Context
+import android.hardware.display.DisplayManager
 import android.os.Build
 import android.util.Log
 import android.view.Display
@@ -41,6 +42,15 @@ data class Settings(
     * the host resolves (AV1 is only advertised/offered when the device has a real AV1 decoder). */
    val codec: String = "auto",
    val micEnabled: Boolean = false,
+    /**
+     * Cancel acoustic echo on the mic uplink (plus noise suppression): the capture opens under
+     * the VoiceCommunication preset so the HAL's own AEC/NS process it, with the Java effects
+     * attached as a backstop where available. On by default — a phone/tablet plays the game audio
+     * out of the same device its mic hears, so without this the host hears its own stream back.
+     * Turn off for a headset-only setup where the untouched full-band capture sounds better.
+     * Only meaningful while [micEnabled] is on.
+     */
+    val echoCancel: Boolean = true,
    /**
     * How much the in-stream stats overlay shows — see [StatsVerbosity]. Defaults to
     * [StatsVerbosity.NORMAL] (the res/fps line + latency headline + reliability counters); the full
@@ -83,6 +93,19 @@ data class Settings(
     * feeds a queue that only grows.
     */
    val lowLatencyMode: Boolean = true,
+    /**
+     * The timeline presenter's intent — the cross-client `present_priority` pair (the Apple
+     * client's "Prioritize" picker, same stored values): `"latency"` (default) = newest-wins,
+     * a frame reaches glass the instant the glass budget opens; `"smooth"` = a small FIFO
+     * drained one frame per vsync, absorbing network/decode jitter at one refresh of added
+     * display latency per buffered frame. Anything unrecognized resolves to latency.
+     */
+    val presentPriority: String = "latency",
+    /**
+     * The smoothness buffer depth (`smooth_buffer`): 0 = Automatic (2 frames), else 1..3.
+     * Only meaningful when [presentPriority] is `"smooth"`.
+     */
+    val smoothBuffer: Int = 0,
    /**
     * Wake-on-LAN a saved host before connecting when it isn't currently seen on mDNS. On (default):
     * a connect to a host with a learned MAC that isn't advertising sends a magic packet and waits
@@ -110,6 +133,18 @@ data class Settings(
     */
    val sc2Capture: Boolean = true,

+    /**
+     * Capture a USB-connected Sony controller (DualSense / DualSense Edge / DualShock 4) and
+     * drive it directly: the app claims the pad's HID interface and renders the host's feedback
+     * by writing USB output reports — rumble works on every phone (no kernel force-feedback
+     * driver needed), and adaptive triggers + lightbar + player LEDs work at all (Android has no
+     * platform API for any of them). ON by default — it engages only when such a pad is attached
+     * over USB at stream start; uncaptured (toggle off / no permission / Bluetooth) the pad stays
+     * on the ordinary InputDevice path. USB only: Android exposes no raw path to a Bluetooth
+     * Classic pad, which is also why Sony's own Remote Play has no Android trigger support.
+     */
+    val dsCapture: Boolean = true,
+
    /**
     * How a physical mouse drives the host — the cross-client mouse model (see [MouseMode]).
     * [MouseMode.DESKTOP] (default here) points absolutely; [MouseMode.CAPTURE] locks the pointer
@@ -184,6 +219,7 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
        audioChannels = prefs.getInt(K_AUDIO_CH, 2),
        codec = prefs.getString(K_CODEC, "auto") ?: "auto",
        micEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_MIC, false),
+        echoCancel = prefs.getBoolean(K_ECHO_CANCEL, true),
        statsVerbosity = prefs.getString(K_STATS_VERBOSITY, null)
            ?.let { name -> StatsVerbosity.entries.firstOrNull { it.name == name } }
            // Migration from the pre-tier Boolean "stats_hud_enabled": an explicit OFF stays off;
@@ -201,9 +237,12 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
        gamepadUiEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_GAMEPAD_UI, true),
        libraryEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_LIBRARY, true),
        lowLatencyMode = prefs.getBoolean(K_LOW_LATENCY, true),
+        presentPriority = prefs.getString(K_PRESENT_PRIORITY, "latency") ?: "latency",
+        smoothBuffer = prefs.getInt(K_SMOOTH_BUFFER, 0),
        autoWakeEnabled = prefs.getBoolean(K_AUTO_WAKE, true),
        rumbleOnPhone = prefs.getBoolean(K_RUMBLE_ON_PHONE, false),
        sc2Capture = prefs.getBoolean(K_SC2_CAPTURE, true),
+        dsCapture = prefs.getBoolean(K_DS_CAPTURE, true),
        mouseMode = prefs.getString(K_MOUSE_MODE, null)
            ?.let { name -> MouseMode.entries.firstOrNull { it.storedName == name } }
            // Migration: the pre-enum Boolean "pointer_capture" (true = lock the pointer). Its
@@ -226,14 +265,18 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
            .putInt(K_AUDIO_CH, s.audioChannels)
            .putString(K_CODEC, s.codec)
            .putBoolean(K_MIC, s.micEnabled)
+            .putBoolean(K_ECHO_CANCEL, s.echoCancel)
            .putString(K_STATS_VERBOSITY, s.statsVerbosity.name)
            .putString(K_TOUCH_MODE, s.touchMode.name)
            .putBoolean(K_GAMEPAD_UI, s.gamepadUiEnabled)
            .putBoolean(K_LIBRARY, s.libraryEnabled)
            .putBoolean(K_LOW_LATENCY, s.lowLatencyMode)
+            .putString(K_PRESENT_PRIORITY, s.presentPriority)
+            .putInt(K_SMOOTH_BUFFER, s.smoothBuffer)
            .putBoolean(K_AUTO_WAKE, s.autoWakeEnabled)
            .putBoolean(K_RUMBLE_ON_PHONE, s.rumbleOnPhone)
            .putBoolean(K_SC2_CAPTURE, s.sc2Capture)
+            .putBoolean(K_DS_CAPTURE, s.dsCapture)
            .putString(K_MOUSE_MODE, s.mouseMode.storedName)
            .putBoolean(K_INVERT_SCROLL, s.invertScroll)
            .apply()
@@ -251,6 +294,7 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
        const val K_AUDIO_CH = "audio_channels"
        const val K_CODEC = "codec"
        const val K_MIC = "mic_enabled"
+        const val K_ECHO_CANCEL = "echo_cancel"
        const val K_STATS_VERBOSITY = "stats_verbosity"

        /** Pre-tier Boolean the [K_STATS_VERBOSITY] enum replaced — read once for migration, never
@@ -271,9 +315,12 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
         * on; both stale keys are abandoned unread. The toggle stays as a per-device escape hatch.
         */
        const val K_LOW_LATENCY = "low_latency_mode_v2"
+        const val K_PRESENT_PRIORITY = "present_priority"
+        const val K_SMOOTH_BUFFER = "smooth_buffer"
        const val K_AUTO_WAKE = "auto_wake_enabled"
        const val K_RUMBLE_ON_PHONE = "rumble_on_phone"
        const val K_SC2_CAPTURE = "sc2_capture"
+        const val K_DS_CAPTURE = "ds_capture"
        const val K_MOUSE_MODE = "mouse_mode"

        /** Legacy Boolean the [K_MOUSE_MODE] enum replaced — read once for migration, never written. */
@@ -285,14 +332,31 @@ class SettingsStore(context: Context) {
    }
 }

+/**
+ * The display to probe for capability/mode queries: the context's own display when it is already
+ * associated with one, else the DEFAULT display via [DisplayManager]. A `punktfunk://` deep-link
+ * COLD start can reach the connect before the activity is attached to its display —
+ * `context.display` then throws, and the old `false`/1080p60 fallbacks silently downgraded the
+ * whole session (no HDR advertised / non-native mode) with nothing in the log. The default
+ * display IS the panel on phones and TVs; the activity-display distinction only matters on
+ * multi-display setups, where the attached path still wins whenever it is available.
+ */
+private fun probeDisplay(context: Context): Display? =
+    runCatching { context.display }.getOrNull()
+        ?: runCatching {
+            context.getSystemService(DisplayManager::class.java)
+                ?.getDisplay(Display.DEFAULT_DISPLAY)
+        }.getOrNull().also {
+            if (it != null) Log.i("punktfunk", "display probe: context unattached — using DEFAULT_DISPLAY")
+        }
+
 /**
 * The device's native display mode as a landscape `(width, height, hz)` — the long edge is the
- * width, since we stream a desktop. Falls back to 1920×1080@60 if the display can't be read.
- * [context] must be a visual (Activity) context.
+ * width, since we stream a desktop. Falls back to 1920×1080@60 if no display can be read at all
+ * (see [probeDisplay] for the cold-start fallback that makes that a last resort).
 */
 fun nativeDisplayMode(context: Context): Triple<Int, Int, Int> {
-    // getDisplay() throws on a non-visual context rather than returning null — guard it.
-    val display = runCatching { context.display }.getOrNull() ?: return Triple(1920, 1080, 60)
+    val display = probeDisplay(context) ?: return Triple(1920, 1080, 60)
    val mode = display.mode
    val w = mode.physicalWidth
    val h = mode.physicalHeight
@@ -307,7 +371,12 @@ fun nativeDisplayMode(context: Context): Triple<Int, Int, Int> {
 * capability gate the Apple/Windows clients apply.
 */
 fun displaySupportsHdr(context: Context): Boolean {
-    val display = runCatching { context.display }.getOrNull() ?: return false
+    val display = probeDisplay(context)
+    if (display == null) {
+        // Distinguishable from a real SDR verdict — a silent `false` here cost an HDR session.
+        Log.w("punktfunk", "display HDR probe: no display reachable — advertising SDR")
+        return false
+    }
    val types = buildSet {
        // API 34+: the sanctioned per-mode query (Display.Mode.getSupportedHdrTypes). The
        // deprecated Display-level hdrCapabilities can return EMPTY on Android 14+ devices
@@ -491,6 +560,29 @@ val COMPOSITOR_OPTIONS = listOf(
 /** (verbosity, label) for the stats-overlay detail picker. Order = the live 3-finger-tap cycle. */
 val STATS_VERBOSITY_OPTIONS = StatsVerbosity.entries.map { it to it.label }

+/** [Settings.presentPriority] as the wire int `nativeStartVideo` takes (0 = latency, 1 = smooth).
+ * Unrecognized values resolve to latency — same rule as the Apple client. */
+fun Settings.presentPriorityWire(): Int = if (presentPriority == "smooth") 1 else 0
+
+/** (stored value, label) for the presenter-intent picker — the Apple client's table verbatim. */
+val PRESENT_PRIORITY_OPTIONS = listOf(
+    "latency" to "Lowest latency",
+    "smooth" to "Smoothness",
+)
+
+/** (frames, label) for the smoothness-buffer picker; each buffered frame ≈ one refresh interval
+ * of jitter absorbed for one interval of added display latency ([hz] labels the cost). */
+fun smoothBufferOptions(hz: Int): List<Pair<Int, String>> {
+    val periodMs = 1000.0 / maxOf(24, hz)
+    fun cost(frames: Int) = "+%.0f ms".format(periodMs * frames)
+    return listOf(
+        0 to "Automatic",
+        1 to "1 frame (${cost(1)})",
+        2 to "2 frames (${cost(2)})",
+        3 to "3 frames (${cost(3)})",
+    )
+}
+
 /** (mode, label) for the touch-input model. */
 val TOUCH_MODE_OPTIONS = listOf(
    TouchMode.TRACKPAD to "Trackpad",
@@ -673,12 +673,22 @@ private fun DisplaySettings(s: Settings, update: (Settings) -> Unit, context: an
        // Only codecs this device can actually decode are offered — a preference the client never
        // advertises would be a dead setting (see [codecOptionsFor]).
        val av1Capable = remember { VideoDecoders.pickDecoder("video/av01") != null }
+        // Mirror the Automatic AV1 rule in HostConnect (hardware AV1 AND no partial-frame
+        // support) so the picker says what "Automatic" actually does on THIS device.
+        val autoPrefersAv1 = remember {
+            VideoDecoders.decodableCodecBits() and 4 != 0 && !VideoDecoders.partialFrameCapable()
+        }
        SettingDropdown(
            label = "Video codec",
            options = codecOptionsFor(s.codec, av1Capable),
            selected = s.codec,
            field = "codec",
-            caption = "A preference — the host falls back if it can't encode this one.",
+            caption = if (autoPrefersAv1) {
+                "A preference — the host falls back if it can't encode this one. " +
+                    "Automatic prefers AV1 on this device."
+            } else {
+                "A preference — the host falls back if it can't encode this one."
+            },
        ) { c -> update(s.copy(codec = c)) }

        // HDR is only meaningful on a panel that can present HDR10; on an SDR display the toggle is
@@ -711,6 +721,26 @@ private fun DisplaySettings(s: Settings, update: (Settings) -> Unit, context: an
            field = "low_latency_mode",
            onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(lowLatencyMode = on)) },
        )
+        // The timeline presenter's intent — the Apple client's "Prioritize" pair, same stored
+        // values, so a profile written on one platform means the same thing here.
+        SettingDropdown(
+            label = "Prioritize",
+            options = PRESENT_PRIORITY_OPTIONS,
+            selected = if (s.presentPriority == "smooth") "smooth" else "latency",
+            field = "present_priority",
+            caption = "Lowest latency shows each frame the moment it can reach the panel; " +
+                "Smoothness buffers a little to absorb network jitter.",
+        ) { v -> update(s.copy(presentPriority = v)) }
+        if (s.presentPriority == "smooth") {
+            SettingDropdown(
+                label = "Smoothness buffer",
+                options = smoothBufferOptions(if (s.hz > 0) s.hz else nhz),
+                selected = if (s.smoothBuffer in 1..3) s.smoothBuffer else 0,
+                field = "smooth_buffer",
+                caption = "Each buffered frame absorbs one refresh of jitter and adds one of " +
+                    "display latency — the cost shown is at the session's refresh rate.",
+            ) { v -> update(s.copy(smoothBuffer = v)) }
+        }
    }

    SettingsGroup("Host output", footer = "Display changes apply from the next session.") {
@@ -774,6 +804,14 @@ private fun AudioSettings(s: Settings, update: (Settings) -> Unit, onMicChange:
            field = "mic_enabled",
            onCheckedChange = onMicChange,
        )
+        ToggleRow(
+            title = "Echo cancellation",
+            subtitle = "Filters the stream's own audio out of the mic pickup",
+            checked = s.echoCancel,
+            enabled = s.micEnabled,
+            field = "echo_cancel",
+            onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(echoCancel = on)) },
+        )
    }
 }

@@ -816,6 +854,15 @@ private fun ControllerSettings(s: Settings, update: (Settings) -> Unit, onOpenCo
                checked = s.sc2Capture,
                onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(sc2Capture = on)) },
            )
+            // Same no-vibrator-gate reasoning as the SC2 row: this capture renders feedback on
+            // the CONTROLLER's own motors/LEDs, not this device's.
+            ToggleRow(
+                title = "DualSense / DualShock passthrough (USB)",
+                subtitle = "Drive a USB-connected Sony pad directly — rumble on any phone, " +
+                    "plus adaptive triggers, lightbar and gyro",
+                checked = s.dsCapture,
+                onCheckedChange = { on -> update(s.copy(dsCapture = on)) },
+            )
        }
    }
 }
@@ -18,11 +18,13 @@ import kotlin.math.roundToInt
 * The live stats overlay — the unified HUD (`design/stats-unification.md`): headline is
 * `capture→displayed` tiled by `host+network` + `decode` + `display` when the platform delivered
 * OnFrameRendered render callbacks this window (`dispValid`), falling back to the v1
- * `capture→decoded` headline without the `display` term when it didn't. Reads the 26-double
- * layout from [NativeBridge.nativeVideoStats]:
+ * `capture→decoded` headline without the `display` term when it didn't. Reads the 33-double
+ * layout from [NativeBridge.nativeVideoStats] (that KDoc is the authoritative index list):
 * `[fps, mbps, e2eP50Ms, e2eP95Ms, latValid, skew, w, h, hz, lostTotal, bitDepth, colorPrimaries,
 * colorTransfer, chromaFormatIdc, hostNetP50Ms, decodeP50Ms, hostP50Ms, netP50Ms, lost, skipped,
- * fec, frames, dispValid, displayP50Ms, e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms]`.
+ * fec, frames, dispValid, displayP50Ms, e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms, paceP50Ms, latchP50Ms,
+ * presentsWindow, presenterActive, feedP50Ms, codecP50Ms, skippedOverflowWindow]`. Every read
+ * is length-guarded, so an older native lib simply omits the lines it can't feed.
 *
 * [verbosity] selects how many lines render (each tier a superset of the last — see
 * [StatsVerbosity]):
@@ -46,12 +48,20 @@ internal fun StatsOverlay(
     * common case: no profile) the line is exactly what it always was.
     */
    profileName: String? = null,
+    /**
+     * The panel's live refresh rate (0 = unknown). Shown as a warning on the first line whenever
+     * it sits below the stream rate — the "an OEM governor ignored the mode pin" tell, which
+     * otherwise reads as inexplicable judder and an extra refresh of latency.
+     */
+    panelHz: Float = 0f,
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
 ) {
    if (verbosity == StatsVerbosity.OFF || s.size < 10) return
    val w = s[6].toInt()
    val h = s[7].toInt()
    val hz = s[8].toInt()
+    val panelBelowStream = panelHz > 0f && hz > 0 && panelHz + 1f < hz.toFloat()
+    val panelTag = if (panelBelowStream) "   ⚠ panel ${panelHz.roundToInt()} Hz" else ""
    val latValid = s[4] != 0.0
    val skew = s[5] != 0.0
    val lost = s[9].toLong()
@@ -65,12 +75,12 @@ internal fun StatsOverlay(
        val profileTag = profileName?.let { "   · $it" }.orEmpty()
        // Compact: everything the glance-value needs on one line, nothing else.
        if (verbosity == StatsVerbosity.COMPACT) {
-            statLine(compactLine(s, latValid) + profileTag, Color.White)
+            statLine(compactLine(s, latValid) + profileTag + panelTag, Color.White)
            return@Column
        }

        statLine(
-            "$w×$h@$hz   ${s[0].roundToInt()} fps   ${"%.1f".format(s[1])} Mb/s$profileTag",
+            "$w×$h@$hz   ${s[0].roundToInt()} fps   ${"%.1f".format(s[1])} Mb/s$profileTag$panelTag",
            Color.White,
        )
        if (detailed && decoderLabel.isNotEmpty()) {
@@ -104,8 +114,47 @@ internal fun StatsOverlay(
                } else {
                    "host+network ${"%.1f".format(s[14])}"
                }
-                val displayTerm = if (dispValid) " + display ${"%.1f".format(s[23])}" else ""
-                statLine("= $hostTerms + decode ${"%.1f".format(s[15])}$displayTerm", Color.White)
+                // Timeline-presenter split (s[26]/s[27], when s[29] flags it active): the display
+                // term decomposes into pace (store + glass budget) + latch (SurfaceFlinger), and
+                // s[28] is the on-glass confirm count — presents ≪ fps means the presenter is
+                // dropping/serializing, an fps deficit is upstream.
+                val split = s.size >= 30 && s[29] != 0.0 && (s[26] > 0 || s[27] > 0)
+                val displayTerm = when {
+                    dispValid && split ->
+                        " + display ${"%.1f".format(s[23])} " +
+                            "(pace ${"%.1f".format(s[26])} + latch ${"%.1f".format(s[27])})"
+                    dispValid -> " + display ${"%.1f".format(s[23])}"
+                    else -> ""
+                }
+                val presents = if (s.size >= 30 && s[29] != 0.0) {
+                    "   · presents ${s[28].toInt()}"
+                } else {
+                    ""
+                }
+                // P3 decode split (s[30]/s[31]): `feed` = received→queued (hand-off + input-slot
+                // wait) + `codec` = queued→decoded (codec-pure) — rendered when a sample landed.
+                val decodeTerm = if (s.size >= 33 && (s[30] > 0 || s[31] > 0)) {
+                    "decode ${"%.1f".format(s[15])} " +
+                        "(feed ${"%.1f".format(s[30])} + codec ${"%.1f".format(s[31])})"
+                } else {
+                    "decode ${"%.1f".format(s[15])}"
+                }
+                statLine(
+                    "= $hostTerms + $decodeTerm$displayTerm$presents",
+                    Color.White,
+                )
+                // Metric fairness: the Apple client's HUD shaves ~2 refresh periods of OS
+                // pipeline floor off its shown display/end-to-end; Android shows raw. This twin
+                // applies the same shave so iPhone↔Android HUD numbers compare directly.
+                if (dispValid && hz > 0) {
+                    val shave = 2000.0 / hz
+                    statLine(
+                        "≈ Apple-HUD equiv: end-to-end " +
+                            "${"%.1f".format((s[24] - shave).coerceAtLeast(0.0))} · display " +
+                            "${"%.1f".format((s[23] - shave).coerceAtLeast(0.0))} (−2 refresh)",
+                        Color(0xFFA8D8B8),
+                    )
+                }
            }
        }
        counterLine(s, lost)?.let { statLine(it, Color(0xFFFFB0B0)) }
@@ -151,12 +200,17 @@ private fun counterLine(s: DoubleArray, lostTotal: Long): String? {
    val fec = s[20].toLong()
    val frames = s[21].toLong()
    if (lost == 0L && skipped == 0L && fec == 0L) return null
+    // The overflow subset of `skipped` (s[32]): whole AUs dropped before feeding — the decoder
+    // fell behind. Absent (0 / old layout) the plain count keeps meaning benign pacing drops.
+    val overflow = if (s.size >= 33) s[32].toLong() else 0L
    return buildList {
        if (lost > 0) {
            val pct = 100.0 * lost / (frames + lost).coerceAtLeast(1)
            add("lost $lost (${"%.1f".format(pct)}%)")
        }
-        if (skipped > 0) add("skipped $skipped")
+        if (skipped > 0) {
+            add(if (overflow > 0) "skipped $skipped (⚠ $overflow overflow)" else "skipped $skipped")
+        }
        if (fec > 0) add("FEC $fec")
    }.joinToString(" · ")
 }
@@ -9,11 +9,15 @@ import android.content.IntentFilter
 import android.content.pm.ActivityInfo
 import android.content.pm.PackageManager
 import android.hardware.usb.UsbManager
+import android.media.audiofx.AcousticEchoCanceler
+import android.media.audiofx.AudioEffect
+import android.media.audiofx.NoiseSuppressor
 import android.net.wifi.WifiManager
 import android.os.Build
 import android.text.InputType
 import android.util.Log
 import android.view.KeyEvent
+import android.view.Surface
 import android.view.SurfaceHolder
 import android.view.SurfaceView
 import android.view.View
@@ -25,12 +29,20 @@ import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager
 import android.widget.Toast
 import androidx.activity.compose.BackHandler
 import androidx.compose.foundation.background
+import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Box
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Row
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.Spacer
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.aspectRatio
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.fillMaxSize
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.padding
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.size
+import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.width
 import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.RoundedCornerShape
+import androidx.compose.material.icons.Icons
+import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.Mic
+import androidx.compose.material.icons.filled.MicOff
+import androidx.compose.material3.Icon
 import androidx.compose.material3.Text
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
 import androidx.compose.runtime.DisposableEffect
@@ -41,6 +53,7 @@ import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
 import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
 import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import androidx.compose.ui.draw.clip
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
 import androidx.compose.ui.input.pointer.pointerInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalContext
@@ -54,6 +67,7 @@ import androidx.core.view.WindowInsetsControllerCompat
 import androidx.lifecycle.Lifecycle
 import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleEventObserver
 import androidx.lifecycle.LifecycleOwner
+import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.DsCapture
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.GamepadFeedback
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.GamepadRouter
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.deviceBodyVibrator
@@ -62,6 +76,7 @@ import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.Sc2Capture
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.VideoDecoders
 import io.unom.punktfunk.models.ActiveSession
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean
+import kotlin.math.roundToInt
 import kotlinx.coroutines.delay

 /**
@@ -77,7 +92,14 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
    val micEnabled = initialSettings.micEnabled
    val context = LocalContext.current
    val activity = context as? MainActivity
+    // The View hosting this composition — the one that receives the stream's touch/pointer events
+    // (the gesture Box below is a Compose node inside it), so it is where unbuffered dispatch is
+    // requested.
+    val composeView = androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalView.current
    val window = activity?.window
+    // The negotiated stream refresh, known from the handshake (0 = unknown / older native lib) —
+    // drives the panel mode pin, the render-rate vote, and the presenter's latch grid.
+    val streamHz = remember(handle) { NativeBridge.nativeVideoSize(handle)?.getOrNull(2) ?: 0 }
    val controller = remember(window) {
        window?.let { WindowCompat.getInsetsController(it, it.decorView) }
    }
@@ -88,6 +110,38 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
        Manifest.permission.RECORD_AUDIO,
    ) == PackageManager.PERMISSION_GRANTED

+    // The Java AEC/NS pair backstopping the native VoiceCommunication capture preset, hung off the
+    // audio session id `nativeStartMic` returns. Attached in surfaceCreated (where the mic starts)
+    // and released on every path that stops the mic — the surface teardown AND the final dispose —
+    // so a surface recreate re-attaches to the fresh stream instead of leaking effect engines.
+    // All three touch points run on the main thread; a plain list is race-free.
+    val micEffects = remember { mutableListOf<AudioEffect>() }
+
+    // In-stream mic mute. Per SESSION and never persisted (no setting backs it): a new stream
+    // always starts unmuted. The authoritative flag lives on the native handle, which is why a mute
+    // survives the mic stop/start a surface recreate performs — this state is the UI's mirror of
+    // it, and survives the same recreate because the composition outlives the surface.
+    var micMuted by remember(handle) { mutableStateOf(false) }
+    // Whether a capture is actually RUNNING, not merely wanted — set from surfaceCreated on what
+    // nativeMicActive reports. A device that refused every AAudio input rung gets no mute control
+    // rather than one that lies about a mic being heard.
+    var micRunning by remember(handle) { mutableStateOf(false) }
+    // Transient confirmation of a mic-chord toggle (null = nothing showing). Only the gamepad path
+    // needs it: the touch button confirms itself by changing under the finger, but a chord has no
+    // on-screen state of its own, and "did that register?" is exactly the doubt to answer.
+    var micHint by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
+    LaunchedEffect(micHint) {
+        if (micHint != null) {
+            delay(1600)
+            micHint = null
+        }
+    }
+    // The one place mute is toggled — Compose state + the native flag, always together.
+    val setMicMuted = { muted: Boolean ->
+        micMuted = muted
+        NativeBridge.nativeSetMicMuted(handle, muted)
+    }
+
    // Live decode stats for the HUD. `statsOn` (verbosity != OFF) gates the whole native pipeline:
    // the per-frame sampling (nativeSetVideoStatsEnabled — a hidden HUD costs one atomic load per
    // frame) AND the 1 s poll loop, which only runs while the overlay is visible. Enabling resets
@@ -99,6 +153,9 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
    var stats by remember { mutableStateOf<DoubleArray?>(null) }
    var decoderLabel by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
    var codecLabel by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
+    // The panel's LIVE refresh rate, re-read each poll — the HUD flags a session whose panel sits
+    // below the stream rate (an OEM governor that ignored both the mode pin and the surface hint).
+    var panelHz by remember { mutableStateOf(0f) }
    var statsVerbosity by remember { mutableStateOf(initialSettings.statsVerbosity) }
    val statsOn = statsVerbosity != StatsVerbosity.OFF
    // Touch model is fixed per session (re-keys the gesture handler below if it ever changes).
@@ -120,6 +177,7 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
            while (true) {
                delay(1000)
                stats = NativeBridge.nativeVideoStats(handle)
+                panelHz = runCatching { context.display }.getOrNull()?.refreshRate ?: 0f
                // The decoder is fixed for the session; fetch its label once it's resolved.
                if (decoderLabel.isEmpty()) decoderLabel = NativeBridge.nativeVideoDecoderLabel(handle)
            }
@@ -226,13 +284,39 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
        val priorSoftInput = window?.attributes?.softInputMode
            ?: WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_ADJUST_UNSPECIFIED
        window?.setSoftInputMode(WindowManager.LayoutParams.SOFT_INPUT_ADJUST_NOTHING)
+        // Draw under the display cutout, explicitly. Android 15's SDK-35 edge-to-edge enforcement
+        // makes ALWAYS the immersive default, but pre-15 devices letterbox the notch as a dead
+        // black bar unless asked — and the stream's own letterbox is black anyway, so the cutout
+        // region can never show anything wrong. Captured + restored like the rest of the window
+        // state so the menus keep their platform-default behaviour.
+        val priorCutout = if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
+            window?.attributes?.layoutInDisplayCutoutMode
+        } else {
+            null
+        }
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
+            window?.let { w ->
+                w.attributes = w.attributes.apply {
+                    layoutInDisplayCutoutMode =
+                        WindowManager.LayoutParams.LAYOUT_IN_DISPLAY_CUTOUT_MODE_ALWAYS
+                }
+            }
+        }
        // Lock to landscape while streaming — the host streams a landscape desktop, so pin the device
        // there (either landscape direction is fine) and stop it rotating to portrait mid-session. The
        // activity declares configChanges=orientation, so this re-lays out the surface in place without
        // recreating the activity (no stream restart). On TV (fixed landscape) it's a harmless no-op.
        // The prior request is captured and restored on the way out.
+        //
+        // COMPACT devices only (sw < 600 dp): on tablets/foldables/desktop windows the lock is a
+        // large-display anti-pattern (Play flags it; Android 16+ ignores it there outright), and the
+        // stream doesn't need it — the aspect-ratio letterbox renders correctly in any orientation,
+        // the lock is purely a phone-ergonomics choice.
+        val compactDevice = context.resources.configuration.smallestScreenWidthDp < 600
        val priorOrientation = activity?.requestedOrientation
-        activity?.requestedOrientation = ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_LANDSCAPE
+        if (compactDevice) {
+            activity?.requestedOrientation = ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_SENSOR_LANDSCAPE
+        }
        activity?.streamHandle = handle // route hardware keys to this session
        // Multi-controller router: a stable wire pad index per connected controller, per-device axis
        // state, Arrival/Remove on hot-plug, and feedback routed back by pad index. Forwards every
@@ -248,6 +332,16 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
        // Show a "hold to quit" hint the moment the chord completes (the router debounces the actual
        // exit); it clears when the buttons release early or the hold elapses. Runs on the main thread.
        router.onExitArmed = { armed -> exitArming = armed }
+        // Select + Y toggles the mic — the couch reach for the on-screen mute button, which a
+        // gamepad/TV user has no pointer for. Ignored when no capture is running (there is nothing
+        // to mute, and claiming otherwise would be the lie the control exists to avoid).
+        router.onMicChord = {
+            if (micRunning) {
+                val next = !micMuted
+                setMicMuted(next)
+                micHint = if (next) "Microphone muted" else "Microphone live"
+            }
+        }
        // Physical mouse: uncaptured hover/click/wheel forwards as absolute pointing; captured
        // (setting or the Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q chord) raw deltas forward as relative mouse-look.
        // The local cursor is hidden over the stream — the host's own cursor, composited into
@@ -304,7 +398,30 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
        } else {
            null
        }
-        activity?.setConsoleHighRefreshRate(false) // let the decoder's setFrameRate pick the panel rate
+        // Pin the panel to the stream's refresh (exact / multiple) for the session. The decoder's
+        // own ANativeWindow_setFrameRate hint still aligns vsync, but it is advisory — some OEM
+        // refresh governors ignore it outright and would leave a 120 Hz session on a 60/90 Hz
+        // panel. TV boxes skip the pin: the native side actively drives the HDMI mode there.
+        if (isTv) {
+            activity?.setConsoleHighRefreshRate(false) // the decoder's HDMI mode switch governs
+        } else {
+            activity?.setStreamDisplayMode(streamHz)
+        }
+        // Touch/pointer events are vsync-batched by default — up to a frame of input latency the
+        // stream shouldn't pay. Unbuffered dispatch delivers them the moment the kernel does.
+        // Undone by passing 0 on the way out (API 30+).
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
+            composeView.requestUnbufferedDispatch(android.view.InputDevice.SOURCE_CLASS_POINTER)
+        }
+        // Vote the app's RENDER rate up to the stream's (API 35+). The mode pin above governs the
+        // panel, but the platform separately down-rates a quiet app's choreographer stream
+        // (frame-rate categories: a non-animating UI reads as "normal" = 60) — observed on-glass
+        // as 16.6 ms vsync callbacks on a 120 Hz panel, which would pace the presenter at half
+        // rate. The native side also subdivides onto the panel grid, so this vote is the belt to
+        // that braces. Reset to no-preference on the way out.
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 35 && streamHz > 0) {
+            composeView.requestedFrameRate = streamHz.toFloat()
+        }
        // Host→client feedback (rumble + DualSense lightbar/LEDs), routed to each controller by pad
        // index via the router; poll threads stopped + joined before the router is released and the
        // session closed. "Rumble on this phone" (opt-in) additionally mirrors controller 1's
@@ -367,14 +484,61 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                }
            }
        }
+        // Sony pad capture (DualSense / Edge / DualShock 4, opt-out): claim a USB-connected
+        // pad's HID interface and drive it directly — rumble without a kernel force-feedback
+        // driver, plus adaptive triggers, lightbar, player LEDs and gyro/touchpad, none of which
+        // the InputDevice path can render (no platform API for any of them). Uncaptured (toggle
+        // off / permission denied / Bluetooth) the pad stays on the ordinary InputDevice path —
+        // the automatic fallback. Host feedback routes back through feedback.sink; the claim
+        // frees the pad's InputDevice slot itself (see DsCapture.startUsb), so the wire index
+        // hands over deterministically.
+        val ds = if (initialSettings.dsCapture) DsCapture(context, router) else null
+        var dsUsbReceiver: BroadcastReceiver? = null
+        if (ds != null) {
+            feedback.sink = ds
+            val usbManager = context.getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as UsbManager
+            val usbDev = ds.findUsbDevice()
+            when {
+                usbDev != null && usbManager.hasPermission(usbDev) -> ds.startUsb(usbDev)
+                usbDev != null -> {
+                    // One-time system dialog; capture engages on grant (Android remembers the
+                    // grant for as long as the device stays attached).
+                    val action = "io.unom.punktfunk.DS_USB_PERMISSION"
+                    val receiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
+                        override fun onReceive(c: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
+                            if (intent?.action != action) return
+                            val ok = intent.getBooleanExtra(UsbManager.EXTRA_PERMISSION_GRANTED, false)
+                            if (ok) ds.startUsb(usbDev) else Log.i("punktfunk", "Sony pad USB permission denied")
+                        }
+                    }
+                    dsUsbReceiver = receiver
+                    ContextCompat.registerReceiver(
+                        context, receiver, IntentFilter(action), ContextCompat.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED,
+                    )
+                    usbManager.requestPermission(
+                        usbDev,
+                        PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
+                            context, 2, // requestCode 2 — 0/1 are the SC2 stream/menu grants
+                            Intent(action).setPackage(context.packageName),
+                            // MUTABLE: the USB stack appends the grant extras to this intent.
+                            PendingIntent.FLAG_MUTABLE,
+                        ),
+                    )
+                }
+            }
+        }
        onDispose {
            closed.set(true) // from here the handle gets freed; surfaceDestroyed must not touch it
            clip?.stop() // stop + join the clipboard poll thread BEFORE the handle is freed
            feedback.onHidRaw = null
+            feedback.sink = null
            feedback.stop() // stop + join the poll threads BEFORE the router is released / handle freed
            sc2UsbReceiver?.let { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(it) } }
            sc2?.stop() // release the USB/BLE link + free the wire slot (host tears the pad down)
+            dsUsbReceiver?.let { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(it) } }
+            ds?.stop() // rumble-stop on the physical pad + release the USB link + free the wire slot
            router.onExitArmed = null // don't poke Compose state from release()'s disarm while tearing down
+            router.onMicChord = null // same: no mute toggle on buttons released during teardown
            router.release() // flush every slot (nothing sticks host-side) + drop the hot-plug listener
            activity?.gamepadRouter = null
            // Mouse/remote-pointer teardown: lift held buttons, drop the grab, restore the cursor.
@@ -388,8 +552,19 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
            // Back in the menus: the SC2 (if present) resumes driving the console UI.
            activity?.startSc2MenuNav()
            activity?.setConsoleHighRefreshRate(true) // back to the console UI's max refresh
+            if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
+                composeView.requestUnbufferedDispatch(0) // back to ordinary batched dispatch
+            }
+            if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 35) {
+                composeView.requestedFrameRate = View.REQUESTED_FRAME_RATE_CATEGORY_DEFAULT
+            }
            controller?.hide(WindowInsetsCompat.Type.ime()) // drop any keyboard left showing
            window?.setSoftInputMode(priorSoftInput)
+            if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R && priorCutout != null) {
+                window?.let { w ->
+                    w.attributes = w.attributes.apply { layoutInDisplayCutoutMode = priorCutout }
+                }
+            }
            controller?.show(WindowInsetsCompat.Type.systemBars())
            window?.clearFlags(WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_KEEP_SCREEN_ON)
            if (lowLatencyMode && Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.R) {
@@ -400,6 +575,7 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
            activity?.requestedOrientation =
                priorOrientation ?: ActivityInfo.SCREEN_ORIENTATION_UNSPECIFIED
            // Leaving the stream: stop the mic + audio + decode threads and tear down the session.
+            releaseMicEffects(micEffects)
            NativeBridge.nativeStopMic(handle)
            NativeBridge.nativeStopAudio(handle)
            NativeBridge.nativeStopVideo(handle)
@@ -480,12 +656,48 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                                lowLatencyMode,
                                choice?.lowLatencyFeature ?: false,
                                isTv,
+                                initialSettings.presentPriorityWire(),
+                                initialSettings.smoothBuffer,
+                                // The panel's own refresh — from the mode TABLE (streamPanelFps),
+                                // because display.refreshRate reports a per-uid override, not the
+                                // panel. Fallback: the (possibly lying) live rate.
+                                activity?.streamPanelFps(streamHz)?.takeIf { it > 0 }
+                                    ?: (runCatching { context.display }.getOrNull()?.refreshRate ?: 0f)
+                                        .roundToInt(),
                            )
                            NativeBridge.nativeStartAudio(handle, lowLatencyMode)
-                            if (micWanted) NativeBridge.nativeStartMic(handle)
+                            if (micWanted) {
+                                val sessionId =
+                                    NativeBridge.nativeStartMic(handle, initialSettings.echoCancel)
+                                if (initialSettings.echoCancel) {
+                                    attachMicEffects(sessionId, micEffects)
+                                }
+                                // Did a capture actually open? That — not the setting — is what
+                                // puts the mute control on screen. A restart after a surface
+                                // recreate comes back already muted if the user muted: the flag
+                                // lives on the session handle, so nothing has to be re-applied.
+                                micRunning = NativeBridge.nativeMicActive(handle)
+                            }
                        }

-                        override fun surfaceChanged(holder: SurfaceHolder, format: Int, width: Int, height: Int) {}
+                        override fun surfaceChanged(holder: SurfaceHolder, format: Int, width: Int, height: Int) {
+                            // Re-assert the frame-rate vote: a buffer-geometry change can reset
+                            // the surface's frame-rate setting on some OEM builds, silently
+                            // dropping the 120 Hz pin mid-stream. Mirrors the native hint's
+                            // policy (FIXED_SOURCE; ALWAYS only on the TV low-latency path —
+                            // phones stay seamless so a re-hint can never force a mode flicker).
+                            if (streamHz > 0) runCatching {
+                                holder.surface.setFrameRate(
+                                    streamHz.toFloat(),
+                                    Surface.FRAME_RATE_COMPATIBILITY_FIXED_SOURCE,
+                                    if (isTv && lowLatencyMode) {
+                                        Surface.CHANGE_FRAME_RATE_ALWAYS
+                                    } else {
+                                        Surface.CHANGE_FRAME_RATE_ONLY_IF_SEAMLESS
+                                    },
+                                )
+                            }
+                        }

                        override fun surfaceDestroyed(holder: SurfaceHolder) {
                            // Surface gone (backgrounding, or on the way out). Stop the threads that
@@ -493,7 +705,12 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                            // DisposableEffect has closed it, the handle is freed; dereferencing it
                            // here is the use-after-free that crashed on back-navigation.
                            if (!closed.get()) {
+                                releaseMicEffects(micEffects)
                                NativeBridge.nativeStopMic(handle)
+                                // No capture, no control — but the MUTE state is deliberately left
+                                // standing (native keeps it on the handle), so the restart in
+                                // surfaceCreated brings the user's choice back with it.
+                                micRunning = false
                                NativeBridge.nativeStopAudio(handle)
                                NativeBridge.nativeStopVideo(handle)
                            }
@@ -508,6 +725,7 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
            stats?.let {
                StatsOverlay(
                    it, statsVerbosity, decoderLabel, codecLabel, session.profileName,
+                    panelHz,
                    Modifier.align(Alignment.TopStart).padding(12.dp),
                )
            }
@@ -567,9 +785,106 @@ fun StreamScreen(session: ActiveSession, onDisconnect: () -> Unit) {
                }
            },
        )
+        // Mic mute, LAST in the stack — the one in-stream control, so unlike the purely visual
+        // overlays above it has to sit on top of the gesture layer to receive its own taps (it
+        // costs the stream that small corner of touch area, which is why it exists only while a
+        // capture actually runs). On TV it is the indicator alone: the Select + Y chord is the
+        // control there, and a focusable button would fight the game for the D-pad.
+        if (micRunning && (micMuted || !isTv)) {
+            MicMuteControl(
+                muted = micMuted,
+                onToggle = if (isTv) null else ({ setMicMuted(!micMuted) }),
+                modifier = Modifier.align(Alignment.TopEnd).padding(12.dp),
+            )
+        }
+        // Chord confirmation (gamepad/TV) — the counterpart to the button changing under a finger.
+        micHint?.let { MicChordHint(it, Modifier.align(Alignment.TopCenter).padding(top = 16.dp)) }
    }
 }

+/**
+ * Attach the Java echo-canceller + noise-suppressor pair to the mic stream's audio session — the
+ * backstop for HALs whose VoiceCommunication capture path doesn't cancel on its own (the native
+ * side already opened the stream under that preset). [sessionId] `<= 0` means native allocated no
+ * session (echo cancellation off, or the preset fell back to the plain open), so there is nothing
+ * to hang an effect on. Created effects land in [into] for [releaseMicEffects]; `create()`
+ * returning null (unsupported / claimed) is quietly nothing — the HAL preset still does its part.
+ * Needs no extra permission: the effect APIs attach to our own recording session.
+ */
+private fun attachMicEffects(sessionId: Int, into: MutableList<AudioEffect>) {
+    if (sessionId <= 0) return
+    if (AcousticEchoCanceler.isAvailable()) {
+        AcousticEchoCanceler.create(sessionId)?.let { it.setEnabled(true); into.add(it) }
+    }
+    if (NoiseSuppressor.isAvailable()) {
+        NoiseSuppressor.create(sessionId)?.let { it.setEnabled(true); into.add(it) }
+    }
+}
+
+/** Release every attached mic effect engine. Idempotent — the list is cleared, and both stop
+ * paths (surface teardown, final dispose) may call it in either order. */
+private fun releaseMicEffects(effects: MutableList<AudioEffect>) {
+    effects.forEach { runCatching { it.release() } }
+    effects.clear()
+}
+
+/**
+ * The in-stream mic control and its muted indicator, in one element: a dim mic glyph while the
+ * uplink is live, a red **Muted** badge while it isn't — so the state that matters is the loud one,
+ * readable at couch distance and impossible to mistake for the stream's own picture.
+ *
+ * [onToggle] `null` makes it a pure indicator (the TV/gamepad surface, where the Select + Y chord
+ * is the control); non-null makes the badge itself the touch target. Rendering it at all is the
+ * caller's decision — it means a capture is genuinely running.
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun MicMuteControl(muted: Boolean, onToggle: (() -> Unit)?, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
+    val shape = RoundedCornerShape(10.dp)
+    Row(
+        modifier = modifier
+            .clip(shape)
+            .background(if (muted) Color(0xE0B3261E) else Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.45f))
+            .then(if (onToggle != null) Modifier.clickable(onClick = onToggle) else Modifier)
+            .padding(horizontal = 12.dp, vertical = 10.dp),
+        verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
+    ) {
+        Icon(
+            imageVector = if (muted) Icons.Filled.MicOff else Icons.Filled.Mic,
+            // Spoken state first, then the action — a talkback user needs to know they are muted
+            // before they need to know how to stop being muted.
+            contentDescription = if (muted) {
+                "Microphone muted. Activate to unmute."
+            } else {
+                "Microphone live. Activate to mute."
+            },
+            tint = Color.White,
+            modifier = Modifier.size(20.dp),
+        )
+        if (muted) {
+            Spacer(Modifier.width(6.dp))
+            Text("Muted", color = Color.White, fontSize = 14.sp)
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/**
+ * Transient confirmation that the mic chord (Select + Y) registered. The badge above already says
+ * *muted*, but nothing on screen says *un*muted — and "did that press do anything?" is the whole
+ * doubt a chord with no button under the finger creates. Same pill vocabulary as the other
+ * in-stream cues; the caller clears it after a beat.
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun MicChordHint(text: String, modifier: Modifier = Modifier) {
+    Text(
+        text,
+        modifier = modifier
+            .background(Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.55f), RoundedCornerShape(8.dp))
+            .padding(horizontal = 14.dp, vertical = 8.dp),
+        color = Color.White,
+        fontSize = 15.sp,
+    )
+}
+
 /**
 * The "hold to quit" cue shown while the gamepad exit chord (Select + Start + L1 + R1) is held. The
 * chord no longer quits on a quick press — the router debounces it on a ~1 s hold — so this confirms
@@ -14,7 +14,11 @@ private const val PEN_TOUCHING = 2f
 private const val PEN_BARREL1 = 4f
 private const val PEN_BARREL2 = 8f
 private const val STRIDE = 10
-private const val MAX_SAMPLES = 8
+// Ceiling on samples per emit, NOT the wire batch size: the JNI layer splits an over-8 run into
+// consecutive wire batches (never truncates — a long historical run means the UI thread hitched,
+// which is exactly when dropping its head would notch the stroke). 64 samples ≈ >250 ms of
+// 240 Hz history; anything past that clamp is a pathological stall, not stroke geometry.
+private const val MAX_SAMPLES = 64

 /**
 * Android stylus → the state-full pen plane (design/pen-tablet-input.md §7): pressure, tilt
@@ -117,7 +121,8 @@ internal class StylusStream(private val handle: Long) {
        NativeBridge.nativeSendPen(handle, last, 1)
    }

-    /** Historical (coalesced) samples oldest-first, then the current one — a single batch. */
+    /** Historical (coalesced) samples oldest-first, then the current one — one emit; the JNI
+     * layer splits runs longer than the wire's 8-sample batch cap into consecutive sends. */
    private fun emitSamples(me: MotionEvent, idx: Int, size: IntSize) {
        val history = minOf(me.historySize, MAX_SAMPLES - 1)
        var count = 0
@@ -105,8 +105,20 @@ internal suspend fun PointerInputScope.streamTouchPassthrough(handle: Long, styl
                                NativeBridge.nativeSendTouch(handle, it, 2, 0, 0, sw, sh)
                            }
                        c.positionChanged() ->
-                            ids[c.id]?.let {
-                                NativeBridge.nativeSendTouch(handle, it, 1, x, y, sw, sh)
+                            ids[c.id]?.let { id ->
+                                // Batched MotionEvents coalesce intermediate points into the
+                                // historical list — forward them in order so a fast swipe keeps
+                                // its real curvature on the host (usually empty during a stream:
+                                // unbuffered dispatch is requested, so this costs nothing).
+                                for (hs in c.historical) {
+                                    NativeBridge.nativeSendTouch(
+                                        handle, id, 1,
+                                        hs.position.x.roundToInt().coerceIn(0, sw - 1),
+                                        hs.position.y.roundToInt().coerceIn(0, sh - 1),
+                                        sw, sh,
+                                    )
+                                }
+                                NativeBridge.nativeSendTouch(handle, id, 1, x, y, sw, sh)
                            }
                    }
                    c.consume()
@@ -289,7 +301,10 @@ internal suspend fun PointerInputScope.streamTouchInput(
                        accY -= outY
                    }
                } else {
-                    moveAbs(p.position.x, p.position.y) // direct: cursor follows the finger
+                    // Direct: cursor follows the finger — historical points first (batched
+                    // MotionEvent samples), so the host cursor traces the finger's real path.
+                    for (hs in p.historical) moveAbs(hs.position.x, hs.position.y)
+                    moveAbs(p.position.x, p.position.y)
                }
            }
            ev.changes.forEach { it.consume() }
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.vector.ImageVector
 import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.vector.PathParser
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
 import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.discovery.osIconTokens
+import kotlin.math.max

 /**
 * The host card's OS marks, resolved from the host's OS-identity chain (mDNS `os` TXT,
@@ -14,18 +15,19 @@ import io.unom.punktfunk.kit.discovery.osIconTokens
 * ship, so an unknown distro degrades to its family's mark and finally to Tux; null means
 * "no icon", rendering the card exactly as before the field existed.
 *
- * Path data is vendored from the assets/os-icons masters (Font Awesome Free brands
- * CC BY 4.0 + Simple Icons CC0 — provenance in that directory's README); Material ships
- * no brand icons. Hand-kept as raw SVG path strings (one line each) rather than
- * transcribed ImageVector DSL — [PathParser] builds the vector once, then it's cached.
+ * Path data is vendored from the assets/os-icons masters (per-mark provenance and licensing
+ * in that directory's README; `bash scripts/gen-os-icons.sh <token>` prints a master's
+ * viewport + path ready to paste); Material ships no brand icons. Hand-kept as raw SVG path
+ * strings (one line each) rather than transcribed ImageVector DSL — [PathParser] builds the
+ * vector once, then it's cached.
 */
 private class OsGlyph(val viewportWidth: Float, val viewportHeight: Float, val d: String)

 private val GLYPHS: Map<String, OsGlyph> = mapOf(
    "windows" to OsGlyph(
-        viewportWidth = 448f,
-        viewportHeight = 512f,
-        d = "M0 93.7l183.6-25.3v177.4H0V93.7zm0 324.6l183.6 25.3V268.4H0v149.9zm203.8 28L448 480V268.4H203.8v177.9zm0-380.6v180.1H448V32L203.8 65.7z",
+        viewportWidth = 24f,
+        viewportHeight = 24f,
+        d = "M0 0h11.377v11.377H0zm12.623 0H24v11.377H12.623zM0 12.623h11.377V24H0zm12.623 0H24V24H12.623z",
    ),
    "apple" to OsGlyph(
        viewportWidth = 384f,
@@ -72,8 +74,28 @@ private val GLYPHS: Map<String, OsGlyph> = mapOf(
        viewportHeight = 512f,
        d = "M471.08 102.66s-.3 18.3-.3 20.3c-9.1-3-74.4-24.1-135.7-26.3-51.9-1.8-122.8-4.3-223 57.3-19.4 12.4-73.9 46.1-99.6 109.7C7 277-.12 307 7 335.06a111 111 0 0 0 16.5 35.7c17.4 25 46.6 41.6 78.1 44.4 44.4 3.9 78.1-16 90-53.3 8.2-25.8 0-63.6-31.5-82.9-25.6-15.7-53.3-12.1-69.2-1.6-13.9 9.2-21.8 23.5-21.6 39.2.3 27.8 24.3 42.6 41.5 42.6a49 49 0 0 0 15.8-2.7c6.5-1.8 13.3-6.5 13.3-14.9 0-12.1-11.6-14.8-16.8-13.9-2.9.5-4.5 2-11.8 2.4-2-.2-12-3.1-12-14V316c.2-12.3 13.2-18 25.5-16.9 32.3 2.8 47.7 40.7 28.5 65.7-18.3 23.7-76.6 23.2-99.7-20.4-26-49.2 12.7-111.2 87-98.4 33.2 5.7 83.6 35.5 102.4 104.3h45.9c-5.7-17.6-8.9-68.3 42.7-68.3 56.7 0 63.9 39.9 79.8 68.3H460c-12.8-18.3-21.7-38.7-18.9-55.8 5.6-33.8 39.7-18.4 82.4-17.4 66.5.4 102.1-27 103.1-28 3.7-3.1 6.5-15.8 7-17.7 1.3-5.1-3.2-2.4-3.2-2.4-8.7 5.2-30.5 15.2-50.9 15.6-25.3.5-76.2-25.4-81.6-28.2-.3-.4.1 1.2-11-25.5 88.4 58.3 118.3 40.5 145.2 21.7.8-.6 4.3-2.9 3.6-5.7-13.8-48.1-22.4-62.7-34.5-69.6-37-21.6-125-34.7-129.2-35.3.1-.1-.9-.3-.9.7zm60.4 72.8a37.54 37.54 0 0 1 38.9-36.3c33.4 1.2 48.8 42.3 24.4 65.2-24.2 22.7-64.4 4.6-63.3-28.9zm38.6-25.3a26.27 26.27 0 1 0 25.4 27.2 26.19 26.19 0 0 0-25.4-27.2zm4.3 28.8c-15.4 0-15.4-15.6 0-15.6s15.4 15.64 0 15.64z",
    ),
+    // The gaming distros get their own mark rather than their family's: "a Bazzite box" and
+    // "a Fedora box" are different machines to the person reading the card.
+    "bazzite" to OsGlyph(
+        viewportWidth = 24f,
+        viewportHeight = 24f,
+        d = "M7.178 0h3.589v7.178h7.524c3.153 0 5.709 2.556 5.709 5.709 0 6.138-4.976 11.113-11.113 11.113-3.153 0-5.709-2.556-5.709-5.709V10.766H0v-3.589h7.178zm3.589 10.766v7.524c0 1.171.949 2.12 2.12 2.12 4.156 0 7.524-3.369 7.524-7.524 0-1.171-.949-2.12-2.12-2.12z",
+    ),
+    "cachyos" to OsGlyph(
+        viewportWidth = 24f,
+        viewportHeight = 24f,
+        d = "M5.301 2.646 0 11.771l5.541 9.583h11.486l2.904-5.017H8.102l-2.56-4.429L8.067 7.54h6.063l2.83-4.893ZM20.058 4.12a.748.748 0 0 0 0 1.496.748.748 0 0 0 0-1.496m-1.983 4.303a1.45 1.45 0 0 0 0 2.9 1.45 1.45 0 0 0 0-2.9m4.02 3.98a1.904 1.904 0 0 0 0 3.809 1.904 1.904 0 0 0 0-3.81",
+    ),
+    "nobara" to OsGlyph(
+        viewportWidth = 24f,
+        viewportHeight = 24f,
+        d = "M23.808 11.808v8.281a3.542 3.542 0 0 1-3.542 3.527h-.46a3.543 3.543 0 0 1-3.083-3.513v-7.282l3.543-1.013-3.66-1.045a4.724 4.724 0 0 0-9.33 1.045v2.362a2.362 2.362 0 0 0 2.362 2.362 3.543 3.543 0 0 1 3.543 3.542V24a3.539 3.539 0 0 0-3.542-3.542 3.537 3.537 0 0 0-3.063 1.76 3.54 3.54 0 0 1-2.382 1.398h-.46A3.542 3.542 0 0 1 .192 20.09V3.543a3.542 3.542 0 0 1 6.323-2.194A11.756 11.756 0 0 1 12 0c6.521 0 11.808 5.287 11.808 11.808zm-9.446 0A2.359 2.359 0 0 1 12 14.17a2.362 2.362 0 1 1 2.362-2.362z",
+    ),
 )

+/** Longest edge of a built mark, in dp — the box callers size the [Icon] to. */
+private const val GLYPH_DP = 24f
+
 private val built = mutableMapOf<String, ImageVector>()

 /** The mark for a chain, or null (no icon). Vectors build lazily and cache per token. */
@@ -82,11 +104,18 @@ fun resolveOsIcon(chain: String): ImageVector? =
        GLYPHS[token]?.let { glyph -> built.getOrPut(token) { glyph.build(token) } }
    }

-private fun OsGlyph.build(token: String): ImageVector =
-    ImageVector.Builder(
+private fun OsGlyph.build(token: String): ImageVector {
+    // The intrinsic size has to carry the VIEWPORT'S ASPECT RATIO, not a fixed square:
+    // a VectorPainter maps the viewport onto the default size with independent x and y
+    // scales, so declaring a 448x512 mark as 24x24 dp stretches it horizontally — which is
+    // exactly how Tux and the Apple mark used to come out on a phone. Scaling the longest
+    // edge to GLYPH_DP instead keeps the ratio, and Icon() paints with ContentScale.Fit, so
+    // the mark letterboxes inside whatever box the caller sized us to.
+    val longest = max(viewportWidth, viewportHeight)
+    return ImageVector.Builder(
        name = "OsIcon.$token",
-        defaultWidth = 24.dp,
-        defaultHeight = 24.dp,
+        defaultWidth = (GLYPH_DP * viewportWidth / longest).dp,
+        defaultHeight = (GLYPH_DP * viewportHeight / longest).dp,
        viewportWidth = viewportWidth,
        viewportHeight = viewportHeight,
    ).apply {
@@ -96,3 +125,4 @@ private fun OsGlyph.build(token: String): ImageVector =
            fill = SolidColor(Color.Black),
        )
    }.build()
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk
+
+import io.unom.punktfunk.components.resolveOsIcon
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertNotNull
+import org.junit.Assert.assertNull
+import org.junit.Test
+
+/**
+ * Pure JVM test of the host card's OS marks (`components/OsIcons.kt`). Run:
+ * `./gradlew :app:testDebugUnitTest`.
+ *
+ * The aspect assertions are the point: a [androidx.compose.ui.graphics.vector.VectorPainter] maps
+ * the viewport onto the vector's default size with independent x and y scales, so a mark whose
+ * default size does not carry its viewport's ratio renders STRETCHED — silently, with no crash and
+ * no warning. That is exactly how Tux and the Apple mark used to look on a phone.
+ */
+class OsIconsTest {
+    /** `ImageVector.name` is "OsIcon.<token>" — the only handle on which mark got resolved. */
+    private fun markOf(chain: String) = resolveOsIcon(chain)?.name?.removePrefix("OsIcon.")
+
+    @Test
+    fun defaultSizeCarriesTheViewportAspect() {
+        for (chain in listOf("windows", "linux", "opensuse", "steam", "apple", "bazzite")) {
+            val v = resolveOsIcon(chain)
+            assertNotNull("no mark for $chain", v)
+            v!!
+            assertEquals(
+                "$chain default size must keep the viewport ratio",
+                v.viewportWidth / v.viewportHeight,
+                v.defaultWidth.value / v.defaultHeight.value,
+                0.001f,
+            )
+            assertEquals(
+                "$chain longest edge must be the 24dp box",
+                24f,
+                maxOf(v.defaultWidth.value, v.defaultHeight.value),
+                0.001f,
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun tallMarkIsNarrowerThanItsBox() {
+        // Tux is 448x512, so a correct build is 21x24dp — 24x24 would be the stretched bug.
+        val tux = resolveOsIcon("linux")!!
+        assertEquals(21f, tux.defaultWidth.value, 0.001f)
+        assertEquals(24f, tux.defaultHeight.value, 0.001f)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun gamingDistrosResolveToTheirOwnMark() {
+        // The whole reason these three ship art: without it they'd draw their family's mark.
+        assertEquals("bazzite", markOf("linux/fedora/bazzite"))
+        assertEquals("cachyos", markOf("linux/arch/cachyos"))
+        assertEquals("nobara", markOf("linux/rhel/nobara"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun unknownDistroStillDegradesThroughItsFamily() {
+        assertEquals("fedora", markOf("linux/fedora/somethingnew"))
+        assertEquals("linux", markOf("linux/frontier/chimera"))
+        assertEquals("steam", markOf("linux/arch/steamos")) // brand alias
+        assertEquals("apple", markOf("macos"))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun noChainMeansNoMark() {
+        assertNull(resolveOsIcon(""))
+        assertNull(resolveOsIcon("!!!"))
+    }
+}
@@ -366,6 +366,8 @@ internal fun StreamScene(verbosity: StatsVerbosity = StatsVerbosity.DETAILED) {
                10.0, 9.0, 16.0, 1.0, 0.9, 0.4, 0.6, 0.3,
                2.0, 1.0, 5.0, 238.0,
                1.0, 0.5, 1.8, 2.6,
+                // Timeline-presenter split: pace + latch tile the display term; presents ≈ fps.
+                0.2, 0.3, 236.0, 1.0,
            ),
            verbosity = verbosity,
            decoderLabel = "c2.qti.hevc.decoder · low-latency",
@@ -6,13 +6,23 @@ Why hand-rolled: stdlib + `openssl` only (no pip on the runner), and it prints G
 error at the stage it fails instead of a catch-all. Reuses the SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON secret and
 tolerates it being raw JSON *or* base64-encoded JSON.

-Usage:
+Usage (upload a new build):
  SERVICE_ACCOUNT_JSON='<raw-or-base64 SA key>' \
    python3 play-upload.py --package io.unom.punktfunk \
      --aab path/to/app-release.aab --track internal --status completed [--no-commit]

--no-commit: do insert -> upload -> track-update -> validate, then delete the edit (publishes
-nothing). Use it to dry-run the credentials/AAB without touching the live track.
+Usage (promote a build that is already on Play, no rebuild):
+  python3 play-upload.py --package io.unom.punktfunk \
+      --promote 10816 --promote-from alpha --track production
+
+Promotion assigns an EXISTING versionCode to another track, so what ships to production is the
+byte-identical artifact the testers ran — rebuilding would burn a fresh versionCode and ship
+something nobody has tested. --promote-from additionally asserts the code really is on that track
+(catches a typo'd versionCode before it reaches production) and empties it in the SAME edit, so
+the move is atomic: testers are never left pinned to a code that production also serves.
+
+--no-commit: do insert -> upload/assign -> track-update -> validate, then delete the edit
+(publishes nothing). Use it to dry-run the credentials/AAB/notes without touching the live track.
 """
 import argparse, base64, json, os, subprocess, sys, tempfile, time
 import urllib.request, urllib.parse, urllib.error
@@ -104,18 +114,79 @@ def access_token(sa) -> str:
    return tok["access_token"]


+# Play's "What's new" is capped at 500 characters per language. The cap lives in the Console
+# (the REST reference does not state it) and the API rejects longer text at commit — i.e. AFTER
+# the AAB has uploaded — so check it up front and print the actual count.
+NOTES_MAX = 500
+
+
+def load_release_notes(path, language):
+    with open(path, encoding="utf-8") as f:
+        text = f.read().strip()
+    if not text:
+        sys.exit(f"ERROR: release-notes file is empty: {path}")
+    if len(text) > NOTES_MAX:
+        sys.exit(f"ERROR: release notes are {len(text)} chars, Play allows {NOTES_MAX}: {path}")
+    print(f"release notes: {len(text)}/{NOTES_MAX} chars ({language})")
+    return [{"language": language, "text": text}]
+
+
+def put_track(app, edit, tok, track, version_codes, status, user_fraction=None, notes=None):
+    """PUT one track. An empty version_codes list clears the track (what promotion does to the
+    track it promoted OUT of)."""
+    release = {"status": status, "versionCodes": [str(v) for v in version_codes]}
+    if user_fraction is not None:
+        release["userFraction"] = user_fraction
+    if notes:
+        release["releaseNotes"] = notes
+    # Clearing a track means "no active releases", not "an empty release".
+    body = {"track": track, "releases": [release] if version_codes else []}
+    call("PUT", f"{app}/edits/{edit}/tracks/{track}", token=tok,
+         data=json.dumps(body).encode(), content_type="application/json")
+
+
+def assert_on_track(app, edit, tok, track, vc):
+    """Fail before anything is written if --promote names a versionCode that is not actually on
+    the track we claim to be promoting out of."""
+    got = call("GET", f"{app}/edits/{edit}/tracks/{track}", token=tok)
+    live = [c for r in got.get("releases", []) for c in r.get("versionCodes", [])]
+    if str(vc) not in live:
+        sys.exit(f"ERROR: versionCode {vc} is not on track '{track}' (it has: {live or 'nothing'})")
+    print(f"verified versionCode={vc} is live on '{track}'")
+
+
 def main():
    ap = argparse.ArgumentParser()
    ap.add_argument("--package", required=True)
-    ap.add_argument("--aab", required=True)
+    ap.add_argument("--aab", help="upload this bundle (mutually exclusive with --promote)")
+    ap.add_argument("--promote", type=int, metavar="VERSIONCODE",
+                    help="assign an already-uploaded versionCode instead of uploading")
+    ap.add_argument("--promote-from", metavar="TRACK",
+                    help="with --promote: assert the code is on TRACK, then clear TRACK")
    ap.add_argument("--track", default="internal")
    ap.add_argument("--status", default="completed")
+    ap.add_argument("--user-fraction", type=float,
+                    help="staged rollout fraction, 0<f<1; required by --status inProgress")
+    ap.add_argument("--release-notes-file", help="Play 'What's new' text (<=500 chars)")
+    ap.add_argument("--release-notes-language", default="en-US")
    ap.add_argument("--no-commit", action="store_true")
    a = ap.parse_args()

-    if not os.path.isfile(a.aab):
+    if bool(a.aab) == bool(a.promote):
+        sys.exit("ERROR: pass exactly one of --aab (upload) or --promote (assign an existing code)")
+    if a.promote_from and not a.promote:
+        sys.exit("ERROR: --promote-from only applies to --promote")
+    # inProgress without a fraction is an API error; halted/completed with one is also rejected.
+    if a.status == "inProgress" and a.user_fraction is None:
+        sys.exit("ERROR: --status inProgress requires --user-fraction")
+    if a.user_fraction is not None and not (0 < a.user_fraction < 1):
+        sys.exit(f"ERROR: --user-fraction must be strictly between 0 and 1 (got {a.user_fraction})")
+    if a.aab and not os.path.isfile(a.aab):
        sys.exit(f"ERROR: AAB not found: {a.aab}")

+    notes = load_release_notes(a.release_notes_file, a.release_notes_language) \
+        if a.release_notes_file else None
+
    sa = load_sa()
    tok = access_token(sa)
    print(f"authenticated as {sa['client_email']} (project {sa.get('project_id')})")
@@ -123,17 +194,25 @@ def main():

    try:
        edit = call("POST", f"{app}/edits", token=tok)["id"]
-        with open(a.aab, "rb") as f:
-            blob = f.read()
-        print(f"uploading {a.aab} ({len(blob)} bytes) ...")
-        vc = call("POST", f"{UPLOAD}/{a.package}/edits/{edit}/bundles?uploadType=media",
-                  token=tok, data=blob, content_type="application/octet-stream")["versionCode"]
-        print(f"uploaded versionCode={vc}")
-        call("PUT", f"{app}/edits/{edit}/tracks/{a.track}", token=tok,
-             data=json.dumps({"track": a.track,
-                              "releases": [{"status": a.status, "versionCodes": [str(vc)]}]}).encode(),
-             content_type="application/json")
-        print(f"assigned versionCode={vc} -> track={a.track} status={a.status}")
+        if a.promote:
+            vc = a.promote
+            if a.promote_from:
+                assert_on_track(app, edit, tok, a.promote_from, vc)
+        else:
+            with open(a.aab, "rb") as f:
+                blob = f.read()
+            print(f"uploading {a.aab} ({len(blob)} bytes) ...")
+            vc = call("POST", f"{UPLOAD}/{a.package}/edits/{edit}/bundles?uploadType=media",
+                      token=tok, data=blob, content_type="application/octet-stream")["versionCode"]
+            print(f"uploaded versionCode={vc}")
+
+        put_track(app, edit, tok, a.track, [vc], a.status, a.user_fraction, notes)
+        print(f"assigned versionCode={vc} -> track={a.track} status={a.status}"
+              + (f" userFraction={a.user_fraction}" if a.user_fraction is not None else ""))
+        # Same edit as the assignment above, so the code is never active on both tracks at once.
+        if a.promote_from:
+            put_track(app, edit, tok, a.promote_from, [], a.status)
+            print(f"cleared track '{a.promote_from}'")

        if a.no_commit:
            call("POST", f"{app}/edits/{edit}:validate", token=tok)
@@ -0,0 +1,301 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.kit
+
+import android.content.Context
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice
+import android.os.Handler
+import android.os.Looper
+import android.util.Log
+import android.view.InputDevice
+
+/**
+ * One captured Sony pad (DualSense / DualSense Edge / DualShock 4) over USB — stream mode only.
+ * The capture exists to fix what the InputDevice path structurally can't: rumble depends on the
+ * phone's kernel exposing force feedback (many don't), and adaptive triggers / lightbar / player
+ * LEDs have NO platform API at all. Claiming the pad's HID interface makes all of it work on any
+ * phone, plus gyro + touchpad the standard path never captured.
+ *
+ * Unlike [Sc2Capture] there is no raw passthrough — the host's DualSense/DS4 backends consume
+ * only typed events — and no UI mode: an UNcaptured Sony pad is a perfectly good InputDevice, so
+ * outside a stream the ordinary path drives the console UI and this class isn't constructed.
+ * That also makes the InputDevice path the automatic fallback whenever the capture doesn't
+ * engage (toggle off, permission denied, Bluetooth).
+ *
+ * Input: parse ([DsDevice.parseState]) → typed mirror on an [GamepadRouter.ExternalPad] (buttons
+ * diffed, axes on-change — the exit chord participates like any pad) + the rich plane (touch
+ * normalized to the wire's 0..65535 screen space on-change; motion forwarded per report in raw
+ * device units, the wire's contract). The wire slot is claimed lazily on the FIRST parsed report
+ * and freed on unplug/[stop], so indices never leak.
+ *
+ * Feedback: implements [GamepadFeedback.PadFeedbackSink] — rumble / trigger / lightbar / player
+ * LED events addressed to this pad's wire index become USB output reports on the physical pad
+ * ([DsDevice] builders). Rendering runs on the feedback poll threads; [HidUsbLink.writeRaw] is
+ * thread-safe (bounded newest-wins queue, submitted by the reader thread). A USB pad holds its
+ * rumble level until written zero, so a backstop timer re-arms per command and writes the stop
+ * itself if the poll thread stalls — the engine's explicit zeros remain the real stop mechanism.
+ */
+class DsCapture(
+    context: Context,
+    private val router: GamepadRouter,
+) : GamepadFeedback.PadFeedbackSink {
+    private val usb = HidUsbLink(
+        context,
+        HidUsbLink.Config(
+            tag = TAG,
+            threadName = "pf-ds-usb",
+            deviceMatch = { it.vendorId == DsDevice.VID_SONY && it.productId in DsDevice.USB_PIDS },
+            // No ifaceFilter: the pad's audio interfaces are not HID class, so the link's built-in
+            // class check already leaves them (and the pad's headset routing) to Android; the
+            // single HID interface is the only claim.
+        ),
+        ::onReport,
+        ::onLinkClosed,
+    )
+
+    @Volatile private var model: DsDevice.Model? = null
+    @Volatile private var pad: GamepadRouter.ExternalPad? = null
+
+    // Typed-mirror diff state (wire units) + rich-plane on-change mirrors. Link thread only.
+    private val state = DsDevice.State()
+    private var wireButtons = 0
+    private val lastAxis = IntArray(6) { Int.MIN_VALUE }
+    private val lastTouchActive = BooleanArray(2)
+    private val lastTouchX = IntArray(2) { -1 }
+    private val lastTouchY = IntArray(2) { -1 }
+
+    // DS4 composed feedback (its writes are full-state — see DsDevice.ds4Report). Feedback threads.
+    // The lightbar starts at hid-sony's player-1 blue so the first composed write (usually a
+    // rumble, before any host Led lands) doesn't black the bar out.
+    @Volatile private var ds4Low = 0
+    @Volatile private var ds4High = 0
+    @Volatile private var ds4Rgb = 0x000040
+
+    // Rumble backstop: a USB pad holds its level until told zero, so a stalled poll thread would
+    // leave the motors running — re-armed per command, cancelled by an explicit (0,0).
+    private val mainHandler = Handler(Looper.getMainLooper())
+    @Volatile private var backstop: Runnable? = null
+
+    /** Fired (link thread) when the capture engages or drops — the Controllers screen's status. */
+    @Volatile
+    var onActiveChanged: ((active: Boolean) -> Unit)? = null
+
+    val isActive: Boolean get() = model != null
+
+    /** First attached Sony USB pad, for the permission flow. Needs no permission to enumerate. */
+    fun findUsbDevice(): UsbDevice? = usb.findDevice()
+
+    /**
+     * Start capturing [dev] (permission already granted). Claims the HID interface — the kernel
+     * driver detaches and the pad's InputDevice node vanishes; its router slot (if the router
+     * already opened one from the pre-claim InputDevice) is released HERE, at claim time, rather
+     * than waiting for the system's removal callback — so the freed wire index is deterministic
+     * for this capture's ExternalPad instead of racing the first report against the callback. A
+     * released sibling that still exists as an InputDevice (a same-model Bluetooth pad) lazily
+     * reopens a slot on its next input event, so over-matching self-heals.
+     */
+    fun startUsb(dev: UsbDevice): Boolean {
+        if (model != null) return false
+        val m = DsDevice.modelFor(dev.productId) ?: return false
+        if (!usb.start(dev)) return false
+        model = m
+        for (id in InputDevice.getDeviceIds()) {
+            val d = InputDevice.getDevice(id) ?: continue
+            if (d.vendorId == dev.vendorId && d.productId == dev.productId) router.releaseDevice(id)
+        }
+        // Release the firmware's lightbar animation once so host lightbar writes take effect
+        // (the same init hid-playstation/SDL send on open).
+        if (m != DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) usb.writeRaw(0, DsDevice.ds5InitReport(m))
+        Log.i(TAG, "Sony pad captured over USB: PID=0x%04x model=%s".format(dev.productId, m))
+        onActiveChanged?.invoke(true)
+        return true
+    }
+
+    /** Stop the link and free the wire slot (host tears the virtual pad down). Idempotent. */
+    fun stop() {
+        val m = model
+        if (m != null) {
+            // The interfaces are about to release with the kernel driver still detached — a
+            // mid-rumble teardown would leave the motors running with nobody to stop them.
+            // EP0-direct (the reader thread is stopping; the queue would never drain).
+            usb.writeControl(stopReport(m))
+        }
+        disarmBackstop()
+        usb.stop()
+        val wasActive = model != null
+        model = null
+        releaseSlot()
+        if (wasActive) onActiveChanged?.invoke(false)
+    }
+
+    // ---- link callbacks (link thread) ----
+
+    private fun onReport(report: ByteArray, len: Int) {
+        val m = model ?: return
+        if (!DsDevice.parseState(m, report, len, state)) return
+        val p = pad ?: router.openExternal(m.pref)?.also {
+            pad = it
+            Log.i(TAG, "captured $m → wire pad ${it.index}")
+        } ?: return // all 16 wire indices taken — drop until one frees
+        mirrorTyped(p)
+        mirrorRich(p, m)
+    }
+
+    private fun onLinkClosed() {
+        Log.i(TAG, "Sony USB link closed (unplug)")
+        disarmBackstop()
+        val wasActive = model != null
+        model = null
+        releaseSlot()
+        if (wasActive) onActiveChanged?.invoke(false)
+    }
+
+    /** Diff the parsed state onto the per-transition plane (buttons + axes, on change only). */
+    private fun mirrorTyped(p: GamepadRouter.ExternalPad) {
+        var changed = state.buttons xor wireButtons
+        while (changed != 0) {
+            val bit = changed and -changed // lowest changed bit
+            p.button(bit, state.buttons and bit != 0)
+            changed = changed and bit.inv()
+        }
+        wireButtons = state.buttons
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_LS_X, state.lsX)
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_LS_Y, state.lsY)
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_RS_X, state.rsX)
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_RS_Y, state.rsY)
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_LT, state.lt)
+        axis(p, Gamepad.AXIS_RT, state.rt)
+    }
+
+    private fun axis(p: GamepadRouter.ExternalPad, id: Int, v: Int) {
+        if (lastAxis[id] == v) return
+        lastAxis[id] = v
+        p.axis(id, v)
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The rich plane: touch contacts normalized to the wire's 0..65535 screen space, forwarded
+     * on change per slot; motion forwarded every report (raw device units — the wire is a unit
+     * passthrough into the host's virtual pad, and sensor noise makes per-report dedup pointless).
+     */
+    private fun mirrorRich(p: GamepadRouter.ExternalPad, m: DsDevice.Model) {
+        for (f in 0 until 2) {
+            if (state.touchActive[f]) {
+                val x = (state.touchX[f].coerceIn(0, m.touchW - 1) * 65535) / (m.touchW - 1)
+                val y = (state.touchY[f].coerceIn(0, m.touchH - 1) * 65535) / (m.touchH - 1)
+                if (!lastTouchActive[f] || x != lastTouchX[f] || y != lastTouchY[f]) {
+                    p.touch(f, true, x, y)
+                    lastTouchActive[f] = true
+                    lastTouchX[f] = x
+                    lastTouchY[f] = y
+                }
+            } else if (lastTouchActive[f]) {
+                p.touch(f, false, lastTouchX[f], lastTouchY[f])
+                lastTouchActive[f] = false
+            }
+        }
+        p.motion(state.gyro, state.accel)
+    }
+
+    private fun releaseSlot() {
+        // Lift any still-touching finger so the host's virtual touchpad doesn't hold a contact.
+        val p = pad
+        if (p != null) {
+            for (f in 0 until 2) if (lastTouchActive[f]) p.touch(f, false, lastTouchX[f], lastTouchY[f])
+        }
+        p?.close()
+        pad = null
+        wireButtons = 0
+        lastAxis.fill(Int.MIN_VALUE)
+        lastTouchActive.fill(false)
+        lastTouchX.fill(-1)
+        lastTouchY.fill(-1)
+    }
+
+    // ---- PadFeedbackSink (feedback poll threads) ----
+
+    override fun ownsPad(pad: Int): Boolean = pad == this.pad?.index
+
+    override fun rumble(pad: Int, low: Int, high: Int, backstopMs: Long) {
+        val m = model ?: return
+        if (low == 0 && high == 0) {
+            disarmBackstop()
+        } else {
+            armBackstop(backstopMs)
+        }
+        if (m == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) {
+            ds4Low = low
+            ds4High = high
+            writeDs4()
+        } else {
+            usb.writeRaw(0, DsDevice.ds5RumbleReport(m, low, high))
+        }
+    }
+
+    override fun led(pad: Int, r: Int, g: Int, b: Int) {
+        val m = model ?: return
+        if (m == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) {
+            ds4Rgb = (r shl 16) or (g shl 8) or b
+            writeDs4()
+        } else {
+            usb.writeRaw(0, DsDevice.ds5LightbarReport(m, r, g, b))
+        }
+    }
+
+    override fun playerLeds(pad: Int, bits: Int) {
+        val m = model ?: return
+        if (m == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) return // no player LEDs on a DS4 (host never sends any)
+        usb.writeRaw(0, DsDevice.ds5PlayerLedsReport(m, bits))
+    }
+
+    override fun trigger(pad: Int, which: Int, effect: ByteArray) {
+        val m = model ?: return
+        if (m == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) return // no adaptive triggers on a DS4
+        usb.writeRaw(0, DsDevice.ds5TriggerReport(m, which, effect))
+    }
+
+    private fun writeDs4() = usb.writeRaw(
+        0,
+        DsDevice.ds4Report(
+            ds4Low,
+            ds4High,
+            (ds4Rgb shr 16) and 0xFF,
+            (ds4Rgb shr 8) and 0xFF,
+            ds4Rgb and 0xFF,
+        ),
+    )
+
+    /** The report that stops the motors. The DS4's is a full-state write, so it zeroes the
+     *  composed motor state and carries the current lightbar rather than blacking it out. */
+    private fun stopReport(m: DsDevice.Model): ByteArray = if (m == DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4) {
+        ds4Low = 0
+        ds4High = 0
+        DsDevice.ds4Report(
+            0,
+            0,
+            (ds4Rgb shr 16) and 0xFF,
+            (ds4Rgb shr 8) and 0xFF,
+            ds4Rgb and 0xFF,
+        )
+    } else {
+        DsDevice.ds5RumbleReport(m, 0, 0)
+    }
+
+    /** (Re)arm the stalled-poll-thread net: write a rumble stop at the command's backstop. */
+    private fun armBackstop(ms: Long) {
+        backstop?.let { mainHandler.removeCallbacks(it) }
+        val r = Runnable {
+            backstop = null
+            model?.let { usb.writeRaw(0, stopReport(it)) }
+        }
+        backstop = r
+        mainHandler.postDelayed(r, ms.coerceAtLeast(1))
+    }
+
+    private fun disarmBackstop() {
+        backstop?.let { mainHandler.removeCallbacks(it) }
+        backstop = null
+    }
+
+    private companion object {
+        const val TAG = "DsCapture"
+    }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,340 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.kit
+
+/**
+ * Sony DualSense / DualSense Edge / DualShock 4 **USB** protocol constants: the input-report
+ * parser and the output-report builders the capture link ([DsCapture]) needs. Unlike the SC2's
+ * as-is passthrough, nothing rides the wire raw here — the host's DualSense/DS4 backends consume
+ * only typed events (`dualsense_proto.rs` discards `RichInput::HidReport`), so the client parses
+ * the pad's input reports into the ordinary button/axis wire + the rich touch/motion plane, and
+ * renders the host's feedback (rumble / adaptive triggers / lightbar / player LEDs) by composing
+ * USB output reports itself.
+ *
+ * Protocol ground truth: the Linux kernel's `hid-playstation` / `hid-sony` structs, SDL's
+ * `SDL_hidapi_ps5.c` / `SDL_hidapi_ps4.c`, mirrored host-side in `punktfunk-host`'s
+ * `dualsense_proto.rs` / `dualshock4_proto.rs` — this file is the byte-exact inverse of those
+ * serializers (offsets cross-referenced below). USB only: over Bluetooth the reports shift
+ * (`0x31` + CRC32) AND Android exposes no raw path to a Classic pad anyway, so the BT case never
+ * reaches this code — an uncaptured pad stays on the ordinary InputDevice path.
+ */
+object DsDevice {
+    const val VID_SONY = 0x054C
+    const val PID_DUALSENSE = 0x0CE6
+    const val PID_DUALSENSE_EDGE = 0x0DF2
+    const val PID_DUALSHOCK4_V1 = 0x05C4
+    const val PID_DUALSHOCK4_V2 = 0x09CC
+
+    val USB_PIDS = setOf(PID_DUALSENSE, PID_DUALSENSE_EDGE, PID_DUALSHOCK4_V1, PID_DUALSHOCK4_V2)
+
+    /**
+     * One captured model: its `GamepadPref` wire byte (the virtual pad the host builds — matching
+     * the physical one), its output-report size (the descriptor-declared size the firmware
+     * expects: DS5 48 = id + 47, Edge 64 = id + 63, DS4 32 = id + 31), and its touchpad extent
+     * (`dualsense_proto::DS_TOUCH_W/H`, `dualshock4_proto::DS4_TOUCH_*`) for normalizing touches
+     * onto the wire's 0..65535 space.
+     */
+    enum class Model(val pref: Int, val outputSize: Int, val touchW: Int, val touchH: Int) {
+        DUALSENSE(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSENSE, 48, 1920, 1080),
+        DUALSENSE_EDGE(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSENSEEDGE, 64, 1920, 1080),
+        DUALSHOCK4(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSHOCK4, 32, 1920, 942),
+    }
+
+    /** The captured [Model] for a USB PID, or null for anything we don't capture. */
+    fun modelFor(pid: Int): Model? = when (pid) {
+        PID_DUALSENSE -> Model.DUALSENSE
+        PID_DUALSENSE_EDGE -> Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE
+        PID_DUALSHOCK4_V1, PID_DUALSHOCK4_V2 -> Model.DUALSHOCK4
+        else -> null
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The client-consumed fields of one input report. `buttons` is already the WIRE bitmask
+     * (`Gamepad.BTN_*`) — the parse maps device bits straight to the wire, the exact inverse of
+     * the host's `DsState::from_gamepad` (BTN_A ↔ cross, BTN_B ↔ circle, BTN_X ↔ square,
+     * BTN_Y ↔ triangle; positional, not glyph-order). Gyro/accel stay in raw device units — the
+     * wire's `Motion` is a unit passthrough into the virtual pad's report. Touch coordinates stay
+     * device-raw here; [DsCapture] normalizes against the model's extent when forwarding.
+     */
+    class State {
+        var buttons = 0
+        var lsX = 0; var lsY = 0 // wire i16, +y = up (device is +y down — inverted in the parse)
+        var rsX = 0; var rsY = 0
+        var lt = 0; var rt = 0 // 0..255
+        val gyro = IntArray(3) // raw i16 units (pitch/yaw/roll)
+        val accel = IntArray(3)
+        val touchActive = BooleanArray(2)
+        val touchX = IntArray(2) // raw device coords (0..touchW-1 / 0..touchH-1)
+        val touchY = IntArray(2)
+    }
+
+    // DS5 USB input report 0x01 (64 B) — offsets mirror the host serializer
+    // (`dualsense_proto.rs::serialize_state`): [1..7) sticks + triggers, [8] hat|face,
+    // [9]/[10] buttons, [16..28) gyro+accel, [33..41) two 4-byte touch points.
+    private const val DS5_INPUT_ID = 0x01
+    // report[8] high nibble (`dualsense_proto::btn0`).
+    private const val DS5_SQUARE = 0x10
+    private const val DS5_CROSS = 0x20
+    private const val DS5_CIRCLE = 0x40
+    private const val DS5_TRIANGLE = 0x80
+    // report[9] (`btn1`).
+    private const val DS5_L1 = 0x01
+    private const val DS5_R1 = 0x02
+    private const val DS5_CREATE = 0x10
+    private const val DS5_OPTIONS = 0x20
+    private const val DS5_L3 = 0x40
+    private const val DS5_R3 = 0x80
+    // report[10] (`btn2`); the FN/BACK bits exist only on the Edge.
+    private const val DS5_PS = 0x01
+    private const val DS5_TOUCHPAD = 0x02
+    private const val DS5_MUTE = 0x04
+    private const val EDGE_FN_LEFT = 0x10
+    private const val EDGE_FN_RIGHT = 0x20
+    private const val EDGE_BACK_LEFT = 0x40
+    private const val EDGE_BACK_RIGHT = 0x80
+
+    // DS4 USB input report 0x01 (64 B) — offsets mirror `dualshock4_proto.rs::serialize_state`:
+    // [1..5) sticks, [5] hat|face, [6]/[7] buttons, [8]/[9] triggers, [13..25) gyro+accel,
+    // [35..43) two touch points (same 4-byte packing as the DS5).
+    private const val DS4_L1 = 0x01
+    private const val DS4_R1 = 0x02
+    private const val DS4_SHARE = 0x10
+    private const val DS4_OPTIONS = 0x20
+    private const val DS4_L3 = 0x40
+    private const val DS4_R3 = 0x80
+    private const val DS4_PS = 0x01
+    private const val DS4_TOUCHPAD = 0x02
+
+    /**
+     * Parse one USB input report (`0x01`) into [out]. Returns false for any other report id or a
+     * short read (the pad also emits `0x09`-family getMAC responses etc. on EP0 — those never hit
+     * the interrupt endpoint, but be defensive). Motion/touch fields update only when the report
+     * is long enough to carry them (it always is on glass — 64-byte interrupt transfers).
+     */
+    fun parseState(model: Model, report: ByteArray, len: Int, out: State): Boolean =
+        if (model == Model.DUALSHOCK4) {
+            parseDs4(report, len, out)
+        } else {
+            parseDs5(model, report, len, out)
+        }
+
+    private fun parseDs5(model: Model, r: ByteArray, len: Int, out: State): Boolean {
+        if (len < 11 || (r[0].toInt() and 0xFF) != DS5_INPUT_ID) return false
+        out.lsX = stickX(u8(r, 1))
+        out.lsY = stickY(u8(r, 2))
+        out.rsX = stickX(u8(r, 3))
+        out.rsY = stickY(u8(r, 4))
+        out.lt = u8(r, 5)
+        out.rt = u8(r, 6)
+        val b8 = u8(r, 8)
+        val b9 = u8(r, 9)
+        val b10 = u8(r, 10)
+        var w = hatBits(b8 and 0x0F)
+        if (b8 and DS5_CROSS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_A
+        if (b8 and DS5_CIRCLE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_B
+        if (b8 and DS5_SQUARE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_X
+        if (b8 and DS5_TRIANGLE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_Y
+        if (b9 and DS5_L1 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_LB
+        if (b9 and DS5_R1 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_RB
+        // L2/R2 digital bits ride the analog axes instead (wire convention).
+        if (b9 and DS5_CREATE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_BACK
+        if (b9 and DS5_OPTIONS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_START
+        if (b9 and DS5_L3 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_LS_CLICK
+        if (b9 and DS5_R3 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_RS_CLICK
+        if (b10 and DS5_PS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_GUIDE
+        if (b10 and DS5_TOUCHPAD != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_TOUCHPAD
+        if (b10 and DS5_MUTE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_MISC1
+        if (model == Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE) {
+            // Wire paddle order matches the host's `edge_paddle_bits` inverse: PADDLE1/2 =
+            // right/left BACK (the primary pair, Steam R4/L4 convention), PADDLE3/4 = right/left Fn.
+            if (b10 and EDGE_BACK_RIGHT != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE1
+            if (b10 and EDGE_BACK_LEFT != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE2
+            if (b10 and EDGE_FN_RIGHT != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE3
+            if (b10 and EDGE_FN_LEFT != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE4
+        }
+        out.buttons = w
+        if (len >= 28) {
+            for (i in 0 until 3) out.gyro[i] = i16(r, 16 + 2 * i)
+            for (i in 0 until 3) out.accel[i] = i16(r, 22 + 2 * i)
+        }
+        if (len >= 41) {
+            unpackTouch(r, 33, out, 0)
+            unpackTouch(r, 37, out, 1)
+        }
+        return true
+    }
+
+    private fun parseDs4(r: ByteArray, len: Int, out: State): Boolean {
+        if (len < 10 || (r[0].toInt() and 0xFF) != DS5_INPUT_ID) return false // DS4 shares id 0x01
+        out.lsX = stickX(u8(r, 1))
+        out.lsY = stickY(u8(r, 2))
+        out.rsX = stickX(u8(r, 3))
+        out.rsY = stickY(u8(r, 4))
+        val b5 = u8(r, 5)
+        val b6 = u8(r, 6)
+        val b7 = u8(r, 7)
+        out.lt = u8(r, 8)
+        out.rt = u8(r, 9)
+        var w = hatBits(b5 and 0x0F)
+        if (b5 and DS5_CROSS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_A
+        if (b5 and DS5_CIRCLE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_B
+        if (b5 and DS5_SQUARE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_X
+        if (b5 and DS5_TRIANGLE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_Y
+        if (b6 and DS4_L1 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_LB
+        if (b6 and DS4_R1 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_RB
+        if (b6 and DS4_SHARE != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_BACK
+        if (b6 and DS4_OPTIONS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_START
+        if (b6 and DS4_L3 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_LS_CLICK
+        if (b6 and DS4_R3 != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_RS_CLICK
+        if (b7 and DS4_PS != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_GUIDE
+        if (b7 and DS4_TOUCHPAD != 0) w = w or Gamepad.BTN_TOUCHPAD
+        out.buttons = w
+        if (len >= 25) {
+            for (i in 0 until 3) out.gyro[i] = i16(r, 13 + 2 * i)
+            for (i in 0 until 3) out.accel[i] = i16(r, 19 + 2 * i)
+        }
+        if (len >= 43) {
+            unpackTouch(r, 35, out, 0)
+            unpackTouch(r, 39, out, 1)
+        }
+        return true
+    }
+
+    /** hat nibble (0=N … 7=NW, 8+=neutral) → wire dpad bits — inverse of the host's `hat()`. */
+    private fun hatBits(h: Int): Int = when (h) {
+        0 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_UP
+        1 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_UP or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_RIGHT
+        2 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_RIGHT
+        3 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_DOWN or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_RIGHT
+        4 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_DOWN
+        5 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_DOWN or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_LEFT
+        6 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_LEFT
+        7 -> Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_UP or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_LEFT
+        else -> 0
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * One 4-byte touch point (shared DS5/DS4 packing — `dualsense_proto::pack_touch`): byte0
+     * bit7 = NOT active + contact id in bits 0..6; 12-bit x/y split across bytes 1..3.
+     */
+    private fun unpackTouch(r: ByteArray, o: Int, out: State, slot: Int) {
+        val b0 = u8(r, o)
+        out.touchActive[slot] = b0 and 0x80 == 0
+        out.touchX[slot] = u8(r, o + 1) or ((u8(r, o + 2) and 0x0F) shl 8)
+        out.touchY[slot] = (u8(r, o + 2) shr 4) or (u8(r, o + 3) shl 4)
+    }
+
+    private fun u8(r: ByteArray, o: Int): Int = r[o].toInt() and 0xFF
+
+    private fun i16(r: ByteArray, o: Int): Int =
+        ((r[o + 1].toInt() shl 8) or (r[o].toInt() and 0xFF)).toShort().toInt()
+
+    // Device stick byte (0..255, centre 0x80, +y down) → wire i16 (+y up) — the exact inverse of
+    // the host's `to_u8` mapping (`lx = to_u8(x)`, `ly = 255 - to_u8(y)`).
+    private fun stickX(raw: Int): Int = raw * 257 - 32768
+
+    private fun stickY(raw: Int): Int = (255 - raw) * 257 - 32768
+
+    // ---- Output reports ----
+    //
+    // Every write is valid-flag-selective: only the flagged channel applies, the firmware keeps
+    // the rest (the same contract the host's `parse_ds_output` mirrors — an unflagged parse would
+    // turn every rumble into a lightbar-off). The DS4 is the exception: its builder writes the
+    // full composed motors+LED state each time with both flags, SDL's proven-on-hardware shape.
+
+    // DS5 output report 0x02, report-relative offsets (`dualsense_proto::parse_ds_output`):
+    // [1] valid_flag0 (bit0 compat vibration, bit1 haptics select, bit2 R2 block, bit3 L2 block),
+    // [2] valid_flag1 (bit2 lightbar, bit4 player LEDs), [3]/[4] motors, [11..22) R2 effect,
+    // [22..33) L2 effect, [39] valid_flag2 (bit1 lightbar-setup enable, bit2 vibration2),
+    // [42] lightbar_setup, [44] player LEDs, [45..48) RGB.
+    private const val DS5_FLAG0_COMPAT_VIBRATION = 0x01
+    private const val DS5_FLAG0_HAPTICS_SELECT = 0x02
+    private const val DS5_FLAG0_R2_EFFECT = 0x04
+    private const val DS5_FLAG0_L2_EFFECT = 0x08
+    private const val DS5_FLAG1_LIGHTBAR = 0x04
+    private const val DS5_FLAG1_PLAYER_LEDS = 0x10
+    private const val DS5_FLAG2_LIGHTBAR_SETUP = 0x02
+    private const val DS5_FLAG2_VIBRATION2 = 0x04
+    private const val DS5_LIGHTBAR_SETUP_LIGHT_OUT = 0x02
+
+    /** The 11-byte adaptive-trigger effect block length (mode byte + 10 parameters). */
+    const val TRIGGER_EFFECT_LEN = 11
+
+    private fun newDs5(model: Model): ByteArray = ByteArray(model.outputSize).also { it[0] = 0x02 }
+
+    /**
+     * One-time capture-start report (DS5/Edge): release the firmware's lightbar animation
+     * (`LIGHTBAR_SETUP_LIGHT_OUT`) so subsequent host lightbar writes take effect — the same
+     * init both hid-playstation and SDL send on open. No-op fields otherwise.
+     */
+    fun ds5InitReport(model: Model): ByteArray = newDs5(model).also {
+        it[39] = DS5_FLAG2_LIGHTBAR_SETUP.toByte()
+        it[42] = DS5_LIGHTBAR_SETUP_LIGHT_OUT.toByte()
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * DS5/Edge rumble at the wire's u16 amplitudes ([low] = heavy/left motor, [high] =
+     * light/right — the host parses `[3]` as high and `[4]` as low, mirrored here). Flags both
+     * the classic compat-vibration path AND `VIBRATION2` (firmware ≥ 2.24's full-range replot;
+     * older firmware ignores the unknown flag2 bit) — the host parser accepts either.
+     */
+    fun ds5RumbleReport(model: Model, low: Int, high: Int): ByteArray = newDs5(model).also {
+        it[1] = (DS5_FLAG0_COMPAT_VIBRATION or DS5_FLAG0_HAPTICS_SELECT).toByte()
+        it[39] = DS5_FLAG2_VIBRATION2.toByte()
+        it[3] = amp8(high).toByte()
+        it[4] = amp8(low).toByte()
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * DS5/Edge adaptive-trigger effect: [which] 0 = L2, 1 = R2; [effect] is the raw 11-byte
+     * trigger block from the wire (`HidOutput::Trigger` — the game's bytes verbatim), copied to
+     * the same offsets the host parsed it from ([11..22) R2 / [22..33) L2).
+     */
+    fun ds5TriggerReport(model: Model, which: Int, effect: ByteArray): ByteArray = newDs5(model).also {
+        val at = if (which == 1) 11 else 22
+        it[1] = (if (which == 1) DS5_FLAG0_R2_EFFECT else DS5_FLAG0_L2_EFFECT).toByte()
+        val n = effect.size.coerceAtMost(TRIGGER_EFFECT_LEN)
+        System.arraycopy(effect, 0, it, at, n)
+    }
+
+    /** DS5/Edge lightbar RGB. */
+    fun ds5LightbarReport(model: Model, r: Int, g: Int, b: Int): ByteArray = newDs5(model).also {
+        it[2] = DS5_FLAG1_LIGHTBAR.toByte()
+        it[45] = r.toByte()
+        it[46] = g.toByte()
+        it[47] = b.toByte()
+    }
+
+    /** DS5/Edge player-indicator LEDs (low 5 bits, hid-playstation pattern). */
+    fun ds5PlayerLedsReport(model: Model, bits: Int): ByteArray = newDs5(model).also {
+        it[2] = DS5_FLAG1_PLAYER_LEDS.toByte()
+        it[44] = (bits and 0x1F).toByte()
+    }
+
+    // DS4 output report 0x05 (32 B), report-relative (`dualshock4_proto::parse_ds4_output`):
+    // [1] valid_flag0 (bit0 motors, bit1 LED, bit2 blink), [4] weak/right motor, [5] strong/left,
+    // [6..9) RGB, [9]/[10] blink on/off.
+    private const val DS4_FLAG0_MOTORS = 0x01
+    private const val DS4_FLAG0_LED = 0x02
+
+    /**
+     * One full-state DS4 write: motors + lightbar together, both flags set — the composed-state
+     * shape SDL uses against real hardware (per-channel selective writes are unproven on DS4
+     * firmware, unlike the DS5's). [DsCapture] holds the composition. Blink stays untouched.
+     */
+    fun ds4Report(low: Int, high: Int, r: Int, g: Int, b: Int): ByteArray =
+        ByteArray(Model.DUALSHOCK4.outputSize).also {
+            it[0] = 0x05
+            it[1] = (DS4_FLAG0_MOTORS or DS4_FLAG0_LED).toByte()
+            it[4] = amp8(high).toByte()
+            it[5] = amp8(low).toByte()
+            it[6] = r.toByte()
+            it[7] = g.toByte()
+            it[8] = b.toByte()
+        }
+
+    // Wire u16 amplitude → motor byte; a nonzero command never collapses to 0 (parity with the
+    // vibrator path's toAmplitude).
+    private fun amp8(v16: Int): Int {
+        val a = (v16 ushr 8) and 0xFF
+        return if (v16 != 0 && a == 0) 1 else a
+    }
+}
@@ -46,6 +46,42 @@ class GamepadFeedback(
    private val router: GamepadRouter?,
    private val deviceVibrator: Vibrator? = null,
 ) {
+    /**
+     * A capture link's feedback renderer for the wire pads it owns, consulted BEFORE the
+     * InputDevice vibrator/lights paths. A captured controller has no [android.view.InputDevice]
+     * (its slot is an [GamepadRouter.ExternalPad] on a synthetic id, so [GamepadRouter.deviceForPad]
+     * resolves null and the platform paths no-op) — the link renders instead, by composing USB
+     * output reports on the physical pad. This is also the ONLY route to adaptive triggers:
+     * Android has no platform API for them, so without a sink a Trigger event is log-and-drop.
+     * Invoked on the feedback poll threads; implementations must be thread-safe.
+     */
+    interface PadFeedbackSink {
+        /** True when this sink renders feedback for wire pad [pad]; the render methods are only
+         *  invoked while true. Racing a pad close is fine — a late render is a harmless no-op. */
+        fun ownsPad(pad: Int): Boolean
+
+        /** One effective rumble command (`(0,0)` = stop now; else a one-shot at this level with
+         *  [backstopMs] as the self-termination net — see [GamepadFeedback.renderRumble]). */
+        fun rumble(pad: Int, low: Int, high: Int, backstopMs: Long)
+
+        /** Lightbar RGB. */
+        fun led(pad: Int, r: Int, g: Int, b: Int)
+
+        /** Player-indicator LED bitmask (low 5 bits, hid-playstation layout). */
+        fun playerLeds(pad: Int, bits: Int)
+
+        /** One adaptive-trigger effect: [which] 0 = L2, 1 = R2; [effect] = the raw DS5 trigger
+         *  block (mode byte + parameters) exactly as the game wrote it host-side. */
+        fun trigger(pad: Int, which: Int, effect: ByteArray)
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The active capture link's sink (a [DsCapture]), or null. Wired by StreamScreen alongside
+     * [onHidRaw]; cleared before the poll threads stop.
+     */
+    @Volatile
+    var sink: PadFeedbackSink? = null
+
    private companion object {
        const val TAG = "pf.feedback"
        const val TAG_LED: Byte = 0x01
@@ -221,6 +257,12 @@ class GamepadFeedback(
        // controller 1 unconditionally rather than only motor-less pads — capability probing
        // already decided the bind, and the user opted in.
        if (pad == 0) renderDeviceRumble(low, high, durationMs)
+        // A captured pad's link renders on the physical controller itself (its slot has no
+        // InputDevice, so the vibrator bind below would resolve null and drop the command).
+        sink?.takeIf { it.ownsPad(pad) }?.let {
+            it.rumble(pad, low, high, durationMs)
+            return
+        }
        val bind = rumbleBindFor(pad) ?: return
        val lo = toAmplitude(low)
        val hi = toAmplitude(high)
@@ -313,23 +355,36 @@ class GamepadFeedback(
                val g = buf.get().toInt() and 0xFF
                val b = buf.get().toInt() and 0xFF
                Log.i(TAG, "hidout pad=$pad Led r=$r g=$g b=$b") // verification line
-                if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) setLightbar(pad, Color.rgb(r, g, b))
+                val s = sink?.takeIf { it.ownsPad(pad) }
+                if (s != null) s.led(pad, r, g, b)
+                else if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) setLightbar(pad, Color.rgb(r, g, b))
            }
            TAG_PLAYER_LEDS -> {
                val bits = buf.get().toInt() and 0x1F
                val player = playerIndexForBits(bits)
                Log.i(TAG, "hidout pad=$pad PlayerLeds bits=$bits player=$player") // verification line
-                if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) setPlayerId(pad, player)
+                val s = sink?.takeIf { it.ownsPad(pad) }
+                if (s != null) s.playerLeds(pad, bits)
+                else if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) setPlayerId(pad, player)
            }
            TAG_TRIGGER -> {
                val which = buf.get().toInt() and 0xFF // 0 = L2, 1 = R2
                val effLen = n - 3 // [pad][kind][which] header, then the effect block
-                val mode = if (effLen > 0) buf.get().toInt() and 0xFF else 0
-                // No public adaptive-trigger API on Android — parse-validate the mode + log only.
-                Log.i(
-                    TAG,
-                    "hidout pad=$pad Trigger which=$which effLen=$effLen mode=0x%02x (adaptive triggers unsupported on Android)".format(mode),
-                )
+                val s = sink?.takeIf { it.ownsPad(pad) }
+                if (s != null && effLen > 0) {
+                    // A captured DualSense: the raw trigger block replays onto the physical pad.
+                    val effect = ByteArray(effLen)
+                    buf.get(effect)
+                    Log.i(TAG, "hidout pad=$pad Trigger which=$which effLen=$effLen → captured pad") // verification line
+                    s.trigger(pad, which, effect)
+                } else {
+                    val mode = if (effLen > 0) buf.get().toInt() and 0xFF else 0
+                    // No platform adaptive-trigger API — parse-validate the mode + log only.
+                    Log.i(
+                        TAG,
+                        "hidout pad=$pad Trigger which=$which effLen=$effLen mode=0x%02x (no adaptive-trigger renderer for this pad)".format(mode),
+                    )
+                }
            }
            TAG_HID_RAW -> {
                // As-is SC2 passthrough: a raw report the host's Steam wrote to the virtual pad —
@@ -65,6 +65,16 @@ class GamepadRouter(context: Context, private val handle: Long, private val sett
     */
    var onExitArmed: ((armed: Boolean) -> Unit)? = null

+    /**
+     * Invoked (main thread) each time the mic-mute chord ([MIC_CHORD], Select + Y) is COMPLETED on
+     * a pad — the couch equivalent of the stream's on-screen mute button, which a gamepad user
+     * cannot reach. `StreamScreen` wires it to the mute toggle. Unlike the exit chord this fires
+     * immediately: muting is the kind of thing you want to have already happened, and the on-screen
+     * indicator makes an accidental toggle self-evident. The buttons still go to the host — the
+     * chord adds a meaning to them rather than swallowing them, exactly as the exit chord does.
+     */
+    var onMicChord: (() -> Unit)? = null
+
    private val mainHandler = Handler(Looper.getMainLooper())
    /** The pending exit-chord hold timer, or null when the chord isn't currently armed. */
    private var pendingExit: Runnable? = null
@@ -108,14 +118,23 @@ class GamepadRouter(context: Context, private val handle: Long, private val sett

    /**
     * One button transition on [slot] — the shared body behind [onButton] and an [ExternalPad]'s
-     * transitions: forward the wire event, track held state, and arm/disarm the exit chord.
+     * transitions: forward the wire event, track held state, arm/disarm the exit chord, and fire
+     * the mic-mute chord ([MIC_CHORD]).
     */
    private fun slotButton(slot: Slot, bit: Int, down: Boolean, send: Boolean) {
        if (down) {
            if (send) NativeBridge.nativeSendGamepadButton(handle, bit, true, slot.index)
+            val wasHeld = slot.held
            slot.held = slot.held or bit
            // Full chord now held on this pad → start the hold countdown (idempotent while held).
            if (slot.held and EXIT_CHORD == EXIT_CHORD) armExit()
+            // Mic mute, edge-triggered on the button that COMPLETES the chord: a genuine press
+            // (`wasHeld` lacks the bit, so an auto-repeat DOWN can't re-fire it) of a chord member
+            // that leaves the whole chord held. Any other button pressed while Select + Y are down
+            // fails the middle test, so the toggle happens once per chord, not once per press.
+            if (wasHeld and bit == 0 && bit and MIC_CHORD != 0 && slot.held and MIC_CHORD == MIC_CHORD) {
+                onMicChord?.invoke()
+            }
        } else {
            if (send) NativeBridge.nativeSendGamepadButton(handle, bit, false, slot.index)
            slot.held = slot.held and bit.inv()
@@ -210,6 +229,24 @@ class GamepadRouter(context: Context, private val handle: Long, private val sett
            if (slot != null) NativeBridge.nativeSendPadHidReport(handle, index, buf, len)
        }

+        /** One touchpad contact on the rich plane: [finger] 0/1, x/y normalized 0..65535 in
+         *  SCREEN convention (+y down); `active = false` lifts the finger. On-change only. */
+        fun touch(finger: Int, active: Boolean, x: Int, y: Int) {
+            if (slot != null) NativeBridge.nativeSendPadTouch(handle, index, finger, active, x, y)
+        }
+
+        /** One motion sample on the rich plane (gyro pitch/yaw/roll + accel, raw device i16
+         *  units — the host passes them straight into the virtual pad's report). Per report. */
+        fun motion(gyro: IntArray, accel: IntArray) {
+            if (slot != null) {
+                NativeBridge.nativeSendPadMotion(
+                    handle, index,
+                    gyro[0], gyro[1], gyro[2],
+                    accel[0], accel[1], accel[2],
+                )
+            }
+        }
+
        /** Flush held state, signal the removal, and free the wire index. Idempotent. */
        fun close() = closeSlot(syntheticId)
    }
@@ -228,6 +265,16 @@ class GamepadRouter(context: Context, private val handle: Long, private val sett
        return ExternalPad(syntheticId, index)
    }

+    /**
+     * Close the slot (if any) for a physical controller a capture link just claimed. The claim
+     * detaches the kernel driver, so the system's own removal callback would close it moments
+     * later anyway — doing it at claim time makes the freed wire index deterministic for the
+     * link's [ExternalPad] instead of racing the link's first report against that callback. Safe
+     * to over-match (a same-VID/PID sibling that still exists as an InputDevice lazily reopens a
+     * slot on its next input event). Main thread, like the hot-plug callbacks.
+     */
+    fun releaseDevice(deviceId: Int) = closeSlot(deviceId)
+
    /**
     * Flush + drop every slot and unregister the hot-plug listener. Call on session teardown, AFTER
     * the feedback poll threads are joined (they read [deviceForPad]).
@@ -323,6 +370,14 @@ class GamepadRouter(context: Context, private val handle: Long, private val sett
         */
        const val EXIT_HOLD_MS = 1000L

+        /**
+         * Mic-mute chord: Select + Y. Y is deliberately NOT one of [EXIT_CHORD]'s buttons, so no
+         * way of reaching the exit chord can pass through this one on the way (and vice versa) —
+         * and Select is a menu button rather than a twitch action, which makes the pair unlikely
+         * to occur inside real play.
+         */
+        const val MIC_CHORD = Gamepad.BTN_BACK or Gamepad.BTN_Y
+
        /** Synthetic slot-key base for [ExternalPad]s — below every real (positive) InputDevice id. */
        const val EXTERNAL_ID_BASE = -1000
    }
@@ -0,0 +1,399 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.kit
+
+import android.content.BroadcastReceiver
+import android.content.Context
+import android.content.Intent
+import android.content.IntentFilter
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbConstants
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbDeviceConnection
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbEndpoint
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbInterface
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbManager
+import android.hardware.usb.UsbRequest
+import android.os.Build
+import android.util.Log
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
+
+/**
+ * Generic USB transport for a client-captured HID controller — the device-agnostic half of what
+ * [Sc2UsbLink] pioneered, now shared with the Sony capture ([DsCapture]). Claims the controller
+ * interface(s) — `force = true` detaches the kernel/OS driver, so a captured pad can't
+ * double-drive the ordinary InputDevice path — runs a multiplexed [UsbRequest] read loop, and
+ * writes the host/capture's reports back to the device (interrupt-OUT when the interface has one,
+ * else EP0 `SET_REPORT`).
+ *
+ * Everything device-specific is [Config]: which attached device to pick, which of its interfaces
+ * to claim, and an optional keep-alive (feature reports re-sent on a firmware-watchdog cadence —
+ * the SC2's lizard-mode refresh; a DualSense needs none).
+ *
+ * **Unplug is signalled, never inferred from silence:** a quiet controller is not a missing one
+ * (an SC2 on-glass round tripped exactly this — a 5 s silence heuristic firing on an idle pad).
+ * The real signals are [UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED] for this device, or `requestWait`
+ * returning sustained hard errors (every transfer fails instantly once the fd is dead).
+ */
+class HidUsbLink(
+    private val context: Context,
+    private val config: Config,
+    private val onReport: (report: ByteArray, len: Int) -> Unit,
+    private val onClosed: () -> Unit,
+) {
+    /**
+     * The per-device knowledge this transport is parameterized by. [ifaceFilter] narrows WHICH
+     * HID/vendor-class interfaces get claimed (the class check itself is built in) — e.g. the SC2
+     * Puck's controller slots, or the DualSense's single HID interface among its audio siblings.
+     * [keepAliveFeatures] are full feature reports (id byte first) re-sent to the streaming
+     * interface every [keepAliveMs] AND once at claim time; empty = no keep-alive.
+     */
+    class Config(
+        val tag: String,
+        val threadName: String,
+        val deviceMatch: (UsbDevice) -> Boolean,
+        val ifaceFilter: (UsbDevice, UsbInterface) -> Boolean = { _, _ -> true },
+        val keepAliveFeatures: List<ByteArray> = emptyList(),
+        val keepAliveMs: Long = 0,
+    )
+
+    private val usb = context.getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as UsbManager
+
+    /** One claimed interface: its endpoints + the read state the reader thread owns. */
+    private class Claim(
+        val iface: UsbInterface,
+        val epIn: UsbEndpoint,
+        val epOut: UsbEndpoint?,
+    ) {
+        val inBuf: ByteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(64)
+        var inReq: UsbRequest? = null
+        var outReq: UsbRequest? = null
+        var outBusy = false
+        var reports = 0L
+    }
+
+    private var connection: UsbDeviceConnection? = null
+    private var device: UsbDevice? = null
+    private var claims: List<Claim> = emptyList()
+
+    /** The claim whose IN endpoint last produced data — where output/feature writes go.
+     *  Written by the reader thread, read by the feedback thread (feature control transfers). */
+    @Volatile private var activeClaim: Claim? = null
+
+    /** Pending OUT reports, submitted by the reader thread — only one thread may drive a
+     *  connection's [UsbRequest]s ([UsbDeviceConnection.requestWait] returns ANY completed
+     *  request; a second waiter would steal the reader's completions). */
+    private val outQueue = ConcurrentLinkedQueue<ByteArray>()
+
+    private var reader: Thread? = null
+    private var detachReceiver: BroadcastReceiver? = null
+
+    @Volatile private var running = false
+
+    /** First attached matching device, or null. Does not need USB permission to enumerate. */
+    fun findDevice(): UsbDevice? = usb.deviceList.values.firstOrNull(config.deviceMatch)
+
+    /**
+     * Claim [dev]'s controller interface(s) and start the read loop. The caller has already
+     * obtained USB permission. Returns false when nothing could be claimed.
+     */
+    fun start(dev: UsbDevice): Boolean {
+        if (!usb.hasPermission(dev)) {
+            Log.e(config.tag, "no USB permission for ${dev.deviceName}")
+            return false
+        }
+        val conn = usb.openDevice(dev) ?: run {
+            Log.e(config.tag, "openDevice failed for ${dev.deviceName}")
+            return false
+        }
+        val claimed = claimControllerInterfaces(dev, conn)
+        if (claimed.isEmpty()) {
+            Log.e(config.tag, "no claimable interface on ${dev.deviceName} (PID=0x%04x)".format(dev.productId))
+            conn.close()
+            return false
+        }
+        connection = conn
+        device = dev
+        claims = claimed
+        running = true
+        Log.i(
+            config.tag,
+            "USB link up: PID=0x%04x ifaces=%s".format(
+                dev.productId,
+                claimed.joinToString {
+                    "%d(in=0x%02x out=%s)".format(
+                        it.iface.id, it.epIn.address,
+                        it.epOut?.let { e -> "0x%02x".format(e.address) } ?: "-",
+                    )
+                },
+            ),
+        )
+        // The REAL unplug signal — silence never is (an idle pad may simply stop streaming).
+        val receiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
+            override fun onReceive(c: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
+                if (intent?.action != UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED) return
+                val gone: UsbDevice? = intent.getParcelableExtra(UsbManager.EXTRA_DEVICE)
+                if (gone?.deviceName == dev.deviceName) {
+                    Log.i(config.tag, "USB detached (${dev.deviceName})")
+                    if (running) {
+                        running = false
+                        onClosed()
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        detachReceiver = receiver
+        val filter = IntentFilter(UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED)
+        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) {
+            context.registerReceiver(receiver, filter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED)
+        } else {
+            @Suppress("UnspecifiedRegisterReceiverFlag")
+            context.registerReceiver(receiver, filter)
+        }
+        if (config.keepAliveFeatures.isNotEmpty()) {
+            claimed.forEach { sendKeepAlive(conn, it.iface.id) }
+        }
+        reader = Thread({ readLoop(conn, claimed) }, config.threadName).apply {
+            isDaemon = true
+            start()
+        }
+        return true
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Claim every candidate controller interface: HID (or vendor-class) interfaces that pass the
+     * config's [Config.ifaceFilter], with an INT/BULK IN endpoint (OUT optional — the fallback is
+     * EP0 `SET_REPORT`). `force = true` detaches the kernel/OS driver, so the pad also vanishes
+     * from Android's own input stack while captured.
+     */
+    private fun claimControllerInterfaces(dev: UsbDevice, conn: UsbDeviceConnection): List<Claim> {
+        val out = mutableListOf<Claim>()
+        for (i in 0 until dev.interfaceCount) {
+            val iface = dev.getInterface(i)
+            if (!config.ifaceFilter(dev, iface)) continue
+            val hidOrVendor = iface.interfaceClass == UsbConstants.USB_CLASS_HID ||
+                iface.interfaceClass == 0xFF
+            if (!hidOrVendor) continue
+            var inEp: UsbEndpoint? = null
+            var outEp: UsbEndpoint? = null
+            for (e in 0 until iface.endpointCount) {
+                val ep = iface.getEndpoint(e)
+                val usable = ep.type == UsbConstants.USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_INT ||
+                    ep.type == UsbConstants.USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_BULK
+                if (!usable) continue
+                if (ep.direction == UsbConstants.USB_DIR_IN && inEp == null) inEp = ep
+                if (ep.direction == UsbConstants.USB_DIR_OUT && outEp == null) outEp = ep
+            }
+            if (inEp == null) continue
+            if (conn.claimInterface(iface, true)) {
+                out.add(Claim(iface, inEp, outEp))
+            } else {
+                Log.w(config.tag, "could not claim iface ${iface.id}")
+            }
+        }
+        return out
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * The multiplexed read loop: one IN request queued per claimed interface at all times, OUT
+     * writes submitted from [outQueue], completions routed via [UsbRequest.getClientData].
+     */
+    private fun readLoop(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, claims: List<Claim>) {
+        val live = claims.filter { c ->
+            val req = UsbRequest()
+            if (!req.initialize(conn, c.epIn)) {
+                Log.w(config.tag, "UsbRequest.initialize(IN, iface ${c.iface.id}) failed")
+                return@filter false
+            }
+            req.clientData = c
+            c.inReq = req
+            c.epOut?.let { ep ->
+                val o = UsbRequest()
+                if (o.initialize(conn, ep)) {
+                    o.clientData = c
+                    c.outReq = o
+                } else {
+                    Log.w(config.tag, "UsbRequest.initialize(OUT, iface ${c.iface.id}) failed — output reports via EP0")
+                }
+            }
+            c.inBuf.clear()
+            req.queue(c.inBuf)
+        }
+        if (live.isEmpty()) {
+            Log.e(config.tag, "no IN request could be queued")
+            finishReader(claims)
+            return
+        }
+        val scratch = ByteArray(64)
+        var lastKeepAlive = android.os.SystemClock.elapsedRealtime()
+        var errorsSince = 0L // elapsedRealtime of the first hard error in the current streak
+        try {
+            while (running) {
+                val now = android.os.SystemClock.elapsedRealtime()
+                if (config.keepAliveFeatures.isNotEmpty() && config.keepAliveMs > 0 &&
+                    now - lastKeepAlive >= config.keepAliveMs
+                ) {
+                    // Refresh the firmware settings on the streaming interface (else every live
+                    // one, before a streaming interface is known) — replaying also repairs state
+                    // some other consumer changed after capture started.
+                    val target = activeClaim
+                    if (target != null) sendKeepAlive(conn, target.iface.id)
+                    else live.forEach { sendKeepAlive(conn, it.iface.id) }
+                    lastKeepAlive = now
+                }
+                // Submit the next pending OUT report on the active (else first) interface.
+                val outTarget = (activeClaim ?: live.first()).takeIf { it.outReq != null && !it.outBusy }
+                if (outTarget != null) {
+                    outQueue.poll()?.let { data ->
+                        if (outTarget.outReq!!.queue(ByteBuffer.wrap(data))) outTarget.outBusy = true
+                    }
+                }
+                val done = try {
+                    conn.requestWait(READ_TIMEOUT_MS)
+                } catch (_: TimeoutException) {
+                    // A quiet controller is NOT an unplug — keep listening indefinitely; the
+                    // detach broadcast is the real signal.
+                    errorsSince = 0L
+                    continue
+                }
+                if (done == null) {
+                    // Hard error. On a real unplug these storm continuously (the detach
+                    // broadcast usually beats us to it); tolerate transient ones.
+                    if (errorsSince == 0L) errorsSince = now
+                    if (now - errorsSince >= ERROR_UNPLUG_MS) {
+                        Log.i(config.tag, "USB request errors persisting ${now - errorsSince} ms — treating as unplug")
+                        break
+                    }
+                    continue
+                }
+                errorsSince = 0L
+                val claim = done.clientData as? Claim ?: continue
+                if (done === claim.inReq) {
+                    val n = claim.inBuf.position()
+                    if (n > 0) {
+                        claim.inBuf.flip()
+                        claim.inBuf.get(scratch, 0, n)
+                        if (claim.reports++ == 0L) {
+                            Log.i(
+                                config.tag,
+                                "first report on iface %d: id=0x%02x len=%d".format(
+                                    claim.iface.id, scratch[0].toInt() and 0xFF, n,
+                                ),
+                            )
+                        }
+                        activeClaim = claim
+                        onReport(scratch, n)
+                    }
+                    claim.inBuf.clear()
+                    if (!claim.inReq!!.queue(claim.inBuf)) {
+                        Log.i(config.tag, "re-queue(IN, iface ${claim.iface.id}) failed — treating as unplug")
+                        break
+                    }
+                } else if (done === claim.outReq) {
+                    claim.outBusy = false
+                }
+            }
+        } finally {
+            finishReader(claims)
+        }
+        if (running) {
+            running = false
+            onClosed()
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun finishReader(claims: List<Claim>) {
+        for (c in claims) {
+            runCatching { c.inReq?.cancel(); c.inReq?.close() }
+            runCatching { c.outReq?.cancel(); c.outReq?.close() }
+            c.inReq = null
+            c.outReq = null
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Write one raw report to the device: kind 0 = output report (the active interface's
+     * interrupt-OUT, else a `SET_REPORT(Output)` control transfer), kind 1 = feature report
+     * (`SET_REPORT(Feature)`). [data] is the full report, id byte first, hidapi framing.
+     */
+    fun writeRaw(kind: Int, data: ByteArray) {
+        if (data.isEmpty()) return
+        when (kind) {
+            0 -> {
+                if ((activeClaim ?: claims.firstOrNull())?.outReq != null) {
+                    // Interrupt-OUT rides UsbRequests submitted by the reader thread. Bounded,
+                    // newest-wins: these are level-styled commands the sender re-sends anyway.
+                    while (outQueue.size >= 32) outQueue.poll()
+                    outQueue.offer(data)
+                } else {
+                    setReport(REPORT_TYPE_OUTPUT, data)
+                }
+            }
+            1 -> setReport(REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE, data)
+        }
+    }
+
+    private fun setReport(type: Int, data: ByteArray) {
+        val conn = connection ?: return
+        val ifId = (activeClaim ?: claims.firstOrNull())?.iface?.id ?: return
+        sendReport(conn, ifId, type, data)
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Write one output report EP0-direct (`SET_REPORT(Output)`), bypassing the interrupt-OUT
+     * queue — for a teardown write that must land while the reader thread is stopping and the
+     * queue would never drain (e.g. a rumble stop before the interfaces release). Safe from any
+     * thread: EP0 control transfers are independent of the reader's `requestWait`.
+     */
+    fun writeControl(data: ByteArray) {
+        if (data.isNotEmpty()) setReport(REPORT_TYPE_OUTPUT, data)
+    }
+
+    private fun sendKeepAlive(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, ifaceId: Int) {
+        for (f in config.keepAliveFeatures) sendReport(conn, ifaceId, REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE, f)
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * HID `SET_REPORT` control transfer with hidapi's report-id framing: a non-zero leading byte
+     * is the report id (sent in wValue AND kept in the payload); a zero leading byte means
+     * "unnumbered" (id 0 in wValue, id byte stripped from the payload). EP0 is independent of
+     * the interrupt endpoints, so this is safe alongside the reader thread's requestWait.
+     */
+    private fun sendReport(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, ifaceId: Int, type: Int, data: ByteArray) {
+        val id = data[0].toInt() and 0xFF
+        val payload = if (id == 0) data.copyOfRange(1, data.size) else data
+        conn.controlTransfer(
+            0x21, // host→device, class, interface
+            0x09, // SET_REPORT
+            (type shl 8) or id,
+            ifaceId,
+            payload,
+            payload.size,
+            WRITE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+        )
+    }
+
+    /** Stop the read loop and release the interfaces. Idempotent; does not fire [onClosed]. */
+    fun stop() {
+        running = false
+        detachReceiver?.let { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(it) } }
+        detachReceiver = null
+        runCatching { reader?.join(1000) }
+        reader = null
+        outQueue.clear()
+        activeClaim = null
+        for (c in claims) runCatching { connection?.releaseInterface(c.iface) }
+        claims = emptyList()
+        runCatching { connection?.close() }
+        connection = null
+        device = null
+    }
+
+    private companion object {
+        const val READ_TIMEOUT_MS = 100L
+        const val WRITE_TIMEOUT_MS = 250
+        /** Hard `requestWait` ERRORS (not timeouts) persisting this long = the fd is dead. */
+        const val ERROR_UNPLUG_MS = 2000L
+        const val REPORT_TYPE_OUTPUT = 0x02
+        const val REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE = 0x03
+    }
+}
@@ -47,6 +47,14 @@ object NativeBridge {
        compositorPref: Int,
        gamepadPref: Int,
        hdrEnabled: Boolean,
+        /** Every decoder this device would use tolerates multi-slice AUs
+         *  ([VideoDecoders.multiSliceTolerant]) — advertises `VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_SLICE`; false keeps
+         *  the host at single-slice frames (the safe pre-0.17 wire shape). */
+        multiSliceOk: Boolean,
+        /** Every decoder this device would use accepts partial-frame input
+         *  ([VideoDecoders.partialFrameCapable]) — opts into slice-progressive delivery (the
+         *  decode loop then feeds slices with `BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME` as they arrive). */
+        framePartsOk: Boolean,
        audioChannels: Int,
        /** `quic::CODEC_*` bitfield of codecs this device decodes ([VideoDecoders.decodableCodecBits]);
         *  `0` falls back to H.264|HEVC. The host resolves the emitted codec from this ∩ its GPU. */
@@ -184,10 +192,12 @@ object NativeBridge {
    external fun nativeVideoMime(handle: Long): String

    /**
-     * The negotiated video mode as `[width, height]`, or `null` on a `0` handle. Resolved at the
-     * handshake, so it is known before the first frame — the stream view sizes itself to THIS
-     * aspect rather than stretching the picture to the panel's. Fixed for the session; read once.
-     * Cheap; UI-safe.
+     * The negotiated video mode as `[width, height, refreshHz]`, or `null` on a `0` handle.
+     * Resolved at the handshake, so it is known before the first frame — the stream view sizes
+     * itself to THIS aspect rather than stretching the picture to the panel's, and pins the
+     * panel's display mode to the stream refresh. The trailing `refreshHz` was appended later
+     * (an older native lib returns only `[width, height]` — index defensively). Fixed for the
+     * session; read once. Cheap; UI-safe.
     */
    external fun nativeVideoSize(handle: Long): IntArray?

@@ -204,11 +214,13 @@ object NativeBridge {
     * entirely in Rust (NDK AMediaCodec → ANativeWindow) — no per-frame JNI. [decoderName] is the
     * decoder Kotlin ranked from `MediaCodecList` (`""` = let the platform resolve the default for
     * the MIME — what the pre-overhaul client always did); [lowLatencyMode] is the user's
-     * "Low-latency mode (experimental)" toggle (off, the default, runs the original decode
-     * pipeline; on, the aggressive per-SoC tuning + async loop); [lowLatencyFeature] is whether
+     * "Low-latency mode" master toggle (ON by default: async loop + per-SoC tuning; off runs the
+     * original synchronous pipeline as the per-device escape hatch); [lowLatencyFeature] is whether
     * [decoderName] advertised `FEATURE_LowLatency` (HUD label only). [isTv] drives an active HDMI
     * mode switch to the stream refresh on TV boxes when the toggle is on (vs. the softer seamless
-     * hint otherwise). No-op if already started.
+     * hint otherwise). [presentPriority]/[smoothBuffer] are the timeline presenter's intent
+     * (0 = lowest latency / 1 = smoothness; buffer 0 = automatic, else 1..3 frames) — the Apple
+     * client's `present_priority`/`smooth_buffer` pair. No-op if already started.
     */
    external fun nativeStartVideo(
        handle: Long,
@@ -217,6 +229,11 @@ object NativeBridge {
        lowLatencyMode: Boolean,
        lowLatencyFeature: Boolean,
        isTv: Boolean,
+        presentPriority: Int,
+        smoothBuffer: Int,
+        /** The display mode's own refresh rate (0 = unknown) — the latch grid the presenter
+         *  subdivides onto when the platform down-rates the app's choreographer stream. */
+        panelFps: Int,
    )

    /** Stop + join the decode thread without closing the session. No-op on `0`. */
@@ -231,11 +248,12 @@ object NativeBridge {

    /**
     * Drain ~1 s of live decode stats for the on-stream HUD, or `null` when no decode thread runs.
-     * Returns 26 doubles (unified stats spec, `design/stats-unification.md`):
+     * Returns 33 doubles (unified stats spec, `design/stats-unification.md`):
     * `[fps, mbps, e2eP50Ms, e2eP95Ms, latValid, skewCorrected, width, height, refreshHz, framesLost,
     * bitDepth, colorPrimaries, colorTransfer, chromaFormatIdc, hostNetP50Ms, decodeP50Ms, hostP50Ms,
     * netP50Ms, lostWindow, skippedWindow, fecWindow, framesWindow, dispValid, displayP50Ms,
-     * e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms]`
+     * e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms, paceP50Ms, latchP50Ms, presentsWindow, presenterActive,
+     * feedP50Ms, codecP50Ms, skippedOverflowWindow]`
     * (the flags are 1.0/0.0; indexes 2/3 are the end-to-end capture→decoded headline; 10–13
     * describe the negotiated video feed — bit depth 8/10, CICP primaries/transfer, and the HEVC
     * chroma_format_idc 1=4:2:0 / 3=4:4:4; 14/15 are the stage p50s tiling the headline —
@@ -246,7 +264,12 @@ object NativeBridge {
     * `display` stage from the OnFrameRendered render timestamps — when `dispValid` is 1.0 the
     * headline becomes the directly-measured capture→displayed pair at 24/25, tiled by
     * `host+network` + `decode` + `display` (23), and when 0.0 the HUD falls back to the
-     * capture→decoded headline at 2/3 without the `display` term).
+     * capture→decoded headline at 2/3 without the `display` term; 26–29 split the `display`
+     * term the timeline presenter owns — `pace` = decoded→release, `latch` = release→displayed,
+     * the window's on-glass confirm count, and whether the presenter is active at all; 30/31
+     * split `decode` (15) the same way — `feed` = received→queued (hand-off + input-slot wait),
+     * `codec` = queued→decoded, the decoder's own time; 32 is the parked-AU overflow subset of
+     * `skipped` (19), i.e. the decoder falling behind rather than benign newest-wins pacing).
     * Poll ~1 Hz; each call resets the measurement window.
     */
    external fun nativeVideoStats(handle: Long): DoubleArray?
@@ -271,15 +294,53 @@ object NativeBridge {
    external fun nativeStopAudio(handle: Long)

    /**
-     * Start mic uplink: AAudio input → Opus (48 kHz stereo, 20 ms) → host (`send_mic` / 0xCB), all in
-     * Rust. No-op if already running. The caller MUST hold RECORD_AUDIO; otherwise the AAudio input
-     * stream fails to open and the rest of the session keeps streaming.
+     * Start mic uplink: AAudio input → Opus (48 kHz mono, 10 ms) → host (`send_mic` / 0xCB), all in
+     * Rust. [echoCancel] opens the capture under the VoiceCommunication preset (the HAL's own echo
+     * canceller / noise suppressor) and allocates an audio session id; the return value is that id
+     * (`> 0`) so the caller can attach the Java [android.media.audiofx.AcousticEchoCanceler] /
+     * [android.media.audiofx.NoiseSuppressor] as a backstop — `0` when none was allocated
+     * (echoCancel off, the device refused the preset and the open fell back to the plain path, or
+     * the mic failed entirely). No-op if already running (returns the running capture's id). The
+     * caller MUST hold RECORD_AUDIO; otherwise the AAudio input stream fails to open and the rest
+     * of the session keeps streaming.
     */
-    external fun nativeStartMic(handle: Long)
+    external fun nativeStartMic(handle: Long, echoCancel: Boolean): Int

-    /** Stop + join the mic thread and close the AAudio input stream. No-op on `0`. */
+    /**
+     * Stop + join the mic thread and close the AAudio input stream. No-op on `0`. Leaves the
+     * session's mute state ([nativeSetMicMuted]) alone — a surface recreate stops and restarts the
+     * mic, and a user who muted must stay muted through it.
+     */
    external fun nativeStopMic(handle: Long)

+    /**
+     * Mute/unmute the mic uplink mid-stream. Muting does NOT stop the capture: the AAudio input
+     * stream, the input preset it settled on and its primed buffers stay as they are, and the
+     * encode loop drops each 10 ms frame instead of encoding + sending it — so room audio is never
+     * encoded and nothing goes on the wire, while a toggle costs an atomic store and takes effect
+     * on the next 10 ms boundary (a stop/start would re-run the preset fallback ladder and re-prime
+     * buffers every time).
+     *
+     * Sticky for the SESSION — the flag lives on the handle, not on the capture — so the mic
+     * restart a surface recreate performs comes back muted, with no window for an unmuted frame to
+     * escape; a fresh session always starts unmuted. Nothing here is persisted. No-op on `0`.
+     * Cheap (one atomic store); UI-safe.
+     *
+     * One honest consequence of keeping the stream open: the platform's own recording indicator
+     * stays lit while muted, because the mic really is still open. What stops is the encode and the
+     * send — no captured audio leaves the process.
+     */
+    external fun nativeSetMicMuted(handle: Long, muted: Boolean)
+
+    /**
+     * Is a mic capture actually RUNNING — i.e. did [nativeStartMic] open a stream, and has
+     * [nativeStopMic] not been called since? Offer the in-stream mute control on THIS rather than
+     * on the user's setting: a device that refused every AAudio input rung (or a missing
+     * RECORD_AUDIO grant) then shows no control instead of a lie about a mic being heard. `false`
+     * on a `0` handle. Cheap; UI-safe.
+     */
+    external fun nativeMicActive(handle: Long): Boolean
+
    // ---- Input: Kotlin captures, Rust forwards to the host (send_input) ----

    /** Relative mouse move; dx/dy are device-pixel deltas (screen +y down). */
@@ -407,6 +468,30 @@ object NativeBridge {
     */
    external fun nativeSendPadHidReport(handle: Long, pad: Int, buf: java.nio.ByteBuffer, len: Int)

+    /**
+     * One touchpad contact from a client-captured controller (the Sony USB capture), forwarded on
+     * the rich-input plane (`RichInput::Touchpad`). [finger] is the contact slot (0/1); [x]/[y]
+     * are normalized 0..65535 in SCREEN convention (+y down — the wire's fixed meaning); active
+     * false lifts the finger. Send on change only — the host holds per-slot state.
+     */
+    external fun nativeSendPadTouch(handle: Long, pad: Int, finger: Int, active: Boolean, x: Int, y: Int)
+
+    /**
+     * One motion-sensor sample from a client-captured controller (`RichInput::Motion`): gyro
+     * pitch/yaw/roll + accel, each a raw signed-16 value in the pad's own units — the host passes
+     * them straight into the virtual DualSense report. Called at the pad's report rate.
+     */
+    external fun nativeSendPadMotion(
+        handle: Long,
+        pad: Int,
+        gyroPitch: Int,
+        gyroYaw: Int,
+        gyroRoll: Int,
+        accelX: Int,
+        accelY: Int,
+        accelZ: Int,
+    )
+
    // ---- Host→client gamepad feedback: Rust pulls block ~100ms, Kotlin renders (see GamepadFeedback) ----

    /**
@@ -1,28 +1,13 @@
 package io.unom.punktfunk.kit

-import android.content.BroadcastReceiver
 import android.content.Context
-import android.content.Intent
-import android.content.IntentFilter
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbConstants
 import android.hardware.usb.UsbDevice
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbDeviceConnection
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbEndpoint
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbInterface
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbManager
-import android.hardware.usb.UsbRequest
-import android.os.Build
-import android.util.Log
-import java.nio.ByteBuffer
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentLinkedQueue
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException

 /**
 * USB transport for a Steam Controller 2 — wired (`28DE:1302`) or through the wireless Puck
- * dongle (`1304`/`1305`). Claims the controller interface(s) — detaching the OS input stack, so
- * the pad can't double-drive the ordinary InputDevice path — runs a multiplexed [UsbRequest]
- * read loop, keeps lizard mode off on the firmware watchdog cadence, and replays the host's raw
- * writes (Steam's rumble output reports / settings feature reports) back to the device.
+ * dongle (`1304`/`1305`). The SC2 specialization of the shared [HidUsbLink] transport (which owns
+ * the claim, read loop, write queue, and unplug handling); this class contributes only what is
+ * SC2-specific:
 *
 * **The Puck claims ALL controller interfaces (2..5):** the dongle hosts up to four pads, one
 * HID interface each, and there is no way to know which slot a controller bonded to — claiming
@@ -30,350 +15,50 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeoutException
 * on-glass symptom: the pad surfaced as a generic InputDevice → Xbox360). Whichever interface
 * streams state becomes the write target for rumble/settings.
 *
- * **Unplug is signalled, never inferred from silence:** a quiet controller is not a missing one
- * (round 2's wired disconnect was the 5 s silence heuristic firing on an idle pad). The real
- * signals are [UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED] for this device, or `requestWait`
- * returning sustained hard errors (every transfer fails instantly once the fd is dead).
+ * **Lizard keep-alive:** the firmware watchdog re-enables lizard mode (built-in kb/mouse
+ * emulation) after a few seconds of silence, so [Sc2Device.DISABLE_LIZARD] +
+ * [Sc2Device.NORMALIZE_JOYSTICKS] are re-sent on SDL's cadence — the generic link's keep-alive.
 */
 class Sc2UsbLink(
-    private val context: Context,
-    private val onReport: (report: ByteArray, len: Int) -> Unit,
-    private val onClosed: () -> Unit,
+    context: Context,
+    onReport: (report: ByteArray, len: Int) -> Unit,
+    onClosed: () -> Unit,
 ) {
-    private val usb = context.getSystemService(Context.USB_SERVICE) as UsbManager
-
-    /** One claimed interface: its endpoints + the read state the reader thread owns. */
-    private class Claim(
-        val iface: UsbInterface,
-        val epIn: UsbEndpoint,
-        val epOut: UsbEndpoint?,
-    ) {
-        val inBuf: ByteBuffer = ByteBuffer.allocate(64)
-        var inReq: UsbRequest? = null
-        var outReq: UsbRequest? = null
-        var outBusy = false
-        var reports = 0L
-    }
-
-    private var connection: UsbDeviceConnection? = null
-    private var device: UsbDevice? = null
-    private var claims: List<Claim> = emptyList()
-
-    /** The claim whose IN endpoint last produced data — where rumble/settings writes go.
-     *  Written by the reader thread, read by the feedback thread (feature control transfers). */
-    @Volatile private var activeClaim: Claim? = null
-
-    /** Pending OUT reports (Steam's forwarded haptics), submitted by the reader thread — only
-     *  one thread may drive a connection's [UsbRequest]s ([UsbDeviceConnection.requestWait]
-     *  returns ANY completed request; a second waiter would steal the reader's completions). */
-    private val outQueue = ConcurrentLinkedQueue<ByteArray>()
-
-    private var reader: Thread? = null
-    private var detachReceiver: BroadcastReceiver? = null
-
-    @Volatile private var running = false
+    private val link = HidUsbLink(
+        context,
+        HidUsbLink.Config(
+            tag = "Sc2UsbLink",
+            threadName = "pf-sc2-usb",
+            deviceMatch = {
+                it.vendorId == Sc2Device.VID_VALVE && it.productId in Sc2Device.USB_PIDS
+            },
+            // Wired: every HID/vendor interface; dongle: only the controller slots 2..5.
+            ifaceFilter = { dev, iface ->
+                dev.productId == Sc2Device.PID_WIRED || iface.id in Sc2Device.DONGLE_IFACES
+            },
+            keepAliveFeatures = listOf(Sc2Device.DISABLE_LIZARD, Sc2Device.NORMALIZE_JOYSTICKS),
+            keepAliveMs = Sc2Device.LIZARD_REFRESH_MS,
+        ),
+        onReport,
+        onClosed,
+    )

    /** First attached SC2 (wired or Puck), or null. Does not need USB permission to enumerate. */
-    fun findDevice(): UsbDevice? = usb.deviceList.values.firstOrNull {
-        it.vendorId == Sc2Device.VID_VALVE && it.productId in Sc2Device.USB_PIDS
-    }
+    fun findDevice(): UsbDevice? = link.findDevice()

    /**
     * Claim [dev]'s controller interface(s) and start the read loop. The caller has already
     * obtained USB permission. Returns false when nothing could be claimed.
     */
-    fun start(dev: UsbDevice): Boolean {
-        if (!usb.hasPermission(dev)) {
-            Log.e(TAG, "no USB permission for ${dev.deviceName}")
-            return false
-        }
-        val conn = usb.openDevice(dev) ?: run {
-            Log.e(TAG, "openDevice failed for ${dev.deviceName}")
-            return false
-        }
-        val claimed = claimControllerInterfaces(dev, conn)
-        if (claimed.isEmpty()) {
-            Log.e(TAG, "no claimable SC2 interface on ${dev.deviceName} (PID=0x%04x)".format(dev.productId))
-            conn.close()
-            return false
-        }
-        connection = conn
-        device = dev
-        claims = claimed
-        running = true
-        Log.i(
-            TAG,
-            "SC2 USB link up: PID=0x%04x ifaces=%s".format(
-                dev.productId,
-                claimed.joinToString {
-                    "%d(in=0x%02x out=%s)".format(
-                        it.iface.id, it.epIn.address,
-                        it.epOut?.let { e -> "0x%02x".format(e.address) } ?: "-",
-                    )
-                },
-            ),
-        )
-        // The REAL unplug signal — silence never is (an idle pad may simply stop streaming).
-        val receiver = object : BroadcastReceiver() {
-            override fun onReceive(c: Context?, intent: Intent?) {
-                if (intent?.action != UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED) return
-                val gone: UsbDevice? = intent.getParcelableExtra(UsbManager.EXTRA_DEVICE)
-                if (gone?.deviceName == dev.deviceName) {
-                    Log.i(TAG, "SC2 USB detached (${dev.deviceName})")
-                    if (running) {
-                        running = false
-                        onClosed()
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-        detachReceiver = receiver
-        val filter = IntentFilter(UsbManager.ACTION_USB_DEVICE_DETACHED)
-        if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= 33) {
-            context.registerReceiver(receiver, filter, Context.RECEIVER_NOT_EXPORTED)
-        } else {
-            @Suppress("UnspecifiedRegisterReceiverFlag")
-            context.registerReceiver(receiver, filter)
-        }
-        claimed.forEach { configureInputMode(conn, it.iface.id) }
-        reader = Thread({ readLoop(conn, claimed) }, "pf-sc2-usb").apply {
-            isDaemon = true
-            start()
-        }
-        return true
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Claim every candidate controller interface: the wired pad's single HID interface, or ALL
-     * of a Puck's controller slots (interfaces 2..5 — the controller may be bonded to any of
-     * them). `force = true` detaches the kernel/OS driver, so the pad also vanishes from
-     * Android's own input stack while captured.
-     */
-    private fun claimControllerInterfaces(dev: UsbDevice, conn: UsbDeviceConnection): List<Claim> {
-        val dongle = dev.productId != Sc2Device.PID_WIRED
-        val out = mutableListOf<Claim>()
-        for (i in 0 until dev.interfaceCount) {
-            val iface = dev.getInterface(i)
-            if (dongle && iface.id !in Sc2Device.DONGLE_IFACES) continue
-            val hidOrVendor = iface.interfaceClass == UsbConstants.USB_CLASS_HID ||
-                iface.interfaceClass == 0xFF
-            if (!hidOrVendor) continue
-            var inEp: UsbEndpoint? = null
-            var outEp: UsbEndpoint? = null
-            for (e in 0 until iface.endpointCount) {
-                val ep = iface.getEndpoint(e)
-                val usable = ep.type == UsbConstants.USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_INT ||
-                    ep.type == UsbConstants.USB_ENDPOINT_XFER_BULK
-                if (!usable) continue
-                if (ep.direction == UsbConstants.USB_DIR_IN && inEp == null) inEp = ep
-                if (ep.direction == UsbConstants.USB_DIR_OUT && outEp == null) outEp = ep
-            }
-            if (inEp == null) continue
-            if (conn.claimInterface(iface, true)) {
-                out.add(Claim(iface, inEp, outEp))
-            } else {
-                Log.w(TAG, "could not claim iface ${iface.id}")
-            }
-        }
-        return out
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * The multiplexed read loop: one IN request queued per claimed interface at all times, OUT
-     * writes submitted from [outQueue], completions routed via [UsbRequest.getClientData].
-     */
-    private fun readLoop(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, claims: List<Claim>) {
-        val live = claims.filter { c ->
-            val req = UsbRequest()
-            if (!req.initialize(conn, c.epIn)) {
-                Log.w(TAG, "UsbRequest.initialize(IN, iface ${c.iface.id}) failed")
-                return@filter false
-            }
-            req.clientData = c
-            c.inReq = req
-            c.epOut?.let { ep ->
-                val o = UsbRequest()
-                if (o.initialize(conn, ep)) {
-                    o.clientData = c
-                    c.outReq = o
-                } else {
-                    Log.w(TAG, "UsbRequest.initialize(OUT, iface ${c.iface.id}) failed — output reports via EP0")
-                }
-            }
-            c.inBuf.clear()
-            req.queue(c.inBuf)
-        }
-        if (live.isEmpty()) {
-            Log.e(TAG, "no IN request could be queued")
-            finishReader(claims)
-            return
-        }
-        val scratch = ByteArray(64)
-        var lastLizard = android.os.SystemClock.elapsedRealtime()
-        var errorsSince = 0L // elapsedRealtime of the first hard error in the current streak
-        try {
-            while (running) {
-                val now = android.os.SystemClock.elapsedRealtime()
-                if (now - lastLizard >= Sc2Device.LIZARD_REFRESH_MS) {
-                    // Refresh both required firmware modes. The raw-joystick setting is normally
-                    // persistent, but replaying it also repairs a host/driver that enabled ADC
-                    // coordinates after capture started.
-                    val target = activeClaim
-                    if (target != null) configureInputMode(conn, target.iface.id)
-                    else live.forEach { configureInputMode(conn, it.iface.id) }
-                    lastLizard = now
-                }
-                // Submit the next pending OUT report on the active (else first) interface.
-                val outTarget = (activeClaim ?: live.first()).takeIf { it.outReq != null && !it.outBusy }
-                if (outTarget != null) {
-                    outQueue.poll()?.let { data ->
-                        if (outTarget.outReq!!.queue(ByteBuffer.wrap(data))) outTarget.outBusy = true
-                    }
-                }
-                val done = try {
-                    conn.requestWait(READ_TIMEOUT_MS)
-                } catch (_: TimeoutException) {
-                    // A quiet controller is NOT an unplug — keep listening indefinitely; the
-                    // detach broadcast is the real signal.
-                    errorsSince = 0L
-                    continue
-                }
-                if (done == null) {
-                    // Hard error. On a real unplug these storm continuously (the detach
-                    // broadcast usually beats us to it); tolerate transient ones.
-                    if (errorsSince == 0L) errorsSince = now
-                    if (now - errorsSince >= ERROR_UNPLUG_MS) {
-                        Log.i(TAG, "SC2 USB request errors persisting ${now - errorsSince} ms — treating as unplug")
-                        break
-                    }
-                    continue
-                }
-                errorsSince = 0L
-                val claim = done.clientData as? Claim ?: continue
-                if (done === claim.inReq) {
-                    val n = claim.inBuf.position()
-                    if (n > 0) {
-                        claim.inBuf.flip()
-                        claim.inBuf.get(scratch, 0, n)
-                        if (claim.reports++ == 0L) {
-                            Log.i(
-                                TAG,
-                                "SC2 first report on iface %d: id=0x%02x len=%d".format(
-                                    claim.iface.id, scratch[0].toInt() and 0xFF, n,
-                                ),
-                            )
-                        }
-                        activeClaim = claim
-                        onReport(scratch, n)
-                    }
-                    claim.inBuf.clear()
-                    if (!claim.inReq!!.queue(claim.inBuf)) {
-                        Log.i(TAG, "re-queue(IN, iface ${claim.iface.id}) failed — treating as unplug")
-                        break
-                    }
-                } else if (done === claim.outReq) {
-                    claim.outBusy = false
-                }
-            }
-        } finally {
-            finishReader(claims)
-        }
-        if (running) {
-            running = false
-            onClosed()
-        }
-    }
-
-    private fun finishReader(claims: List<Claim>) {
-        for (c in claims) {
-            runCatching { c.inReq?.cancel(); c.inReq?.close() }
-            runCatching { c.outReq?.cancel(); c.outReq?.close() }
-            c.inReq = null
-            c.outReq = null
-        }
-    }
+    fun start(dev: UsbDevice): Boolean = link.start(dev)

    /**
     * Replay one raw report from the host on the device: kind 0 = output report (Steam's `0x80`
-     * rumble & friends — the active interface's interrupt-OUT, else a `SET_REPORT(Output)`
-     * control transfer), kind 1 = feature report (`SET_REPORT(Feature)`). [data] is the full
-     * report, id byte first, exactly as hidapi framed it host-side.
+     * rumble & friends), kind 1 = feature report. [data] is the full report, id byte first,
+     * exactly as hidapi framed it host-side.
     */
-    fun writeRaw(kind: Int, data: ByteArray) {
-        if (data.isEmpty()) return
-        when (kind) {
-            0 -> {
-                if ((activeClaim ?: claims.firstOrNull())?.outReq != null) {
-                    // Interrupt-OUT rides UsbRequests submitted by the reader thread. Bounded,
-                    // newest-wins: these are level-styled commands the host re-sends anyway.
-                    while (outQueue.size >= 32) outQueue.poll()
-                    outQueue.offer(data)
-                } else {
-                    setReport(REPORT_TYPE_OUTPUT, data)
-                }
-            }
-            1 -> setReport(REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE, data)
-        }
-    }
+    fun writeRaw(kind: Int, data: ByteArray) = link.writeRaw(kind, data)

-    private fun setReport(type: Int, data: ByteArray) {
-        val conn = connection ?: return
-        val ifId = (activeClaim ?: claims.firstOrNull())?.iface?.id ?: return
-        sendReport(conn, ifId, type, data)
-    }
-
-    private fun configureInputMode(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, ifaceId: Int) {
-        sendFeature(conn, ifaceId, Sc2Device.DISABLE_LIZARD)
-        sendFeature(conn, ifaceId, Sc2Device.NORMALIZE_JOYSTICKS)
-    }
-
-    private fun sendFeature(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, ifaceId: Int, data: ByteArray) {
-        sendReport(conn, ifaceId, REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE, data)
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * HID `SET_REPORT` control transfer with hidapi's report-id framing: a non-zero leading byte
-     * is the report id (sent in wValue AND kept in the payload); a zero leading byte means
-     * "unnumbered" (id 0 in wValue, id byte stripped from the payload). EP0 is independent of
-     * the interrupt endpoints, so this is safe alongside the reader thread's requestWait.
-     */
-    private fun sendReport(conn: UsbDeviceConnection, ifaceId: Int, type: Int, data: ByteArray) {
-        val id = data[0].toInt() and 0xFF
-        val payload = if (id == 0) data.copyOfRange(1, data.size) else data
-        conn.controlTransfer(
-            0x21, // host→device, class, interface
-            0x09, // SET_REPORT
-            (type shl 8) or id,
-            ifaceId,
-            payload,
-            payload.size,
-            WRITE_TIMEOUT_MS,
-        )
-    }
-
-    /** Stop the read loop and release the interfaces. Idempotent; does not fire [onClosed]. */
-    fun stop() {
-        running = false
-        detachReceiver?.let { runCatching { context.unregisterReceiver(it) } }
-        detachReceiver = null
-        runCatching { reader?.join(1000) }
-        reader = null
-        outQueue.clear()
-        activeClaim = null
-        for (c in claims) runCatching { connection?.releaseInterface(c.iface) }
-        claims = emptyList()
-        runCatching { connection?.close() }
-        connection = null
-        device = null
-    }
-
-    private companion object {
-        const val TAG = "Sc2UsbLink"
-        const val READ_TIMEOUT_MS = 100L
-        const val WRITE_TIMEOUT_MS = 250
-        /** Hard `requestWait` ERRORS (not timeouts) persisting this long = the fd is dead. */
-        const val ERROR_UNPLUG_MS = 2000L
-        const val REPORT_TYPE_OUTPUT = 0x02
-        const val REPORT_TYPE_FEATURE = 0x03
-    }
+    /** Stop the read loop and release the interfaces. Idempotent; does not fire the closed callback. */
+    fun stop() = link.stop()
 }
@@ -53,6 +53,81 @@ object VideoDecoders {
    fun decodableCodecBits(): Int =
        1 or 2 or (if (pickDecoder("video/av01") != null) 4 else 0)

+    /**
+     * Whether EVERY decoder this device would use tolerates multi-slice access units — the
+     * `VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_SLICE` advertisement (decoder truth, per the 0.17.0 field regression:
+     * Amlogic HEVC decoders wedge the whole DEVICE on multi-slice frames — Chromecast with
+     * Google TV, onn 4K — which is why Moonlight requests single-slice for every hardware
+     * decoder). We advertise per-family instead: tolerant unless the pick for ANY advertised
+     * codec is an Amlogic decoder or can't be inspected (a null pick = the platform default —
+     * uninspectable, so conservatively single-slice). Probed once at connect time; the host
+     * defaults to >1 slice only toward clients that set the bit.
+     */
+    fun multiSliceTolerant(): Boolean {
+        val mimes = buildList {
+            add("video/avc")
+            add("video/hevc")
+            if (decodableCodecBits() and 4 != 0) add("video/av01")
+        }
+        return mimes.all { mime ->
+            val name = pickDecoder(mime)?.name?.lowercase() ?: return@all false
+            !name.startsWith("omx.amlogic") && !name.startsWith("c2.amlogic")
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * True when EVERY decoder this device would stream with supports partial-frame input
+     * (MediaCodec `FEATURE_PartialFrame`): the client may then opt into slice-progressive
+     * delivery and feed slices with `BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME` ahead of the AU's tail.
+     * Codec selection happens after connect, so all advertised mimes must qualify — the same
+     * conservative shape as [multiSliceTolerant] (an unprobeable pick disqualifies).
+     */
+    fun partialFrameCapable(): Boolean {
+        val mimes = buildList {
+            add("video/avc")
+            add("video/hevc")
+            if (decodableCodecBits() and 4 != 0) add("video/av01")
+        }
+        val infos = runCatching { MediaCodecList(MediaCodecList.REGULAR_CODECS).codecInfos }
+            .getOrNull() ?: return false
+        return mimes.all { mime ->
+            val pick = pickDecoder(mime)?.name ?: return@all false
+            val info = infos.firstOrNull { it.name == pick } ?: return@all false
+            runCatching {
+                info.getCapabilitiesForType(mime)
+                    .isFeatureSupported(CodecCapabilities.FEATURE_PartialFrame)
+            }.getOrDefault(false)
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * One-line per-mime probe readout for the connect log (`adb logcat -s pf.caps`): which
+     * decoder each advertised mime resolves to and whether it declares `FEATURE_PartialFrame` —
+     * the P2 slice-pipeline gate that is otherwise invisible until a stream behaves differently.
+     */
+    fun capsReport(): String {
+        val mimes = buildList {
+            add("video/avc")
+            add("video/hevc")
+            if (decodableCodecBits() and 4 != 0) add("video/av01")
+        }
+        val infos = runCatching { MediaCodecList(MediaCodecList.REGULAR_CODECS).codecInfos }
+            .getOrNull() ?: return "codec list unavailable"
+        return mimes.joinToString("  ") { mime ->
+            val pick = pickDecoder(mime)?.name
+            val partial = pick?.let { p ->
+                infos.firstOrNull { it.name == p }?.let { info ->
+                    runCatching {
+                        info.getCapabilitiesForType(mime)
+                            .isFeatureSupported(CodecCapabilities.FEATURE_PartialFrame)
+                    }.getOrNull()
+                }
+            }
+            "${mime.removePrefix("video/")}=${pick ?: "platform-default"}" +
+                " partialFrame=${partial ?: "?"}"
+        }
+    }
+
    fun pickDecoder(mime: String): DecoderChoice? {
        if (mime.isEmpty()) return null
        val infos = runCatching { MediaCodecList(MediaCodecList.REGULAR_CODECS).codecInfos }
@@ -0,0 +1,224 @@
+package io.unom.punktfunk.kit
+
+import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertFalse
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
+import org.junit.Test
+
+/**
+ * Pure JVM tests of the Sony USB report codec ([DsDevice]) — the byte-exact inverse of the
+ * host's `dualsense_proto.rs` / `dualshock4_proto.rs` serializers (offsets cross-checked against
+ * those files' own tests). No Android runtime types ([Gamepad]'s BTN_* are compile-time ints).
+ * Run: `./gradlew :kit:testDebugUnitTest`.
+ */
+class DsDeviceTest {
+    private fun ds5Report(mutate: (ByteArray) -> Unit = {}): ByteArray =
+        ByteArray(64).also {
+            it[0] = 0x01
+            // Sticks centred, hat neutral (8).
+            it[1] = 0x80.toByte(); it[2] = 0x80.toByte(); it[3] = 0x80.toByte(); it[4] = 0x80.toByte()
+            it[8] = 0x08
+            // Touch points inactive (bit7 set).
+            it[33] = 0x80.toByte(); it[37] = 0x80.toByte()
+            mutate(it)
+        }
+
+    private fun ds4Report(mutate: (ByteArray) -> Unit = {}): ByteArray =
+        ByteArray(64).also {
+            it[0] = 0x01
+            it[1] = 0x80.toByte(); it[2] = 0x80.toByte(); it[3] = 0x80.toByte(); it[4] = 0x80.toByte()
+            it[5] = 0x08
+            it[35] = 0x80.toByte(); it[39] = 0x80.toByte()
+            mutate(it)
+        }
+
+    // ---- input parse ----
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5ButtonsMapPositionally() {
+        val s = DsDevice.State()
+        // cross+triangle, hat NE, L1+create+L3, PS+touchpad+mute.
+        val r = ds5Report {
+            it[8] = (0x20 or 0x80 or 0x01).toByte() // cross | triangle | hat=1 (NE)
+            it[9] = (0x01 or 0x10 or 0x40).toByte() // L1 | create | L3
+            it[10] = (0x01 or 0x02 or 0x04).toByte() // PS | touchpad | mute
+        }
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, r, 64, s))
+        val expected = Gamepad.BTN_A or Gamepad.BTN_Y or
+            Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_UP or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_RIGHT or
+            Gamepad.BTN_LB or Gamepad.BTN_BACK or Gamepad.BTN_LS_CLICK or
+            Gamepad.BTN_GUIDE or Gamepad.BTN_TOUCHPAD or Gamepad.BTN_MISC1
+        assertEquals(expected, s.buttons)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5SticksInvertYAndCoverTheFullRange() {
+        val s = DsDevice.State()
+        // Device +y down; wire +y up. Left stick fully up-left, right stick fully down-right.
+        val r = ds5Report {
+            it[1] = 0x00; it[2] = 0x00 // lx min, ly min (up)
+            it[3] = 0xFF.toByte(); it[4] = 0xFF.toByte() // rx max, ry max (down)
+            it[5] = 0x40; it[6] = 0xFF.toByte()
+        }
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, r, 64, s))
+        assertEquals(-32768, s.lsX)
+        assertEquals(32767, s.lsY) // device up → wire +32767
+        assertEquals(32767, s.rsX)
+        assertEquals(-32768, s.rsY) // device down → wire −32768
+        assertEquals(0x40, s.lt)
+        assertEquals(0xFF, s.rt)
+        // Centre stays (near) centre: 0x80 → 128 wire units of bias, the u8 grid's own offset.
+        val c = DsDevice.State()
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, ds5Report(), 64, c))
+        assertEquals(128, c.lsX)
+        assertEquals(-129, c.lsY)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5MotionAndTouchUnpack() {
+        val s = DsDevice.State()
+        val r = ds5Report {
+            // gyro pitch = 0x0102, accel z = -2 (LE i16s at 16.. / 22..).
+            it[16] = 0x02; it[17] = 0x01
+            it[26] = 0xFE.toByte(); it[27] = 0xFF.toByte()
+            // Touch 0 active, id 5, x=1919 (0x77F), y=1079 (0x437):
+            // b0=0x05, b1=0x7F, b2=(x>>8)|((y&0xF)<<4)=0x77, y>>4=0x43.
+            it[33] = 0x05
+            it[34] = 0x7F
+            it[35] = (0x07 or (0x07 shl 4)).toByte()
+            it[36] = 0x43
+        }
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, r, 64, s))
+        assertEquals(0x0102, s.gyro[0])
+        assertEquals(-2, s.accel[2])
+        assertTrue(s.touchActive[0])
+        assertEquals(1919, s.touchX[0])
+        assertEquals(1079, s.touchY[0])
+        assertFalse(s.touchActive[1])
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun edgePaddlesParseOnlyOnTheEdge() {
+        val r = ds5Report { it[10] = 0xF0.toByte() } // all four FN/BACK bits
+        val edge = DsDevice.State()
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE, r, 64, edge))
+        // Host inverse (`edge_paddle_bits`): PADDLE1/2 = right/left BACK, PADDLE3/4 = right/left Fn.
+        assertEquals(
+            Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE1 or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE2 or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE3 or Gamepad.BTN_PADDLE4,
+            edge.buttons,
+        )
+        val plain = DsDevice.State()
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, r, 64, plain))
+        assertEquals(0, plain.buttons) // a non-Edge never reports phantom paddles
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds4LayoutDiffersWhereItShould() {
+        val s = DsDevice.State()
+        val r = ds4Report {
+            it[5] = (0x10 or 0x04).toByte() // square | hat=4 (down)
+            it[6] = (0x10 or 0x20).toByte() // share | options
+            it[7] = 0x03 // PS | touchpad click
+            it[8] = 0x11 // L2 analog
+            it[9] = 0x99.toByte() // R2 analog
+            // gyro yaw at 15.. (second i16 of 13..19).
+            it[15] = 0x34; it[16] = 0x12
+            // Touch 0 active id 3 at x=100 (0x064), y=941 (0x3AD): b1=0x64, b2=0xD0, b3=0x3A.
+            it[35] = 0x03
+            it[36] = 0x64
+            it[37] = 0xD0.toByte()
+            it[38] = 0x3A
+        }
+        assertTrue(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4, r, 64, s))
+        assertEquals(
+            Gamepad.BTN_X or Gamepad.BTN_DPAD_DOWN or Gamepad.BTN_BACK or Gamepad.BTN_START or
+                Gamepad.BTN_GUIDE or Gamepad.BTN_TOUCHPAD,
+            s.buttons,
+        )
+        assertEquals(0x11, s.lt)
+        assertEquals(0x99, s.rt)
+        assertEquals(0x1234, s.gyro[1])
+        assertTrue(s.touchActive[0])
+        assertEquals(100, s.touchX[0])
+        assertEquals(941, s.touchY[0])
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun rejectsForeignAndShortReports() {
+        val s = DsDevice.State()
+        assertFalse(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, ds5Report { it[0] = 0x31 }, 64, s))
+        assertFalse(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, ds5Report(), 8, s))
+        assertFalse(DsDevice.parseState(DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4, ds4Report(), 8, s))
+    }
+
+    // ---- output builders (offsets = the host parser's: `parse_ds_output` / `parse_ds4_output`) ----
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5RumbleReportFlagsAndMotors() {
+        val r = DsDevice.ds5RumbleReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, low = 0xFF00, high = 0x1200)
+        assertEquals(48, r.size)
+        assertEquals(0x02, r[0].toInt())
+        assertEquals(0x03, r[1].toInt()) // compat vibration | haptics select
+        assertEquals(0x04, r[39].toInt()) // VIBRATION2 (fw ≥ 2.24)
+        assertEquals(0x12, r[3].toInt() and 0xFF) // high = right/small at [3]
+        assertEquals(0xFF, r[4].toInt() and 0xFF) // low = left/big at [4]
+        // A nonzero amplitude never collapses to motor 0.
+        assertEquals(1, DsDevice.ds5RumbleReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, 0x00FF, 0)[4].toInt())
+        // The Edge's output report is the 64-byte variant.
+        assertEquals(64, DsDevice.ds5RumbleReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE, 0, 0).size)
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5TriggerReportPlacesTheBlockPerSide() {
+        val effect = ByteArray(11) { (it + 1).toByte() }
+        val r2 = DsDevice.ds5TriggerReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, which = 1, effect = effect)
+        assertEquals(0x04, r2[1].toInt()) // R2 valid flag
+        assertEquals(1, r2[11].toInt()) // block at [11..22)
+        assertEquals(11, r2[21].toInt())
+        assertEquals(0, r2[22].toInt())
+        val l2 = DsDevice.ds5TriggerReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, which = 0, effect = effect)
+        assertEquals(0x08, l2[1].toInt()) // L2 valid flag
+        assertEquals(1, l2[22].toInt()) // block at [22..33)
+        assertEquals(11, l2[32].toInt())
+        // Oversized wire effects clamp to the 11-byte hardware block.
+        val big = DsDevice.ds5TriggerReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, 1, ByteArray(20) { 0x7F })
+        assertEquals(0, big[22].toInt())
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds5LightbarPlayerLedsAndInit() {
+        val led = DsDevice.ds5LightbarReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, 1, 2, 3)
+        assertEquals(0x04, led[2].toInt()) // lightbar valid flag
+        assertEquals(1, led[45].toInt()); assertEquals(2, led[46].toInt()); assertEquals(3, led[47].toInt())
+        val pl = DsDevice.ds5PlayerLedsReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, 0xFF)
+        assertEquals(0x10, pl[2].toInt()) // player-LED valid flag
+        assertEquals(0x1F, pl[44].toInt()) // masked to the 5 LEDs
+        val init = DsDevice.ds5InitReport(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE)
+        assertEquals(0x02, init[39].toInt()) // lightbar-setup enable
+        assertEquals(0x02, init[42].toInt()) // LIGHT_OUT — releases the firmware animation
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun ds4ReportIsAFullStateWrite() {
+        val r = DsDevice.ds4Report(low = 0xAB00, high = 0x0100, r = 9, g = 8, b = 7)
+        assertEquals(32, r.size)
+        assertEquals(0x05, r[0].toInt())
+        assertEquals(0x03, r[1].toInt()) // motors | LED, both — composed state
+        assertEquals(0x01, r[4].toInt()) // high = weak/right at [4]
+        assertEquals(0xAB, r[5].toInt() and 0xFF) // low = strong/left at [5]
+        assertEquals(9, r[6].toInt()); assertEquals(8, r[7].toInt()); assertEquals(7, r[8].toInt())
+        assertEquals(0, r[9].toInt()) // blink untouched
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun modelResolution() {
+        assertEquals(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE, DsDevice.modelFor(0x0CE6))
+        assertEquals(DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE, DsDevice.modelFor(0x0DF2))
+        assertEquals(DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4, DsDevice.modelFor(0x05C4))
+        assertEquals(DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4, DsDevice.modelFor(0x09CC))
+        assertEquals(null, DsDevice.modelFor(0x1234))
+        assertEquals(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSENSE, DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE.pref)
+        assertEquals(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSENSEEDGE, DsDevice.Model.DUALSENSE_EDGE.pref)
+        assertEquals(Gamepad.PREF_DUALSHOCK4, DsDevice.Model.DUALSHOCK4.pref)
+    }
+}
@@ -16,11 +16,13 @@ use std::time::{Duration, Instant};
 use super::display::{
    apply_hdr_dataspace, install_render_callback, release_render_callback, DisplayTracker,
 };
-use super::latency::{note_decoded_pts, now_realtime_ns, take_flags};
+use super::latency::{note_decoded_pts, now_realtime_ns, take_flags, take_stamp};
+use super::presenter::{presenter_disabled_by_sysprop, PresentMeter, PresentPriority, Presenter};
 use super::setup::{
    android_hdr_static_info, boost_hot_threads, boost_thread_priority, codec_mime,
    configure_low_latency, create_codec, try_set_frame_rate,
 };
+use super::vsync::{now_monotonic_ns, VsyncClock};
 use super::{
    DecodeOptions, FRAME_PARK_CAP, IN_FLIGHT_CAP, NO_OUTPUT_PATIENCE, NO_VIDEO_PATIENCE,
    NO_VIDEO_RETRY, PENDING_SPLIT_CAP,
@@ -55,6 +57,8 @@ enum DecodeEvent {
    },
    /// The output format changed — re-check the stream's colour signalling (HDR DataSpace).
    FormatChanged,
+    /// A panel vsync (from the [`VsyncClock`] thread) — the presenter's retry/pacing tick.
+    Vsync,
    /// The codec reported an error; `fatal` when neither recoverable nor transient.
    Error { fatal: bool },
 }
@@ -78,6 +82,9 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
        ll_feature,
        low_latency_mode,
        is_tv,
+        present_priority,
+        smooth_buffer,
+        panel_hz,
    } = opts;
    boost_thread_priority();
    let mode = client.mode();
@@ -196,9 +203,33 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
    // parked in the tracker at release; the OnFrameRendered callback pairs it with
    // SurfaceFlinger's render timestamp. `render_cb` is the callback's leaked Arc refcount,
    // reclaimed after the codec is dropped below.
-    let tracker = DisplayTracker::new(stats.clone(), clock_offset.clone());
+    let meter = Arc::new(PresentMeter::new());
+    let tracker = DisplayTracker::new(stats.clone(), clock_offset.clone(), meter.clone());
    let render_cb = install_render_callback(&codec, &tracker);

+    // The timeline presenter (see `presenter.rs`): newest-wins / smoothing store, one-in-flight
+    // glass budget, timeline-timed release. `debug.punktfunk.presenter = arrival` selects the
+    // legacy release-immediately path for a rebuild-free on-device A/B.
+    let mut presenter = if presenter_disabled_by_sysprop() {
+        log::info!("decode: presenter = arrival (sysprop) — legacy immediate release");
+        None
+    } else {
+        let priority = PresentPriority::resolve(present_priority, smooth_buffer);
+        log::info!(
+            "decode: presenter = timeline ({})",
+            match priority {
+                PresentPriority::Latency => "lowest latency".to_string(),
+                PresentPriority::Smooth { buffer } => format!("smoothness, buffer {buffer}"),
+            }
+        );
+        Some(Presenter::new(priority))
+    };
+    stats.set_presenter_active(presenter.is_some());
+    // The vsync clock, started LAZILY on the first decoded frame (see `vsync.rs`); its ticks ride
+    // the same event channel. The Sender parks here until that moment.
+    let mut vsync: Option<VsyncClock> = None;
+    let mut vsync_tx = presenter.is_some().then(|| ev_tx.clone());
+
    // Feeder thread: block on the network so this loop doesn't (an AU's arrival becomes an event that
    // wakes us immediately, with no input-side poll latency). It also records the `received` HUD stat.
    let feeder = {
@@ -238,6 +269,8 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(

    let mut free_inputs: VecDeque<usize> = VecDeque::new();
    let mut pending_aus: VecDeque<Frame> = VecDeque::new();
+    // Phase-lock v3: per-AU arrival stamps for the circular arrival-lead report (drained 1 Hz).
+    let mut arrival_stamps: Vec<i128> = Vec::new();
    let mut ready: Vec<OutputReady> = Vec::new();
    let mut applied_ds: Option<DataSpace> = None;
    let mut fed: u64 = 0;
@@ -245,6 +278,12 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
    let mut discarded: u64 = 0;
    // AUs larger than the codec input buffer, dropped whole (see `feed`/`feed_ready`).
    let mut oversized_dropped: u64 = 0;
+    // Slice-progressive continuity ledger (see `PartFeed`).
+    let mut part_open: Option<PartFeed> = None;
+    // Queued-instant stamps (pts → realtime ns at the AU's LAST piece entering the codec) — the
+    // P3 decode-split ledger: `feed` = received→queued, `codec` = queued→decoded. Always on
+    // (one vDSO clock read per AU); consumed by `present_ready`.
+    let mut queued_stamps: VecDeque<(u64, i128)> = VecDeque::new();
    // Freeze-until-reanchor gate (see the sync loop for the rationale). Armed on a frame-index gap
    // (the feeder's Au verdict), a parked-AU overflow drop, a dropped-count climb, or a recoverable
    // codec error; `recovery_flags` carries each AU's user_flags from `dispatch_event` (feed) to
@@ -277,6 +316,7 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
        };
        let work_t0 = Instant::now();
        let mut fmt_dirty = false;
+        let mut vsync_tick = false;
        let mut aus_dropped: u64 = 0;
        if let Some(ev) = ev0 {
            aus_dropped += u64::from(dispatch_event(
@@ -285,9 +325,11 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
                &mut free_inputs,
                &mut ready,
                &mut fmt_dirty,
+                &mut vsync_tick,
                &mut fatal,
                &mut gate,
                &mut recovery_flags,
+                &mut arrival_stamps,
            ));
        }
        // Coalesce every other event already queued into this one work pass — correct newest-only
@@ -299,12 +341,19 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
                &mut free_inputs,
                &mut ready,
                &mut fmt_dirty,
+                &mut vsync_tick,
                &mut fatal,
                &mut gate,
                &mut recovery_flags,
+                &mut arrival_stamps,
            ));
        }
-        stats.note_skipped(aus_dropped); // parked-AU overflow drops are client-side skips too
+        if vsync_tick {
+            if let Some(p) = presenter.as_mut() {
+                p.on_vsync();
+            }
+        }
+        stats.note_skipped_overflow(aus_dropped); // parked-AU overflow: skips, flagged as such
        if fmt_dirty {
            apply_hdr_dataspace(&codec, &window, &mut applied_ds);
        }
@@ -315,8 +364,12 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
            &mut free_inputs,
            &mut fed,
            &mut oversized_dropped,
+            &mut part_open,
+            &mut queued_stamps,
+            &mut gate,
        );
        let had_output = !ready.is_empty();
+        let rendered_before = rendered;
        present_ready(
            &codec,
            &client,
@@ -324,16 +377,92 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
            &mut ready,
            &stats,
            &in_flight,
+            &mut queued_stamps,
+            &meter,
            clock_offset.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
            &tracker,
+            &mut presenter,
            &mut rendered,
            &mut discarded,
            &mut gate,
            &mut recovery_flags,
        );
+        // The presenter's decision point runs EVERY pass — frame arrivals, vsync ticks and the
+        // 5 ms housekeeping wake all land here, which is what reopens the glass budget on time
+        // even when the choreographer clock is absent.
+        if let Some(p) = presenter.as_mut() {
+            let clock = vsync.as_ref().map(|v| v.shared().as_ref());
+            if p.pump(&codec, clock, &tracker, &stats, now_monotonic_ns()) {
+                rendered += 1;
+            }
+            // The 1 Hz window flush doubles as the phase-lock report tick. v3 sensor: the
+            // CIRCULAR mean + coherence of the ARRIVAL lead — each AU's reassembly stamp
+            // against the panel's latch grid — because arrival is the phase the host actually
+            // controls; the v2 latch statistic measured downstream of the decoder pipeline,
+            // which absorbed the actuation (on-glass 2026-07-31). Timestamps convert
+            // monotonic→realtime→host — the skew offset lives client-side.
+            if let (Some(_), Some(c)) = (p.flush_log(&meter, clock), clock) {
+                let period = c.panel_period_ns().max(c.period_ns());
+                if period > 0 {
+                    if let Some(t) = c.next_target(now_monotonic_ns(), 0) {
+                        let mono_now = now_monotonic_ns();
+                        let real_now = now_realtime_ns();
+                        let leads_us: Vec<u64> = arrival_stamps
+                            .iter()
+                            .map(|&r_ns| {
+                                let arrival_mono = mono_now as i128 - (real_now - r_ns);
+                                ((t.expected_present_ns as i128 - arrival_mono)
+                                    .rem_euclid(period as i128)
+                                    / 1000) as u64
+                            })
+                            .collect();
+                        arrival_stamps.clear();
+                        if let Some((lead_mean_ns, coherence)) =
+                            punktfunk_core::phase::circular_latch(&leads_us, period)
+                        {
+                            log::info!(
+                                target: "pf.phase",
+                                "arrival lead circ={:.2}ms coh={}",
+                                lead_mean_ns as f64 / 1e6,
+                                coherence
+                            );
+                            let latch_real_ns =
+                                real_now + (t.expected_present_ns - mono_now) as i128;
+                            let latch_host_ns = (latch_real_ns
+                                + clock_offset.load(Ordering::Relaxed) as i128)
+                                .max(0) as u64;
+                            client.report_phase(
+                                latch_host_ns,
+                                period.clamp(0, u32::MAX as i64) as u32,
+                                1_000_000, // skew residual — conservative 1 ms
+                                lead_mean_ns.min(u32::MAX as u64) as u32,
+                                coherence,
+                            );
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        let presented_now = rendered > rendered_before;
+        // Start the vsync clock LAZILY on the first decoded output (eager, it ticks the panel
+        // rate into a session that has no frame yet — the Apple deadline presenter's bootstrap
+        // lesson). A `None` from start (no choreographer surface) simply leaves ASAP targets.
+        if had_output && vsync.is_none() {
+            if let Some(tx) = vsync_tx.take() {
+                vsync = VsyncClock::start(
+                    panel_hz,
+                    Box::new(move || {
+                        let _ = tx.send(DecodeEvent::Vsync);
+                    }),
+                );
+                if vsync.is_none() {
+                    log::info!("decode: no choreographer clock — presenter uses ASAP targets");
+                }
+            }
+        }

        work_accum_ns += work_t0.elapsed().as_nanos() as i64;
-        if had_output {
+        if presented_now {
            if !hint_tried {
                hint_tried = true;
                let tids = client.hot_thread_ids();
@@ -420,6 +549,10 @@ pub(super) fn run_async(
        }
    }

+    if let Some(p) = presenter.as_mut() {
+        p.release_all(&codec); // hand every held output buffer back before the codec stops
+    }
+    drop(vsync); // stop + join the choreographer thread; its channel sends are harmless after
    let _ = codec.stop();
    shutdown.store(true, Ordering::SeqCst); // ensure the feeder wakes and exits, then join it
    if let Some(j) = feeder {
@@ -448,6 +581,9 @@ fn feeder_loop(
 ) {
    // Received AUs awaiting their 0xCF host timing (Phase-2 split), as (pts_ns, capture→received µs).
    let mut pending_split: VecDeque<(u64, u64)> = VecDeque::new();
+    // Last logged phase-lock ACK (the host's applied capture hold, from the 0xCF tail) — logged
+    // on change so `adb logcat -s pf.phase` shows the closed loop working (or not) at a glance.
+    let mut last_phase_ack: Option<i32> = None;
    while !shutdown.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
        match client.next_frame(Duration::from_millis(5)) {
            Ok(frame) => {
@@ -455,11 +591,15 @@ fn feeder_loop(
                // invalidation request so an RFI-capable host recovers with a cheap clean P-frame
                // instead of a full IDR (the frames_dropped keyframe path is the backstop). The gap
                // verdict rides the Au event so the decode loop arms its freeze gate on the same signal.
-                let gap = client.note_frame_index(frame.frame_index);
+                // Slice-progressive parts repeat their AU's index — note it once, on the
+                // AU's first piece (or a whole delivery), so the RFI gap detector keeps
+                // counting AUs.
+                let au_first = frame.part.is_none_or(|p| p.first);
+                let gap = au_first && client.note_frame_index(frame.frame_index);
                // Park the receipt stamp (keyed by the pts the codec echoes) whenever the `decode`
                // stage is consumed: the HUD, or the ABR decode signal (`measure_decode`). The
                // HUD-only `received` point + host/network split stay gated on the overlay.
-                if stats.enabled() || measure_decode {
+                if (stats.enabled() || measure_decode) && frame.complete {
                    // Core reassembly-completion stamp (ABI v9), NOT the pull instant: stamping
                    // here would fold the hand-off queue wait into the network latency figure
                    // (a client-side standing backlog masquerading as network). 0 = older core.
@@ -482,7 +622,10 @@ fn feeder_loop(
                        let lat_ns = received_ns + clock_offset - frame.pts_ns as i128;
                        let lat_us = (lat_ns > 0 && lat_ns < 10_000_000_000)
                            .then_some((lat_ns / 1000) as u64);
-                        stats.note_received(frame.data.len(), lat_us, clock_offset != 0);
+                        // On a parts stream the completing delivery carries only the AU's
+                        // suffix — its offset restores the full AU byte count for bitrate.
+                        let au_len = frame.part.map_or(0, |p| p.offset as usize) + frame.data.len();
+                        stats.note_received(au_len, lat_us, clock_offset != 0);
                        if let Some(hostnet_us) = lat_us {
                            pending_split.push_back((frame.pts_ns, hostnet_us));
                            if pending_split.len() > PENDING_SPLIT_CAP {
@@ -490,6 +633,17 @@ fn feeder_loop(
                            }
                        }
                        while let Ok(t) = client.next_host_timing(Duration::ZERO) {
+                            // Phase-lock closed-loop readout: the host's applied hold rides the
+                            // 0xCF tail; log transitions (~1 Hz worst case — the host updates it
+                            // once a second). None = a host without the tail (pre-phase-lock).
+                            if t.applied_phase_ns != last_phase_ack {
+                                log::info!(
+                                    target: "pf.phase",
+                                    "host applied_phase={:?}us",
+                                    t.applied_phase_ns.map(|n| n / 1000)
+                                );
+                                last_phase_ack = t.applied_phase_ns;
+                            }
                            if let Some(i) = pending_split.iter().position(|&(p, _)| p == t.pts_ns)
                            {
                                let (_, hostnet_us) = pending_split.remove(i).unwrap();
@@ -520,9 +674,11 @@ fn dispatch_event(
    free_inputs: &mut VecDeque<usize>,
    ready: &mut Vec<OutputReady>,
    fmt_dirty: &mut bool,
+    vsync_tick: &mut bool,
    fatal: &mut bool,
    gate: &mut ReanchorGate,
    recovery_flags: &mut VecDeque<(u64, u32)>,
+    arrival_stamps: &mut Vec<i128>,
 ) -> bool {
    match ev {
        DecodeEvent::Au(f, gap) => {
@@ -531,9 +687,27 @@ fn dispatch_event(
            if gap {
                gate.arm(Instant::now());
            }
-            recovery_flags.push_back((f.pts_ns / 1000, f.flags));
-            if recovery_flags.len() > IN_FLIGHT_CAP {
-                recovery_flags.pop_front();
+            // One entry per AU (parts share the pts): the completing delivery carries it.
+            if f.complete {
+                recovery_flags.push_back((f.pts_ns / 1000, f.flags));
+                if recovery_flags.len() > IN_FLIGHT_CAP {
+                    recovery_flags.pop_front();
+                }
+            }
+            // Phase-lock v3 sensor: the ARRIVAL stamp (reassembly completion, realtime) — the
+            // phase the host actually controls. The latch-based v2 sensor measured downstream
+            // of the decoder pipeline, which absorbed the host's actuation (on-glass 07-31).
+            // Phase sensor: AU completion is the arrival the host's hold actually moves —
+            // prefix parts would smear the phase toward the first slice's landing.
+            if f.complete {
+                arrival_stamps.push(if f.received_ns > 0 {
+                    f.received_ns as i128
+                } else {
+                    now_realtime_ns()
+                });
+                if arrival_stamps.len() > 256 {
+                    arrival_stamps.remove(0);
+                }
            }
            pending_aus.push_back(f);
            if pending_aus.len() > FRAME_PARK_CAP {
@@ -552,6 +726,7 @@ fn dispatch_event(
            decoded_ns,
        }),
        DecodeEvent::FormatChanged => *fmt_dirty = true,
+        DecodeEvent::Vsync => *vsync_tick = true,
        DecodeEvent::Error { fatal: f } => {
            if f {
                *fatal = true;
@@ -565,10 +740,36 @@ fn dispatch_event(
    false
 }

+/// `AMEDIACODEC_BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME` (NDK ≥ 26, gated by the Kotlin
+/// `FEATURE_PartialFrame` probe): this input buffer is a PIECE of an AU — the codec assembles
+/// pieces until a buffer WITHOUT the flag closes the AU.
+const BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME: u32 = 8;
+
+/// The slice-progressive feed's open access unit: parts already queued into the codec under
+/// [`BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME`], awaiting the rest. Loop-local — a codec rebuild tears the
+/// whole loop down, so the state can never outlive the codec instance it fed.
+pub(super) struct PartFeed {
+    index: u32,
+    /// The AU byte offset the next part must carry — a mismatch means the hand-off dropped a
+    /// piece (memory cap / jump-to-live clear) and the AU is unrecoverable.
+    expected: usize,
+    /// The dead-close pts: an abandoned AU is CLOSED with an empty non-PARTIAL buffer at its
+    /// own pts — the codec then emits (concealed garbage) at that pts, which the reanchor
+    /// freeze gate withholds from glass while the keyframe request recovers the chain. No
+    /// mid-stream codec flush needed.
+    pts_us: u64,
+}
+
 /// Queue as many parked AUs as there are free input buffer slots (async mode: the indices come from
 /// `InputAvailable` callbacks, not a dequeue). Each AU is copied into its codec input buffer and
 /// submitted; an AU larger than the buffer is DROPPED (+ a recovery keyframe requested) — a
 /// truncated AU is corrupt input the decoder chews on silently, poisoning the reference chain.
+///
+/// Slice-progressive deliveries ([`Frame::part`]) feed as they arrive: every piece rides
+/// [`BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME`] except the AU's last, all at the AU's pts. `part_open` is the
+/// continuity ledger — any break (gap, orphan, oversize) abandons the AU per [`PartFeed::pts_us`]'s
+/// close contract and re-syncs at the next `first`.
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)] // one call site; the split ledger threads through like the gate
 fn feed_ready(
    codec: &MediaCodec,
    client: &NativeClient,
@@ -576,11 +777,50 @@ fn feed_ready(
    free_inputs: &mut VecDeque<usize>,
    fed: &mut u64,
    oversized_dropped: &mut u64,
+    part_open: &mut Option<PartFeed>,
+    queued_stamps: &mut VecDeque<(u64, i128)>,
+    gate: &mut ReanchorGate,
 ) {
    while !pending_aus.is_empty() && !free_inputs.is_empty() {
        let idx = free_inputs.pop_front().unwrap();
        let frame = pending_aus.pop_front().unwrap();
        let pts_us = frame.pts_ns / 1000;
+        let (first, last, offset) = match frame.part {
+            None => (true, true, 0usize),
+            Some(p) => (p.first, p.last, p.offset as usize),
+        };
+        // Continuity ledger. `continues` = this piece extends the open AU exactly;
+        // anything else with an AU open means that AU died mid-flight and must be closed
+        // (empty non-PARTIAL buffer at ITS pts) before this frame may touch the codec.
+        let continues = part_open
+            .as_ref()
+            .is_some_and(|o| frame.frame_index == o.index && offset == o.expected && !first);
+        if !continues {
+            if let Some(o) = part_open.take() {
+                // Spend THIS slot on the close; the current frame re-queues for the next one.
+                if let Err(e) = codec.queue_input_buffer_by_index(idx, 0, 0, o.pts_us, 0) {
+                    log::warn!("decode: close of abandoned partial AU {}: {e}", o.index);
+                }
+                log::warn!(
+                    "decode: partial AU {} abandoned mid-feed — closed empty, requesting keyframe",
+                    o.index
+                );
+                // The close makes the codec emit concealed garbage at the dead pts — freeze it
+                // off the glass until the recovery keyframe re-anchors.
+                gate.arm(Instant::now());
+                let _ = client.request_keyframe();
+                pending_aus.push_front(frame);
+                continue;
+            }
+            // No AU open: an orphan non-first piece lost its head upstream — discard and
+            // re-sync at the next `first` (the recovery request rides the same loss).
+            if !first {
+                free_inputs.push_front(idx);
+                gate.arm(Instant::now());
+                let _ = client.request_keyframe();
+                continue;
+            }
+        }
        let Some(dst) = codec.input_buffer(idx) else {
            log::warn!("decode: input_buffer({idx}) returned None — dropping AU");
            continue;
@@ -597,6 +837,16 @@ fn feed_ready(
                *oversized_dropped
            );
            let _ = client.request_keyframe();
+            if frame.part.is_some() {
+                gate.arm(Instant::now());
+                // Pieces already queued can't be unqueued: poison the ledger so the next
+                // delivery mismatches and takes the close-empty path above.
+                *part_open = Some(PartFeed {
+                    index: frame.frame_index,
+                    expected: usize::MAX,
+                    pts_us,
+                });
+            }
            continue;
        }
        let n = au.len();
@@ -605,21 +855,51 @@ fn feed_ready(
        unsafe {
            std::ptr::copy_nonoverlapping(au.as_ptr(), dst.as_mut_ptr().cast::<u8>(), n);
        }
-        if let Err(e) = codec.queue_input_buffer_by_index(idx, 0, n, pts_us, 0) {
+        let flags = if last { 0 } else { BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME };
+        if let Err(e) = codec.queue_input_buffer_by_index(idx, 0, n, pts_us, flags) {
            log::warn!("decode: queue_input_buffer_by_index: {e}");
+            if frame.part.is_some() && !last {
+                // The piece never reached the codec — same unrecoverable-AU shape as oversize.
+                *part_open = Some(PartFeed {
+                    index: frame.frame_index,
+                    expected: usize::MAX,
+                    pts_us,
+                });
+            }
        } else {
-            *fed += 1;
+            // `fed` counts ACCESS UNITS toward the HUD's fed/decoded balance — the closing
+            // piece (or a whole AU) bumps it. The queued stamp marks the same instant (the AU
+            // is fully in the codec's hands): the P3 decode split measures `codec` from here,
+            // so a slice-progressive head start shows up as codec-pure shrink.
+            if last {
+                *fed += 1;
+                queued_stamps.push_back((pts_us, now_realtime_ns()));
+                if queued_stamps.len() > IN_FLIGHT_CAP {
+                    queued_stamps.pop_front(); // stale — codec never echoed it back
+                }
+            }
+            *part_open = if last {
+                None
+            } else {
+                Some(PartFeed {
+                    index: frame.frame_index,
+                    expected: offset + n,
+                    pts_us,
+                })
+            };
        }
    }
 }

-/// Present only the NEWEST ready output (render = true) and release the rest without rendering — a
-/// burst of stale frames on glass is worse than skipping to the freshest (the sync loop's newest-ready
-/// policy, callback-driven). Every dequeued buffer, rendered or not, is the HUD's `decoded`
-/// measurement point (it finished decoding either way); samples are recorded in pts order so the
-/// receipt-map eviction stays monotonic. The presented frame's `(pts, decoded stamp)` is parked in
-/// `tracker` for the OnFrameRendered callback — the `display` stage's other endpoint. `ready` is
-/// drained.
+/// Route the ready outputs toward glass, recording each one's decode-split + e2e first. With the
+/// timeline presenter (default): fold each output
+/// through the re-anchor gate in pts order, hand the approved ones to the presenter's store
+/// (newest-wins / smoothing FIFO — the actual release happens in `Presenter::pump`, budgeted and
+/// timeline-timed), and release withheld concealment unrendered. Legacy (`arrival` sysprop):
+/// present only the NEWEST ready output immediately and release the rest unrendered — the
+/// original policy. Every dequeued buffer, rendered or not, is the HUD's `decoded` measurement
+/// point (it finished decoding either way); samples are recorded in pts order so the receipt-map
+/// eviction stays monotonic. `ready` is drained.
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)] // one call site; mirrors the sync loop's drain
 fn present_ready(
    codec: &MediaCodec,
@@ -628,8 +908,11 @@ fn present_ready(
    ready: &mut Vec<OutputReady>,
    stats: &crate::stats::VideoStats,
    in_flight: &Mutex<VecDeque<(u64, i128)>>,
+    queued_stamps: &mut VecDeque<(u64, i128)>,
+    meter: &PresentMeter,
    clock_offset: i64,
    tracker: &DisplayTracker,
+    presenter: &mut Option<Presenter>,
    rendered: &mut u64,
    discarded: &mut u64,
    gate: &mut ReanchorGate,
@@ -638,50 +921,85 @@ fn present_ready(
    if ready.is_empty() {
        return;
    }
-    // Pair each output's decode stage (feeds the ABR decode signal always; the HUD histogram only
-    // while visible) — both consume the receipt map, so enter for either.
-    if stats.enabled() || measure_decode {
+    // Pair each output's decode stage (the ABR decode signal + the HUD histogram consume the
+    // receipt map; the P3 split's codec-pure half needs only the queued stamp, so it records
+    // even with both off — that keeps the 1 Hz pf.present mirror HUD-off readable).
+    {
+        let want_stage = stats.enabled() || measure_decode;
        let mut g = in_flight
            .lock()
            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
        for o in ready.iter() {
-            note_decoded_pts(
-                client,
-                measure_decode,
-                stats,
-                &mut g,
-                clock_offset,
-                o.pts_us,
-                o.decoded_ns,
-            );
+            let received_ns = if want_stage {
+                note_decoded_pts(
+                    client,
+                    measure_decode,
+                    stats,
+                    &mut g,
+                    clock_offset,
+                    o.pts_us,
+                    o.decoded_ns,
+                )
+            } else {
+                None
+            };
+            let queued = take_stamp(queued_stamps, o.pts_us);
+            let codec_us = queued.map(|q| ((o.decoded_ns - q).max(0) / 1000) as u64);
+            let feed_us = match (queued, received_ns) {
+                (Some(q), Some(r)) => Some(((q - r).max(0) / 1000) as u64),
+                _ => None,
+            };
+            // Always-on e2e for the 1 Hz pf.present mirror (same formula + clamp as the HUD's
+            // capture→decoded headline in `note_decoded_pts`).
+            let e2e_ns = o.decoded_ns + clock_offset as i128 - o.pts_us as i128 * 1000;
+            let e2e_us = (e2e_ns > 0 && e2e_ns < 10_000_000_000).then_some((e2e_ns / 1000) as u64);
+            meter.note_decode(feed_us, codec_us, e2e_us);
+            if let Some(c) = codec_us {
+                stats.note_decode_split(feed_us, c);
+            }
        }
    }
    // Fold EVERY output through the gate in pts (== decode) order — even the ones newest-wins discards —
-    // so the two-mark re-anchor count stays correct; the newest's verdict decides whether it reaches
-    // glass (`false` = withheld concealment; the SurfaceView keeps the last rendered frame frozen on).
+    // so the two-mark re-anchor count stays correct; a `false` verdict is withheld concealment (the
+    // SurfaceView keeps the last rendered frame frozen on).
    let now = Instant::now();
-    let last = ready.len() - 1;
    let mut skipped: u64 = 0;
-    for (i, o) in ready.drain(..).enumerate() {
-        let flags = take_flags(recovery_flags, o.pts_us);
-        let present = gate.on_decoded(flags, false, now) == GateVerdict::Present;
-        let render = i == last && present;
-        match codec.release_output_buffer_by_index(o.index, render) {
-            Ok(()) if render => {
-                *rendered += 1;
-                if stats.enabled() {
-                    tracker.note_rendered(o.pts_us, o.decoded_ns);
+    if let Some(p) = presenter.as_mut() {
+        for o in ready.drain(..) {
+            let flags = take_flags(recovery_flags, o.pts_us);
+            if gate.on_decoded(flags, false, now) == GateVerdict::Present {
+                let dropped = p.submit(codec, o.index, o.pts_us, o.decoded_ns);
+                skipped += dropped;
+                *discarded += dropped;
+            } else {
+                if let Err(e) = codec.release_output_buffer_by_index(o.index, false) {
+                    log::warn!("decode: release_output_buffer_by_index({}): {e}", o.index);
                }
-            }
-            Ok(()) => {
                *discarded += 1;
                skipped += 1;
            }
-            Err(e) => {
-                log::warn!(
-                    "decode: release_output_buffer_by_index({}, {render}): {e}",
-                    o.index
-                )
+        }
+    } else {
+        let last = ready.len() - 1;
+        for (i, o) in ready.drain(..).enumerate() {
+            let flags = take_flags(recovery_flags, o.pts_us);
+            let present = gate.on_decoded(flags, false, now) == GateVerdict::Present;
+            let render = i == last && present;
+            match codec.release_output_buffer_by_index(o.index, render) {
+                Ok(()) if render => {
+                    *rendered += 1;
+                    tracker.note_rendered(o.pts_us, o.decoded_ns, now_realtime_ns());
+                }
+                Ok(()) => {
+                    *discarded += 1;
+                    skipped += 1;
+                }
+                Err(e) => {
+                    log::warn!(
+                        "decode: release_output_buffer_by_index({}, {render}): {e}",
+                        o.index
+                    )
+                }
            }
        }
    }
@@ -35,32 +35,37 @@ pub(super) struct DisplayTracker {
    /// loaded per callback so mid-stream re-syncs apply. Holding the handle (not the client)
    /// keeps the leaked render-callback refcount from pinning the whole session alive.
    clock_offset: Arc<AtomicI64>,
-    /// `(pts_us, decoded_real_ns)` of frames released with `render = true`, in release order,
-    /// awaiting their callback. Pushes are HUD-gated by the caller, so this stays empty (and the
-    /// callback early-outs) while the overlay is hidden.
-    rendered: Mutex<VecDeque<(u64, i128)>>,
+    /// Always-on latch/display accumulator for the presenter's 1 Hz `pf-present` line —
+    /// independent of the HUD gate, so a HUD-off A/B stays measurable from logcat.
+    meter: Arc<super::presenter::PresentMeter>,
+    /// `(pts_us, decoded_real_ns, released_real_ns)` of frames released with `render = true`, in
+    /// release order, awaiting their callback. Pushed on EVERY render (no HUD gate — the ring is
+    /// a 64-tuple bound and the latch metric wants to exist when nobody is watching).
+    rendered: Mutex<VecDeque<(u64, i128, i128)>>,
 }

 impl DisplayTracker {
    pub(super) fn new(
        stats: Arc<crate::stats::VideoStats>,
        clock_offset: Arc<AtomicI64>,
+        meter: Arc<super::presenter::PresentMeter>,
    ) -> Arc<DisplayTracker> {
        Arc::new(DisplayTracker {
            stats,
            clock_offset,
+            meter,
            rendered: Mutex::new(VecDeque::new()),
        })
    }

-    /// Park one just-rendered frame's `(pts, decoded stamp)` for the render callback to pair.
-    /// Caller gates on the HUD being visible.
-    pub(super) fn note_rendered(&self, pts_us: u64, decoded_ns: i128) {
+    /// Park one just-rendered frame's `(pts, decoded stamp, release stamp)` for the render
+    /// callback to pair — the release stamp is the latch metric's start (release→displayed).
+    pub(super) fn note_rendered(&self, pts_us: u64, decoded_ns: i128, released_ns: i128) {
        let mut g = self
            .rendered
            .lock()
            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
-        g.push_back((pts_us, decoded_ns));
+        g.push_back((pts_us, decoded_ns, released_ns));
        if g.len() > RENDERED_CAP {
            g.pop_front(); // render callbacks stopped coming (allowed under load) — evict
        }
@@ -152,36 +157,42 @@ unsafe extern "C" fn on_frame_rendered(
    // `Arc::into_raw` pointer from `install_render_callback`, whose refcount is held for as long as
    // the codec exists, and the codec is what delivers this call.
    let t = unsafe { &*(userdata as *const DisplayTracker) };
-    if !t.stats.enabled() {
-        return; // HUD hidden — the ring is empty too (pushes are caller-gated)
-    }
    let displayed_ns = now_realtime_ns() - (now_monotonic_ns() - system_nano as i128);
    let pts_us = media_time_us.max(0) as u64;
    // Pair the frame back to its release record, evicting older entries (their callbacks were
-    // dropped by the platform, or the entry predates a HUD toggle) — same monotonic-eviction
-    // discipline as `note_decoded_pts`.
-    let mut decoded_ns = None;
+    // dropped by the platform) — same monotonic-eviction discipline as `note_decoded_pts`.
+    let mut paired = None;
    {
        let mut g = t
            .rendered
            .lock()
            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
-        while let Some(&(p, d)) = g.front() {
+        while let Some(&(p, d, r)) = g.front() {
            if p > pts_us {
                break; // future frame — leave it for its own callback
            }
            g.pop_front();
            if p == pts_us {
-                decoded_ns = Some(d);
+                paired = Some((d, r));
                break;
            }
        }
    }
+    // Clamped to (0, 10 s) like the e2e sample: a vendor's first render callbacks can carry a
+    // garbage `system_nano` (observed on-glass: an epoch-sized latch max on the session's first
+    // window), and one such sample would poison every max/percentile it lands in.
+    let clamp = |v: i128| (v > 0 && v < 10_000_000_000).then_some((v / 1000) as u64);
+    let display_us = paired.and_then(|(d, _)| clamp(displayed_ns - d));
+    let latch_us = paired.and_then(|(_, r)| clamp(displayed_ns - r));
+    // Always-on half: the presenter's pf-present line reads these with the HUD off.
+    t.meter.note_latch(latch_us);
+    if !t.stats.enabled() {
+        return; // HUD hidden — skip the skew math + the stats lock
+    }
    let e2e_ns =
        displayed_ns + t.clock_offset.load(Ordering::Relaxed) as i128 - pts_us as i128 * 1000;
    let e2e_us = (e2e_ns > 0 && e2e_ns < 10_000_000_000).then_some((e2e_ns / 1000) as u64);
-    let display_us = decoded_ns.map(|d| ((displayed_ns - d).max(0) / 1000) as u64);
-    t.stats.note_displayed(e2e_us, display_us);
+    t.stats.note_displayed(e2e_us, display_us, latch_us);
 }

 /// React to an output-format change by signalling the stream's HDR dataspace on the Surface (SDR
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ pub(super) fn now_realtime_ns() -> i128 {
 /// entries older than it are evicted (decode order == input order here — low-latency, no
 /// B-frames — so anything before it was dropped inside the codec or stamped before a flush).
 /// `decoded_ns` is the availability instant: the dequeue (sync loop) or the output callback's
-/// stamp (async loop).
+/// stamp (async loop). Returns the receipt stamp it paired (if any) so the caller can split the
+/// `decode` stage further (feed wait vs codec-pure) without re-walking the map.
 pub(super) fn note_decoded_pts(
    client: &NativeClient,
    measure_decode: bool,
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ pub(super) fn note_decoded_pts(
    clock_offset: i64,
    pts_us: u64,
    decoded_ns: i128,
-) {
+) -> Option<i128> {
    // Pair the echoed pts back to its receipt stamp, evicting stale (older) entries as we go.
    let mut received_ns = None;
    while let Some(&(p, r)) = in_flight.front() {
@@ -61,6 +62,24 @@ pub(super) fn note_decoded_pts(
        let e2e_us = (e2e_ns > 0 && e2e_ns < 10_000_000_000).then_some((e2e_ns / 1000) as u64);
        stats.note_decoded(e2e_us, decode_us);
    }
+    received_ns
+}
+
+/// The queued-instant stamp for a decoded output, keyed by the echoed `presentationTimeUs` — the
+/// same monotonic evict-as-you-go pairing as [`take_flags`], over an `(pts_us, realtime_ns)` map
+/// (the feed side stamps each AU as its last piece enters the codec). A miss returns `None` —
+/// the split is simply not recorded for that frame.
+pub(super) fn take_stamp(map: &mut VecDeque<(u64, i128)>, pts_us: u64) -> Option<i128> {
+    while let Some(&(p, t)) = map.front() {
+        if p > pts_us {
+            break; // future frame — leave it for its own output buffer
+        }
+        map.pop_front();
+        if p == pts_us {
+            return Some(t);
+        }
+    }
+    None
 }

 /// The AU `user_flags` for a decoded output, keyed by the echoed `presentationTimeUs`. Recovery
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@
 mod async_loop;
 mod display;
 mod latency;
+mod presenter;
 mod setup;
 mod sync_loop;
+mod vsync;

 use async_loop::run_async;
 pub(crate) use setup::{codec_label, codec_mime};
@@ -106,6 +108,17 @@ pub(crate) struct DecodeOptions {
    /// TV form factor (Kotlin's `UiModeManager`): actively drive the HDMI output into the stream's
    /// refresh mode, vs. the softer seamless hint on a phone/tablet.
    pub is_tv: bool,
+    /// The user's presentation intent (`present_priority` setting): 0 = lowest latency
+    /// (newest-wins), 1 = smoothness (a small FIFO). Resolved by
+    /// [`presenter::PresentPriority::resolve`]; anything else = latency.
+    pub present_priority: i32,
+    /// The smoothness buffer depth (`smooth_buffer` setting): 0 = automatic (2), else 1..=3.
+    /// Only meaningful with `present_priority` = smooth.
+    pub smooth_buffer: i32,
+    /// The display mode's own refresh rate (Kotlin's `display.refreshRate` at stream start;
+    /// 0 = unknown) — the latch grid the presenter subdivides onto when the app's choreographer
+    /// stream is down-rated below the panel (see `vsync.rs`).
+    pub panel_hz: i32,
 }

 /// The decode entry point on the `pf-decode` thread: dispatches to the async or synchronous loop.
@@ -0,0 +1,537 @@
+//! The timeline presenter — Android's port of the Apple client's stage-4 deadline discipline
+//! (`clients/apple/.../Stage2Pipeline.swift`, the `.deadline` pacing):
+//!
+//!  * a **newest-wins slot** (or a small smoothing FIFO, by user intent) between decode and
+//!    release, so a burst coalesces in the app — as an explicit, counted drop — instead of
+//!    queueing behind the display;
+//!  * a **glass budget of exactly one**: at most one undisplayed release in flight to
+//!    SurfaceFlinger, reopened on the clock-predicted latch (with a 100 ms stale force-open as
+//!    the liveness backstop, mirroring Apple's `PresentGate.staleAfter`). The BufferQueue can
+//!    hold at most the frame being scanned out plus one — a standing queue is unconstructible;
+//!  * a **timed release**: `AMediaCodec_releaseOutputBufferAtTime` targeting the platform's own
+//!    frame timeline (API 33+, via [`super::vsync`]), so the latch phase is deterministic instead
+//!    of inheriting network + decode jitter. On the 31/32 fallback the release is ASAP —
+//!    identical to the legacy path — and only the budget prediction uses the measured period.
+//!
+//! The legacy behaviour (release the newest ready buffer immediately, unbudgeted) remains
+//! selectable at runtime: `adb shell setprop debug.punktfunk.presenter arrival` — the on-device
+//! A/B needs no rebuild. The user-facing escape hatch stays the "Low-latency mode" master toggle
+//! (off = the synchronous pre-overhaul loop, no presenter at all).
+
+use ndk::media::media_codec::MediaCodec;
+use std::collections::VecDeque;
+use std::sync::Mutex;
+use std::time::Instant;
+
+use super::display::DisplayTracker;
+use super::latency::now_realtime_ns;
+use super::vsync::VsyncShared;
+
+/// Submit-margin ahead of a timeline's EXPECTED PRESENT — SurfaceFlinger's own latch lead: the
+/// released buffer must be in the BufferQueue by SF's wakeup for that vsync (a few ms before
+/// present). A present closer than this is treated as missed and the next one is targeted. This
+/// is deliberately NOT the timeline's `deadline` (which budgets for GPU rendering a video
+/// buffer doesn't do — see `VsyncShared::next_target`); a too-tight gamble here presents one
+/// vsync later, the exact cost the deadline gate paid on every frame.
+///
+/// 2.5 ms: SF's latch runs ~1-2 ms before present on modern devices (its `sfOffset`), and the
+/// release itself is a binder call well under a ms. 4 ms measured latch p50 8-10; each ms cut
+/// here is a ms off every frame's display stage. If a device misses at this margin the `paced`
+/// counter shows it (a miss presents one vsync later, coalescing the next frame) — that is the
+/// signal to widen, not stutter.
+const LATCH_MARGIN_NS: i64 = 2_500_000;
+
+/// `debug.punktfunk.latch_margin_us` (0..=8000 µs): PIN the submit margin for a sweep —
+/// setprop + stream restart, no rebuild. Unset/invalid = `None` = the adaptive default.
+fn latch_margin_ns() -> Option<i64> {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; 92]; // PROP_VALUE_MAX
+                             // SAFETY: __system_property_get with a valid name + PROP_VALUE_MAX buffer is always safe.
+    let n = unsafe {
+        libc::__system_property_get(
+            c"debug.punktfunk.latch_margin_us".as_ptr(),
+            buf.as_mut_ptr().cast(),
+        )
+    };
+    if n > 0 {
+        if let Ok(us) = std::str::from_utf8(&buf[..n as usize])
+            .unwrap_or("")
+            .trim()
+            .parse::<i64>()
+        {
+            if (0..=8_000).contains(&us) {
+                return Some(us * 1_000);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    None
+}
+
+/// The budget's liveness backstop: a release whose predicted latch never seems to arrive
+/// (clock glitch, mode switch) force-reopens the budget this long after the release, counted in
+/// `forced` — reads 0 on healthy systems (Apple's `PresentGate.staleAfter`, same value).
+const STALE_REOPEN_NS: i64 = 100_000_000;
+
+/// Fallback latch-prediction period while the vsync clock is unmeasured/absent: one 120 Hz frame.
+const FALLBACK_PERIOD_NS: i64 = 8_333_333;
+
+/// The user's presentation intent — the Apple client's `PresentPriority`, same resolution rules:
+/// anything but an explicit "smooth" is latency; a smooth buffer outside 1..=3 becomes 2.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy, PartialEq)]
+pub(crate) enum PresentPriority {
+    /// Newest-wins, release the instant the budget opens. The default.
+    Latency,
+    /// A small FIFO (1..=3 frames) drained one per vsync: jitter absorbed at one refresh of
+    /// added display latency per slot, which the metrics show rather than hide.
+    Smooth { buffer: usize },
+}
+
+impl PresentPriority {
+    /// From the JNI ints (`presentPriority` 0 = latency / 1 = smooth; `smoothBuffer` 0 = auto).
+    pub(crate) fn resolve(priority: i32, buffer: i32) -> PresentPriority {
+        if priority != 1 {
+            return PresentPriority::Latency;
+        }
+        let b = if (1..=3).contains(&buffer) {
+            buffer as usize
+        } else {
+            2
+        };
+        PresentPriority::Smooth { buffer: b }
+    }
+}
+
+/// One decoded output buffer held for presentation.
+struct HeldFrame {
+    index: usize,
+    pts_us: u64,
+    /// The output callback's `CLOCK_REALTIME` stamp — the pace metric's start (decoded→release).
+    decoded_ns: i128,
+}
+
+/// The one-in-flight glass budget.
+struct InFlight {
+    /// Monotonic instant the budget reopens: the release target's expected present (clock), or
+    /// `release + period` on the fallback path.
+    reopen_at_ns: i64,
+    released_at_ns: i64,
+}
+
+/// Latch samples + display confirms recorded by the `OnFrameRendered` callback thread, drained by
+/// the presenter's 1 Hz `pf-present` line. Always on (independent of the HUD) — this is what makes
+/// a HUD-off wireless A/B readable from logcat.
+pub(super) struct PresentMeter {
+    inner: Mutex<PresentMeterInner>,
+}
+
+struct PresentMeterInner {
+    latch_us: Vec<u64>,
+    displays: u64,
+    /// The `decode` stage's feed split, received→queued µs (P3 science: hand-off + input-slot
+    /// wait). Empty when no receipt stamp matched (HUD off and ABR not measuring decode).
+    feed_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// The codec-pure half, queued→decoded µs, measured from the AU's LAST piece — always on,
+    /// so a HUD-off logcat A/B still reads the decoder's own time.
+    codec_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// Capture→decoded end-to-end µs (skew-corrected, clamped) — always on for the same reason:
+    /// the wireless A/B's headline without having to reach the on-screen HUD.
+    e2e_us: Vec<u64>,
+}
+
+impl PresentMeter {
+    pub(super) fn new() -> PresentMeter {
+        PresentMeter {
+            inner: Mutex::new(PresentMeterInner {
+                latch_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                displays: 0,
+                feed_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                codec_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                e2e_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+            }),
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// One displayed frame's release→displayed latch, µs. Callback thread; poison-proof.
+    pub(super) fn note_latch(&self, latch_us: Option<u64>) {
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        g.displays += 1;
+        if let Some(l) = latch_us {
+            if g.latch_us.len() < 4096 {
+                g.latch_us.push(l);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// One decoded frame's always-on measurements: the `decode`-stage split (feed =
+    /// received→queued when a receipt stamp matched; codec = queued→decoded when the queued
+    /// stamp did) and the capture→decoded end-to-end, µs. Decode thread; poison-proof.
+    pub(super) fn note_decode(
+        &self,
+        feed_us: Option<u64>,
+        codec_us: Option<u64>,
+        e2e_us: Option<u64>,
+    ) {
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        if let Some(f) = feed_us {
+            if g.feed_us.len() < 4096 {
+                g.feed_us.push(f);
+            }
+        }
+        if let Some(c) = codec_us {
+            if g.codec_us.len() < 4096 {
+                g.codec_us.push(c);
+            }
+        }
+        if let Some(e) = e2e_us {
+            if g.e2e_us.len() < 4096 {
+                g.e2e_us.push(e);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    #[allow(clippy::type_complexity)] // one caller unpacks it in place; a struct would be noise
+    fn drain(&self) -> (Vec<u64>, u64, Vec<u64>, Vec<u64>, Vec<u64>) {
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        let displays = g.displays;
+        g.displays = 0;
+        (
+            std::mem::take(&mut g.latch_us),
+            displays,
+            std::mem::take(&mut g.feed_us),
+            std::mem::take(&mut g.codec_us),
+            std::mem::take(&mut g.e2e_us),
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+/// p50/max of an unsorted µs sample vec, in ms. (0, 0) when empty.
+fn p50_max_ms(mut v: Vec<u64>) -> (f64, f64) {
+    if v.is_empty() {
+        return (0.0, 0.0);
+    }
+    v.sort_unstable();
+    let p50 = v[v.len() / 2] as f64 / 1000.0;
+    let max = *v.last().unwrap() as f64 / 1000.0;
+    (p50, max)
+}
+
+pub(super) struct Presenter {
+    /// 0 = newest-wins; 1..=3 = smoothing FIFO capacity.
+    fifo_capacity: usize,
+    frames: VecDeque<HeldFrame>,
+    /// FIFO preroll: `take` withholds until the buffer filled to capacity once, re-armed on a dry
+    /// run — the Apple `FrameStore` semantics (headroom never builds without it).
+    prerolled: bool,
+    inflight: Option<InFlight>,
+    /// A vsync arrived since the last release — the FIFO's one-per-refresh drain pace.
+    vsync_tick: bool,
+    // -- 1 Hz pf-present window, always on --
+    released: u64,
+    paced_drops: u64,
+    no_budget: u64,
+    forced: u64,
+    dry: u64,
+    pace_us: Vec<u64>,
+    last_flush: Instant,
+    /// The live submit margin. Starts at 0 (P2e on-glass: SurfaceFlinger latched every
+    /// release with NO lead on the NP3 — the fixed 2.5 ms was pure display latency) and
+    /// widens by measurement: `paced` misses in a 1 Hz window push it +500 µs toward
+    /// [`LATCH_MARGIN_NS`], the pre-sweep known-safe ceiling. A sysprop override PINS it.
+    margin_ns: i64,
+    /// `debug.punktfunk.latch_margin_us` was set — the margin is pinned, never adapted.
+    margin_pinned: bool,
+}
+
+impl Presenter {
+    pub(super) fn new(priority: PresentPriority) -> Presenter {
+        let pinned = latch_margin_ns();
+        let (margin_ns, margin_pinned) = match pinned {
+            Some(ns) => (ns, true),
+            None => (0, false),
+        };
+        log::info!(
+            "presenter: latch margin {}us{}",
+            margin_ns / 1_000,
+            if margin_pinned {
+                " (debug.punktfunk.latch_margin_us pin)"
+            } else {
+                " (adaptive — widens on latch misses)"
+            }
+        );
+        Presenter {
+            fifo_capacity: match priority {
+                PresentPriority::Latency => 0,
+                PresentPriority::Smooth { buffer } => buffer,
+            },
+            frames: VecDeque::new(),
+            prerolled: false,
+            inflight: None,
+            vsync_tick: false,
+            released: 0,
+            paced_drops: 0,
+            no_budget: 0,
+            forced: 0,
+            dry: 0,
+            pace_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+            last_flush: Instant::now(),
+            margin_ns,
+            margin_pinned,
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// A vsync pulse from the clock thread's event — the retry tick for a parked frame and the
+    /// FIFO's drain pace.
+    pub(super) fn on_vsync(&mut self) {
+        self.vsync_tick = true;
+    }
+
+    /// Accept one decoded, gate-approved output buffer. Newest-wins evicts everything older
+    /// (released unrendered — the explicit, counted drop); the FIFO evicts its oldest past
+    /// capacity. Returns how many frames were dropped by the policy (the HUD's `skipped`).
+    pub(super) fn submit(
+        &mut self,
+        codec: &MediaCodec,
+        index: usize,
+        pts_us: u64,
+        decoded_ns: i128,
+    ) -> u64 {
+        let mut dropped = 0u64;
+        if self.fifo_capacity == 0 {
+            while let Some(stale) = self.frames.pop_front() {
+                release_unrendered(codec, stale.index);
+                dropped += 1;
+            }
+        }
+        self.frames.push_back(HeldFrame {
+            index,
+            pts_us,
+            decoded_ns,
+        });
+        if self.fifo_capacity > 0 && self.frames.len() > self.fifo_capacity {
+            if let Some(stale) = self.frames.pop_front() {
+                release_unrendered(codec, stale.index);
+                dropped += 1;
+            }
+        }
+        self.paced_drops += dropped;
+        dropped
+    }
+
+    /// The present decision point — run on every loop pass (frame arrivals, vsync ticks, and the
+    /// 5 ms housekeeping wake all land here). Releases AT MOST one frame (the budget). Returns
+    /// `true` when a frame was released to glass this call.
+    #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)] // one call site; the seams are the point
+    pub(super) fn pump(
+        &mut self,
+        codec: &MediaCodec,
+        clock: Option<&VsyncShared>,
+        tracker: &DisplayTracker,
+        stats: &crate::stats::VideoStats,
+        now_mono_ns: i64,
+    ) -> bool {
+        // Budget bookkeeping first: reopen on the predicted latch, force-open on the backstop.
+        if let Some(f) = &self.inflight {
+            if now_mono_ns >= f.reopen_at_ns {
+                self.inflight = None;
+            } else if now_mono_ns - f.released_at_ns > STALE_REOPEN_NS {
+                self.forced += 1;
+                self.inflight = None;
+            }
+        }
+        // Pick the frame this pump may release.
+        let frame = if self.fifo_capacity == 0 {
+            self.frames.pop_back() // submit() kept it a single slot; back == the newest
+        } else {
+            // FIFO: drain exactly one frame per vsync tick, after preroll; a drain tick that
+            // finds the buffer dry re-arms preroll (the Apple `FrameStore` underflow semantics —
+            // the previous frame persists on glass, a repeat by omission, while headroom
+            // rebuilds). Everything is gated on the tick so an idle stream neither counts
+            // underflows nor churns the preroll flag 200×/s.
+            if !self.vsync_tick {
+                return false;
+            }
+            if !self.prerolled {
+                if self.frames.len() < self.fifo_capacity {
+                    return false;
+                }
+                self.prerolled = true;
+            }
+            if self.frames.is_empty() {
+                self.prerolled = false;
+                self.dry += 1;
+                self.vsync_tick = false; // this tick's drain ran (and found nothing)
+                return false;
+            }
+            self.frames.pop_front()
+        };
+        let Some(frame) = frame else { return false };
+        if self.inflight.is_some() {
+            // Budget closed — park it back; a fresher submit replaces it (newest-wins), the next
+            // vsync tick / loop pass retries the pairing.
+            self.no_budget += 1;
+            match self.fifo_capacity {
+                0 => self.frames.push_back(frame),
+                _ => self.frames.push_front(frame),
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+        // Release: timeline-timed when the clock has one, ASAP otherwise.
+        let target = clock.and_then(|c| c.next_target(now_mono_ns, self.margin_ns));
+        let released = match target {
+            Some(t) => codec
+                .release_output_buffer_at_time_by_index(frame.index, t.expected_present_ns)
+                .map_err(|e| log::warn!("presenter: release_at_time({}): {e}", frame.index)),
+            None => codec
+                .release_output_buffer_by_index(frame.index, true)
+                .map_err(|e| log::warn!("presenter: release({}): {e}", frame.index)),
+        };
+        self.vsync_tick = false;
+        if released.is_err() {
+            return false; // the buffer is gone either way; nothing to book-keep
+        }
+        let period = clock.map(|c| c.period_ns()).filter(|&p| p > 0);
+        // Reopen at SurfaceFlinger's LATCH for the targeted vsync (expected present minus the
+        // latch lead) — the instant SF consumes the queued buffer and the slot frees, so the
+        // next release can target the NEXT refresh. Not the platform `deadline` (with the
+        // aggressive present gate it can already be in the past — an instant reopen would let
+        // two releases pile onto the same vsync) and not the present time itself (a period too
+        // late — it would cap the sustainable rate at roughly half the panel).
+        let reopen_at_ns = target
+            .map(|t| t.expected_present_ns - self.margin_ns)
+            .unwrap_or(now_mono_ns + period.unwrap_or(FALLBACK_PERIOD_NS));
+        self.inflight = Some(InFlight {
+            reopen_at_ns,
+            released_at_ns: now_mono_ns,
+        });
+        self.released += 1;
+        let release_real_ns = now_realtime_ns();
+        let pace_us = ((release_real_ns - frame.decoded_ns).max(0) / 1000) as u64;
+        if self.pace_us.len() < 4096 {
+            self.pace_us.push(pace_us);
+        }
+        stats.note_release(pace_us);
+        tracker.note_rendered(frame.pts_us, frame.decoded_ns, release_real_ns);
+        true
+    }
+
+    /// Release every held buffer unrendered — the teardown path, BEFORE `codec.stop()`.
+    pub(super) fn release_all(&mut self, codec: &MediaCodec) {
+        while let Some(f) = self.frames.pop_front() {
+            release_unrendered(codec, f.index);
+        }
+        self.inflight = None;
+    }
+
+    /// The 1 Hz `pf-present` logcat mirror (target `pf.present`) — the Apple client's Console
+    /// `pf-present` line, so a HUD-off on-device A/B is readable wirelessly:
+    /// `released` (to glass) / `displays` (OnFrameRendered confirms) / `paced` (policy drops) /
+    /// `noBudget` (waits on the closed budget) / `forced` (stale force-opens — 0 when healthy) /
+    /// `qDry` (FIFO underflows) / `pace` (decoded→release) / `latch` (release→displayed) /
+    /// `feed`+`codec` (the decode stage split: received→queued hand-off/slot wait + the
+    /// codec-pure queued→decoded time) / `e2e` (capture→decoded, skew-corrected — the wireless
+    /// A/B headline) / `vsync` (the measured panel period).
+    ///
+    /// Returns this window's CIRCULAR latch statistics `(vector-mean latch ns mod panel period,
+    /// coherence ‰)` when a window actually flushed — the phase-lock reporter's v2 error signal
+    /// (design/phase-locked-capture.md §6; the v1 median was immovable under jitter).
+    pub(super) fn flush_log(
+        &mut self,
+        meter: &PresentMeter,
+        clock: Option<&VsyncShared>,
+    ) -> Option<(u64, u16)> {
+        if self.last_flush.elapsed() < std::time::Duration::from_secs(1) {
+            return None;
+        }
+        self.last_flush = Instant::now();
+        let (latch, displays, feed, codec, e2e) = meter.drain();
+        if self.released == 0 && displays == 0 {
+            return None; // idle stream — nothing worth a line
+        }
+        let (pace_p50, pace_max) = p50_max_ms(std::mem::take(&mut self.pace_us));
+        let (feed_p50, feed_max) = p50_max_ms(feed);
+        let (codec_p50, codec_max) = p50_max_ms(codec);
+        let (e2e_p50, e2e_max) = p50_max_ms(e2e);
+        let circ = clock.and_then(|c| {
+            punktfunk_core::phase::circular_latch(&latch, c.panel_period_ns().max(c.period_ns()))
+        });
+        let (latch_p50, latch_max) = p50_max_ms(latch);
+        let period_ms = clock.map(|c| c.period_ns() as f64 / 1e6).unwrap_or(0.0);
+        let panel_ms = clock
+            .map(|c| c.panel_period_ns() as f64 / 1e6)
+            .unwrap_or(0.0);
+        log::info!(
+            target: "pf.present",
+            "released={} displays={} paced={} noBudget={} forced={} qDry={} \
+             paceMs p50={:.2} max={:.2} latchMs p50={:.2} max={:.2} \
+             feedMs p50={:.2} max={:.2} codecMs p50={:.2} max={:.2} \
+             e2eMs p50={:.2} max={:.2} circ={:.2}ms coh={} \
+             vsyncMs={:.2} panelMs={:.2}",
+            self.released,
+            displays,
+            self.paced_drops,
+            self.no_budget,
+            self.forced,
+            self.dry,
+            pace_p50,
+            pace_max,
+            latch_p50,
+            latch_max,
+            feed_p50,
+            feed_max,
+            codec_p50,
+            codec_max,
+            e2e_p50,
+            e2e_max,
+            circ.map(|(m, _)| m as f64 / 1e6).unwrap_or(0.0),
+            circ.map(|(_, c)| c).unwrap_or(0),
+            period_ms,
+            panel_ms,
+        );
+        self.released = 0;
+        // Margin adaptation: repeated latch misses in one window (a miss presents a vsync
+        // late and coalesces the next frame into `paced`) mean this device's SF does need
+        // lead — widen toward the pre-sweep ceiling. One-way by design: a margin that once
+        // proved necessary is never re-gambled mid-stream (the next stream restarts at 0).
+        if !self.margin_pinned && self.paced_drops > 2 && self.margin_ns < LATCH_MARGIN_NS {
+            self.margin_ns = (self.margin_ns + 500_000).min(LATCH_MARGIN_NS);
+            log::warn!(
+                "presenter: {} latch misses in 1s — margin widened to {}us",
+                self.paced_drops,
+                self.margin_ns / 1_000
+            );
+        }
+        self.paced_drops = 0;
+        self.no_budget = 0;
+        self.forced = 0;
+        self.dry = 0;
+        circ
+    }
+}
+
+fn release_unrendered(codec: &MediaCodec, index: usize) {
+    if let Err(e) = codec.release_output_buffer_by_index(index, false) {
+        log::warn!("presenter: release_output_buffer({index}, false): {e}");
+    }
+}
+
+/// `debug.punktfunk.presenter` sysprop: `arrival` = the legacy release-immediately path,
+/// anything else / unset = the timeline presenter. The rebuild-free on-device A/B lever.
+pub(super) fn presenter_disabled_by_sysprop() -> bool {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; 92]; // PROP_VALUE_MAX
+                             // SAFETY: __system_property_get with a valid name + PROP_VALUE_MAX buffer is always safe.
+    let n = unsafe {
+        libc::__system_property_get(
+            c"debug.punktfunk.presenter".as_ptr(),
+            buf.as_mut_ptr().cast(),
+        )
+    };
+    n > 0 && &buf[..n as usize] == b"arrival"
+}
@@ -180,8 +180,14 @@ pub(super) fn boost_thread_priority() {
 ///     mode (e.g. 60↔120) instead of leaving the panel at its default and judder-matching. The
 ///     forced switch may blank the panel briefly — acceptable once at stream start, not wanted on a
 ///     phone. Falls through to the 2-arg hint on API 30.
-///   - Otherwise: `ANativeWindow_setFrameRate` (**API 30**) with `compatibility = DEFAULT` — the
-///     softer, seamless-preferred hint for phones/tablets and the universal fallback.
+///   - Otherwise: `ANativeWindow_setFrameRate` (**API 30**) — the seamless-preferred hint for
+///     phones/tablets and the universal fallback.
+///
+/// Both paths pass `compatibility = FIXED_SOURCE` (1): the stream is fixed-rate video content the
+/// client cannot re-pace, which is exactly what that value declares — `DEFAULT` (0) told the
+/// platform the app could adapt to whatever rate it picked, an invitation some OEM refresh
+/// governors accepted by simply not switching. (The window-level `preferredDisplayModeId` pin in
+/// `MainActivity.setStreamDisplayMode` is the phone-side belt to this braces.)
 ///
 /// Returns `true` when the platform accepted a hint; `false` on API < 30 (symbols absent) or a
 /// decline.
@@ -200,8 +206,10 @@ pub(super) fn try_set_frame_rate(window: &NativeWindow, frame_rate: f32, is_tv:
        if lib.is_null() {
            return false;
        }
-        // TV: prefer the API-31 change-strategy form to force the mode switch (strategy 1 = ALWAYS,
-        // compatibility 0 = DEFAULT). Absent on API 30 ⇒ fall through to the 2-arg hint below.
+        // ANATIVEWINDOW_FRAME_RATE_COMPATIBILITY_FIXED_SOURCE — fixed-rate video content.
+        const FIXED_SOURCE: i8 = 1;
+        // TV: prefer the API-31 change-strategy form to force the mode switch (strategy 1 =
+        // ALWAYS). Absent on API 30 ⇒ fall through to the 2-arg hint below.
        if is_tv {
            let sym = libc::dlsym(
                lib,
@@ -209,7 +217,7 @@ pub(super) fn try_set_frame_rate(window: &NativeWindow, frame_rate: f32, is_tv:
            );
            if !sym.is_null() {
                let set = std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, SetFrameRateStrategyFn>(sym);
-                return set(window.ptr().as_ptr().cast(), frame_rate, 0, 1) == 0;
+                return set(window.ptr().as_ptr().cast(), frame_rate, FIXED_SOURCE, 1) == 0;
            }
        }
        let sym = libc::dlsym(lib, c"ANativeWindow_setFrameRate".as_ptr());
@@ -217,7 +225,7 @@ pub(super) fn try_set_frame_rate(window: &NativeWindow, frame_rate: f32, is_tv:
            return false; // device API < 30 — no per-surface frame-rate hint
        }
        let set_frame_rate = std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, SetFrameRateFn>(sym);
-        set_frame_rate(window.ptr().as_ptr().cast(), frame_rate, 0) == 0
+        set_frame_rate(window.ptr().as_ptr().cast(), frame_rate, FIXED_SOURCE) == 0
    }
 }

@@ -44,6 +44,10 @@ pub(super) fn run_sync(
        ll_feature,
        low_latency_mode,
        is_tv,
+        // The timeline presenter lives in the async loop only; this loop IS the escape hatch.
+        present_priority: _,
+        smooth_buffer: _,
+        panel_hz: _,
    } = opts;
    boost_thread_priority();
    let mode = client.mode();
@@ -181,7 +185,11 @@ pub(super) fn run_sync(
    // render = true are parked in the tracker; the OnFrameRendered callback pairs them with
    // SurfaceFlinger's render timestamp. `render_cb` is the callback's leaked Arc refcount,
    // reclaimed after the codec is dropped below.
-    let tracker = DisplayTracker::new(stats.clone(), clock_offset.clone());
+    let tracker = DisplayTracker::new(
+        stats.clone(),
+        clock_offset.clone(),
+        std::sync::Arc::new(super::presenter::PresentMeter::new()),
+    );
    let render_cb = install_render_callback(&codec, &tracker);
    // Receipt timestamps keyed by the pts we queue into the codec, so the decoded point (output-
    // buffer dequeue — MediaCodec round-trips presentationTimeUs) can be paired back to its receipt
@@ -598,7 +606,7 @@ fn drain(
            Ok(()) if held_present => {
                rendered = 1;
                if let Some((pts_us, decoded_ns)) = meta {
-                    tracker.note_rendered(pts_us, decoded_ns);
+                    tracker.note_rendered(pts_us, decoded_ns, super::latency::now_realtime_ns());
                }
            }
            Ok(()) => discarded += 1, // held off the screen — awaiting a clean re-anchor
@@ -0,0 +1,448 @@
+//! The vsync clock behind the timeline presenter: an `AChoreographer` thread publishing the
+//! panel's vsync grid + upcoming frame timelines, and pulsing the decode loop's event channel so
+//! a frame parked on a closed glass budget gets its retry tick.
+//!
+//! On API 33+ the thread rides `AChoreographer_postVsyncCallback`, whose callback payload carries
+//! the platform's FRAME TIMELINES — for each upcoming refresh, when SurfaceFlinger expects to
+//! present and the deadline by which a frame must be submitted to make it. That pair is exactly
+//! what `AMediaCodec_releaseOutputBufferAtTime` wants as its target. On 31/32 the older
+//! `postFrameCallback64` supplies only the vsync instant; the presenter then releases ASAP
+//! (identical to the legacy path) and uses the measured period purely to predict the latch for
+//! its glass budget.
+//!
+//! Every `AChoreographer_*` symbol is dlsym-resolved from `libandroid.so` (mirrors
+//! [`super::setup::try_set_frame_rate`]): several sit above the crate's API floor, and one hard
+//! import of a too-new symbol fails `System.loadLibrary` on every older device.
+//!
+//! Started LAZILY on the first decoded frame (the Apple deadline presenter's bootstrap lesson:
+//! an eagerly started clock ticks uselessly for the whole connect window), stopped + joined via
+//! [`VsyncClock`]'s `Drop`.
+
+use std::ffi::c_void;
+use std::sync::atomic::{AtomicBool, AtomicI64, Ordering};
+use std::sync::{Arc, Mutex};
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+/// `CLOCK_MONOTONIC` now in nanoseconds — the clock AChoreographer stamps its timelines on and
+/// the one `AMediaCodec_releaseOutputBufferAtTime` compares against (`System.nanoTime` basis).
+/// Distinct from the stats path's `CLOCK_REALTIME`: presenter scheduling stays monotonic.
+pub(super) fn now_monotonic_ns() -> i64 {
+    let mut ts = libc::timespec {
+        tv_sec: 0,
+        tv_nsec: 0,
+    };
+    // SAFETY: `clock_gettime` with a valid out-pointer is an always-safe syscall.
+    unsafe { libc::clock_gettime(libc::CLOCK_MONOTONIC, &mut ts) };
+    // Explicit widening: timespec's fields are 32-bit on armv7 (time_t/c_long).
+    ts.tv_sec as i64 * 1_000_000_000 + ts.tv_nsec as i64
+}
+
+/// One upcoming frame timeline (API 33+ payload): when SurfaceFlinger expects to present the
+/// frame, and the last instant it can be submitted to make that present. Monotonic ns.
+#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+pub(super) struct FrameTimeline {
+    pub expected_present_ns: i64,
+    pub deadline_ns: i64,
+}
+
+/// State the choreographer thread publishes and the decode loop reads. All monotonic ns.
+pub(super) struct VsyncShared {
+    stop: AtomicBool,
+    /// The latest vsync callback's frame time (0 = no callback yet).
+    last_vsync_ns: AtomicI64,
+    /// Estimated vsync period (EMA over callback deltas / timeline spacing; 0 = unmeasured).
+    ///
+    /// ⚠ This is the APP's render rate, not necessarily the panel's: Android down-rates a
+    /// process's vsync stream (frame-rate categories / per-uid overrides), so a quiet UI can be
+    /// served 60 Hz callbacks while the panel scans at 120 (observed on-glass, A024). Pacing
+    /// video to THIS rate would cap the stream — hence `panel_period_ns` + the subdivision in
+    /// [`Self::next_target`].
+    period_ns: AtomicI64,
+    /// The panel's own refresh period (from the display mode Kotlin resolved at stream start;
+    /// 0 = unknown). The grid SurfaceFlinger actually latches on.
+    panel_period_ns: AtomicI64,
+    /// Callback count, for the one-shot cadence diagnostic log.
+    ticks: std::sync::atomic::AtomicU32,
+    /// The latest callback's upcoming timelines, soonest first. Empty on the 31/32 fallback.
+    timelines: Mutex<Vec<FrameTimeline>>,
+}
+
+impl VsyncShared {
+    /// The measured vsync period, or 0 while unmeasured.
+    pub(super) fn period_ns(&self) -> i64 {
+        self.period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+    }
+
+    /// The panel's own refresh period (0 = unknown) — for the pf-present line's decomposition.
+    pub(super) fn panel_period_ns(&self) -> i64 {
+        self.panel_period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+    }
+
+    /// The release target for a frame submitted at `now`: the earliest stored timeline whose
+    /// EXPECTED PRESENT is still `margin` away, extrapolated forward by whole periods once the
+    /// stored set has aged out (timelines refresh once per vsync callback; a frame can decode
+    /// anywhere inside that window). `None` on the 31/32 fallback — the caller releases ASAP.
+    ///
+    /// Gated on `expected_present`, NOT the timeline's `deadline`, on purpose: the deadline
+    /// budgets for GPU rendering the app has yet to submit (`presDeadline` — 11.3 ms on the
+    /// A024, more than a full 120 Hz period), but a video buffer is already fully rendered —
+    /// the only real constraint is SurfaceFlinger's own latch lead, which is what the caller's
+    /// `margin` represents. Targeting by deadline cost every frame an extra refresh of waiting
+    /// (measured: latch p50 ~21 ms vs the ~2-interval floor); a mis-gamble here just means the
+    /// frame presents one vsync later — exactly what the conservative gate always paid.
+    ///
+    /// The picked target is then SUBDIVIDED onto the panel grid: the platform reports timelines
+    /// at the app's assigned render rate, but the panel latches at its own — when the app is
+    /// down-rated (60 Hz callbacks on a 120 Hz panel) the reported timelines are a whole panel
+    /// period apart or more, and pacing to them would cap the video. Pulling the target earlier
+    /// by whole panel periods (while its present still clears the margin) restores the true
+    /// grid; when callbacks run at the panel rate the pull condition is never true and this is
+    /// a no-op.
+    pub(super) fn next_target(&self, now_ns: i64, margin_ns: i64) -> Option<FrameTimeline> {
+        let mut t = {
+            let g = self
+                .timelines
+                .lock()
+                .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+            let found = g
+                .iter()
+                .find(|t| t.expected_present_ns > now_ns + margin_ns)
+                .copied();
+            match found {
+                Some(t) => t,
+                None => {
+                    let last = g.last().copied()?;
+                    let period = self.period_ns();
+                    if period <= 0 {
+                        return None;
+                    }
+                    // All stored timelines have passed — step the last one forward whole
+                    // periods until its present clears `now + margin` again.
+                    let behind = (now_ns + margin_ns).saturating_sub(last.expected_present_ns);
+                    let k = behind / period + 1;
+                    FrameTimeline {
+                        expected_present_ns: last.expected_present_ns + k * period,
+                        deadline_ns: last.deadline_ns + k * period,
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        };
+        let panel = self.panel_period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+        if panel > 0 {
+            while t.expected_present_ns - panel > now_ns + margin_ns {
+                t.deadline_ns -= panel;
+                t.expected_present_ns -= panel;
+            }
+        }
+        Some(t)
+    }
+}
+
+// ---- dlsym'd AChoreographer surface ----
+
+type PostFrameCallback64 =
+    unsafe extern "C" fn(*mut c_void, unsafe extern "C" fn(i64, *mut c_void), *mut c_void);
+type PostVsyncCallback = unsafe extern "C" fn(
+    *mut c_void,
+    unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void, *mut c_void),
+    *mut c_void,
+);
+
+struct ChoreoApi {
+    get_instance: unsafe extern "C" fn() -> *mut c_void,
+    /// API 33: vsync callback with frame-timeline payload. Preferred.
+    post_vsync: Option<PostVsyncCallback>,
+    /// API 29 fallback: frame callback with only the vsync instant.
+    post_frame64: Option<PostFrameCallback64>,
+    // AChoreographerFrameCallbackData accessors (API 33; present iff `post_vsync` is).
+    fcd_frame_time: Option<unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> i64>,
+    fcd_timelines_len: Option<unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> usize>,
+    fcd_preferred_index: Option<unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> usize>,
+    fcd_expected_present: Option<unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void, usize) -> i64>,
+    fcd_deadline: Option<unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void, usize) -> i64>,
+}
+
+impl ChoreoApi {
+    /// Resolve from `libandroid.so`. `None` when even the baseline symbols are missing.
+    fn resolve() -> Option<ChoreoApi> {
+        // SAFETY: dlopen of the always-mapped libandroid.so (refcount bump, never closed); each
+        // dlsym is null-checked before the transmute to its fn-pointer type.
+        unsafe {
+            let lib = libc::dlopen(c"libandroid.so".as_ptr(), libc::RTLD_NOW);
+            if lib.is_null() {
+                return None;
+            }
+            let sym = |name: &std::ffi::CStr| {
+                let p = libc::dlsym(lib, name.as_ptr());
+                (!p.is_null()).then_some(p)
+            };
+            let get_instance = sym(c"AChoreographer_getInstance")?;
+            let post_vsync = sym(c"AChoreographer_postVsyncCallback");
+            let post_frame64 = sym(c"AChoreographer_postFrameCallback64");
+            post_vsync.or(post_frame64)?; // neither post entry point — no clock on this device
+            Some(ChoreoApi {
+                get_instance: std::mem::transmute::<
+                    *mut c_void,
+                    unsafe extern "C" fn() -> *mut c_void,
+                >(get_instance),
+                post_vsync: post_vsync.map(|p| std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, PostVsyncCallback>(p)),
+                post_frame64: post_frame64
+                    .map(|p| std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, PostFrameCallback64>(p)),
+                fcd_frame_time: sym(c"AChoreographerFrameCallbackData_getFrameTimeNanos").map(|p| {
+                    std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> i64>(p)
+                }),
+                fcd_timelines_len: sym(c"AChoreographerFrameCallbackData_getFrameTimelinesLength")
+                    .map(|p| {
+                        std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> usize>(
+                            p,
+                        )
+                    }),
+                fcd_preferred_index: sym(
+                    c"AChoreographerFrameCallbackData_getPreferredFrameTimelineIndex",
+                )
+                .map(|p| {
+                    std::mem::transmute::<*mut c_void, unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void) -> usize>(p)
+                }),
+                fcd_expected_present: sym(
+                    c"AChoreographerFrameCallbackData_getFrameTimelineExpectedPresentationTimeNanos",
+                )
+                .map(|p| {
+                    std::mem::transmute::<
+                        *mut c_void,
+                        unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void, usize) -> i64,
+                    >(p)
+                }),
+                fcd_deadline: sym(c"AChoreographerFrameCallbackData_getFrameTimelineDeadlineNanos")
+                    .map(|p| {
+                        std::mem::transmute::<
+                            *mut c_void,
+                            unsafe extern "C" fn(*const c_void, usize) -> i64,
+                        >(p)
+                    }),
+            })
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Everything a callback invocation needs. Owned by the choreographer thread's stack; callbacks
+/// only ever fire inside that thread's looper poll, so the borrow can't outlive the thread.
+struct CallbackCtx {
+    api: ChoreoApi,
+    choreographer: *mut c_void,
+    shared: Arc<VsyncShared>,
+    on_tick: Box<dyn Fn() + Send>,
+}
+
+impl CallbackCtx {
+    /// Common tail of both callback flavours: update the grid estimate, publish, pulse, re-arm.
+    fn tick(&self, frame_time_ns: i64, timelines: Vec<FrameTimeline>) {
+        let prev = self
+            .shared
+            .last_vsync_ns
+            .swap(frame_time_ns, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        // Panel-grid learner: timeline spacing is SurfaceFlinger's own grid, and the finest
+        // spacing ever observed is the panel's true period — trustworthy where the configured
+        // value is not (under a per-uid frame-rate override, `Display.getRefreshRate` REPORTS
+        // THE OVERRIDE, observed on-glass: a 120 Hz panel read back as 60 while early timelines
+        // ran at 8.28 ms). Corrects DOWNWARD only: subdividing onto a finer real grid is always
+        // valid, widening on a later down-rated window never is.
+        if timelines.len() >= 2 {
+            let spacing = timelines[1].expected_present_ns - timelines[0].expected_present_ns;
+            if (2_000_000..=42_000_000).contains(&spacing) {
+                let cur = self.shared.panel_period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+                if cur == 0 || spacing < cur - 200_000 {
+                    self.shared
+                        .panel_period_ns
+                        .store(spacing, Ordering::Relaxed);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // One-shot cadence diagnostic (3rd tick, once deltas exist): the callback cadence vs the
+        // panel period is exactly the down-rating question, and this line answers it on-glass.
+        if self.shared.ticks.fetch_add(1, Ordering::Relaxed) == 2 {
+            let spacing = if timelines.len() >= 2 {
+                timelines[1].expected_present_ns - timelines[0].expected_present_ns
+            } else {
+                0
+            };
+            log::info!(
+                "vsync: cadence Δ={:.2}ms timelines={} spacing={:.2}ms panel={:.2}ms",
+                if prev > 0 {
+                    (frame_time_ns - prev) as f64 / 1e6
+                } else {
+                    0.0
+                },
+                timelines.len(),
+                spacing as f64 / 1e6,
+                self.shared.panel_period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed) as f64 / 1e6,
+            );
+        }
+        // Period: prefer timeline spacing (exact, straight from the platform), else the delta of
+        // successive callbacks (jittery — EMA'd), clamped to sane panel rates (24..500 Hz).
+        let mut period = 0i64;
+        if timelines.len() >= 2 {
+            period = timelines[1].expected_present_ns - timelines[0].expected_present_ns;
+        } else if prev > 0 {
+            period = frame_time_ns - prev;
+        }
+        if (2_000_000..=42_000_000).contains(&period) {
+            let old = self.shared.period_ns.load(Ordering::Relaxed);
+            let smoothed = if old > 0 {
+                (old * 7 + period) / 8
+            } else {
+                period
+            };
+            self.shared.period_ns.store(smoothed, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        }
+        if !timelines.is_empty() {
+            let mut g = self
+                .shared
+                .timelines
+                .lock()
+                .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+            *g = timelines;
+        }
+        (self.on_tick)();
+        if !self.shared.stop.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            self.repost();
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn repost(&self) {
+        // SAFETY: `choreographer` is this thread's instance; the ctx pointer stays valid for the
+        // thread's life and callbacks only fire on this thread (see the struct doc).
+        unsafe {
+            let ud = self as *const CallbackCtx as *mut c_void;
+            if let Some(post) = self.api.post_vsync {
+                post(self.choreographer, on_vsync, ud);
+            } else if let Some(post) = self.api.post_frame64 {
+                post(self.choreographer, on_frame64, ud);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// API 33+ trampoline: harvest the frame timelines, then the common tick. Panic-free (an unwind
+/// out of an `extern "C"` fn aborts).
+unsafe extern "C" fn on_vsync(data: *const c_void, ud: *mut c_void) {
+    // SAFETY: `ud` is the thread's `CallbackCtx`, alive for the whole poll loop (see struct doc).
+    let ctx = unsafe { &*(ud as *const CallbackCtx) };
+    let api = &ctx.api;
+    let (mut frame_time, mut timelines) = (now_monotonic_ns(), Vec::new());
+    // SAFETY: `data` is the platform's callback payload, valid for this invocation; the accessors
+    // were resolved together with `post_vsync` (same API level) and are only called when present.
+    unsafe {
+        if let Some(f) = api.fcd_frame_time {
+            frame_time = f(data);
+        }
+        if let (Some(len_f), Some(pref_f), Some(exp_f), Some(dl_f)) = (
+            api.fcd_timelines_len,
+            api.fcd_preferred_index,
+            api.fcd_expected_present,
+            api.fcd_deadline,
+        ) {
+            let len = len_f(data).min(8);
+            // From the PREFERRED index on: earlier timelines are ones the platform already
+            // considers missed for a frame starting now.
+            let start = pref_f(data).min(len);
+            timelines = (start..len)
+                .map(|i| FrameTimeline {
+                    expected_present_ns: exp_f(data, i),
+                    deadline_ns: dl_f(data, i),
+                })
+                .collect();
+        }
+    }
+    ctx.tick(frame_time, timelines);
+}
+
+/// API 29 fallback trampoline: vsync instant only.
+unsafe extern "C" fn on_frame64(frame_time_ns: i64, ud: *mut c_void) {
+    // SAFETY: `ud` is the thread's `CallbackCtx` (see `on_vsync`).
+    let ctx = unsafe { &*(ud as *const CallbackCtx) };
+    ctx.tick(frame_time_ns, Vec::new());
+}
+
+/// The clock: a dedicated looper thread the choreographer calls back on. Dropping stops + joins.
+pub(super) struct VsyncClock {
+    shared: Arc<VsyncShared>,
+    join: Option<std::thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
+}
+
+impl VsyncClock {
+    /// Spawn the choreographer thread. `on_tick` fires once per vsync ON THAT THREAD — it must
+    /// only do something cheap and `Send` (the decode loop passes an event-channel send).
+    /// `panel_hz` is the display mode's own refresh rate (0 = unknown), the latch grid that
+    /// [`VsyncShared::next_target`] subdivides onto. `None` when the platform surface is missing
+    /// (very old device) — the presenter then runs clock-less (ASAP targets, predicted-latch
+    /// budget).
+    pub(super) fn start(panel_hz: i32, on_tick: Box<dyn Fn() + Send>) -> Option<VsyncClock> {
+        let api = ChoreoApi::resolve()?;
+        let timelines_live = api.post_vsync.is_some();
+        let shared = Arc::new(VsyncShared {
+            stop: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            last_vsync_ns: AtomicI64::new(0),
+            period_ns: AtomicI64::new(0),
+            panel_period_ns: AtomicI64::new(if panel_hz > 0 {
+                1_000_000_000 / panel_hz as i64
+            } else {
+                0
+            }),
+            ticks: std::sync::atomic::AtomicU32::new(0),
+            timelines: Mutex::new(Vec::new()),
+        });
+        let thread_shared = shared.clone();
+        let join = std::thread::Builder::new()
+            .name("pf-vsync".into())
+            .spawn(move || {
+                let looper = ndk::looper::ThreadLooper::prepare();
+                // SAFETY: getInstance on a thread with a prepared looper returns this thread's
+                // choreographer (never null once a looper exists).
+                let choreographer = unsafe { (api.get_instance)() };
+                if choreographer.is_null() {
+                    log::warn!("vsync: AChoreographer_getInstance returned null — no clock");
+                    return;
+                }
+                let ctx = CallbackCtx {
+                    api,
+                    choreographer,
+                    shared: thread_shared,
+                    on_tick,
+                };
+                ctx.repost();
+                // The bounded poll doubles as the stop check: no cross-thread wake needed, worst
+                // case teardown waits one timeout out. Callbacks fire inside poll_once_timeout.
+                while !ctx.shared.stop.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                    let _ = looper.poll_once_timeout(Duration::from_millis(250));
+                }
+                // `ctx` drops here — after the loop, so no queued callback can outlive it (they
+                // only ever fire inside this thread's poll).
+            })
+            .ok()?;
+        log::info!(
+            "vsync: choreographer clock started ({})",
+            if timelines_live {
+                "frame timelines"
+            } else {
+                "frame callback fallback"
+            }
+        );
+        Some(VsyncClock {
+            shared,
+            join: Some(join),
+        })
+    }
+
+    pub(super) fn shared(&self) -> &Arc<VsyncShared> {
+        &self.shared
+    }
+}
+
+impl Drop for VsyncClock {
+    fn drop(&mut self) {
+        self.shared.stop.store(true, Ordering::Relaxed);
+        if let Some(j) = self.join.take() {
+            let _ = j.join();
+        }
+    }
+}
@@ -1,16 +1,22 @@
 //! Android microphone uplink (android-only): capture mic PCM via AAudio (LowLatency **input**),
-//! Opus-encode 20 ms stereo frames, and push them to the host over the connector's mic plane
+//! Opus-encode 10 ms mono frames, and push them to the host over the connector's mic plane
 //! (`send_mic` → 0xCB datagram). The mirror of [`crate::audio`] in reverse: AAudio's realtime input
-//! callback hands captured interleaved f32 to a channel; a worker thread we own does the Opus
-//! encode + send (encoding is too heavy for the realtime callback, exactly as decode is on the
-//! playback side). Like the playback path, the realtime callback is allocation-free: captured
-//! bursts are copied into pre-allocated buffers from a recycle free-list (pool empty = drop the
-//! chunk, never allocate on the capture thread). Format matches the host decoder + the Linux
-//! client: 48 kHz **stereo**, 20 ms, Opus VOIP.
+//! callback hands captured f32 to a channel; a worker thread we own does the Opus encode + send
+//! (encoding is too heavy for the realtime callback, exactly as decode is on the playback side).
+//! Like the playback path, the realtime callback is allocation-free: captured bursts are copied
+//! into pre-allocated buffers from a recycle free-list (pool empty = drop the chunk, never
+//! allocate on the capture thread). Format: 48 kHz **mono**, 10 ms, Opus VOIP with in-band FEC —
+//! the host decodes any Opus frame ≤ 120 ms with its stereo decoder (mono packets upmix), so this
+//! needs no protocol change; speech gains nothing from stereo, and the shorter frame shaves a
+//! buffering interval off the uplink.
+//!
+//! **Mute** is a flag the encode loop reads per 10 ms frame, never a stream teardown: the AAudio
+//! input stream, the input-preset ladder it settled on and its primed buffers all survive a
+//! mute/unmute untouched, so toggling costs an atomic load and nothing else.

 use ndk::audio::{
-    AudioCallbackResult, AudioDirection, AudioFormat, AudioPerformanceMode, AudioSharingMode,
-    AudioStream, AudioStreamBuilder,
+    AudioCallbackResult, AudioDirection, AudioFormat, AudioInputPreset, AudioPerformanceMode,
+    AudioSharingMode, AudioStream, AudioStreamBuilder, SessionId,
 };
 use punktfunk_core::client::NativeClient;
 use std::collections::VecDeque;
@@ -20,31 +26,57 @@ use std::sync::mpsc::{sync_channel, Receiver, RecvTimeoutError, SyncSender, TryS
 use std::sync::Arc;
 use std::time::{Duration, SystemTime, UNIX_EPOCH};

-const CHANNELS: usize = 2;
+const CHANNELS: usize = 1;
 const SAMPLE_RATE: i32 = 48_000;
-/// 20 ms per channel @ 48 kHz — the Linux client's frame; the host accepts ≤ 120 ms.
-const FRAME_SAMPLES: usize = 960;
+/// 10 ms per channel @ 48 kHz — half the desktop clients' 20 ms frame, trading a little Opus
+/// header overhead for one less buffered interval; the host accepts ≤ 120 ms.
+const FRAME_SAMPLES: usize = 480;
 /// Captured-chunk hand-off depth (each ~ one burst); drops on overflow (best-effort uplink).
+/// Bursts are sized in frames, so the wall-time depth is unchanged by the stereo→mono move.
 const RING_CHUNKS: usize = 64;
 /// Free-list buffer capacity, in interleaved f32 samples: comfortably above a LowLatency input
-/// burst (typically ≤ ~480 frames). A device with larger bursts costs each buffer a one-time grow
-/// on the capture thread, after which the steady state is allocation-free again.
-const CHUNK_CAP_SAMPLES: usize = 1920; // 20 ms stereo
-/// Opus VOIP target bitrate (speech; tunable).
-const MIC_BITRATE: i32 = 64_000;
+/// burst (typically ≤ ~480 frames — mono, so samples = frames). A device with larger bursts costs
+/// each buffer a one-time grow on the capture thread, after which the steady state is
+/// allocation-free again.
+const CHUNK_CAP_SAMPLES: usize = 960; // 20 ms mono — the same wall-time as the old stereo value
+/// Opus VOIP target bitrate (mono speech; tunable).
+const MIC_BITRATE: i32 = 48_000;
+/// Encode-side self-heal threshold, in queued 10 ms frames (~60 ms): waking to more than this
+/// means the uplink stalled — and because the capture callback drops the NEWEST chunk when the
+/// channel is full, a stall otherwise converts to standing mic delay that never drains (real-time
+/// playback host-side never makes time back up). Skip to the newest few frames instead.
+const BACKLOG_MAX_FRAMES: usize = 6;
+/// What a self-heal keeps: ~20 ms of the freshest audio (one audible blip, live again).
+const BACKLOG_KEEP_FRAMES: usize = 2;

 /// Owned by [`crate::session::SessionHandle`]: the live AAudio input stream + the encode thread.
 pub struct MicCapture {
    _stream: AudioStream, // dropping it stops + closes the AAudio input stream
+    /// The audio-session id AAudio allocated (`> 0`) when echo cancellation asked for one — the
+    /// hook Kotlin hangs the Java `AcousticEchoCanceler`/`NoiseSuppressor` on. `0` = none.
+    session_id: i32,
    shutdown: Arc<AtomicBool>,
    join: Option<std::thread::JoinHandle<()>>,
 }

 impl MicCapture {
-    /// Open AAudio (LowLatency, 48 kHz/stereo/f32) for **input** with a realtime callback that
-    /// forwards captured PCM to a channel, then spawn the Opus encode + uplink thread. `None` on
-    /// failure (the caller leaves the rest of the session streaming).
-    pub fn start(client: Arc<NativeClient>) -> Option<MicCapture> {
+    /// Open AAudio (LowLatency, 48 kHz/mono/f32) for **input** with a realtime callback that
+    /// forwards captured PCM to a channel, then spawn the Opus encode + uplink thread. With
+    /// `echo_cancel` the stream opens under the `VoiceCommunication` input preset — the HAL's own
+    /// echo canceller / noise suppressor on the capture path (the default `VoiceRecognition`
+    /// preset deliberately bypasses them, which is why the host used to hear its own stream back
+    /// from a speaker-playing phone) — and allocates an audio session id for Kotlin's Java-effect
+    /// backstop. `None` on failure (the caller leaves the rest of the session streaming).
+    ///
+    /// `muted` is the SESSION's live mic-mute flag (owned by `SessionHandle`, not by this capture),
+    /// honoured per frame by [`encode_loop`]. Sharing it rather than owning it is what makes mute
+    /// survive the mic stop/start a surface recreate performs — and means a capture started while
+    /// muted never encodes its first frame, so there is no window for one to escape.
+    pub fn start(
+        client: Arc<NativeClient>,
+        echo_cancel: bool,
+        muted: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    ) -> Option<MicCapture> {
        let captured = Arc::new(AtomicU64::new(0));
        // Chunks discarded on the capture thread (free-list empty / encoder lagging); logged
        // throttled from the encode worker.
@@ -52,7 +84,9 @@ impl MicCapture {

        // One open attempt at a given sharing mode (same pattern as [`crate::audio`]: `open_stream`
        // consumes the builder AND the callback, so each try rebuilds the channels it captures).
-        let try_open = |sharing: AudioSharingMode| -> ndk::audio::Result<(
+        let try_open = |sharing: AudioSharingMode,
+                        voice: bool|
+         -> ndk::audio::Result<(
            AudioStream,
            Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
            SyncSender<Vec<f32>>,
@@ -99,13 +133,25 @@ impl MicCapture {
                AudioCallbackResult::Continue
            };

-            let stream = AudioStreamBuilder::new()?
+            // NOTE: no `.frames_per_data_callback(...)`: AAudio's own docs call leaving it unset
+            // the lowest-latency path (the callback then runs at the device's optimal burst,
+            // while pinning a size inserts an adaptation buffer), and the encode side re-chunks
+            // to 10 ms frames regardless of how the bursts arrive.
+            let mut builder = AudioStreamBuilder::new()?
                .direction(AudioDirection::Input)
                .sample_rate(SAMPLE_RATE)
                .channel_count(CHANNELS as i32)
                .format(AudioFormat::PCM_Float)
                .performance_mode(AudioPerformanceMode::LowLatency)
-                .sharing_mode(sharing)
+                .sharing_mode(sharing);
+            if voice {
+                // VoiceCommunication routes the capture through the HAL's AEC/NS; the allocated
+                // session id (`None` = allocate) is what Kotlin attaches the Java effects to.
+                builder = builder
+                    .input_preset(AudioInputPreset::VoiceCommunication)
+                    .session_id(None);
+            }
+            let stream = builder
                .data_callback(Box::new(callback))
                .error_callback(Box::new(|_s, e| {
                    log::warn!("mic: AAudio error (device reroute/disconnect?): {e:?}");
@@ -114,21 +160,52 @@ impl MicCapture {
            Ok((stream, rx, free_tx))
        };

-        // Exclusive first — MMAP-exclusive is AAudio's lowest-latency path — falling back to Shared
-        // when the device refuses (no MMAP, mic claimed, …). The started-log below prints the mode
-        // the device actually GRANTED (`share=`).
-        let (stream, rx, free_tx) = match try_open(AudioSharingMode::Exclusive) {
-            Ok(opened) => opened,
-            Err(e) => {
-                log::info!("mic: Exclusive open failed ({e}) — retrying Shared");
-                match try_open(AudioSharingMode::Shared) {
-                    Ok(opened) => opened,
-                    Err(e) => {
-                        log::error!("mic: open_stream (RECORD_AUDIO granted?): {e}");
-                        return None;
-                    }
+        // Exclusive first — MMAP-exclusive is AAudio's lowest-latency path — falling back to
+        // Shared when the device refuses (no MMAP, mic claimed, …); and each sharing mode with
+        // the voice preset before without it, because some HALs reject VoiceCommunication (or a
+        // session id) outright and a mic without echo cancellation still beats no mic. The
+        // ladder's last rungs are exactly the preset-less open this always did. The started-log
+        // below prints what the device actually GRANTED (`share=`/`session=`).
+        let attempts: &[(AudioSharingMode, bool)] = if echo_cancel {
+            &[
+                (AudioSharingMode::Exclusive, true),
+                (AudioSharingMode::Shared, true),
+                (AudioSharingMode::Exclusive, false),
+                (AudioSharingMode::Shared, false),
+            ]
+        } else {
+            &[
+                (AudioSharingMode::Exclusive, false),
+                (AudioSharingMode::Shared, false),
+            ]
+        };
+        let mut opened = None;
+        for &(sharing, voice) in attempts {
+            match try_open(sharing, voice) {
+                Ok(o) => {
+                    opened = Some(o);
+                    break;
                }
+                Err(e) => log::info!(
+                    "mic: open {sharing:?}{} failed ({e}) — trying the next fallback",
+                    if voice { "+VoiceCommunication" } else { "" },
+                ),
            }
+        }
+        let (stream, rx, free_tx) = match opened {
+            Some(o) => o,
+            None => {
+                log::error!("mic: open_stream (RECORD_AUDIO granted?): every mode refused");
+                return None;
+            }
+        };
+
+        // The session id AAudio actually allocated (only a voice rung asks for one): `> 0` is the
+        // handle Kotlin hangs the Java AcousticEchoCanceler/NoiseSuppressor off as the HAL
+        // preset's backstop; `0` = none, nothing to attach.
+        let session_id = match stream.session_id() {
+            SessionId::Allocated(id) => id.get(),
+            SessionId::None => 0,
        };

        if let Err(e) = stream.request_start() {
@@ -136,7 +213,7 @@ impl MicCapture {
            return None;
        }
        log::info!(
-            "mic: AAudio input started rate={} ch={} fmt={:?} share={:?}",
+            "mic: AAudio input started rate={} ch={} fmt={:?} share={:?} session={session_id}",
            stream.sample_rate(),
            stream.channel_count(),
            stream.format(),
@@ -147,15 +224,21 @@ impl MicCapture {
        let sd = shutdown.clone();
        let join = std::thread::Builder::new()
            .name("pf-mic".into())
-            .spawn(move || encode_loop(client, rx, free_tx, sd, captured, dropped))
+            .spawn(move || encode_loop(client, rx, free_tx, sd, muted, captured, dropped))
            .ok();

        Some(MicCapture {
            _stream: stream,
+            session_id,
            shutdown,
            join,
        })
    }
+
+    /// The audio-session id AAudio allocated (`> 0`; see [`MicCapture::start`]), `0` = none.
+    pub fn session_id(&self) -> i32 {
+        self.session_id
+    }
 }

 impl Drop for MicCapture {
@@ -168,20 +251,29 @@ impl Drop for MicCapture {
    }
 }

-/// Consumer: drain captured f32 → accumulate → Opus `encode_float` 20 ms stereo frames → `send_mic`.
+/// Consumer: drain captured f32 → accumulate → Opus `encode_float` 10 ms mono frames → `send_mic`.
 /// Drained chunk buffers go back to the callback's free-list; the encode scratch is reused across
 /// frames (only the packet Vec handed to `send_mic` is allocated per frame — it's sent away owned).
+///
+/// While `muted` is set a formed frame is dropped instead of encoded (see the frame loop) — the
+/// capture side keeps running exactly as it does unmuted, so nothing about the stream, its ring or
+/// its backlog behaviour changes across a toggle.
 fn encode_loop(
    client: Arc<NativeClient>,
    rx: Receiver<Vec<f32>>,
    free_tx: SyncSender<Vec<f32>>,
    shutdown: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    muted: Arc<AtomicBool>,
    captured: Arc<AtomicU64>,
    dropped: Arc<AtomicU64>,
 ) {
+    // Fold this Opus-encode/uplink thread into the client's hot-thread set so the ADPF session the
+    // decode thread opens keeps mic encode on a fast core too (the playback side's decode_loop
+    // does the same). No-op below API 33.
+    client.register_hot_thread();
    let mut enc = match opus::Encoder::new(
        SAMPLE_RATE as u32,
-        opus::Channels::Stereo,
+        opus::Channels::Mono,
        opus::Application::Voip,
    ) {
        Ok(e) => e,
@@ -191,13 +283,21 @@ fn encode_loop(
        }
    };
    let _ = enc.set_bitrate(opus::Bitrate::Bits(MIC_BITRATE));
+    // Speech tuning: complexity 5 roughly halves encode cost for no audible loss at this rate,
+    // and in-band FEC at an assumed 10% loss lets the host's decoder reconstruct a dropped
+    // datagram from its successor instead of playing a hole (the uplink is fire-and-forget).
+    let _ = enc.set_complexity(5);
+    let _ = enc.set_inband_fec(true);
+    let _ = enc.set_packet_loss_perc(10);

    let frame = FRAME_SAMPLES * CHANNELS;
    let mut ring: VecDeque<f32> = VecDeque::with_capacity(frame * 4);
-    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; frame]; // reusable encode scratch (one 20 ms frame)
-    let mut out = vec![0u8; 4000]; // max Opus packet for a 20 ms frame fits easily
+    let mut pcm = vec![0f32; frame]; // reusable encode scratch (one 10 ms frame)
+    let mut out = vec![0u8; 4000]; // max Opus packet for a 10 ms frame fits easily
    let mut seq: u32 = 0;
    let mut sent: u64 = 0;
+    let mut stale: u64 = 0; // frames shed by the backlog self-heal (see BACKLOG_MAX_FRAMES)
+    let mut muted_frames: u64 = 0; // frames dropped unencoded because the user muted
    let mut peak = 0f32; // loudest |sample| since the last log — tells speech from silence

    while !shutdown.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
@@ -207,11 +307,41 @@ fn encode_loop(
                // callback's free-list (dropped only if the pool is momentarily full).
                ring.extend(chunk.drain(..));
                let _ = free_tx.try_send(chunk);
+                // Drain whatever else queued while we were away, so a post-stall backlog lands as
+                // ONE lump the self-heal below can size up — chunk-at-a-time it would be encoded
+                // (and inflicted on the host as standing delay) before it ever looked deep.
+                while let Ok(mut chunk) = rx.try_recv() {
+                    ring.extend(chunk.drain(..));
+                    let _ = free_tx.try_send(chunk);
+                }
            }
            Err(RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => continue, // wake to re-check shutdown
            Err(RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => break,
        }
+        // Self-heal the latency ratchet: a stall (scheduler hiccup, a slow send) queues stale
+        // audio, and every ms of it would ride the stream as mic delay for the rest of the
+        // session. Jump to the newest ~20 ms (one audible blip), counting the shed.
+        if ring.len() > BACKLOG_MAX_FRAMES * frame {
+            let excess = ring.len() - BACKLOG_KEEP_FRAMES * frame;
+            ring.drain(..excess);
+            stale += (excess / frame) as u64;
+        }
        while ring.len() >= frame {
+            // Muted: drop the frame at the last point before it would become an Opus packet —
+            // room audio is never encoded and nothing goes on the wire. `seq` does NOT advance:
+            // it numbers the datagrams the host de-jitters, and that side reads a seq jump as
+            // loss (conceal + a counted gap) where a mute is a pause. Freezing it means the
+            // frame after an unmute continues the chain, which is what the host's own
+            // `reset_stream` doc calls for and what the desktop uplink does. (Encoding silence
+            // instead would keep a pointless uplink and a host-side ring alive for the whole
+            // mute.) `peak` is the loudest sample the UPLINK carried since the last log, so a
+            // dropped frame resets rather than raises it.
+            if muted.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+                ring.drain(..frame);
+                muted_frames += 1;
+                peak = 0.0;
+                continue;
+            }
            for (dst, src) in pcm.iter_mut().zip(ring.drain(..frame)) {
                *dst = src;
            }
@@ -227,9 +357,10 @@ fn encode_loop(
                    let _ = client.send_mic(seq, pts, out[..len].to_vec());
                    seq = seq.wrapping_add(1);
                    sent += 1;
-                    if sent % 250 == 0 {
+                    if sent % 500 == 0 {
                        log::info!(
-                            "mic: sent={sent} captured_frames={} dropped_chunks={} peak={peak:.3}",
+                            "mic: sent={sent} captured_frames={} dropped_chunks={} \
+                             stale_frames={stale} muted_frames={muted_frames} peak={peak:.3}",
                            captured.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
                            dropped.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
                        );
@@ -241,7 +372,8 @@ fn encode_loop(
        }
    }
    log::info!(
-        "mic: stopped (sent={sent} captured_frames={} dropped_chunks={})",
+        "mic: stopped (sent={sent} captured_frames={} dropped_chunks={} stale_frames={stale} \
+         muted_frames={muted_frames})",
        captured.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
        dropped.load(Ordering::Relaxed),
    );
@@ -83,6 +83,28 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSetLowLaten
    punktfunk_core::transport::set_dscp_default(enabled != 0);
 }

+/// `debug.punktfunk.force_parts` = 1: arm slice-progressive parts delivery even when the
+/// Kotlin `FEATURE_PartialFrame` probe said no — the rebuild-free on-glass experiment for a
+/// decoder that may accept `BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME` without declaring the feature (the NP3's
+/// c2.qti decoders declare nothing). Android-only; everywhere else the probe verdict stands.
+#[cfg(target_os = "android")]
+fn force_parts_sysprop() -> bool {
+    let mut buf = [0u8; 92]; // PROP_VALUE_MAX
+                             // SAFETY: __system_property_get with a valid name + PROP_VALUE_MAX buffer is always safe.
+    let n = unsafe {
+        libc::__system_property_get(
+            c"debug.punktfunk.force_parts".as_ptr(),
+            buf.as_mut_ptr().cast(),
+        )
+    };
+    n > 0 && std::str::from_utf8(&buf[..n as usize]).unwrap_or("").trim() == "1"
+}
+
+#[cfg(not(target_os = "android"))]
+fn force_parts_sysprop() -> bool {
+    false
+}
+
 /// `NativeBridge.nativeConnect(host, port, w, h, hz, certPem, keyPem, pinHex, bitrateKbps,
 /// compositorPref, gamepadPref, hdrEnabled, audioChannels, preferredCodec, timeoutMs, launch,
 /// deviceName): Long`.
@@ -115,6 +137,8 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
    compositor_pref: jint,
    gamepad_pref: jint,
    hdr_enabled: jboolean,
+    multi_slice_ok: jboolean,
+    frame_parts_ok: jboolean,
    audio_channels: jint,
    video_codecs: jint,
    preferred_codec: jint,
@@ -153,6 +177,24 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
    } else {
        Some((cert, key))
    };
+    // Slice-progressive parts, by decoder truth (Kotlin's FEATURE_PartialFrame probe) — with a
+    // sysprop escape hatch for the on-glass science question the probe can't answer: does the
+    // decoder ACTUALLY choke on BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME input, or does it merely not declare
+    // the feature? (`adb shell setprop debug.punktfunk.force_parts 1` + stream restart; a codec
+    // that can't take parts errors recoverably and the reanchor gate + keyframe path recovers.)
+    let force_parts = force_parts_sysprop();
+    let frame_parts = frame_parts_ok != 0 || force_parts;
+    // The connect-time capability readout (`adb logcat -s pf.caps`): the P2 slice pipeline is
+    // inert client-side unless BOTH probes pass — this line is the one place that says which.
+    log::info!(
+        target: "pf.caps",
+        "decoder caps: multi_slice={} partial_frame={}{} hdr={} codec_bits={:#x}",
+        multi_slice_ok != 0,
+        frame_parts_ok != 0,
+        if force_parts { " (FORCED by sysprop)" } else { "" },
+        hdr_enabled != 0,
+        video_codecs,
+    );
    let pin: Option<[u8; 32]> = if pin_hex.is_empty() {
        None
    } else {
@@ -182,11 +224,19 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
        // sends a proper 8-bit BT.709 stream rather than PQ the panel would mis-tone-map. AMediaCodec
        // decodes Main10 from the SPS and the decode loop signals the Surface HDR dataspace + static
        // metadata (see crate::decode).
-        if hdr_enabled != 0 {
+        // 10-bit/HDR by panel truth (above) + multi-slice by DECODER truth: Kotlin probes every
+        // decoder this device would use (`VideoDecoders.multiSliceTolerant` — Amlogic wedges the
+        // whole device on multi-slice AUs, the 0.17.0 field regression) and only then may the
+        // host default to >1 slice per frame (its sub-frame readback / the P2 slice pipeline).
+        (if hdr_enabled != 0 {
            punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_10BIT | punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_HDR
        } else {
            0
-        },
+        }) | (if multi_slice_ok != 0 {
+            punktfunk_core::quic::VIDEO_CAP_MULTI_SLICE
+        } else {
+            0
+        }),
        // Requested surround layout (2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1). The host clamps to what it can
        // capture and echoes the resolved count in `connector.audio_channels`, which drives the
        // decoder + AAudio layout (read in `crate::audio::AudioPlayback::start`). Anything else
@@ -213,9 +263,17 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
        // No display-volume forwarding from Android yet (the panel tone-maps PQ itself via the
        // Surface dataspace + static metadata) — the host keeps its virtual-display EDID defaults.
        None,
-        // No non-video caps: this client does not render the host cursor locally (no shape/state
-        // planes in the jni surface), so advertising CLIENT_CAP_CURSOR would stream cursor-less.
-        0,
+        // No CLIENT_CAP_CURSOR: this client does not render the host cursor locally (no
+        // shape/state planes in the jni surface) — advertising it would stream cursor-less.
+        // CLIENT_CAP_PHASE_LOCK is honest: the async decode loop's presenter feeds
+        // report_phase (advisory in v1 — the host arms on report receipt — but the Hello
+        // should say what the client does).
+        punktfunk_core::quic::CLIENT_CAP_PHASE_LOCK,
+        // Slice-progressive delivery, by decoder truth (Kotlin probes FEATURE_PartialFrame on
+        // every decoder this device would use; `debug.punktfunk.force_parts` overrides for the
+        // on-glass experiment): AU prefixes then arrive as `Frame::part` pieces and the decode
+        // loop feeds them with BUFFER_FLAG_PARTIAL_FRAME.
+        frame_parts,
        launch, // a store-qualified library id to boot into a game, or None for the desktop
        device_name, // Kotlin's Build.MODEL — the host's approval-list / trust-store label
        pin,    // Some → Crypto on host-fp mismatch
@@ -233,6 +291,8 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeConnect<'lo
                audio: Mutex::new(None),
                #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
                mic: Mutex::new(None),
+                // A fresh session is never muted (mute is per-session UI state, not a setting).
+                mic_muted: Arc::new(std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool::new(false)),
            };
            Box::into_raw(Box::new(handle)) as jlong
        }
@@ -185,7 +185,12 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeHostSupport
 /// Floats per sample in the `nativeSendPen` flat array.
 const PEN_JNI_STRIDE: usize = 10;

-/// `NativeBridge.nativeSendPen(handle, samples, count)` — one stylus batch of STATE-FULL
+/// Sample ceiling per `nativeSendPen` call: over-cap runs are SPLIT into consecutive ≤8-sample
+/// `send_pen` batches (the send_pen contract — never truncated), so this only bounds the stack
+/// buffer. 64 samples ≈ >250 ms of 240 Hz history = a pathological UI-thread stall.
+const PEN_JNI_MAX_SAMPLES: usize = PEN_BATCH_MAX * 8;
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeSendPen(handle, samples, count)` — one stylus emit of STATE-FULL
 /// samples, `count` × [`PEN_JNI_STRIDE`] floats, oldest first:
 /// `[state, tool, x, y, pressure, distance, tilt_deg, azimuth_deg, roll_deg, dt_us]`.
 /// `state` = the wire `PEN_*` bits; `tool` 0=pen 1=eraser; `x`/`y`/`pressure`/`distance`
@@ -203,53 +208,56 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSendPen(
    if handle == 0 || count <= 0 {
        return;
    }
-    let count = (count as usize).min(PEN_BATCH_MAX);
-    let mut buf = [0f32; PEN_BATCH_MAX * PEN_JNI_STRIDE];
+    let count = (count as usize).min(PEN_JNI_MAX_SAMPLES);
+    let mut buf = [0f32; PEN_JNI_MAX_SAMPLES * PEN_JNI_STRIDE];
    let flat = &mut buf[..count * PEN_JNI_STRIDE];
    if env.get_float_array_region(&samples, 0, flat).is_err() {
        return; // short array — a bridge bug, never worth a crash on the input path
    }
-    let mut batch = [PenSample::default(); PEN_BATCH_MAX];
-    for (slot, s) in batch.iter_mut().zip(flat.chunks_exact(PEN_JNI_STRIDE)) {
-        if !s[2].is_finite() || !s[3].is_finite() {
-            return; // never forward a NaN coordinate
-        }
-        *slot = PenSample {
-            state: s[0] as u8,
-            tool: if s[1] as u8 == 1 {
-                PenTool::Eraser
-            } else {
-                PenTool::Pen
-            },
-            x: s[2].clamp(0.0, 1.0),
-            y: s[3].clamp(0.0, 1.0),
-            pressure: (s[4].clamp(0.0, 1.0) * 65535.0) as u16,
-            distance: if s[5] < 0.0 {
-                PEN_DISTANCE_UNKNOWN
-            } else {
-                (s[5].clamp(0.0, 1.0) * 65534.0) as u16
-            },
-            tilt_deg: if s[6] < 0.0 {
-                PEN_TILT_UNKNOWN
-            } else {
-                (s[6].clamp(0.0, 90.0)) as u8
-            },
-            azimuth_deg: if s[7] < 0.0 {
-                PEN_ANGLE_UNKNOWN
-            } else {
-                (s[7] as u16) % 360
-            },
-            roll_deg: if s[8] < 0.0 {
-                PEN_ANGLE_UNKNOWN
-            } else {
-                (s[8] as u16) % 360
-            },
-            dt_us: s[9].clamp(0.0, 65535.0) as u16,
-        };
-    }
    // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract; send_pen is &self.
    let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
-    let _ = h.client.send_pen(&batch[..count]);
+    let mut batch = [PenSample::default(); PEN_BATCH_MAX];
+    for run in flat.chunks(PEN_BATCH_MAX * PEN_JNI_STRIDE) {
+        let n = run.len() / PEN_JNI_STRIDE;
+        for (slot, s) in batch.iter_mut().zip(run.chunks_exact(PEN_JNI_STRIDE)) {
+            if !s[2].is_finite() || !s[3].is_finite() {
+                return; // never forward a NaN coordinate
+            }
+            *slot = PenSample {
+                state: s[0] as u8,
+                tool: if s[1] as u8 == 1 {
+                    PenTool::Eraser
+                } else {
+                    PenTool::Pen
+                },
+                x: s[2].clamp(0.0, 1.0),
+                y: s[3].clamp(0.0, 1.0),
+                pressure: (s[4].clamp(0.0, 1.0) * 65535.0) as u16,
+                distance: if s[5] < 0.0 {
+                    PEN_DISTANCE_UNKNOWN
+                } else {
+                    (s[5].clamp(0.0, 1.0) * 65534.0) as u16
+                },
+                tilt_deg: if s[6] < 0.0 {
+                    PEN_TILT_UNKNOWN
+                } else {
+                    (s[6].clamp(0.0, 90.0)) as u8
+                },
+                azimuth_deg: if s[7] < 0.0 {
+                    PEN_ANGLE_UNKNOWN
+                } else {
+                    (s[7] as u16) % 360
+                },
+                roll_deg: if s[8] < 0.0 {
+                    PEN_ANGLE_UNKNOWN
+                } else {
+                    (s[8] as u16) % 360
+                },
+                dt_us: s[9].clamp(0.0, 65535.0) as u16,
+            };
+        }
+        let _ = h.client.send_pen(&batch[..n]);
+    }
 }

 /// `NativeBridge.nativeSendText(handle, text)` — committed IME text, one `TextInput` event per
@@ -406,3 +414,66 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSendPadHidR
        data,
    });
 }
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeSendPadTouch(handle, pad, finger, active, x, y)` — one touchpad contact
+/// from a client-captured controller (the Sony USB capture), forwarded on the rich-input plane
+/// (`RichInput::Touchpad`, 0xCC). `finger`: contact slot 0/1; `x`/`y`: normalized 0..=65535 in
+/// SCREEN convention (+y down — the wire's fixed meaning); `active` 0 lifts the finger. The
+/// host's DualSense-family backends scale onto the virtual pad's touch surface. On-change only —
+/// the capture diffs, the host holds per-slot state.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSendPadTouch(
+    _env: JNIEnv,
+    _this: JObject,
+    handle: jlong,
+    pad: jint,
+    finger: jint,
+    active: jboolean,
+    x: jint,
+    y: jint,
+) {
+    if handle == 0 {
+        return;
+    }
+    // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract; send_rich_input is &self.
+    let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
+    let _ = h.client.send_rich_input(RichInput::Touchpad {
+        pad: (pad as u32 & 0xF) as u8,
+        finger: (finger as u32 & 0x1) as u8,
+        active: active != 0,
+        x: (x as i64).clamp(0, 65535) as u16,
+        y: (y as i64).clamp(0, 65535) as u16,
+    });
+}
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeSendPadMotion(handle, pad, gp, gy, gr, ax, ay, az)` — one motion sample
+/// from a client-captured controller (`RichInput::Motion`, 0xCC): gyro pitch/yaw/roll + accel,
+/// raw signed-16 values in the pad's own units, passed straight into the host's virtual
+/// DualSense report (the wire is a unit passthrough). Called from the capture thread at the
+/// controller's report rate.
+#[no_mangle]
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSendPadMotion(
+    _env: JNIEnv,
+    _this: JObject,
+    handle: jlong,
+    pad: jint,
+    gyro_pitch: jint,
+    gyro_yaw: jint,
+    gyro_roll: jint,
+    accel_x: jint,
+    accel_y: jint,
+    accel_z: jint,
+) {
+    if handle == 0 {
+        return;
+    }
+    let c = |v: jint| (v as i64).clamp(i64::from(i16::MIN), i64::from(i16::MAX)) as i16;
+    // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract; send_rich_input is &self.
+    let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
+    let _ = h.client.send_rich_input(RichInput::Motion {
+        pad: (pad as u32 & 0xF) as u8,
+        gyro: [c(gyro_pitch), c(gyro_yaw), c(gyro_roll)],
+        accel: [c(accel_x), c(accel_y), c(accel_z)],
+    });
+}
@@ -61,6 +61,13 @@ pub(crate) struct SessionHandle {
    audio: Mutex<Option<crate::audio::AudioPlayback>>,
    #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
    mic: Mutex<Option<crate::mic::MicCapture>>,
+    /// In-stream mic mute, set via `nativeSetMicMuted` and read per 10 ms frame by the mic's
+    /// encode loop ([`crate::mic`]). Session-lifetime rather than per-[`crate::mic::MicCapture`]
+    /// for the same reason the stats gate is: the mic stops and restarts across a surface
+    /// recreate, and a mute the user set must come back with it — with no window in which the
+    /// fresh capture could send an unmuted frame. Per session and never persisted: a new session
+    /// starts unmuted.
+    pub mic_muted: Arc<AtomicBool>,
 }

 struct VideoThread {
@@ -10,11 +10,13 @@ use jni::JNIEnv;

 use super::{jni_guard, SessionHandle};

-/// `NativeBridge.nativeStartVideo(handle, surface, decoderName, lowLatencyMode, lowLatencyFeature)`
-/// — wrap the SurfaceView's `Surface` as an `ANativeWindow` and start the decode thread rendering
-/// onto it. `decoderName` is the codec Kotlin ranked from `MediaCodecList` (`""` = let the platform
-/// resolve the default for the MIME); `lowLatencyMode` is the user's master toggle;
-/// `lowLatencyFeature` is whether that decoder advertised `FEATURE_LowLatency` (HUD label only).
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeStartVideo(handle, surface, decoderName, lowLatencyMode, lowLatencyFeature,
+/// isTv, presentPriority, smoothBuffer)` — wrap the SurfaceView's `Surface` as an `ANativeWindow`
+/// and start the decode thread rendering onto it. `decoderName` is the codec Kotlin ranked from
+/// `MediaCodecList` (`""` = let the platform resolve the default for the MIME); `lowLatencyMode`
+/// is the user's master toggle; `lowLatencyFeature` is whether that decoder advertised
+/// `FEATURE_LowLatency` (HUD label only); `presentPriority`/`smoothBuffer` are the timeline
+/// presenter's intent (0 = lowest latency / 1 = smoothness; buffer 0 = auto, 1..=3 frames).
 /// No-op if already started.
 #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
 #[no_mangle]
@@ -27,6 +29,9 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStartVideo(
    low_latency_mode: jboolean,
    ll_feature: jboolean,
    is_tv: jboolean,
+    present_priority: jni::sys::jint,
+    smooth_buffer: jni::sys::jint,
+    panel_fps: jni::sys::jint,
 ) {
    use super::VideoThread;
    use std::sync::atomic::AtomicBool;
@@ -70,6 +75,9 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStartVideo(
        ll_feature: ll_feature != 0,
        low_latency_mode: low_latency_mode != 0,
        is_tv: is_tv != 0,
+        present_priority,
+        smooth_buffer,
+        panel_hz: panel_fps,
    };
    let join = std::thread::Builder::new()
        .name("pf-decode".into())
@@ -169,11 +177,12 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStopVideo(
 }

 /// `NativeBridge.nativeVideoStats(handle): DoubleArray?` — drain ~1 s of decode stats for the HUD
-/// (unified stats spec, `design/stats-unification.md`). Returns 26 doubles
+/// (unified stats spec, `design/stats-unification.md`). Returns 33 doubles
 /// `[fps, mbps, e2eP50Ms, e2eP95Ms, latValid, skewCorrected, width, height, refreshHz, framesLost,
 /// bitDepth, colorPrimaries, colorTransfer, chromaFormatIdc, hostNetP50Ms, decodeP50Ms, hostP50Ms,
 /// netP50Ms, lostWindow, skippedWindow, fecWindow, framesWindow, dispValid, displayP50Ms,
-/// e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms]`
+/// e2eDispP50Ms, e2eDispP95Ms, paceP50Ms, latchP50Ms, presentsWindow, presenterActive,
+/// feedP50Ms, codecP50Ms, skippedOverflowWindow]`
 /// (the flags are 1.0/0.0; indexes 0–21 match the previous 22-double layout — 0–13 the original
 /// 14-double one with the latency pair re-based to the end-to-end capture→decoded headline, 14/15
 /// the stage p50s tiling it: `host+network` = capture→received, `decode` = received→decoded; 16/17
@@ -186,7 +195,15 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStopVideo(
 /// OnFrameRendered render timestamps — when `dispValid` is 1.0 the HUD headline becomes the
 /// directly-measured capture→displayed pair at 24/25 with `display` = decoded→displayed p50 at 23
 /// closing the equation, and when 0.0 — no render callback landed this window — it falls back to
-/// the capture→decoded headline at 2/3), or `null` when no decode thread is running.
+/// the capture→decoded headline at 2/3; 26–29 are the timeline presenter's split of the `display`
+/// term — `pace` = decoded→release (store + glass budget) p50 at 26, `latch` =
+/// release→displayed (SurfaceFlinger) p50 at 27, the window's on-glass confirm count at 28
+/// (`presents` vs `fps` is the presenter-health pair), and 29 = 1.0 while the timeline presenter
+/// is active this session; 30/31 are the `decode` stage's split p50s — `feed` =
+/// received→queued (hand-off + input-slot wait) at 30 and `codec` = queued→decoded (codec-pure,
+/// from the AU's last piece) at 31, both 0.0 when no sample landed (sync loop); 32 is the
+/// parked-AU overflow subset of the window's `skipped` at 19 (decoder fell behind, vs benign
+/// newest-wins pacing)), or `null` when no decode thread is running.
 /// Poll ~1 Hz from the UI; each call
 /// resets the measurement window. Not android-gated — pure `jni` + connector reads, so it links on
 /// the host build too (Kotlin only ever calls it on device).
@@ -210,7 +227,7 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeVideoStats(
            .drain(h.client.frames_dropped(), h.client.fec_recovered_shards());
        let mode = h.client.mode();
        let color = h.client.color;
-        let buf: [f64; 26] = [
+        let buf: [f64; 33] = [
            snap.fps,
            snap.mbps,
            snap.e2e_p50_ms,
@@ -251,6 +268,19 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeVideoStats(
            snap.display_p50_ms,
            snap.e2e_disp_p50_ms,
            snap.e2e_disp_p95_ms,
+            // Timeline-presenter split of the `display` term (pace = decoded→release, latch =
+            // release→displayed), the window's on-glass confirm count, and whether the presenter
+            // is active at all (0.0 = legacy release-immediately path — split reads 0 too).
+            snap.pace_p50_ms,
+            snap.latch_p50_ms,
+            snap.presents as f64,
+            if h.stats.presenter_active() { 1.0 } else { 0.0 },
+            // The `decode` stage's split (P3 science): feed = received→queued (hand-off +
+            // input-slot wait), codec = queued→decoded (codec-pure) — and the parked-AU
+            // overflow subset of `skipped` (decoder-health vs benign pacing drops).
+            snap.feed_p50_ms,
+            snap.codec_p50_ms,
+            snap.skipped_overflow as f64,
        ];
        let arr = match env.new_double_array(buf.len() as jsize) {
            Ok(a) => a,
@@ -264,10 +294,12 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeVideoStats(
 }

 /// `NativeBridge.nativeVideoSize(handle): IntArray?` — the negotiated video mode as
-/// `[width, height]`. Resolved at the handshake (Welcome), so it is known before a single frame
-/// arrives: the UI sizes the video surface to the STREAM's aspect rather than stretching it to the
-/// panel's. `null` on a `0` handle. Not android-gated — pure `jni` + a connector read, so it links
-/// on the host build too. Cheap; safe on the UI thread.
+/// `[width, height, refreshHz]`. Resolved at the handshake (Welcome), so it is known before a
+/// single frame arrives: the UI sizes the video surface to the STREAM's aspect rather than
+/// stretching it to the panel's, and pins the panel's display mode to the stream refresh. The
+/// trailing `refreshHz` was appended later — old readers index only 0/1 and never see it. `null`
+/// on a `0` handle. Not android-gated — pure `jni` + a connector read, so it links on the host
+/// build too. Cheap; safe on the UI thread.
 #[no_mangle]
 pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeVideoSize(
    env: JNIEnv,
@@ -281,7 +313,11 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeVideoSize(
        // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract.
        let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
        let mode = h.client.mode();
-        let buf: [i32; 2] = [mode.width as i32, mode.height as i32];
+        let buf: [i32; 3] = [
+            mode.width as i32,
+            mode.height as i32,
+            mode.refresh_hz as i32,
+        ];
        let arr = match env.new_int_array(buf.len() as jsize) {
            Ok(a) => a,
            Err(_) => return std::ptr::null_mut(),
@@ -365,33 +401,49 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStopAudio(
    })
 }

-/// `NativeBridge.nativeStartMic(handle)` — start mic capture (AAudio input → Opus → host `send_mic`).
-/// No-op if already running or on a `0` handle. Caller MUST hold RECORD_AUDIO; a failure (e.g. no
-/// permission) leaves the rest of the session streaming.
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeStartMic(handle, echoCancel): Int` — start mic capture (AAudio input →
+/// Opus → host `send_mic`). `echoCancel` opens the capture under the `VoiceCommunication` preset
+/// (the HAL's echo canceller / noise suppressor) and allocates an audio session id; the return
+/// value is that id (`> 0`), so Kotlin can attach the Java `AcousticEchoCanceler`/`NoiseSuppressor`
+/// as a backstop — `0` when none was allocated (echoCancel off, the preset fell back to the plain
+/// open, a `0` handle, or the mic failed entirely). Already running (a surface recreate) returns
+/// the running capture's id. Caller MUST hold RECORD_AUDIO; a failure (e.g. no permission) leaves
+/// the rest of the session streaming.
 #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStartMic(
    _env: JNIEnv,
    _this: JObject,
    handle: jlong,
-) {
+    echo_cancel: jboolean,
+) -> jni::sys::jint {
    if handle == 0 {
-        return;
+        return 0;
    }
    // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract.
    let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
    let mut guard = h.mic.lock().unwrap();
-    if guard.is_some() {
-        return; // already capturing
+    if let Some(m) = guard.as_ref() {
+        return m.session_id(); // already capturing — same stream, same session
    }
-    match crate::mic::MicCapture::start(h.client.clone()) {
-        Some(m) => *guard = Some(m),
-        None => log::error!("nativeStartMic: mic init failed (RECORD_AUDIO? — session unaffected)"),
+    // The capture SHARES the session's mute flag, so one started while muted stays muted (and
+    // sends nothing) from its very first frame — see `SessionHandle::mic_muted`.
+    match crate::mic::MicCapture::start(h.client.clone(), echo_cancel != 0, h.mic_muted.clone()) {
+        Some(m) => {
+            let session_id = m.session_id();
+            *guard = Some(m);
+            session_id
+        }
+        None => {
+            log::error!("nativeStartMic: mic init failed (RECORD_AUDIO? — session unaffected)");
+            0
+        }
    }
 }

 /// `NativeBridge.nativeStopMic(handle)` — stop + join the mic thread and close the AAudio input
-/// stream (without closing the session). No-op on `0`.
+/// stream (without closing the session). No-op on `0`. Leaves the session's mute state alone: a
+/// surface recreate stops and restarts the mic, and a user who muted must stay muted through it.
 #[cfg(target_os = "android")]
 #[no_mangle]
 pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStopMic(
@@ -407,3 +459,59 @@ pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeStopMic(
        }
    })
 }
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeSetMicMuted(handle, muted)` — mute/unmute the mic uplink mid-stream.
+///
+/// Muting deliberately does NOT stop the capture: the AAudio input stream, the input-preset rung
+/// it settled on and its primed buffers all stay exactly as they are, and the encode loop simply
+/// drops each 10 ms frame instead of encoding + sending it. A stop/start would re-run the preset
+/// fallback ladder and re-prime buffers on every toggle — hundreds of ms, and possibly a different
+/// rung (echo cancellation silently lost). This way a toggle costs one atomic store here and one
+/// relaxed load per frame there, and takes effect on the very next 10 ms boundary.
+///
+/// Sticky for the SESSION (the flag lives on the handle, not on the capture), so the mic restart a
+/// surface recreate performs comes back muted with no window for an unmuted frame to escape; a
+/// fresh session always starts unmuted. No-op on `0`. Not android-gated — pure `jni` + an atomic
+/// store, so it links on the host build too.
+///
+/// One honest consequence of keeping the stream open: the platform's own recording indicator stays
+/// lit while muted, because the mic really is still open. What stops is the encode and the send —
+/// no captured audio leaves the process.
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeSetMicMuted(
+    _env: JNIEnv,
+    _this: JObject,
+    handle: jlong,
+    muted: jboolean,
+) {
+    jni_guard((), || {
+        if handle != 0 {
+            // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract.
+            let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
+            h.mic_muted
+                .store(muted != 0, std::sync::atomic::Ordering::Relaxed);
+        }
+    })
+}
+
+/// `NativeBridge.nativeMicActive(handle): Boolean` — is a mic capture actually RUNNING? `true` only
+/// between a `nativeStartMic` that opened a stream and the matching `nativeStopMic`. The in-stream
+/// mute control is offered on this evidence rather than on the user's setting, so a device that
+/// refused every AAudio input rung (or a missing RECORD_AUDIO grant) shows no control instead of a
+/// lie about a mic that is being heard. `false` on a `0` handle. Cheap (one uncontended lock).
+#[cfg(target_os = "android")]
+#[no_mangle]
+pub extern "system" fn Java_io_unom_punktfunk_kit_NativeBridge_nativeMicActive(
+    _env: JNIEnv,
+    _this: JObject,
+    handle: jlong,
+) -> jboolean {
+    jni_guard(0, || {
+        if handle == 0 {
+            return 0;
+        }
+        // SAFETY: live handle per the nativeConnect/nativeClose contract.
+        let h = unsafe { &*(handle as *const SessionHandle) };
+        jboolean::from(h.mic.lock().unwrap().is_some())
+    })
+}
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ pub struct VideoStats {
    /// they (and the caller's latency computation — see `enabled`) early-out on this flag alone.
    /// Off until Kotlin shows the HUD.
    enabled: AtomicBool,
+    /// Whether the timeline presenter is active this session (async loop, not sysprop-disabled) —
+    /// stats index 29, so the HUD can label the display split it is (or isn't) getting.
+    presenter_active: AtomicBool,
    /// The resolved decoder identity for the HUD: the codec's actual `AMediaCodec` name (e.g.
    /// `c2.qti.avc.decoder`) and whether it advertised `FEATURE_LowLatency`. Set once when the
    /// decode thread creates the codec (`set_decoder`), read one-shot by `nativeVideoDecoderLabel`.
@@ -67,9 +70,29 @@ struct Inner {
    /// `end-to-end` = capture→displayed samples, µs (skew-corrected) — the spec's headline,
    /// measured directly (not summed from stages). Empty under the same fallback as `display_us`.
    e2e_disp_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// The `display` stage's presenter split, decoded→release (pace wait: store + glass budget),
+    /// µs. Empty on the legacy release-immediately path.
+    pace_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// The other half of the split, release→displayed (SurfaceFlinger's latch + scanout), µs —
+    /// from the `OnFrameRendered` render timestamps. `pace + latch ≈ display` per frame.
+    latch_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// The `decode` stage's feed split, received→queued (hand-off + input-slot wait), µs. Empty
+    /// when no receipt stamp matched (HUD off and ABR not measuring decode).
+    feed_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// The other half, queued→decoded (codec-pure: the decoder's own time on the AU, measured
+    /// from its LAST piece so a slice-progressive head start shows up as a shrink here), µs.
+    codec_us: Vec<u64>,
+    /// Frames confirmed on glass this window (`OnFrameRendered` callbacks) — the `presents`-vs-
+    /// `fps` health pair: presents ≪ fps means the presenter is dropping/serializing; an fps
+    /// deficit is upstream.
+    presents: u64,
    /// Client-side newest-wins/pacing drops this window (decoded frames released without
    /// rendering, or parked AUs dropped on overflow) — the spec's `skipped` counter.
    skipped: u64,
+    /// The subset of `skipped` that was parked-AU OVERFLOW (the decoder fell behind and whole
+    /// AUs were dropped before feeding) — a decoder-health signal, vs the benign newest-wins
+    /// pacing majority. Always ≤ `skipped`.
+    skipped_overflow: u64,
    /// Baselines for windowing the session-cumulative connector counters: the unrecoverable-drop
    /// and FEC-recovered totals as of the last drain (or the enable that opened the window), so
    /// each snapshot reports only THIS window's `lost` / `FEC` (spec line 4).
@@ -101,6 +124,18 @@ pub struct Snapshot {
    /// Whether any capture→displayed sample landed this window — gates the HUD's headline endpoint
    /// (`capture→displayed` vs the capture→decoded fallback) and the equation's `display` term.
    pub disp_valid: bool,
+    /// The `display` stage's presenter split p50s (ms): `pace` = decoded→release (store + glass
+    /// budget), `latch` = release→displayed (SurfaceFlinger). 0.0 when no sample landed (legacy
+    /// path / no render callbacks).
+    pub pace_p50_ms: f64,
+    pub latch_p50_ms: f64,
+    /// The `decode` stage's split p50s (ms): `feed` = received→queued (hand-off + input-slot
+    /// wait), `codec` = queued→decoded (codec-pure, from the AU's last piece). 0.0 when no
+    /// sample landed (sync loop / no receipt stamps).
+    pub feed_p50_ms: f64,
+    pub codec_p50_ms: f64,
+    /// Frames confirmed on glass this window (`OnFrameRendered` callbacks).
+    pub presents: u64,
    /// Phase-2 `host` / `network` split p50s (ms) — 0.0 when no 0xCF timing matched this window
    /// (old host / no samples yet), in which case the HUD keeps the combined `host+network` term.
    pub host_p50_ms: f64,
@@ -115,6 +150,8 @@ pub struct Snapshot {
    pub lost: u64,
    /// Client-side newest-wins/pacing drops this window (spec `skipped`).
    pub skipped: u64,
+    /// The parked-AU overflow subset of `skipped` (decoder fell behind; ≤ `skipped`).
+    pub skipped_overflow: u64,
    /// FEC shards recovered this window (spec `FEC`, windowed from the cumulative counter).
    pub fec: u64,
 }
@@ -132,6 +169,7 @@ impl VideoStats {
    pub fn new() -> VideoStats {
        VideoStats {
            enabled: AtomicBool::new(false),
+            presenter_active: AtomicBool::new(false),
            decoder: Mutex::new(None),
            inner: Mutex::new(Inner {
                window_start: Instant::now(),
@@ -144,7 +182,13 @@ impl VideoStats {
                decode_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
                display_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
                e2e_disp_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                pace_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                latch_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                feed_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                codec_us: Vec::with_capacity(256),
+                presents: 0,
                skipped: 0,
+                skipped_overflow: 0,
                last_dropped_total: 0,
                last_fec_total: 0,
                skew_corrected: false,
@@ -160,6 +204,18 @@ impl VideoStats {
        self.enabled.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
    }

+    /// Record whether the timeline presenter runs this session (decode thread, once at start).
+    // Set only by the android-only decode thread; unreferenced on the host build — expected.
+    #[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "android"), allow(dead_code))]
+    pub fn set_presenter_active(&self, on: bool) {
+        self.presenter_active.store(on, Ordering::Relaxed);
+    }
+
+    /// Whether the timeline presenter is active (stats index 29).
+    pub fn presenter_active(&self) -> bool {
+        self.presenter_active.load(Ordering::Relaxed)
+    }
+
    /// Toggle sampling. Enabling resets the window, so the first HUD poll after a show never mixes
    /// in counters (or a window start) from before the overlay was visible. `dropped_total` /
    /// `fec_total` are the connector's session-cumulative counters at this instant — they seed the
@@ -181,7 +237,13 @@ impl VideoStats {
            g.decode_us.clear();
            g.display_us.clear();
            g.e2e_disp_us.clear();
+            g.pace_us.clear();
+            g.latch_us.clear();
+            g.feed_us.clear();
+            g.codec_us.clear();
+            g.presents = 0;
            g.skipped = 0;
+            g.skipped_overflow = 0;
            g.last_dropped_total = dropped_total;
            g.last_fec_total = fec_total;
        }
@@ -275,6 +337,45 @@ impl VideoStats {
        g.skipped += n;
    }

+    /// Record parked-AU OVERFLOW drops (whole AUs dropped before feeding — the decoder fell
+    /// behind). Counts into `skipped` too, plus the overflow-only counter, so the HUD can tell
+    /// benign newest-wins pacing from a decoder that can't keep up.
+    // Driven only by the android-only decode thread; unreferenced on the host build — expected.
+    #[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "android"), allow(dead_code))]
+    pub fn note_skipped_overflow(&self, n: u64) {
+        if n == 0 || !self.enabled.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            return; // HUD hidden — skip the lock
+        }
+        // Poison-proof for the same reason as `note_received`.
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        g.skipped += n;
+        g.skipped_overflow += n;
+    }
+
+    /// Record one decoded frame's `decode`-stage split: `feed` = received→queued (hand-off +
+    /// input-slot wait; absent when no receipt stamp matched) and `codec` = queued→decoded
+    /// (codec-pure, measured from the AU's LAST piece — a slice-progressive head start shows
+    /// as a shrink here), both µs.
+    // Driven only by the android-only decode thread; unreferenced on the host build — expected.
+    #[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "android"), allow(dead_code))]
+    pub fn note_decode_split(&self, feed_us: Option<u64>, codec_us: u64) {
+        if !self.enabled.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            return; // HUD hidden — skip the lock
+        }
+        // Poison-proof for the same reason as `note_received`.
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        if let Some(f) = feed_us {
+            g.feed_us.push(f);
+        }
+        g.codec_us.push(codec_us);
+    }
+
    /// Record one decoded output frame: its capture→decoded `end-to-end` sample and its
    /// received→decoded `decode` stage sample (either may be absent — e.g. the receipt stamp for
    /// this pts predates the HUD being shown).
@@ -298,13 +399,19 @@ impl VideoStats {
    }

    /// Record one displayed frame (the `OnFrameRendered` render timestamp, re-based to the
-    /// realtime clock): its capture→displayed `end-to-end` sample and its decoded→displayed
-    /// `display` stage sample (either may be absent — the e2e clamp rejected an out-of-range
-    /// value, or the decoded stamp for this pts was already evicted/pre-HUD). Fired from the
-    /// codec's render-callback thread, not the decode thread — the lock makes that safe.
+    /// realtime clock): its capture→displayed `end-to-end` sample, its decoded→displayed
+    /// `display` stage sample, and the presenter split's `latch` half (release→displayed) — any
+    /// may be absent (the e2e clamp rejected an out-of-range value, or the release record for
+    /// this pts was already evicted). Fired from the codec's render-callback thread, not the
+    /// decode thread — the lock makes that safe.
    // Driven only by the android-only decode path; unreferenced on the host build — expected.
    #[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "android"), allow(dead_code))]
-    pub fn note_displayed(&self, e2e_us: Option<u64>, display_us: Option<u64>) {
+    pub fn note_displayed(
+        &self,
+        e2e_us: Option<u64>,
+        display_us: Option<u64>,
+        latch_us: Option<u64>,
+    ) {
        if !self.enabled.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
            return; // HUD hidden — skip the lock (the callback already skipped the clock reads)
        }
@@ -313,12 +420,32 @@ impl VideoStats {
            .inner
            .lock()
            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        g.presents += 1;
        if let Some(l) = e2e_us {
            g.e2e_disp_us.push(l);
        }
        if let Some(l) = display_us {
            g.display_us.push(l);
        }
+        if let Some(l) = latch_us {
+            g.latch_us.push(l);
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Record one released frame's pace-wait (decoded→release: the presenter's store + glass
+    /// budget), µs — the `display` stage's other half. Decode-thread only.
+    // Driven only by the android-only decode thread; unreferenced on the host build — expected.
+    #[cfg_attr(not(target_os = "android"), allow(dead_code))]
+    pub fn note_release(&self, pace_us: u64) {
+        if !self.enabled.load(Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            return; // HUD hidden — skip the lock
+        }
+        // Poison-proof for the same reason as `note_received`.
+        let mut g = self
+            .inner
+            .lock()
+            .unwrap_or_else(std::sync::PoisonError::into_inner);
+        g.pace_us.push(pace_us);
    }

    /// Compute the window's rates + latency percentiles, then reset for the next window.
@@ -341,6 +468,10 @@ impl VideoStats {
        g.decode_us.sort_unstable();
        g.display_us.sort_unstable();
        g.e2e_disp_us.sort_unstable();
+        g.pace_us.sort_unstable();
+        g.latch_us.sort_unstable();
+        g.feed_us.sort_unstable();
+        g.codec_us.sort_unstable();
        let snap = Snapshot {
            fps,
            mbps,
@@ -352,6 +483,11 @@ impl VideoStats {
            decode_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.decode_us, 0.50),
            display_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.display_us, 0.50),
            disp_valid: !g.e2e_disp_us.is_empty(),
+            pace_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.pace_us, 0.50),
+            latch_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.latch_us, 0.50),
+            feed_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.feed_us, 0.50),
+            codec_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.codec_us, 0.50),
+            presents: g.presents,
            host_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.host_us, 0.50),
            net_p50_ms: pctl_ms(&g.net_us, 0.50),
            lat_valid: !g.e2e_us.is_empty(),
@@ -359,6 +495,7 @@ impl VideoStats {
            frames: g.frames,
            lost: dropped_total.saturating_sub(g.last_dropped_total),
            skipped: g.skipped,
+            skipped_overflow: g.skipped_overflow,
            fec: fec_total.saturating_sub(g.last_fec_total),
        };
        g.window_start = Instant::now();
@@ -371,7 +508,13 @@ impl VideoStats {
        g.decode_us.clear();
        g.display_us.clear();
        g.e2e_disp_us.clear();
+        g.pace_us.clear();
+        g.latch_us.clear();
+        g.feed_us.clear();
+        g.codec_us.clear();
+        g.presents = 0;
        g.skipped = 0;
+        g.skipped_overflow = 0;
        g.last_dropped_total = dropped_total;
        g.last_fec_total = fec_total;
        snap
@@ -34,9 +34,10 @@ let package = Package(
                // Geist (SIL OFL 1.1) — the brand typeface, shared with punktfunk-website.
                // Registered with Core Text at first use; see BrandFont.swift.
                .copy("Resources/Fonts"),
-                // The host cards' OS marks (template vector imagesets derived from the
-                // assets/os-icons masters — FA brands CC BY 4.0 + Simple Icons CC0, see that
-                // README). `.process` compiles the catalog; loaded via OsIcon.swift.
+                // The host cards' OS marks (template vector imagesets generated from the
+                // assets/os-icons masters by scripts/gen-os-icons.sh — per-mark provenance and
+                // licensing in that README). `.process` compiles the catalog; loaded via
+                // OsIcon.swift.
                .process("Resources/OsIcons.xcassets"),
            ],
            linkerSettings: [
@@ -315,7 +315,15 @@ struct ContentView: View {
            clipboardAvailable: model.connection?.hostSupportsClipboard == true,
            clipboardOn: model.clipboardEnabled,
            toggleClipboard: { model.toggleClipboardSync() },
+            micAvailable: model.micAvailable,
+            micMuted: model.micMuted,
+            toggleMicMute: { model.toggleMicMute() },
            disconnect: { model.disconnect() }))
+        // ⌃⌥⇧A fired while input was CAPTURED (InputCapture's chord path posts it — the menu's
+        // identical equivalent can't reach a captured stream). Same toggle either way.
+        .onReceive(NotificationCenter.default.publisher(for: .punktfunkToggleMicMute)) { _ in
+            model.toggleMicMute()
+        }
        #endif
        #if os(macOS)
        // Fullscreen only while a session is up (incl. the trust prompt over the blurred stream),
@@ -724,31 +732,48 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                    }
                    .animation(.smooth(duration: 0.28), value: statsVerbosity)
                }
-                #if os(macOS) || os(tvOS)
-                // The start-of-stream shortcut banner (Windows-client parity): the platform's
-                // reserved controls on a glass pill, bottom-centre, for the first 6 seconds of
-                // every session — independent of the stats HUD, so the keys are discoverable
-                // even with statistics off. The banner's own task drops it (cancelled cleanly
-                // if the session view goes away first). On tvOS it carries the ONLY exits —
-                // Menu/B is swallowed during a session (the `.onExitCommand {}` in the tvOS
-                // session branch), so the hold gestures must be told to the user.
+                // The bottom-centre stack: the muted-microphone badge over the start-of-stream
+                // shortcut banner. ONE overlay for both, so the two can never land on top of each
+                // other in the seconds where they overlap.
                .overlay(alignment: .bottom) {
-                    if captureEnabled && showShortcutHint {
-                        Text(Self.shortcutHintText)
-                            .font(.geist(Self.shortcutHintFont, relativeTo: .caption))
-                            .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
-                            .padding(.horizontal, 14)
-                            .padding(.vertical, 8)
-                            .glassBackground(Capsule())
-                            .padding(.bottom, 24)
-                            .transition(.opacity)
-                            .task {
-                                try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(6))
-                                withAnimation(.easeOut(duration: 0.6)) { showShortcutHint = false }
-                            }
+                    VStack(spacing: 8) {
+                        #if !os(tvOS)
+                        // Shown for as long as the mic is muted, at every stats tier and with the
+                        // overlay off — see MicMutedBadge. tvOS has no microphone to mute.
+                        if captureEnabled && model.micMuted {
+                            MicMutedBadge { model.setMicMuted(false) }
+                                .transition(.opacity.combined(with: .scale(scale: 0.9)))
+                        }
+                        #endif
+                        #if os(macOS) || os(tvOS)
+                        // The start-of-stream shortcut banner (Windows-client parity): the
+                        // platform's reserved controls on a glass pill for the first 6 seconds of
+                        // every session — independent of the stats HUD, so the keys are
+                        // discoverable even with statistics off. The banner's own task drops it
+                        // (cancelled cleanly if the session view goes away first). On tvOS it
+                        // carries the ONLY exits — Menu/B is swallowed during a session (the
+                        // `.onExitCommand {}` in the tvOS session branch), so the hold gestures
+                        // must be told to the user.
+                        if captureEnabled && showShortcutHint {
+                            Text(shortcutHintText)
+                                .font(.geist(Self.shortcutHintFont, relativeTo: .caption))
+                                .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+                                .padding(.horizontal, 14)
+                                .padding(.vertical, 8)
+                                .glassBackground(Capsule())
+                                .transition(.opacity)
+                                .task {
+                                    try? await Task.sleep(for: .seconds(6))
+                                    withAnimation(.easeOut(duration: 0.6)) {
+                                        showShortcutHint = false
+                                    }
+                                }
+                        }
+                        #endif
                    }
+                    .padding(.bottom, 24)
+                    .animation(.easeOut(duration: 0.2), value: model.micMuted)
                }
-                #endif
                #if os(iOS)
                // Touch users have no menu / ⌘D, so when the HUD's Disconnect button isn't on
                // screen — the overlay off, or the compact pill (which carries no button) —
@@ -766,21 +791,24 @@ struct ContentView: View {
                .overlay(alignment: .topLeading) {
                    if captureEnabled,
                       statsVerbosity == .compact || (statsVerbosity == .off && showTouchExit) {
-                        Button { model.disconnect() } label: {
-                            Image(systemName: "xmark")
-                                .font(.headline.weight(.semibold))
-                                .frame(width: 36, height: 36)
-                                // Floating glass disc over the frame (26+, material fallback).
-                                // interactive: the disc IS the tap target, so the glass reacts
-                                // to press.
-                                .glassBackground(Circle(), interactive: true)
-                                // Match the hit region to the visible disc so every tap also
-                                // triggers the interactive-glass press highlight.
-                                .contentShape(Circle())
+                        HStack(spacing: 10) {
+                            Button { model.disconnect() } label: { touchDisc("xmark") }
+                                .buttonStyle(.plain)
+                                .accessibilityLabel("Disconnect")
+                            // The mic toggle rides the same discs, for the same reason: in these
+                            // tiers the HUD carries no buttons (compact is a stat pill, off is
+                            // nothing), so this is a touch-only user's ONLY way to mute. Absent —
+                            // not greyed — when the session sends no microphone at all.
+                            if model.micAvailable {
+                                Button { model.toggleMicMute() } label: {
+                                    touchDisc(model.micMuted ? "mic.slash.fill" : "mic.fill")
+                                }
+                                .buttonStyle(.plain)
+                                .accessibilityLabel(
+                                    model.micMuted ? "Unmute microphone" : "Mute microphone")
+                            }
                        }
-                        .buttonStyle(.plain)
                        .padding(12)
-                        .accessibilityLabel("Disconnect")
                        .transition(.opacity)
                        .task {
                            guard statsVerbosity == .off else { return }
@@ -794,14 +822,34 @@ struct ContentView: View {
        }
    }

+    #if os(iOS)
+    /// One touch-control disc: an SF Symbol on a floating glass disc over the frame (26+,
+    /// material fallback), sized as a comfortable tap target. `interactive`: the disc IS the tap
+    /// target, so the glass reacts to press, and the hit region is matched to the visible disc so
+    /// every tap triggers that press highlight.
+    private func touchDisc(_ symbol: String) -> some View {
+        Image(systemName: symbol)
+            .font(.headline.weight(.semibold))
+            .frame(width: 36, height: 36)
+            .glassBackground(Circle(), interactive: true)
+            .contentShape(Circle())
+    }
+    #endif
+
    #if os(macOS)
-    private static let shortcutHintText =
-        "Click the stream to capture · ⌃⌥⇧Q releases the mouse · ⌃⌥⇧D disconnects · ⌃⌥⇧S stats"
+    /// The reserved combos, told once per session. The mute segment appears only when the session
+    /// actually sends a microphone — teaching a shortcut for a mic that isn't on would be a lie.
+    private var shortcutHintText: String {
+        let base =
+            "Click the stream to capture · ⌃⌥⇧Q releases the mouse · ⌃⌥⇧D disconnects · ⌃⌥⇧S stats"
+        return model.micAvailable ? base + " · ⌃⌥⇧A mutes the mic" : base
+    }
    private static let shortcutHintFont: CGFloat = 12
    #elseif os(tvOS)
-    private static let shortcutHintText =
+    private var shortcutHintText: String {
        "Hold the remote's Back button — or L1+R1+Start+Select on a controller — to disconnect"
        + " · Touch surface moves the pointer · press clicks · Play/Pause right-clicks"
+    }
    private static let shortcutHintFont: CGFloat = 22 // read from the couch
    #endif

@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 // Session state for the app shell: owns the connection, the input capture, the trust
 // handshake phase, and the pump-thread → main-actor stats relay.

+// AVFoundation: AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus (the mic TCC grant behind `micAvailable`)
+// and, on tvOS, AVPlayer.eligibleForHDRPlayback (the TV-capability HDR gate).
+import AVFoundation
 import Foundation
 import os
 import PunktfunkKit
@@ -11,9 +14,6 @@ import SwiftUI
 #elseif canImport(UIKit)
    import UIKit
 #endif
-#if os(tvOS)
-    import AVFoundation // AVPlayer.eligibleForHDRPlayback — the TV-capability HDR gate
-#endif

 /// 1 Hz latency-stage line mirrored to the unified log so the stages can be read WITHOUT the
 /// on-screen HUD (Console.app, wirelessly on an iPad/Apple TV). The HUD is not a neutral
@@ -137,6 +137,14 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
    /// Mirrors StreamView's capture state (it owns the input capture; this drives the
    /// HUD's "click to capture" / "⌘⎋ releases" hint).
    @Published var mouseCaptured = false
+    /// The USER's in-stream mic mute (the HUD button, the Stream menu's ⌃⌥⇧A, the captured-state
+    /// chord, the iOS mic disc) — session state, deliberately NOT persisted: a mute is for the
+    /// people in the room right now, so every new session starts live if the mic is on at all.
+    /// One of the two inputs to the effective mute; `isBackgrounded` is the other, and
+    /// `applyMicMute` composes them — a user mute survives a trip through the background, and the
+    /// background's privacy mute never clears the user's choice. Local and instant: it gates
+    /// capture on this device, nothing is sent to the host.
+    @Published private(set) var micMuted = false
    /// Resize overlay (design/midstream-resolution-resize.md — client resize UX): true from the
    /// instant a Match-window resize starts steering toward a new size until a frame at that size
    /// decodes (or a safety timeout). Drives the blur+spinner so the unavoidable host-rebuild delay
@@ -338,7 +346,10 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
            let clientCaps: UInt8 =
                (MouseInputMode(rawValue: effective.mouseMode) ?? .capture) == .desktop ? 0x01 : 0
            #else
-            let clientCaps: UInt8 = 0
+            // iOS/tvOS run the stage-4 deadline presenter, whose link thread feeds
+            // reportPhase — advertise the vsync-aware presenter (0x02, CLIENT_CAP_PHASE_LOCK).
+            // macOS stays without it: the stage-2 arrival presenter has no latch grid.
+            let clientCaps: UInt8 = 0x02
            #endif
            let result = Result { try PunktfunkConnection(
                host: host.address, port: host.port,
@@ -437,7 +448,7 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
        guard phase == .streaming, let conn = connection, !isBackgrounded else { return }
        isBackgrounded = true
        conn.setVideoDropped(true)
-        audio?.setMicMuted(true)
+        applyMicMute() // now muted for privacy — on top of the user's own mute, not instead of it
        // Non-deliberate on fire (keep the host linger) so a user who returns late reconnects fast,
        // exactly like today's network-drop path. min 1 minute guards a nonsense setting.
        let minutes = max(1, timeoutMinutes)
@@ -462,13 +473,57 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
        backgroundDeadline = nil
        backgroundTimer?.cancel()
        backgroundTimer = nil
-        audio?.setMicMuted(false)
+        applyMicMute() // back to the user's own choice — which may well still be "muted"
        if let conn = connection {
            conn.setVideoDropped(false)
            conn.requestKeyframe()
        }
    }

+    // MARK: - Microphone mute (in-stream, per session)
+
+    /// Whether this session has a mic uplink there is any point in muting: the mic must be on in
+    /// the session's RESOLVED settings (a profile can turn it on or off), the platform must have
+    /// an app-accessible input at all, and the OS must not have refused us one. Drives whether the
+    /// mute control is offered — a live-looking mute button over a session that sends no
+    /// microphone would be a lie. Same three conditions `SessionAudio` starts an uplink on
+    /// (`.notDetermined` counts: the prompt is pending and a grant starts the uplink mid-session).
+    var micAvailable: Bool {
+        #if os(tvOS)
+        return false // no app-accessible microphone — SessionAudio never opens an uplink either
+        #else
+        guard settings.micEnabled else { return false }
+        switch AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .audio) {
+        case .authorized, .notDetermined: return true
+        default: return false // denied / restricted — there is no uplink to mute
+        }
+        #endif
+    }
+
+    /// Flip the user's mute. The in-stream surfaces (HUD button, Stream menu, ⌃⌥⇧A while
+    /// captured, the iOS mic disc) all land here.
+    func toggleMicMute() {
+        setMicMuted(!micMuted)
+    }
+
+    /// Set the user's mute directly (the badge's tap-to-unmute). Ignored when the session has no
+    /// microphone, so a stale surface can't leave a phantom "muted" badge over a session that was
+    /// never sending anything.
+    func setMicMuted(_ muted: Bool) {
+        guard micAvailable, micMuted != muted else { return }
+        micMuted = muted
+        applyMicMute()
+    }
+
+    /// Push the EFFECTIVE mute — the user's choice OR the background keep-alive's privacy mute —
+    /// onto the audio engine. The two reasons are composed here and nowhere else: whichever one
+    /// changed, the other still holds, so returning from the background can't un-mute a user who
+    /// muted mid-stream, and a user unmuting while backgrounded (Live Activity, another window)
+    /// doesn't open the mic behind their back.
+    private func applyMicMute() {
+        audio?.setMicMuted(micMuted || isBackgrounded)
+    }
+
    /// Follow a live stats-overlay cycle (⌃⌥⇧S, the three-finger tap, the Stream menu). Those
    /// surfaces write the GLOBAL setting as they always have; this moves the session's own tier
    /// with it, so cycling still works in a session a profile put on a different tier.
@@ -506,6 +561,9 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
        backgroundTimer = nil
        isBackgrounded = false
        backgroundDeadline = nil
+        // The mic mute is per-session and never persisted: the next stream starts live (if the
+        // mic is enabled), rather than silently carrying a mute nobody remembers making.
+        micMuted = false
        let audio = self.audio
        self.audio = nil
        // Gamepad capture is main-actor (releases held buttons on the wire while the
@@ -606,7 +664,8 @@ final class SessionModel: ObservableObject {
            speakerUID: settings.speakerUID,
            micUID: settings.micUID,
            micChannel: settings.micChannel,
-            micEnabled: settings.micEnabled)
+            micEnabled: settings.micEnabled,
+            echoCancel: settings.echoCancel)
        self.audio = audio
        // Gamepads: forward every controller GamepadManager selected — each on its own wire pad
        // index (a pin forwards only one, Automatic forwards all) — and render the host's feedback
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 // The app's "Stream" menu (macOS menu bar + iPad hardware-keyboard shortcuts). These live at
 // the Scene level so they keep working when the HUD overlay is hidden. The shortcuts are the
 // CROSS-CLIENT set every punktfunk client reserves — Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Q (release the captured
-// mouse) / +D (disconnect) / +S (stats) — and the menu is their discoverable surface on macOS
+// mouse) / +D (disconnect) / +S (stats), plus +A (mute the microphone), the Apple clients'
+// addition to it — and the menu is their discoverable surface on macOS
 // (the Linux client has its GTK Shortcuts window, Windows its start-of-stream banner). While
 // input is CAPTURED these key equivalents never reach the menu (the stream view swallows
 // keys); InputCapture's monitor detects the same combos there and performs the same actions —
@@ -27,6 +28,12 @@ struct SessionFocus {
    /// Clipboard sync is live (host-acked) — drives the item's Stop/Share title.
    var clipboardOn: Bool
    var toggleClipboard: () -> Void
+    /// The session has a mic uplink at all (its resolved `micEnabled`) — gates the mute item, so
+    /// it is never an enabled control over a session that sends no microphone.
+    var micAvailable: Bool
+    /// The user's mic mute is engaged — drives the item's Mute/Unmute title.
+    var micMuted: Bool
+    var toggleMicMute: () -> Void
    var disconnect: () -> Void
 }

@@ -60,6 +67,17 @@ struct StreamCommands: Commands {
            }
            .keyboardShortcut("q", modifiers: [.control, .option, .shift])
            .disabled(session?.isStreaming != true)
+            // Mic mute, local and instant (it gates capture on this device — the host is never
+            // asked). Per SESSION: it starts off every time, so this item is a live toggle, not a
+            // setting. Greyed when the session sends no microphone at all (Settings → mic off, or
+            // a profile that turns it off) rather than pretending there is something to mute.
+            // Captured, the combo is handled by InputCapture's chord path before menus see it;
+            // this item is the released-state path and the shortcut's documentation.
+            Button(session?.micMuted == true ? "Unmute Microphone" : "Mute Microphone") {
+                session?.toggleMicMute()
+            }
+            .keyboardShortcut("a", modifiers: [.control, .option, .shift])
+            .disabled(session?.isStreaming != true || session?.micAvailable != true)
            #if os(macOS)
            // Mid-session clipboard flip (design/clipboard-and-file-transfer.md §5.3). Greyed
            // when the host doesn't advertise the cap (older host / operator policy off).
@@ -179,6 +179,18 @@ struct StreamHUDView: View {
                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
            }
            #endif
+            // Mic mute — the in-stream toggle, on the same card as the other in-overlay action.
+            // Absent (not greyed) when the session sends no microphone: the HUD is a status card,
+            // and a dead control on it would read as "there is a mic, and it is on". The muted
+            // STATE is not this button's job — the badge over the stream says that at every tier
+            // and with the overlay off entirely. tvOS gets no control: no microphone, and a
+            // focusable one would steal the controller's A press from the host.
+            #if !os(tvOS)
+            if model.micAvailable {
+                Button(micButtonTitle) { model.toggleMicMute() }
+                    .font(.geist(12, relativeTo: .caption))
+            }
+            #endif
            // ⌃⌥⇧D lives on the app's Stream menu (so it still works when the HUD is hidden)
            // and in InputCapture's monitor while captured; this button is the in-overlay,
            // click-to-disconnect affordance. tvOS deliberately gets NEITHER a button (a
@@ -195,6 +207,19 @@ struct StreamHUDView: View {
        }
    }

+    #if !os(tvOS)
+    /// The mute button's wording. macOS names the chord, exactly as its Disconnect button does;
+    /// iOS/iPadOS spells the action out (the HUD's buttons there carry no shortcuts, even where a
+    /// hardware keyboard could fire one — the Stream menu is that keyboard's surface).
+    private var micButtonTitle: String {
+        #if os(macOS)
+        return model.micMuted ? "Unmute Mic (⌃⌥⇧A)" : "Mute Mic (⌃⌥⇧A)"
+        #else
+        return model.micMuted ? "Unmute Microphone" : "Mute Microphone"
+        #endif
+    }
+    #endif
+
    // MARK: - Card metrics

    /// The card's inner content padding. Roomier on tvOS — the stat text auto-scales for the
@@ -242,6 +267,42 @@ struct StreamHUDView: View {
    }
 }

+#if !os(tvOS)
+/// The muted-microphone badge — the mute STATE, as opposed to the buttons that flip it. It rides
+/// over the stream whenever the mic is muted, INDEPENDENT of the stats overlay (which the user
+/// may have cycled off, and which the compact tier reduces to a stat line): "am I muted?" is not a
+/// statistic, and a mute you can't see is how people talk to nobody for a minute. Same glass
+/// language as the HUD, sized like the start-of-stream banner it shares the bottom edge with.
+///
+/// It is also a control: tapping it unmutes. That is the guaranteed way back for a touch user who
+/// muted with the overlay off, and it costs the badge nothing (it is on screen either way).
+struct MicMutedBadge: View {
+    let onUnmute: () -> Void
+
+    var body: some View {
+        Button(action: onUnmute) {
+            HStack(spacing: 7) {
+                Image(systemName: "mic.slash.fill")
+                    .font(.system(size: 13, weight: .semibold))
+                    .foregroundStyle(.red)
+                Text("Microphone muted")
+                    .font(.geist(12, .medium, relativeTo: .caption))
+                    .foregroundStyle(.white.opacity(0.9))
+            }
+            .padding(.horizontal, 14)
+            .padding(.vertical, 8)
+            // interactive: the badge IS the tap target, so the glass reacts to press.
+            .glassBackground(Capsule(), interactive: true)
+            .contentShape(Capsule())
+        }
+        .buttonStyle(.plain)
+        .environment(\.colorScheme, .dark) // reads over any frame, like the resize overlay
+        .accessibilityLabel("Microphone muted")
+        .accessibilityHint("Unmutes the microphone")
+    }
+}
+#endif
+
 #if os(iOS)
 /// Device display geometry the overlay needs but UIKit doesn't expose publicly.
 enum DeviceMetrics {
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ struct GamepadSettingsView: View {
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.enable444) private var enable444 = false
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.codec) private var codec = "auto"
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.micEnabled) private var micEnabled = true
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.echoCancel) private var echoCancel = true
    // The overlay tier's raw string (rows tag by rawValue); the absent-key default runs the
    // legacy-hudEnabled migration (same pattern as ContentView/SettingsView).
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.statsVerbosity) private var statsVerbosityRaw
@@ -316,6 +317,11 @@ struct GamepadSettingsView: View {
                id: "mic", icon: "mic", label: "Microphone",
                detail: "Send this device's microphone to the host's virtual mic.",
                value: $micEnabled),
+            toggleRow(
+                id: "echoCancel", icon: "waveform", label: "Echo cancellation",
+                detail: "Cancel the audio this device plays out of the mic signal — stops "
+                    + "speaker setups feeding the game back to the host.",
+                value: $echoCancel),

            choiceRow(
                id: "pad", header: "Controller", icon: "gamecontroller", label: "Use controller",
@@ -98,6 +98,10 @@ enum SettingsFields {
        .init(name: "mic_enabled", key: DefaultsKey.micEnabled,
              overlay: \.micEnabled, effective: \.micEnabled)
    }
+    static var echoCancel: SettingsField<Bool> {
+        .init(name: "echo_cancel", key: DefaultsKey.echoCancel,
+              overlay: \.echoCancel, effective: \.echoCancel)
+    }
    static var touchMode: SettingsField<String> {
        .init(name: "touch_mode", key: DefaultsKey.touchMode,
              overlay: \.touchMode, effective: \.touchMode)
@@ -175,6 +179,7 @@ extension SettingsView {
        base.compositor = compositor
        base.audioChannels = audioChannels
        base.micEnabled = micEnabled
+        base.echoCancel = echoCancel
        base.gamepadType = gamepadType
        base.statsVerbosity = statsVerbosityRaw
        base.fullscreenWhileStreaming = fullscreenWhileStreaming
@@ -581,6 +581,10 @@ extension SettingsView {
                      field: "mic_enabled") {
                Toggle("Send microphone to the host", isOn: scoped(SettingsFields.micEnabled))
            }
+            described(echoCancelCaption, field: "echo_cancel") {
+                Toggle("Echo cancellation", isOn: scoped(SettingsFields.echoCancel))
+                    .disabled(!effective.micEnabled)
+            }
            #if os(macOS)
            if !inProfileScope {
                Picker("Microphone", selection: $micUID) {
@@ -619,6 +623,20 @@ extension SettingsView {
        }
    }

+    /// Honest about the macOS escape hatch: the voice processor only follows the system
+    /// default devices, so hand-picked endpoints silently keep the raw path (see
+    /// SessionAudio's topology note) — better said here than discovered mid-call.
+    private var echoCancelCaption: String {
+        let base = "Voice processing cancels the audio this device plays out of the mic "
+            + "signal, so a speaker setup doesn't feed the game back to the host."
+        #if os(macOS)
+        return base + " Follows the system default devices — a hand-picked speaker, "
+            + "microphone or input channel streams the raw mic instead."
+        #else
+        return base
+        #endif
+    }
+
    // MARK: - Controllers

    @ViewBuilder var controllersSection: some View {
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ struct SettingsView: View {
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.libraryEnabled) var libraryEnabled = true
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.fullscreenWhileStreaming) var fullscreenWhileStreaming = true
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.micEnabled) var micEnabled = true
+    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.echoCancel) var echoCancel = true
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.audioChannels) var audioChannels = 2
    @AppStorage(DefaultsKey.codec) var codec = "auto"
    // The overlay tier's raw string (the pickers tag by rawValue); the absent-key default runs
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 // Opus ⇄ PCM through CoreAudio's built-in codec (kAudioFormatOpus, macOS 10.13+ / iOS
 // 11+) — no bundled libopus. The host's audio plane is raw Opus packets (48 kHz stereo,
-// one frame per packet); AVAudioConverter handles them as single-packet
-// AVAudioCompressedBuffers with explicit packet descriptions.
+// one frame per packet); the mic uplink is 48 kHz MONO packets (one microphone bus —
+// the host's decoder upmixes, so duplicating it into a second channel only cost bits).
+// AVAudioConverter handles both as single-packet AVAudioCompressedBuffers with explicit
+// packet descriptions.
 //
 // Both classes are single-threaded by contract (one per direction, owned by their
 // drain/capture pipelines).
@@ -14,16 +16,16 @@ enum OpusCodecError: Error {
    case convertFailed(String)
 }

-/// 48 kHz stereo float32 interleaved — the PCM side of both converters and the layout
-/// of the playback ring buffer.
+/// 48 kHz stereo float32 interleaved — the decoder's PCM side (the host plane's shape).
 func opusPCMFormat() -> AVAudioFormat? {
    AVAudioFormat(
        commonFormat: .pcmFormatFloat32, sampleRate: 48_000, channels: 2, interleaved: true)
 }

 /// The compressed side: raw Opus, `framesPerPacket` nominal samples per packet at 48 kHz
-/// (240 = the host's 5 ms audio plane; 960 = the 20 ms packets the encoder emits).
-private func opusFormat(framesPerPacket: UInt32) -> AVAudioFormat? {
+/// (240 = the host's 5 ms audio plane; 480 = the 10 ms packets the encoder emits) and
+/// `channels` (2 = the host plane, 1 = the mic uplink).
+private func opusFormat(framesPerPacket: UInt32, channels: UInt32) -> AVAudioFormat? {
    var desc = AudioStreamBasicDescription(
        mSampleRate: 48_000,
        mFormatID: kAudioFormatOpus,
@@ -31,7 +33,7 @@ private func opusFormat(framesPerPacket: UInt32) -> AVAudioFormat? {
        mBytesPerPacket: 0,
        mFramesPerPacket: framesPerPacket,
        mBytesPerFrame: 0,
-        mChannelsPerFrame: 2,
+        mChannelsPerFrame: channels,
        mBitsPerChannel: 0,
        mReserved: 0)
    return AVAudioFormat(streamDescription: &desc)
@@ -45,7 +47,8 @@ final class OpusDecoder {

    /// `framesPerPacket`: the sender's packet duration in samples (host audio = 240).
    init(framesPerPacket: UInt32) throws {
-        guard let pcm = opusPCMFormat(), let opus = opusFormat(framesPerPacket: framesPerPacket),
+        guard let pcm = opusPCMFormat(),
+              let opus = opusFormat(framesPerPacket: framesPerPacket, channels: 2),
              let converter = AVAudioConverter(from: opus, to: pcm)
        else { throw OpusCodecError.unavailable }
        self.converter = converter
@@ -90,24 +93,43 @@ final class OpusDecoder {
 }

 final class OpusEncoder {
-    /// The encoder's packet duration: 960 samples = 20 ms, CoreAudio's default Opus
-    /// framing. The host's mic service decodes any Opus frame size up to 120 ms.
-    static let framesPerPacket: AVAudioFrameCount = 960
+    /// The encoder's packet duration in samples: 480 = 10 ms, halving the packetization
+    /// latency of the old 20 ms framing. CoreAudio honors it — mFramesPerPacket 480/mono
+    /// creates a converter that truly emits 10 ms CELT packets (TOC config 30), one per
+    /// 480-frame chunk, verified by inspection of the emitted TOC bytes and per-packet
+    /// frame accounting. 960 stays as the fallback should an older codec refuse 480.
+    /// The host's mic service decodes any Opus frame size up to 120 ms, so either is
+    /// wire-compatible.
+    let framesPerPacket: AVAudioFrameCount
+
+    /// 48 kHz MONO float32 interleaved — the uplink carries one microphone bus.
+    let pcmFormat: AVAudioFormat

    private let converter: AVAudioConverter
    private let outBuf: AVAudioCompressedBuffer
-    let pcmFormat: AVAudioFormat

    init() throws {
-        guard let pcm = opusPCMFormat(),
-              let opus = opusFormat(framesPerPacket: UInt32(Self.framesPerPacket)),
-              let converter = AVAudioConverter(from: pcm, to: opus)
+        guard let pcm = AVAudioFormat(
+            commonFormat: .pcmFormatFloat32, sampleRate: 48_000, channels: 1,
+            interleaved: true)
        else { throw OpusCodecError.unavailable }
-        converter.bitRate = 96_000
-        self.converter = converter
-        self.pcmFormat = pcm
+        var made: (converter: AVAudioConverter, fpp: AVAudioFrameCount)?
+        for fpp: AVAudioFrameCount in [480, 960] {
+            if let opus = opusFormat(framesPerPacket: UInt32(fpp), channels: 1),
+               let converter = AVAudioConverter(from: pcm, to: opus) {
+                made = (converter, fpp)
+                break
+            }
+        }
+        guard let made else { throw OpusCodecError.unavailable }
+        // 48 kbps: transparent for mono voice — the old 96 kbps budget was sized for
+        // the duplicated-stereo framing this encoder no longer emits.
+        made.converter.bitRate = 48_000
+        converter = made.converter
+        framesPerPacket = made.fpp
+        pcmFormat = pcm
        outBuf = AVAudioCompressedBuffer(
-            format: opus, packetCapacity: 4, maximumPacketSize: 1500)
+            format: made.converter.outputFormat, packetCapacity: 4, maximumPacketSize: 1500)
    }

    /// Encode exactly `framesPerPacket` frames of `pcmFormat` audio; returns the encoded
@@ -5,15 +5,22 @@
 //   AVAudioSourceNode pulls from the ring (silence on underrun with re-priming, so a
 //   network gap costs one dip, not permanent crackle).
 //
-//   mic → host: a second AVAudioEngine taps the input device, folds it to one mono bus (the
-//   chosen channel of a multi-channel interface, or a sum of all channels), resamples to 48 kHz
-//   stereo, slices 20 ms chunks, Opus-encodes, and sendMic()s each packet — the host feeds them
-//   into a virtual PipeWire source.
+//   mic → host: a tap on the input node folds the capture to one mono bus (the chosen channel
+//   of a multi-channel interface, or a sum of all channels), resamples to 48 kHz mono, slices
+//   10 ms chunks, Opus-encodes, and sendMic()s each packet — the host feeds them into a
+//   virtual PipeWire source.
+//
+// Engine topology. With the mic enabled and echo cancellation on (both defaults), BOTH
+// directions run on ONE AVAudioEngine with the system voice processor engaged
+// (`setVoiceProcessingEnabled`) — AEC needs render and capture on the same unit so it can
+// subtract what the speaker is playing from what the mic hears; without it, a loudspeaker
+// client feeds the host's own game audio straight back to it (the primary reported echo
+// source). The voice processor can only follow the system DEFAULT devices, so explicit
+// endpoint choices fall back to the old two-engine topology — see `wantsCombined` for the
+// exact decision, and `startCapture` for why two engines handle arbitrary device pairs.
 //
 // Devices are chosen by UID ("" = system default: the engine is then never pinned to a
-// concrete device and follows default-device changes). Two engines, not one — a single
-// AVAudioEngine ties input+output to one aggregate clock, separate engines keep
-// arbitrary mic/speaker combinations trivial.
+// concrete device and follows default-device changes).

 import AVFoundation
 import os
@@ -40,7 +47,21 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
    private let stateLock = NSLock()
    private var playbackEngine: AVAudioEngine?
    private var captureEngine: AVAudioEngine?
+    /// The one engine running BOTH directions when the voice processor is engaged;
+    /// `playbackEngine`/`captureEngine` stay nil while this is set.
+    private var combinedEngine: AVAudioEngine?
    private var drainStarted = false
+    /// The mute LATCH: the effective mute the owner last asked for (see `setMicMuted`). Held
+    /// because the uplink engine can appear LATER than the request — the mic permission prompt
+    /// is answered at the user's leisure, and the engine is built on the grant — so a mute set
+    /// in the meantime must be waiting for it. Applied by whichever start path wins the race.
+    /// Guarded by `stateLock`, like the engines it applies to.
+    private var micMuted = false
+    /// The playback jitter ring — created by whichever engine starts playback first and KEPT
+    /// across an engine rebuild (the permission-grant upgrade in `startEngines` swaps engines,
+    /// not the ring, so the drain thread never has to be re-pointed). Main-thread confined,
+    /// like every start path.
+    private var ring: AudioRing?
    #if !os(macOS)
    /// AVAudioSession `setCategory`/`setActive` are synchronous and block on the audio server, so
    /// they must not run on the main thread (UI stall — AVFoundation warns about it). PROCESS-WIDE
@@ -69,11 +90,15 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
    /// ASYNCHRONOUS: it activates the AVAudioSession off the main thread, then starts the engines on
    /// a later main-queue hop (gated by `!flag.isStopped`) — so playback is live shortly after, not
    /// on return. The mic may start later still if the permission prompt is pending.
-    public func start(speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int, micEnabled: Bool) {
+    /// `echoCancel` picks the engine topology — see the header note and `wantsCombined`.
+    public func start(
+        speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int, micEnabled: Bool, echoCancel: Bool
+    ) {
        #if os(macOS)
        // No AVAudioSession on macOS — start the engines directly (caller's thread, as before).
        startEngines(
-            speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel, micEnabled: micEnabled)
+            speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel,
+            micEnabled: micEnabled, echoCancel: echoCancel)
        #else
        // Configure + activate the session OFF the main thread (it blocks on the audio server),
        // then start the engines back on the main thread once it's active — engine routing/format
@@ -85,7 +110,7 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
                guard let self, !self.flag.isStopped else { return }
                self.startEngines(
                    speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel,
-                    micEnabled: micEnabled)
+                    micEnabled: micEnabled, echoCancel: echoCancel)
            }
        }
        #endif
@@ -104,6 +129,12 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
                try session.setCategory(
                    .playAndRecord, mode: .default,
                    options: [.allowBluetoothA2DP, .defaultToSpeaker])
+                // Uplink latency: ask for 5 ms IO quanta at the wire rate (the default ~10-23 ms
+                // quantum is most of the mic path's burst latency). Best-effort — the hardware
+                // has the final word (a Bluetooth route will ignore both), and whatever quantum
+                // is actually granted, the capture tap handles the buffers it gets.
+                try? session.setPreferredIOBufferDuration(0.005)
+                try? session.setPreferredSampleRate(48_000)
            } else {
                try session.setCategory(.playback, mode: .default)
            }
@@ -117,32 +148,80 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
    }
    #endif

-    /// Build + start the playback engine (and the mic uplink when enabled + authorized). Main
-    /// thread (engine setup); on iOS/tvOS the session is already active by the time this runs.
+    /// Build + start the engines — combined (voice-processed) or split, per `wantsCombined` —
+    /// with the mic uplink only when enabled + authorized. Main thread (engine setup); on
+    /// iOS/tvOS the session is already active by the time this runs.
    private func startEngines(
-        speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int, micEnabled: Bool
+        speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int, micEnabled: Bool, echoCancel: Bool
    ) {
-        startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
        #if os(tvOS)
        // No app-accessible microphone input on tvOS — playback only.
+        startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
        #else
-        guard micEnabled else { return }
+        guard micEnabled else {
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
+            return
+        }
+        let combined = wantsCombined(
+            speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel,
+            echoCancel: echoCancel)
        switch AVCaptureDevice.authorizationStatus(for: .audio) {
        case .authorized:
-            startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+            if combined {
+                startCombined(speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+            } else {
+                startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
+                startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+            }
        case .notDetermined:
+            // Playback must not wait out the permission prompt (the user answers at their
+            // leisure) — start it now, and on a grant either bolt the capture engine on
+            // (split) or swap the playback engine for the combined one (the ring and its
+            // drain thread carry over — see `makePlaybackChain`).
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
            AVCaptureDevice.requestAccess(for: .audio) { [weak self] granted in
                DispatchQueue.main.async {
                    guard let self, granted, !self.flag.isStopped else { return }
-                    self.startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+                    if combined {
+                        self.stateLock.lock()
+                        let playback = self.playbackEngine
+                        self.playbackEngine = nil
+                        self.stateLock.unlock()
+                        playback?.stop()
+                        self.startCombined(
+                            speakerUID: speakerUID, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+                    } else {
+                        self.startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+                    }
                }
            }
        default:
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
            log.warning("microphone access denied — mic uplink disabled (System Settings → Privacy)")
        }
        #endif
    }

+    #if !os(tvOS)
+    /// One engine or two: the voice processor requires render + capture on one unit, and that
+    /// unit can only follow the system DEFAULT devices — so echo cancellation gets the combined
+    /// engine only while nothing is explicitly pinned. On macOS a chosen speaker/mic UID or a
+    /// picked input channel (the voice processor's capture side is its own mono mix — a
+    /// per-channel pick can't survive it) keeps today's two-engine path, AEC-less but honoring
+    /// the exact endpoints the user named. On iOS routes are session-managed and the UIDs are
+    /// ignored, so the toggle alone decides.
+    private func wantsCombined(
+        speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int, echoCancel: Bool
+    ) -> Bool {
+        guard echoCancel else { return false }
+        #if os(macOS)
+        return speakerUID.isEmpty && micUID.isEmpty && micChannel == 0
+        #else
+        return true
+        #endif
+    }
+    #endif
+
    /// Stop both directions. Safe from any thread; waits the drain thread out (≤ its
    /// poll timeout) so the caller can close the connection right after.
    public func stop() {
@@ -152,6 +231,8 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        captureEngine = nil
        let playback = playbackEngine
        playbackEngine = nil
+        let combined = combinedEngine
+        combinedEngine = nil
        let wasDraining = drainStarted
        drainStarted = false
        stateLock.unlock()
@@ -160,6 +241,10 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
            capture.stop()
        }
        playback?.stop()
+        if let combined {
+            combined.inputNode.removeTap(onBus: 0)
+            combined.stop()
+        }
        #if !os(macOS)
        // Release the session so audio we interrupted (Music, podcasts) gets its resume cue. Like
        // activation, setActive is synchronous/blocking — run it on the shared serial session queue
@@ -180,15 +265,38 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        }
    }

-    /// Background keep-alive: silence the mic uplink while backgrounded (privacy — no room audio
-    /// leaves the device) and restore it on return. Pauses/resumes the capture engine; a no-op when
-    /// there's no uplink (playback-only / tvOS / mic disabled). The audio SESSION stays active for
-    /// background playback, so iOS may keep showing the recording indicator until a full reconfigure
-    /// — this stops the actual capture, which is the privacy-relevant part. Main thread.
+    /// Silence the mic uplink (no room audio leaves the device) or restore it. THE one muting
+    /// mechanism: the owner composes its reasons — the user's in-stream mute and the background
+    /// keep-alive's privacy mute — into one effective state and passes that here, so neither can
+    /// clear the other (see `SessionModel.applyMicMute`).
+    ///
+    /// Two-engine sessions pause/resume the capture engine; a combined session instead mutes the
+    /// voice processor's input (playback shares that engine and must keep running, so the engine
+    /// itself never pauses — the mute zeroes the mic at the IO unit, and the tap encodes silence).
+    /// Local and instant either way: nothing is negotiated with the host, and the packets that do
+    /// leave carry silence. A no-op when there's no uplink (playback-only / tvOS / mic disabled),
+    /// except that the state is LATCHED for an uplink that starts later. The audio SESSION stays
+    /// active for background playback, so iOS may keep showing the recording indicator until a
+    /// full reconfigure — either path stops room audio leaving the device, which is the
+    /// privacy-relevant part. Main thread.
    public func setMicMuted(_ muted: Bool) {
        stateLock.lock()
+        micMuted = muted
        let capture = captureEngine
+        let combined = combinedEngine
        stateLock.unlock()
+        apply(micMuted: muted, capture: capture, combined: combined)
+    }
+
+    /// Push the latched mute onto whichever engine carries the uplink. Split out from
+    /// `setMicMuted` because the start paths call it too, with the engine they just started —
+    /// that's how a mute requested before the permission grant lands on the engine the grant
+    /// creates. Never resumes a stopped session's engine.
+    private func apply(micMuted muted: Bool, capture: AVAudioEngine?, combined: AVAudioEngine?) {
+        if let combined {
+            combined.inputNode.isVoiceProcessingInputMuted = muted
+            return
+        }
        guard let capture else { return }
        if muted {
            capture.pause()
@@ -199,28 +307,21 @@ public final class SessionAudio {

    // MARK: - Playback (host → speaker)

-    private func startPlayback(speakerUID: String) {
+    /// The playback jitter ring + the source node draining it — shared by the plain playback
+    /// engine and the combined voice-processing engine, and REUSED across an engine rebuild
+    /// (same session, same ring: the drain thread keeps writing right through the swap). nil
+    /// when the host's channel layout can't be expressed (already logged). Main thread.
+    private func makePlaybackChain()
+        -> (ring: AudioRing, source: AVAudioSourceNode, format: AVAudioFormat)?
+    {
        // Build the playback layout from the host-RESOLVED channel count (never the request):
        // 2 = stereo / 6 = 5.1 / 8 = 7.1, canonical wire order FL FR FC LFE RL RR SL SR.
        let channels = Int(connection.resolvedAudioChannels)
        // 1 s interleaved capacity, ~20 ms prefill (four 5 ms host packets of jitter absorption
        // before the first sample plays), both scaled by the channel count.
-        let ring = AudioRing(
+        let ring = self.ring ?? AudioRing(
            capacity: 48_000 * channels, prefill: 960 * channels, channels: channels)
-
-        let engine = AVAudioEngine()
-        #if os(macOS)
-        if !speakerUID.isEmpty {
-            if let dev = AudioDevices.deviceID(forUID: speakerUID),
-               let unit = engine.outputNode.audioUnit {
-                if !Self.setDevice(dev, on: unit) {
-                    log.error("could not select speaker \(speakerUID) — using default")
-                }
-            } else {
-                log.warning("speaker \(speakerUID) not present — using default")
-            }
-        }
-        #endif
+        self.ring = ring

        // Engine-native deinterleaved float; the render block deinterleaves from the ring. Surround
        // uses an explicit wire-order channel layout; the mixer downmixes to the output device when
@@ -234,7 +335,7 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        }
        guard let format else {
            log.error("could not build \(channels)-channel audio format — audio disabled")
-            return
+            return nil
        }
        let scratch = ScratchBuffer() // block-owned; freed with the closure
        let source = AVAudioSourceNode(format: format) { _, _, frameCount, abl -> OSStatus in
@@ -252,6 +353,24 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
            }
            return noErr
        }
+        return (ring, source, format)
+    }
+
+    private func startPlayback(speakerUID: String) {
+        guard let (ring, source, format) = makePlaybackChain() else { return }
+        let engine = AVAudioEngine()
+        #if os(macOS)
+        if !speakerUID.isEmpty {
+            if let dev = AudioDevices.deviceID(forUID: speakerUID),
+               let unit = engine.outputNode.audioUnit {
+                if !Self.setDevice(dev, on: unit) {
+                    log.error("could not select speaker \(speakerUID) — using default")
+                }
+            } else {
+                log.warning("speaker \(speakerUID) not present — using default")
+            }
+        }
+        #endif
        engine.attach(source)
        engine.connect(source, to: engine.mainMixerNode, format: format)
        engine.prepare()
@@ -272,8 +391,14 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        startDrain(into: ring)
    }

+    /// Idempotent — the permission-grant engine swap reaches here a second time with the
+    /// drain thread already feeding the (carried-over) ring.
    private func startDrain(into ring: AudioRing) {
        stateLock.lock()
+        if drainStarted {
+            stateLock.unlock()
+            return
+        }
        drainStarted = true
        stateLock.unlock()
        let thread = Thread { [connection, flag, drainDone] in
@@ -308,6 +433,80 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
    // MARK: - Mic (mic → host)

    #if !os(tvOS)
+    /// One engine, both directions: engage the system voice processor on the shared IO unit
+    /// (AEC + noise suppression + AGC), hang the playback source off its render side and the
+    /// mic tap off its capture side. Every failure falls back to a WORKING configuration —
+    /// the split path (no AEC) when the voice processor won't engage, plain playback when the
+    /// mic chain can't be built — a session never loses audio to the echo-cancel feature.
+    private func startCombined(speakerUID: String, micUID: String, micChannel: Int) {
+        let engine = AVAudioEngine()
+        let input = engine.inputNode
+        do {
+            // Before anything reads the input's format: the voice processor changes it (often
+            // to its own mono mix, sometimes at a lower rate) — installMicTap reads the format
+            // AFTER this, so the converter chain adapts to whatever the processor emits.
+            try input.setVoiceProcessingEnabled(true)
+        } catch {
+            log.warning("""
+                voice processing unavailable (\(error.localizedDescription)) — separate \
+                engines, no echo cancellation
+                """)
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
+            startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+            return
+        }
+        // Symmetric enable for the render side; with both directions on one engine the
+        // input-node enable already covers it, so a refusal here is not a failure.
+        try? engine.outputNode.setVoiceProcessingEnabled(true)
+        // This is a game stream, not a call: never duck the host's audio under the outgoing
+        // voice. .min is the closest to "off" the API offers, and advanced (selective)
+        // ducking stays off with it.
+        input.voiceProcessingOtherAudioDuckingConfiguration = .init(
+            enableAdvancedDucking: false, duckingLevel: .min)
+
+        guard let (ring, source, format) = makePlaybackChain() else {
+            // Playback impossible (logged) — keep the uplink alive, as the split path would.
+            startCapture(micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel)
+            return
+        }
+        engine.attach(source)
+        engine.connect(source, to: engine.mainMixerNode, format: format)
+        guard installMicTap(on: input, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel) else {
+            // Mic chain unavailable (logged) — keep the session audible on the plain playback
+            // engine rather than playing through an idle voice processor.
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID)
+            return
+        }
+        engine.prepare()
+        do {
+            try engine.start()
+        } catch {
+            log.error("combined engine failed to start: \(error.localizedDescription)")
+            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
+            startPlayback(speakerUID: speakerUID) // no echo cancellation beats no audio
+            return
+        }
+        stateLock.lock()
+        if flag.isStopped {
+            stateLock.unlock()
+            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
+            engine.stop() // stop() already ran — don't strand a started engine (or a hot mic)
+            return
+        }
+        combinedEngine = engine
+        let muted = micMuted // latched before this engine existed (a mute during the prompt)
+        stateLock.unlock()
+        apply(micMuted: muted, capture: nil, combined: engine)
+        startDrain(into: ring)
+        log.info("audio engines joined — voice processing (echo cancellation) active")
+    }
+
+    /// The split path: capture on its OWN engine, playback on another — the pre-echo-cancel
+    /// topology, kept verbatim. Two engines, not one — a single AVAudioEngine ties
+    /// input+output to one aggregate clock, separate engines keep arbitrary mic/speaker
+    /// combinations trivial. That freedom is exactly why the voice processor can't ride this
+    /// path (AEC needs both directions on one unit) and why explicitly pinned endpoints land
+    /// here — see `wantsCombined`.
    private func startCapture(micUID: String, micChannel: Int) {
        let engine = AVAudioEngine()
        let input = engine.inputNode
@@ -322,11 +521,44 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
            }
        }
        #endif
+        guard installMicTap(on: input, micUID: micUID, micChannel: micChannel) else { return }
+        engine.prepare()
+        do {
+            try engine.start()
+        } catch {
+            log.error("capture engine failed to start: \(error.localizedDescription)")
+            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
+            return
+        }
+        stateLock.lock()
+        if flag.isStopped {
+            // stop() ran while we were starting (the permission prompt resolves at the
+            // user's leisure) — tear the engine down ourselves, nobody else owns it now.
+            stateLock.unlock()
+            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
+            engine.stop()
+            return
+        }
+        captureEngine = engine
+        let muted = micMuted // latched before this engine existed (a mute during the prompt)
+        stateLock.unlock()
+        apply(micMuted: muted, capture: engine, combined: nil)
+        log.info("mic uplink started (\(micUID.isEmpty ? "default input" : micUID))")
+    }

+    /// Resolve the input's live format + fold plan, build the mono→Opus chain, and install the
+    /// capture tap on `input` — everything mic except engine ownership, shared verbatim by the
+    /// combined and split topologies. Reads `input.outputFormat(forBus:)` at call time, so the
+    /// chain follows whatever the node emits: the raw device format, or the voice processor's
+    /// own mix when that's enabled. False (logged) when no input is usable or the encoder
+    /// can't be built; the tap is installed on true.
+    private func installMicTap(
+        on input: AVAudioInputNode, micUID: String, micChannel: Int
+    ) -> Bool {
        let inFormat = input.outputFormat(forBus: 0)
        guard inFormat.sampleRate > 0, inFormat.channelCount > 0 else {
            log.error("no usable input device — mic uplink disabled")
-            return
+            return false
        }

        // Multi-channel-interface handling. A pro interface exposes N discrete inputs with the mic
@@ -378,22 +610,38 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        #endif

        // Encode a single mono bus (folded from `inFormat` in the tap): the resampler goes
-        // mono@inputSR → the encoder's 48 kHz stereo, so it handles both the rate change and the
-        // mono→stereo duplication, and the wrong-channel downmix never happens.
+        // mono@inputSR → the encoder's 48 kHz mono, so it handles the rate change and the
+        // wrong-channel downmix never happens. Mono end to end — the host's decoder upmixes,
+        // so the old duplicate-into-stereo step only cost bits and cycles.
+        //
+        // `mono`/`staging` are the per-callback scratch buffers, preallocated HERE (grown only
+        // if a larger-than-expected device quantum ever arrives) — the steady-state tap path
+        // allocates nothing.
+        let scratchFrames: AVAudioFrameCount = 8192
+        let stagingCapacity = { (frames: AVAudioFrameCount) -> AVAudioFrameCount in
+            AVAudioFrameCount(
+                (Double(frames) * 48_000 / inFormat.sampleRate).rounded(.up)) + 64
+        }
        guard let monoFormat = AVAudioFormat(
                  commonFormat: .pcmFormatFloat32, sampleRate: inFormat.sampleRate,
                  channels: 1, interleaved: false),
              let encoder = try? OpusEncoder(),
              let resampler = AVAudioConverter(from: monoFormat, to: encoder.pcmFormat),
              let chunk = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
-                  pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket)
+                  pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: encoder.framesPerPacket),
+              let monoScratch = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
+                  pcmFormat: monoFormat, frameCapacity: scratchFrames),
+              let stagingScratch = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
+                  pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: stagingCapacity(scratchFrames))
        else {
            log.error("Opus encoder unavailable — mic uplink disabled")
-            return
+            return false
        }

-        // Tap-thread-confined state: resample into `staging`, accumulate in `fifo`,
-        // slice 960-frame chunks for the encoder.
+        // Tap-thread-confined state: fold into `mono`, resample into `staging`, accumulate in
+        // `fifo`, slice `framesPerPacket` (10 ms) chunks for the encoder.
+        var mono = monoScratch
+        var staging = stagingScratch
        var fifo: [Float] = []
        fifo.reserveCapacity(48_000)
        var seq: UInt32 = 0
@@ -412,14 +660,26 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
        var inputPeak: Float = 0
        var levelReported = false

-        input.installTap(onBus: 0, bufferSize: 2048, format: inFormat) { buffer, _ in
+        // 480 frames = 10 ms, matching the packet duration. Advisory — CoreAudio delivers the
+        // device quantum whatever we ask (the old 2048 request came back as 42.7 ms bursts, most
+        // of the uplink's latency) — but where the system honors it, the tap fires per-packet.
+        input.installTap(onBus: 0, bufferSize: 480, format: inFormat) { buffer, _ in
            if flag.isStopped { return }
            let frames = Int(buffer.frameLength)
-            guard frames > 0, let src = buffer.floatChannelData,
-                  let mono = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
-                      pcmFormat: monoFormat, frameCapacity: buffer.frameLength),
-                  let dst = mono.floatChannelData?[0]
-            else { return }
+            guard frames > 0, let src = buffer.floatChannelData else { return }
+            if frames > Int(mono.frameCapacity) {
+                // A quantum larger than the scratch (bufferSize is advisory both ways) — regrow
+                // once to the new high-water mark; the steady state stays allocation-free.
+                guard let biggerMono = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
+                          pcmFormat: monoFormat, frameCapacity: buffer.frameLength),
+                      let biggerStaging = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
+                          pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat,
+                          frameCapacity: stagingCapacity(buffer.frameLength))
+                else { return }
+                mono = biggerMono
+                staging = biggerStaging
+            }
+            guard let dst = mono.floatChannelData?[0] else { return }
            mono.frameLength = buffer.frameLength

            // Fold the multi-channel input down to the one mono bus we encode.
@@ -451,11 +711,6 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
                }
            }

-            let ratio = 48_000 / inFormat.sampleRate
-            let outCapacity = AVAudioFrameCount((Double(frames) * ratio).rounded(.up) + 64)
-            guard let staging = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
-                pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: outCapacity)
-            else { return }
            var fed = false
            var convError: NSError?
            let status = resampler.convert(to: staging, error: &convError) { _, outStatus in
@@ -469,16 +724,20 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
            }
            guard status != .error, let p = staging.floatChannelData?[0] else { return }
            fifo.append(contentsOf: UnsafeBufferPointer(
-                start: p, count: Int(staging.frameLength) * 2))
+                start: p, count: Int(staging.frameLength)))

-            let samplesPerChunk = Int(OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket) * 2
-            while fifo.count >= samplesPerChunk {
-                chunk.frameLength = OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket
+            // Consume whole chunks through a head index, then drop the eaten prefix in ONE
+            // move of the sub-chunk remainder. The old per-chunk removeFirst memmoved the
+            // entire backlog for every packet — O(n) on the render-adjacent tap thread.
+            let samplesPerChunk = Int(encoder.framesPerPacket)
+            var head = 0
+            while fifo.count - head >= samplesPerChunk {
+                chunk.frameLength = encoder.framesPerPacket
                fifo.withUnsafeBufferPointer { src in
                    chunk.floatChannelData![0].update(
-                        from: src.baseAddress!, count: samplesPerChunk)
+                        from: src.baseAddress! + head, count: samplesPerChunk)
                }
-                fifo.removeFirst(samplesPerChunk)
+                head += samplesPerChunk
                guard let packets = try? encoder.encode(chunk) else { continue }
                for packet in packets {
                    connection.sendMic(
@@ -486,28 +745,9 @@ public final class SessionAudio {
                    seq &+= 1
                }
            }
+            if head > 0 { fifo.removeFirst(head) } // keeps capacity — no realloc
        }
-
-        engine.prepare()
-        do {
-            try engine.start()
-        } catch {
-            log.error("capture engine failed to start: \(error.localizedDescription)")
-            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
-            return
-        }
-        stateLock.lock()
-        if flag.isStopped {
-            // stop() ran while we were starting (the permission prompt resolves at the
-            // user's leisure) — tear the engine down ourselves, nobody else owns it now.
-            stateLock.unlock()
-            input.removeTap(onBus: 0)
-            engine.stop()
-            return
-        }
-        captureEngine = engine
-        stateLock.unlock()
-        log.info("mic uplink started (\(micUID.isEmpty ? "default input" : micUID))")
+        return true
    }

    /// Fold `channels` of input (`floatChannelData` layout: `interleaved` → one buffer strided by
@@ -761,6 +761,21 @@ public final class PunktfunkConnection {
        return out
    }

+    /// Report the display-latch grid + circular arrival-phase statistic so the host can
+    /// phase-lock its capture tick (design/phase-locked-capture.md). Fire-and-forget; call
+    /// ~1 Hz from a vsync-aware presenter. `nextLatchHostNs` must already be HOST clock —
+    /// convert with `clockOffsetNs` (host − client). No-op toward a host that never armed.
+    public func reportPhase(
+        nextLatchHostNs: UInt64, latchPeriodNs: UInt32, uncertaintyNs: UInt32,
+        arrivalLeadNs: UInt32, coherenceMilli: UInt16
+    ) {
+        abiLock.lock()
+        defer { abiLock.unlock() }
+        guard let h = handle, !closeRequested else { return }
+        _ = punktfunk_connection_report_phase(
+            h, nextLatchHostNs, latchPeriodNs, uncertaintyNs, arrivalLeadNs, coherenceMilli)
+    }
+
    /// The currently active session mode (updated by accepted `requestMode` switches).
    public func currentMode() -> (width: UInt32, height: UInt32, refreshHz: UInt32) {
        abiLock.lock()
@@ -128,11 +128,19 @@ public final class InputCapture {
    /// carries the same key equivalents for discoverability) can't see them, so the monitor is the
    /// captured-state delivery path; released, the events pass through and the menu handles them.
    /// ⌃⌥⇧Q releases the captured mouse/keyboard; ⌃⌥⇧D disconnects; ⌃⌥⇧S cycles the stats
-    /// overlay tier (off → compact → normal → detailed). Main queue.
+    /// overlay tier (off → compact → normal → detailed). ⌃⌥⇧A (`onToggleMicMute`, below) rides
+    /// the same path. Main queue.
    public var onReleaseCapture: (() -> Void)?
    public var onDisconnect: (() -> Void)?
    public var onCycleStats: (() -> Void)?

+    /// Fired on ⌃⌥⇧A — mute/unmute the microphone uplink, the one in-stream control a captured
+    /// session can't otherwise reach (the HUD's button is behind a grabbed cursor). Same delivery
+    /// rule as the combos above: only WHILE FORWARDING, because that's when the menu's identical
+    /// key equivalent can't fire. ⌃⌥⇧M — the obvious letter — is long since the mouse-model flip
+    /// (cross-client), so A ("audio in") is the mic's. Main queue.
+    public var onToggleMicMute: (() -> Void)?
+
    /// Fired on ⌃⌘F (macOS) — toggle the streaming window in/out of fullscreen. Detected in the
    /// monitor only WHILE FORWARDING, for the same reason as the ⌃⌥⇧ combos: a captured stream view
    /// swallows keys, so the Stream menu's identical ⌃⌘F equivalent never reaches it; released, the
@@ -140,13 +148,13 @@ public final class InputCapture {
    public var onToggleFullscreen: (() -> Void)?

    #if os(iOS)
-    /// Windows VKs of the three modifier classes in the ⌃⌥⇧Q release chord, both L/R sides:
+    /// Windows VKs of the three modifier classes in the ⌃⌥⇧ chords, both L/R sides:
    /// control (0xA2/0xA3), option (0xA4/0xA5), shift (0xA0/0xA1). Used to sift the HID key stream.
    private static let chordModifierVKs: Set<UInt32> = [0xA2, 0xA3, 0xA4, 0xA5, 0xA0, 0xA1]

    /// Whether Control AND Option AND Shift are all currently held (either side of each counts) —
-    /// the modifier precondition for the iPad ⌃⌥⇧Q release chord.
-    private var hasReleaseChordModifiers: Bool {
+    /// the modifier precondition for the iPad ⌃⌥⇧ chords (Q releases capture, A mutes the mic).
+    private var hasChordModifiers: Bool {
        let m = chordModifiersDown
        return (m.contains(0xA2) || m.contains(0xA3)) // control
            && (m.contains(0xA4) || m.contains(0xA5)) // option
@@ -284,6 +292,10 @@ public final class InputCapture {
                    self.suppressedVK = 0x53
                    self.onCycleStats?()
                    return nil
+                case 0 /* A */:
+                    self.suppressedVK = 0x41
+                    self.onToggleMicMute?()
+                    return nil
                default:
                    break
                }
@@ -704,7 +716,7 @@ public final class InputCapture {
                }
            }
            #if os(iOS)
-            // Track Control/Option/Shift for the ⌃⌥⇧Q release chord below — in both forwarding
+            // Track Control/Option/Shift for the ⌃⌥⇧ chords below — in both forwarding
            // states (like `cmdKeysDown`) so a modifier held before capture engaged still counts.
            if Self.chordModifierVKs.contains(vk) {
                if pressed { self.chordModifiersDown.insert(vk) } else { self.chordModifiersDown.remove(vk) }
@@ -732,11 +744,19 @@ public final class InputCapture {
            // otherwise). The Q is latched (`suppressedVK`) so its keyUp can't type into the host;
            // the ⌃⌥⇧ modifiers were forwarded as they went down and are flushed by the release
            // path (setCaptured(false) → releaseAll). VK 0x51 is layout-independent (physical Q).
-            if pressed, vk == 0x51, self.hasReleaseChordModifiers {
+            if pressed, vk == 0x51, self.hasChordModifiers {
                self.suppressedVK = 0x51
                self.onReleaseCapture?()
                return
            }
+            // ⌃⌥⇧A mutes/unmutes the mic uplink — same detection, same latching, and needed here
+            // for the same reason as on macOS: a captured iPad swallows the Stream menu's
+            // identical key equivalent. VK 0x41 is layout-independent (physical A).
+            if pressed, vk == 0x41, self.hasChordModifiers {
+                self.suppressedVK = 0x41
+                self.onToggleMicMute?()
+                return
+            }
            #endif
            // Release direction of the toggle: GC's Esc-down can beat the NSEvent
            // monitor — never type Esc into the host while ⌘ is held (⌘⎋ is reserved).
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 // The host cards' OS marks: template vector imagesets in Resources/OsIcons.xcassets
-// (derived from the repo's assets/os-icons masters — Font Awesome Free brands CC BY 4.0 +
-// Simple Icons CC0; provenance in that directory's README), resolved from the host's
+// (generated from the repo's assets/os-icons masters by scripts/gen-os-icons.sh —
+// per-mark provenance and licensing in that directory's README), resolved from the host's
 // OS-identity chain via PunktfunkShared's `osIconTokens` walk. Template rendering means
 // they tint with `foregroundStyle` like an SF Symbol.

 import PunktfunkShared
 import SwiftUI

-/// The icon tokens this client ships art for. A distro without its own mark (Bazzite,
-/// CachyOS, ...) degrades to its family's and finally to Tux via the chain walk.
+/// The icon tokens this client ships art for: the families a chain can land on, plus the
+/// gaming distros that earn their own mark because "a Bazzite box" and "a Fedora box" are
+/// different machines to the person reading the card. A distro with no mark of its own
+/// still degrades to its family's and finally to Tux via the chain walk.
 private let osIconTokensShipped: Set<String> = [
    "windows", "apple", "linux", "steam", "ubuntu", "fedora", "arch", "debian", "nixos",
-    "opensuse",
+    "opensuse", "bazzite", "cachyos", "nobara",
 ]

 /// The mark for an OS-identity chain (`linux/fedora/bazzite`, ...), or nil — no view at
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "images" : [
+    { "filename" : "bazzite.pdf", "idiom" : "universal" }
+  ],
+  "info" : { "author" : "xcode", "version" : 1 },
+  "properties" : {
+    "preserves-vector-representation" : true,
+    "template-rendering-intent" : "template"
+  }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "images" : [
+    { "filename" : "cachyos.pdf", "idiom" : "universal" }
+  ],
+  "info" : { "author" : "xcode", "version" : 1 },
+  "properties" : {
+    "preserves-vector-representation" : true,
+    "template-rendering-intent" : "template"
+  }
+}
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+{
+  "images" : [
+    { "filename" : "nobara.pdf", "idiom" : "universal" }
+  ],
+  "info" : { "author" : "xcode", "version" : 1 },
+  "properties" : {
+    "preserves-vector-representation" : true,
+    "template-rendering-intent" : "template"
+  }
+}
@@ -355,6 +355,13 @@ final class SessionPresenter {
    /// behavior — iOS keeps a 30 Hz floor; macOS leaves the NSView link at its display's native
    /// rate (it already tracks the display and must NOT be capped to the stream rate).
    /// Re-applied from `layout` so a mid-session `Reconfigure` picks up a new refresh.
+    /// Pen-proximity panel-rate boost pass-through (Stage2Pipeline.setInteractionBoost):
+    /// deadline pacing only — under arrival/glass the staged hint feeds no link, so this
+    /// is a no-op there. MAIN thread.
+    func setInteractionBoost(_ on: Bool) {
+        stage2?.setInteractionBoost(on)
+    }
+
    private func syncFrameRate(hz: UInt32) {
        guard hz > 0 else { return }
        // Deadline pacing: the hint goes to the pipeline's CAMetalDisplayLink instead (staged;
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ private final class VsyncClock: @unchecked Sendable {
 ///   ~2–3 refreshes of queue (the measured 23–30 ms display stage on 120 Hz ProMotion panels), and
 ///   the full-queue regime is where host↔panel clock drift turns into periodic repeats/drops (the
 ///   "fixed-interval" jitter reports).
-/// - `glass` (stage-3, the tvOS default): at most a small BOUNDED number of presented-but-
+/// - `glass` (stage-3; tvOS's default until the 2026-07 rebuild moved it to stage-4, now an
+///   on-device A/B rung): at most a small BOUNDED number of presented-but-
 ///   undisplayed drawables in flight (`PresentGate`; depth 1 — see `SessionPresenter.gateDepth`
 ///   for why deeper is a regression). The render thread presents only while a gate slot is free
 ///   (a drawable's presented handler reopens its slot and re-signals); frames decoded meanwhile
@@ -278,10 +279,27 @@ final class LatestBox<T>: @unchecked Sendable {
 private final class FrameRateHint: @unchecked Sendable {
    private let lock = NSLock()
    private var pending: CAFrameRateRange?
+    private var streamHz: Float = 0
+    private var boosted = false
    func stage(hz: Float) {
        guard hz > 0 else { return }
        lock.lock()
-        pending = CAFrameRateRange(minimum: hz, maximum: max(hz, 120), preferred: hz)
+        streamHz = hz
+        pending = Self.range(hz: hz, boosted: boosted)
+        lock.unlock()
+    }
+    /// Pen-proximity boost: pin `minimum = preferred` at the range's CEILING instead of the
+    /// stream rate. UIKit delivers touch/Pencil events at the PANEL's cadence, and the panel
+    /// follows this link's vote — so a 60 fps stream on a 120 Hz iPad halves pencil sampling
+    /// unless a boost lifts the panel while the Pencil is in range. Presents still pace at
+    /// stream rate (extra link updates just vend into the newest-wins stash), so the cost is
+    /// empty wakes, scoped to pen proximity.
+    func setBoost(_ on: Bool) {
+        lock.lock()
+        if boosted != on {
+            boosted = on
+            if streamHz > 0 { pending = Self.range(hz: streamHz, boosted: on) }
+        }
        lock.unlock()
    }
    func drain() -> CAFrameRateRange? {
@@ -291,6 +309,113 @@ private final class FrameRateHint: @unchecked Sendable {
        pending = nil
        return p
    }
+    private static func range(hz: Float, boosted: Bool) -> CAFrameRateRange {
+        let cap = max(hz, 120)
+        let preferred = boosted ? cap : hz
+        return CAFrameRateRange(minimum: preferred, maximum: cap, preferred: preferred)
+    }
+}
+
+/// The client half of phase-locked capture (design/phase-locked-capture.md): the decode
+/// callback deposits per-AU arrival stamps (client CLOCK_REALTIME — the core's reassembly-
+/// completion time), the deadline link's thread deposits the latch grid, and ~1 Hz that same
+/// thread flushes the circular arrival-phase statistic to the host. The statistic is a
+/// verbatim port of `punktfunk_core::phase::circular_latch` — the host's v3 controller
+/// (grid-locked submits, coherence-gated engage) was tuned against exactly it, and a
+/// period-smeared Wi-Fi link correctly reads coherence ≈ 0 there, so the controller never
+/// engages where alignment is physically pointless. Shared box (never captures the pipeline);
+/// a session's connection binds/unbinds like DecodeReport/KeyframeRecovery.
+final class PhaseReporter: @unchecked Sendable {
+    private let lock = NSLock()
+    private var connection: PunktfunkConnection?
+    /// Arrival stamps since the last flush, client CLOCK_REALTIME. Bounded: ~1 s at 240 fps.
+    private var arrivalsNs: [Int64] = []
+    /// Smallest update-to-update spacing this window: successive `nextLatch` values sit one
+    /// panel period apart except across skipped link updates (2×, 3×, …), so the window
+    /// minimum IS the period. Re-learned every flush so VRR/mode switches track both ways.
+    private var periodNs: Int64 = 0
+    private var prevLatchRealNs: Int64 = 0
+    private var lastFlushRealNs: Int64 = 0
+
+    func bind(_ c: PunktfunkConnection?) {
+        lock.lock()
+        connection = c
+        arrivalsNs.removeAll()
+        periodNs = 0
+        prevLatchRealNs = 0
+        lastFlushRealNs = 0
+        lock.unlock()
+    }
+
+    /// Decode-callback side: one AU's arrival (reassembly-completion) stamp.
+    func noteArrival(receivedNs: Int64) {
+        lock.lock()
+        if connection != nil, arrivalsNs.count < 256 { arrivalsNs.append(receivedNs) }
+        lock.unlock()
+    }
+
+    /// Link-thread side, once per update: where the NEXT latch sits on the client's realtime
+    /// clock (the arrival stamps' domain). Learns the period from update spacing and ~1 Hz
+    /// converts the window's arrivals into leads against this grid, then reports — a
+    /// fire-and-forget datagram push on the control plane.
+    func noteGrid(nextLatchRealNs: Int64) {
+        lock.lock()
+        if prevLatchRealNs > 0 {
+            let delta = nextLatchRealNs - prevLatchRealNs
+            // 2–100 ms accepts 10–500 Hz panels, rejects wakeup hiccups and clock jumps.
+            if delta > 2_000_000, delta < 100_000_000, periodNs == 0 || delta < periodNs {
+                periodNs = delta
+            }
+        }
+        prevLatchRealNs = nextLatchRealNs
+        guard let c = connection, periodNs > 0, arrivalsNs.count >= 8,
+            nextLatchRealNs - lastFlushRealNs >= 1_000_000_000
+        else {
+            lock.unlock()
+            return
+        }
+        lastFlushRealNs = nextLatchRealNs
+        let period = periodNs
+        let leadsUs = arrivalsNs.map { a -> UInt64 in
+            let m = (nextLatchRealNs - a) % period
+            return UInt64(m < 0 ? m + period : m) / 1000
+        }
+        arrivalsNs.removeAll(keepingCapacity: true)
+        periodNs = 0
+        let offsetNs = c.clockOffsetNs
+        lock.unlock()
+        guard
+            let (leadMeanNs, coherence) = Self.circularLatch(
+                samplesUs: leadsUs, periodNs: period)
+        else { return }
+        c.reportPhase(
+            nextLatchHostNs: UInt64(max(0, nextLatchRealNs + offsetNs)),
+            latchPeriodNs: UInt32(clamping: period),
+            uncertaintyNs: 1_000_000, // skew residual — same conservative 1 ms as Android
+            arrivalLeadNs: UInt32(clamping: leadMeanNs),
+            coherenceMilli: coherence)
+    }
+
+    /// Verbatim port of `punktfunk_core::phase::circular_latch` (µs samples against an ns
+    /// period; nil under 8 samples). The MEAN is what a phase controller can steer under
+    /// jitter — a period-spanning distribution's median is immovable — and the coherence
+    /// (resultant length, ‰) says whether any phase exists to steer at all.
+    static func circularLatch(samplesUs: [UInt64], periodNs: Int64) -> (UInt64, UInt16)? {
+        guard samplesUs.count >= 8, periodNs > 0 else { return nil }
+        let periodUs = Double(periodNs) / 1000.0
+        var x = 0.0
+        var y = 0.0
+        for s in samplesUs {
+            let theta = Double(s).truncatingRemainder(dividingBy: periodUs) / periodUs * 2 * .pi
+            x += cos(theta)
+            y += sin(theta)
+        }
+        let n = Double(samplesUs.count)
+        let r = (x * x + y * y).squareRoot() / n
+        var meanTheta = atan2(y, x)
+        if meanTheta < 0 { meanTheta += 2 * .pi }
+        return (UInt64(meanTheta / (2 * .pi) * Double(periodNs)), UInt16(r * 1000.0))
+    }
 }

 /// The CAMetalDisplayLink delegate for deadline pacing: each per-refresh update stashes its
@@ -304,6 +429,8 @@ private final class DeadlineLinkDelegate: NSObject, CAMetalDisplayLinkDelegate {
    private let renderSignal: DispatchSemaphore
    private let hint: FrameRateHint
    private let stats: PresentDebugStats?
+    /// Phase-locked capture's grid feed — this link IS the latch grid presents pace against.
+    private let phase: PhaseReporter?
    /// The OS-floor sampler (design/apple-presentation-rebuild.md): every update's vend→glass
    /// lead is recorded so its p50 becomes the "OS present floor" the HUD subtracts from the
    /// shown display/e2e numbers. Self-adapting — reads ~2 refresh periods composited today,
@@ -316,13 +443,15 @@ private final class DeadlineLinkDelegate: NSObject, CAMetalDisplayLinkDelegate {

    init(
        stash: LatestBox<CAMetalDrawable>, renderSignal: DispatchSemaphore,
-        hint: FrameRateHint, stats: PresentDebugStats?, floorMeter: LatencyMeter?
+        hint: FrameRateHint, stats: PresentDebugStats?, floorMeter: LatencyMeter?,
+        phase: PhaseReporter?
    ) {
        self.stash = stash
        self.renderSignal = renderSignal
        self.hint = hint
        self.stats = stats
        self.floorMeter = floorMeter
+        self.phase = phase
    }

    func metalDisplayLink(_ link: CAMetalDisplayLink, needsUpdate update: CAMetalDisplayLink.Update) {
@@ -354,6 +483,15 @@ private final class DeadlineLinkDelegate: NSObject, CAMetalDisplayLinkDelegate {
            floorMeter.record(
                ptsNs: UInt64(nowNs - Int64(leadS * 1_000_000_000)), atNs: nowNs, offsetNs: 0)
        }
+        // Phase-locked capture: this update's target present, converted into the arrival
+        // stamps' CLOCK_REALTIME domain. Per-update cost is one clock read; the reporter
+        // itself flushes ~1 Hz.
+        if let phase {
+            var ts = timespec()
+            clock_gettime(CLOCK_REALTIME, &ts)
+            let nowNs = Int64(ts.tv_sec) * 1_000_000_000 + Int64(ts.tv_nsec)
+            phase.noteGrid(nextLatchRealNs: nowNs + Int64(leadS * 1_000_000_000))
+        }
        stash.put(update.drawable)
        renderSignal.signal()
    }
@@ -583,6 +721,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
    /// Feeds the core Automatic-bitrate controller's decode signal from the decode callback; `start`
    /// binds the live connection + arming flag (see DecodeReport).
    private let decodeReport = DecodeReport()
+    private let phaseReporter = PhaseReporter()
    /// Post-loss freeze-until-reanchor gate (shared core policy via the C ABI). Created here seeded 0;
    /// `start` reseeds it to the live connection's drop count. Captured by the decoder callbacks
    /// (which withhold concealed frames) and driven by the pump (arm on a gap, poll per iteration).
@@ -649,6 +788,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
        let renderSignal = renderSignal
        let gate = gate
        let decodeReport = decodeReport
+        let phaseReporter = phaseReporter
        self.decoder = VideoDecoder(
            onDecoded: { frame in
                // Decode stage = received→decoded, both client CLOCK_REALTIME (offset 0 — no
@@ -660,6 +800,9 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
                // device's real decode limit instead of the network link ceiling. Every decoded
                // frame (not just presented ones), so a newest-wins drop can't hide the backlog.
                decodeReport.record(receivedNs: frame.receivedNs, decodedNs: frame.decodedNs)
+                // Phase-locked capture's arrival half: the stamp VALUE is reassembly
+                // completion, so recording it at decode adds no bias to the 1 Hz aggregate.
+                phaseReporter.noteArrival(receivedNs: frame.receivedNs)
                // Freeze-until-reanchor: WITHHOLD a decoder-concealed post-loss frame (the gray/
                // garbage VideoToolbox returns Ok for a reference-missing delta) — don't submit it,
                // so the CAMetalLayer keeps its last good drawable on glass. The gate lifts (returns
@@ -689,6 +832,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
        offsetNs = connection.clockOffsetNs
        recovery.bind(connection) // arm host-keyframe recovery for this session
        decodeReport.bind(connection) // arm the Automatic-bitrate decode signal for this session
+        phaseReporter.bind(connection) // arm phase reports (flushed only by the deadline link)
        gate.reseed(framesDropped: connection.framesDropped()) // baseline the freeze to this session
        token = StopFlag() // fresh token per start — a stop is permanent (like StreamPump)

@@ -975,6 +1119,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
        let stash = LatestBox<CAMetalDrawable>()

        let floorMeter = presentFloorMeter
+        let phaseReporter = phaseReporter
        // The link starts LAZILY — the render thread triggers this after the FIRST decoded
        // frame's reconcileLayer. Started eagerly it vends into the layer's initial 0×0
        // drawableSize for the whole connect window: every vend fails allocation and the system
@@ -985,7 +1130,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
            let linkThread = Thread {
                let delegate = DeadlineLinkDelegate(
                    stash: stash, renderSignal: renderSignal, hint: hint, stats: debugStats,
-                    floorMeter: floorMeter)
+                    floorMeter: floorMeter, phase: phaseReporter)
                let link = CAMetalDisplayLink(metalLayer: layer)
                link.preferredFrameLatency = 1 // wake as late as fits: latch the NEXT refresh
                if let range = hint.drain() { link.preferredFrameRateRange = range }
@@ -1107,6 +1252,15 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
        frameRateHint.stage(hz: hz)
    }

+    /// Pen-proximity rate boost (drawing workloads): drive the deadline link — and with it the
+    /// panel, whose cadence paces UIKit's touch/Pencil event delivery — at the range ceiling
+    /// while a Pencil is in range, so a sub-panel-rate stream stops halving pencil sampling.
+    /// Staged like the rate hint; no-op under arrival/glass pacing. MAIN thread.
+    public func setInteractionBoost(_ on: Bool) {
+        frameRateHint.setBoost(on)
+        presentLog.info("pen boost \(on ? "engaged" : "released", privacy: .public)")
+    }
+
    /// Forward the layout-derived drawable pixel size to the presenter (MAIN thread — see
    /// `MetalVideoPresenter.setDrawableTarget`).
    public func setDrawableTarget(_ size: CGSize) {
@@ -1154,6 +1308,7 @@ public final class Stage2Pipeline {
        }
        decoder.reset()
        recovery.bind(nil) // stop requesting keyframes once the session is torn down
+        phaseReporter.bind(nil) // and stop phase reports toward the dead connection
    }

    deinit {
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ final class PencilStream: NSObject, UIPencilInteractionDelegate {

    /// One assembled batch (≤ `PUNKTFUNK_PEN_BATCH_MAX` samples) ready for the connection.
    var send: (([PunktfunkPenSample]) -> Void)?
+    /// Proximity transitions (in-range ∪ touching) — drives the panel-rate boost while the
+    /// Pencil is near the glass. Fired from emit(), the choke point every state change exits
+    /// through.
+    var onProximity: ((Bool) -> Void)?
    /// View-space point → normalized [0,1] video coordinates (the letterbox mapping the
    /// touch path already uses). nil until a mode is negotiated — samples are dropped then.
    var videoNorm: ((CGPoint) -> (Float, Float)?)?
@@ -40,6 +44,10 @@ final class PencilStream: NSObject, UIPencilInteractionDelegate {
    private(set) var hoverActive = false
    private var last = PencilStream.idleSample()
    private var heartbeat: Timer?
+    /// When the last batch (event or keepalive) went out — the heartbeat tick's idle test.
+    private var lastSendTs: TimeInterval = 0
+    /// The last proximity state surfaced through `onProximity` (transition detection).
+    private var lastProximity = false

    // MARK: - Contact path (UITouch, `.pencil` only)

@@ -52,11 +60,12 @@ final class PencilStream: NSObject, UIPencilInteractionDelegate {
            touching = true
            inRange = true
            // Coalesced samples restore the Pencil's full capture rate (UIKit delivers at
-            // display cadence); oldest first, `dt_us` preserving their spacing.
+            // display cadence); oldest first, `dt_us` preserving their spacing. The whole run
+            // is kept — emit() splits anything over the wire's batch cap.
            let raw = event?.coalescedTouches(for: touch) ?? [touch]
            var batch: [PunktfunkPenSample] = []
            var prevTs: TimeInterval?
-            for t in raw.suffix(Int(PUNKTFUNK_PEN_BATCH_MAX)) {
+            for t in raw {
                guard let s = contactSample(t, in: view, prevTs: prevTs) else { continue }
                prevTs = t.timestamp
                batch.append(s)
@@ -202,27 +211,51 @@ final class PencilStream: NSObject, UIPencilInteractionDelegate {
        guard !batch.isEmpty else { return }
        last = batch[batch.count - 1]
        last.dt_us = 0
-        send?(batch)
-        armHeartbeat()
+        // A run longer than the wire's batch cap is SPLIT into consecutive sends, never
+        // truncated (the send_pen contract): an over-cap run means the main thread hitched
+        // past a frame of 240 Hz samples, and dropping its head would notch exactly the
+        // stroke geometry a drawing app can least afford to lose.
+        var start = 0
+        while start < batch.count {
+            let end = min(start + Int(PUNKTFUNK_PEN_BATCH_MAX), batch.count)
+            send?(Array(batch[start..<end]))
+            start = end
+        }
+        lastSendTs = CACurrentMediaTime()
+        syncHeartbeat()
+        let near = inRange || touching
+        if near != lastProximity {
+            lastProximity = near
+            onProximity?(near)
+        }
    }

-    /// The ≤100 ms keepalive while in range (see the file header). 80 ms leaves headroom
-    /// under the host's 200 ms failsafe even with one lost datagram.
-    private func armHeartbeat() {
-        heartbeat?.invalidate()
+    /// The ≤100 ms keepalive while in range (see the file header): ONE long-lived 50 ms timer
+    /// in `.common` run-loop mode, armed on range entry and torn down on exit. `.default`-mode
+    /// scheduling pauses during run-loop tracking, where a stationary pen would silently cross
+    /// the host's 200 ms force-release mid-stroke; the old per-emit re-arm also churned the run
+    /// loop once per event during a stroke. The tick resends only after ≥50 ms of send silence,
+    /// so an active stroke costs nothing and the worst-case gap stays ≈100 ms — the wire bound.
+    private func syncHeartbeat() {
        guard inRange || touching else {
+            heartbeat?.invalidate()
            heartbeat = nil
            return
        }
-        heartbeat = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 0.08, repeats: true) {
-            [weak self] _ in
+        guard heartbeat == nil else { return }
+        let timer = Timer(timeInterval: 0.05, repeats: true) { [weak self] t in
            guard let self, self.inRange || self.touching else {
-                self?.heartbeat?.invalidate()
+                t.invalidate()
                self?.heartbeat = nil
                return
            }
-            self.send?([self.last])
+            if CACurrentMediaTime() - self.lastSendTs >= 0.05 {
+                self.send?([self.last])
+                self.lastSendTs = CACurrentMediaTime()
+            }
        }
+        heartbeat = timer
+        RunLoop.main.add(timer, forMode: .common)
    }

    // MARK: - Angle conversions
@@ -881,6 +881,12 @@ public final class StreamLayerView: NSView {
            guard self?.window?.isKeyWindow == true else { return }
            NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .punktfunkToggleFullscreen, object: nil)
        }
+        capture.onToggleMicMute = { [weak self] in
+            // Session-level state the view doesn't own — post to the app (same routing as the
+            // fullscreen chord), so the captured and released paths end at one toggle.
+            guard self?.window?.isKeyWindow == true else { return }
+            NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .punktfunkToggleMicMute, object: nil)
+        }
        capture.onCycleStats = { [weak self] in
            guard self?.window?.isKeyWindow == true else { return }
            // Advance the shared tier setting directly — every @AppStorage reader (the HUD's
@@ -154,6 +154,9 @@ public final class StreamViewController: StreamViewControllerBase {
    /// The shared presenter stack: stage-2 (CAMetalLayer sublayer + display link) with the
    /// stage-1 StreamPump → displayLayer path as the Metal-unavailable / DEBUG fallback.
    private let presenter = SessionPresenter()
+    /// Pending pen-boost release — 2 s of hysteresis so hover flicker at the glass edge
+    /// doesn't thrash the deadline link's rate range (see `setInteractionBoost`).
+    private var penBoostRelease: DispatchWorkItem?
    #if os(tvOS)
    /// The window's display manager the session's mode request was set on — held weakly so
    /// stop() can clear the request even after the view has left the window.
@@ -320,12 +323,22 @@ public final class StreamViewController: StreamViewControllerBase {
        // prior session (stop() doesn't clear it). Otherwise a stale `true` could later
        // re-engage capture on a foreground that the new session never asked for.
        wasCapturedOnResign = false
-        // Read the LIVE mode per touch batch — an accepted requestMode() mid-stream
-        // changes the letterbox, and touches must follow it.
+        // The letterbox must follow an accepted requestMode() mid-stream, so this stays a live
+        // read — but behind a short TTL: the pencil path maps every coalesced sample through
+        // here (≤8 per event at panel rate, main thread), and a per-sample FFI read re-takes
+        // the ABI lock the batch send itself needs next. 250 ms staleness is invisible next to
+        // the video reconfigure a mode switch performs anyway. Main-thread-only closure.
+        var cachedMode = CGSize.zero
+        var cachedAt = CACurrentMediaTime() - 1
        streamView.currentHostMode = { [weak connection] in
-            guard let connection else { return .zero }
-            let mode = connection.currentMode()
-            return CGSize(width: Double(mode.width), height: Double(mode.height))
+            let now = CACurrentMediaTime()
+            if now - cachedAt > 0.25 {
+                guard let connection else { return .zero }
+                let mode = connection.currentMode()
+                cachedMode = CGSize(width: Double(mode.width), height: Double(mode.height))
+                cachedAt = now
+            }
+            return cachedMode
        }
        streamView.onTouchEvent = { [weak self, weak connection] event in
            // Touch IS the intent during a trusted session, but must not leak to the host
@@ -341,6 +354,26 @@ public final class StreamViewController: StreamViewControllerBase {
            guard self?.captureEnabled == true else { return }
            connection?.sendPen(batch)
        }
+        // Pencil near the glass ⇒ pin the panel (and with it UIKit's event cadence) at the
+        // link range's ceiling, so a sub-panel-rate stream stops halving pencil sampling.
+        // Engage is immediate; release waits 2 s so edge-of-canvas hover flicker can't
+        // thrash the link. MAIN thread (UIKit events + main-queue work item).
+        streamView.onPenProximity = { [weak self] near in
+            guard let self else { return }
+            self.penBoostRelease?.cancel()
+            self.penBoostRelease = nil
+            if near {
+                self.presenter.setInteractionBoost(true)
+            } else {
+                let release = DispatchWorkItem { [weak self] in
+                    guard let self else { return }
+                    self.penBoostRelease = nil
+                    self.presenter.setInteractionBoost(false)
+                }
+                self.penBoostRelease = release
+                DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 2, execute: release)
+            }
+        }
        // Indirect pointer (mouse/trackpad) WITHOUT a lock → absolute cursor + buttons + scroll.
        // While the scene is pointer-LOCKED the GCMouse path owns motion AND buttons AND scroll, so
        // the whole UIKit indirect path is gated off here (`gcMouseForwarding`). The trackpad and a
@@ -391,6 +424,12 @@ public final class StreamViewController: StreamViewControllerBase {
        capture.onReleaseCapture = { [weak self] in
            self?.setCaptured(false)
        }
+        // ⌃⌥⇧A mutes/unmutes the mic uplink. Session state this controller doesn't own, so it
+        // posts to the app exactly as the macOS chord does — the Stream menu's identical
+        // equivalent (which a captured scene swallows) ends at the same toggle.
+        capture.onToggleMicMute = {
+            NotificationCenter.default.post(name: .punktfunkToggleMicMute, object: nil)
+        }
        capture.onPreempted = { [weak self] in
            self?.setCaptured(false)
        }
@@ -513,6 +552,9 @@ public final class StreamViewController: StreamViewControllerBase {
        streamView.resetTouchInput()
        streamView.onTouchEvent = nil
        streamView.onPenBatch = nil // after reset — the pen's leave-range sample rides it
+        streamView.onPenProximity = nil // after reset — its leave-range transition fired above
+        penBoostRelease?.cancel()
+        penBoostRelease = nil
        streamView.penEnabled = false
        streamView.onPointerMoveAbs = nil
        streamView.onPointerButton = nil
@@ -713,6 +755,8 @@ final class StreamLayerUIView: UIView {
    /// The host advertised `HOST_CAP_PEN`, so Pencil input splits out of the finger path onto
    /// the pen plane — independent of the touch-input mode (drawing must not depend on it).
    var penEnabled = false
+    /// Pencil proximity transitions (hover or contact) — the presenter's panel-rate boost.
+    var onPenProximity: ((Bool) -> Void)?
    /// Indirect pointer (mouse/trackpad with no lock) → absolute cursor moves.
    var onPointerMoveAbs: ((HostPoint) -> Void)?
    /// Indirect-pointer buttons (GameStream ids: 1=left 3=right); `down` = press.
@@ -740,6 +784,7 @@ final class StreamLayerUIView: UIView {
    private lazy var pencil: PencilStream = {
        let stream = PencilStream()
        stream.send = { [weak self] batch in self?.onPenBatch?(batch) }
+        stream.onProximity = { [weak self] near in self?.onPenProximity?(near) }
        stream.videoNorm = { [weak self] point in
            guard let h = self?.hostPoint(from: point) else { return nil }
            return (Float(h.x) / Float(max(h.w - 1, 1)), Float(h.y) / Float(max(h.h - 1, 1)))
@@ -42,6 +42,13 @@ public enum DefaultsKey {
    /// falls back. Drives the decoder via `Welcome.codec`.
    public static let codec = "punktfunk.codec"
    public static let micEnabled = "punktfunk.micEnabled"
+    /// Echo cancellation for the mic uplink (on by default): playback + capture share ONE
+    /// audio engine so the system voice processor can subtract what this device is playing
+    /// from what its mic hears — without it a loudspeaker client feeds the game audio straight
+    /// back to the host. Off = the raw two-engine capture path. macOS: an explicitly pinned
+    /// speaker/mic or mic channel also bypasses it (the voice processor only follows the
+    /// system default devices) — see SessionAudio's topology note.
+    public static let echoCancel = "punktfunk.echoCancel"
    public static let speakerUID = "punktfunk.speakerUID"
    public static let micUID = "punktfunk.micUID"
    /// macOS: which input channel of the chosen mic device feeds the host. 0 = "Auto" (sum every
@@ -193,6 +200,12 @@ extension Notification.Name {
    /// state. macOS only.
    public static let punktfunkToggleFullscreen = Notification.Name("io.unom.punktfunk.toggle-fullscreen")

+    /// Posted by InputCapture's chord path (⌃⌥⇧A) when the combo fires while input is CAPTURED —
+    /// the state in which the Stream menu's identical key equivalent never reaches the app. The
+    /// live session's owner (ContentView) flips the session's mic mute. Released, the menu item
+    /// handles the same combo directly; both end at `SessionModel.toggleMicMute`.
+    public static let punktfunkToggleMicMute = Notification.Name("io.unom.punktfunk.toggle-mic-mute")
+
    /// Posted by the Live Activity's / Shortcuts' End-stream intent (`EndStreamIntent.perform`,
    /// which runs in the app's process): the app tears the active session down deliberately
    /// (quit-close the host). Same cross-process-signal pattern as `punktfunkReleaseCapture` —
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ public struct EffectiveSettings: Equatable, Sendable {
    public var compositor = 0
    public var audioChannels = 2
    public var micEnabled = true
+    public var echoCancel = true
    public var touchMode = "trackpad"
    public var mouseMode = "capture"
    public var invertScroll = false
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ public struct EffectiveSettings: Equatable, Sendable {
        compositor = int(DefaultsKey.compositor, compositor)
        audioChannels = int(DefaultsKey.audioChannels, audioChannels)
        micEnabled = bool(DefaultsKey.micEnabled, micEnabled)
+        echoCancel = bool(DefaultsKey.echoCancel, echoCancel)
        touchMode = str(DefaultsKey.touchMode, touchMode)
        mouseMode = str(DefaultsKey.mouseMode, mouseMode)
        invertScroll = bool(DefaultsKey.invertScroll, invertScroll)
@@ -133,6 +135,7 @@ public struct EffectiveSettings: Equatable, Sendable {
        if let v = overlay.compositor { s.compositor = v }
        if let v = overlay.audioChannels { s.audioChannels = v }
        if let v = overlay.micEnabled { s.micEnabled = v }
+        if let v = overlay.echoCancel { s.echoCancel = v }
        if let v = overlay.touchMode { s.touchMode = v }
        if let v = overlay.mouseMode { s.mouseMode = v }
        if let v = overlay.invertScroll { s.invertScroll = v }
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ public struct SettingsOverlay: Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
    public var compositor: Int?
    public var audioChannels: Int?
    public var micEnabled: Bool?
+    public var echoCancel: Bool?
    public var touchMode: String?
    public var mouseMode: String?
    public var invertScroll: Bool?
@@ -145,6 +146,7 @@ public struct SettingsOverlay: Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
        case compositor
        case audioChannels = "audio_channels"
        case micEnabled = "mic_enabled"
+        case echoCancel = "echo_cancel"
        case touchMode = "touch_mode"
        case mouseMode = "mouse_mode"
        case invertScroll = "invert_scroll"
@@ -177,6 +179,7 @@ public struct SettingsOverlay: Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
        compositor = int(.compositor)
        audioChannels = int(.audioChannels)
        micEnabled = bool(.micEnabled)
+        echoCancel = bool(.echoCancel)
        touchMode = str(.touchMode)
        mouseMode = str(.mouseMode)
        invertScroll = bool(.invertScroll)
@@ -211,6 +214,7 @@ public struct SettingsOverlay: Codable, Equatable, Sendable {
        try c.encodeIfPresent(compositor, forKey: AnyKey(Key.compositor.rawValue))
        try c.encodeIfPresent(audioChannels, forKey: AnyKey(Key.audioChannels.rawValue))
        try c.encodeIfPresent(micEnabled, forKey: AnyKey(Key.micEnabled.rawValue))
+        try c.encodeIfPresent(echoCancel, forKey: AnyKey(Key.echoCancel.rawValue))
        try c.encodeIfPresent(touchMode, forKey: AnyKey(Key.touchMode.rawValue))
        try c.encodeIfPresent(mouseMode, forKey: AnyKey(Key.mouseMode.rawValue))
        try c.encodeIfPresent(invertScroll, forKey: AnyKey(Key.invertScroll.rawValue))
@@ -262,6 +266,7 @@ public enum OverlayField {
        case "compositor": overlay.compositor = nil
        case "audio_channels": overlay.audioChannels = nil
        case "mic_enabled": overlay.micEnabled = nil
+        case "echo_cancel": overlay.echoCancel = nil
        case "touch_mode": overlay.touchMode = nil
        case "mouse_mode": overlay.mouseMode = nil
        case "invert_scroll": overlay.invertScroll = nil
@@ -296,6 +301,7 @@ public enum OverlayField {
        case "compositor": return o.compositor != nil
        case "audio_channels": return o.audioChannels != nil
        case "mic_enabled": return o.micEnabled != nil
+        case "echo_cancel": return o.echoCancel != nil
        case "touch_mode": return o.touchMode != nil
        case "mouse_mode": return o.mouseMode != nil
        case "invert_scroll": return o.invertScroll != nil
@@ -9,32 +9,34 @@ import XCTest
@testable import PunktfunkKit

 final class OpusCodecTests: XCTestCase {
-    /// Encode a 440 Hz stereo tone, decode it back, and require the result to be
-    /// recognizably the same signal (Opus is lossy — check correlation, not bytes).
+    /// Encode a 440 Hz mono tone (the uplink's shape), decode it back through the
+    /// STEREO-configured decoder (the host-plane shape — Opus upmixes mono packets), and
+    /// require the result to be recognizably the same signal (Opus is lossy — check
+    /// correlation, not bytes).
    func testEncodeDecodeRoundTripPreservesTone() throws {
        let encoder = try OpusEncoder()
-        let decoder = try OpusDecoder(framesPerPacket: UInt32(OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket))
+        let decoder = try OpusDecoder(framesPerPacket: UInt32(encoder.framesPerPacket))
        let pcmFormat = encoder.pcmFormat

-        let frames = OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket
+        let frames = encoder.framesPerPacket
        var packets: [Data] = []
        var phase: Float = 0
        let step = 2 * Float.pi * 440 / 48_000

-        // 50 packets = 1 s of tone.
-        for _ in 0..<50 {
+        // 1 s of tone, whatever packet duration the encoder chose (10 ms → 100 chunks).
+        let chunks = Int(48_000 / frames)
+        for _ in 0..<chunks {
            let buf = AVAudioPCMBuffer(pcmFormat: pcmFormat, frameCapacity: frames)!
            buf.frameLength = frames
-            let p = buf.floatChannelData![0] // interleaved: one plane, L R L R …
+            let p = buf.floatChannelData![0] // mono: one plane
            for f in 0..<Int(frames) {
-                let s = sin(phase) * 0.5
+                p[f] = sin(phase) * 0.5
                phase += step
-                p[f * 2] = s
-                p[f * 2 + 1] = s
            }
            packets.append(contentsOf: try encoder.encode(buf))
        }
-        XCTAssertGreaterThanOrEqual(packets.count, 45, "encoder must emit ~one packet per buffer")
+        XCTAssertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+            packets.count, chunks - 5, "encoder must emit ~one packet per buffer")
        XCTAssertTrue(packets.allSatisfy { !$0.isEmpty })

        var decoded: [Float] = []
@@ -62,29 +62,30 @@ final class RemoteFirstLightTests: XCTestCase {
            host: host, port: port, width: 1280, height: 720, refreshHz: 60)
        defer { conn.close() }

-        // Mic uplink: 2 s of 440 Hz tone (the host's mic service opens its virtual
+        // Mic uplink: 2 s of 440 Hz mono tone (the host's mic service opens its virtual
        // source on the first frame — check its log).
        let encoder = try OpusEncoder()
        let chunk = AVAudioPCMBuffer(
-            pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket)!
+            pcmFormat: encoder.pcmFormat, frameCapacity: encoder.framesPerPacket)!
        var phase: Float = 0
        let step = 2 * Float.pi * 440 / 48_000
        var seq: UInt32 = 0
-        for _ in 0..<100 {
-            chunk.frameLength = OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket
-            let p = chunk.floatChannelData![0]
-            for f in 0..<Int(OpusEncoder.framesPerPacket) {
-                let s = sin(phase) * 0.25
+        let chunks = 2 * 48_000 / Int(encoder.framesPerPacket)
+        let packetNs = UInt64(encoder.framesPerPacket) * 1_000_000_000 / 48_000
+        for _ in 0..<chunks {
+            chunk.frameLength = encoder.framesPerPacket
+            let p = chunk.floatChannelData![0] // mono: one plane
+            for f in 0..<Int(encoder.framesPerPacket) {
+                p[f] = sin(phase) * 0.25
                phase += step
-                p[f * 2] = s
-                p[f * 2 + 1] = s
            }
            for packet in try encoder.encode(chunk) {
-                conn.sendMic(packet, seq: seq, ptsNs: UInt64(seq) * 20_000_000)
+                conn.sendMic(packet, seq: seq, ptsNs: UInt64(seq) * packetNs)
                seq &+= 1
            }
        }
-        XCTAssertGreaterThanOrEqual(seq, 95, "mic encoder must emit ~one packet per chunk")
+        XCTAssertGreaterThanOrEqual(
+            seq, UInt32(chunks - 5), "mic encoder must emit ~one packet per chunk")

        // Downlink: pull host audio packets and decode them (the host streams its sink
        // monitor — silence still produces packets).
@@ -59,7 +59,131 @@ punktfunk — the Punktfunk client, headless

 A <host-ref> is a saved host's id, its name, or an address — the same reference a
 punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not found,
-6 needs a person.";
+6 needs a person.
+
+\"punktfunk help <command>\" (or any command with --help) explains that command.";
+
+    /// The long help for one verb — `punktfunk help <verb>`, or `--help` after the verb.
+    /// Each entry documents its flags and the behaviour a script would need to know
+    /// (what goes to stdout vs stderr, and which exit codes mean what).
+    fn verb_help(verb: &str) -> Option<&'static str> {
+        Some(match verb {
+            "pair" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk pair <host[:port]> — enrol this device with a host (PIN ceremony)
+
+  --pin N       the PIN the host is showing; without it the command asks, and
+                refuses (exit 6) when there is no terminal to ask on
+  --name LABEL  the label the host files this device under
+                (default: this machine's name)
+
+Pairing verifies the host end-to-end and pins its fingerprint in the saved-hosts
+store, so every later connect — here, in the desktop client or the console — is
+silent. The port defaults to 9777. Prints `paired <addr>:<port> fp=<hex>` on
+success; exit 3 if the host refuses or the PIN is wrong."
+            }
+            "hosts" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk hosts — the saved-hosts store (shared with the desktop client)
+
+  punktfunk hosts list [--probe] [--json]
+      Every saved host, name TAB addr:port TAB paired/trusted TAB state.
+      --probe asks each host directly (no mDNS, so routed/VPN hosts answer
+      too); --json emits one object with per-host detail, profiles included.
+
+  punktfunk hosts add <host[:port]> [--name LABEL] [--fp HEX]
+      Save a host by address — the door for a box mDNS never sees (Tailscale,
+      another subnet). Without --fp it is a placeholder to pair later; with a
+      64-hex fingerprint it is pinned immediately (still unpaired).
+
+  punktfunk hosts forget <host-ref>
+      Remove a saved host, its pinned fingerprint included. A later connect
+      must pair or trust it again."
+            }
+            "wake" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk wake <host-ref> [--wait] — Wake-on-LAN
+
+Sends a magic packet to a saved host's MAC (learned from its advert while it
+was awake; exit 5 if none is known yet). With --wait, keeps sending every 6 s
+and polls presence every second for up to 90 s, exiting 0 the moment the host
+answers — the same cadence every graphical shell uses."
+            }
+            "library" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk library <host-ref> [--json] — the host's game library
+
+TSV on stdout by default (id TAB store TAB title), one game per line; --json
+emits {\"games\":[…]} for tools — the Playnite importer shells to exactly
+this. Needs a paired host (exit 6 otherwise)."
+            }
+            "launch" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk launch <host-ref> [--game ID] [--profile REF] [--exec] [--fullscreen]
+
+Start a stream — waking the host first if it is asleep and its MAC is known.
+The stream runs in the punktfunk-session renderer; this command supervises it
+and relays its lifecycle to stderr.
+
+  --game ID      ask the host to launch this library title into the stream
+  --profile REF  use a settings profile (id or name) for this connect only;
+                 without it the host's own binding applies
+  --fullscreen   start the stream window fullscreen
+  --exec         become the session process instead of supervising it — the
+                 gamescope-wrapper mode, where the launched process must BE
+                 the streaming one for focus and lifecycle to work
+
+Exit 0 when the stream ends cleanly, 2 connect failed, 3 the host no longer
+trusts this device (re-pair), 4 the renderer could not start."
+            }
+            "open" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk open <punktfunk://…> — follow a punktfunk:// link, headless
+
+Same parser and same refusal rules as clicking the link in a shell: a
+contradicted fingerprint refuses and says so, an ambiguous name refuses
+rather than guessing, and an unknown host is never trusted from a URL —
+that is a decision for a person, at a surface that can show the fingerprint
+(exit 6 points at `punktfunk pair`). --exec as in launch."
+            }
+            "reachable" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk reachable <host-ref> — one bounded reachability probe
+
+Asks the host directly (no mDNS), so routed/VPN hosts answer too. The
+reference may be an unsaved address — this verb answers \"can I reach it\",
+not \"do I know it\". Exit 0 reachable, 2 not; one line either way."
+            }
+            "speed-test" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk speed-test <host-ref> [--json] — measure the real data plane
+
+Runs the host's bandwidth probe over an actual session connect and prints the
+measured throughput, loss, and the bitrate it recommends. Deliberately does
+NOT apply the result: which layer a bitrate belongs in (a bound profile, the
+global default) is a decision the GUI makes with the user, and a CLI silently
+rewriting settings would be exactly the surprise that rule exists to prevent."
+            }
+            "profiles" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk profiles list [--json] — the settings profiles on this device
+
+One line per profile: id TAB name TAB how many settings it overrides.
+Profiles are created and edited in the desktop client; a connect uses one via
+`punktfunk launch --profile` or a punktfunk:// link that names it."
+            }
+            "reset" => {
+                "\
+punktfunk reset — forget every saved host and reset stream settings
+
+Asks for confirmation, and refuses (exit 6) when there is no terminal to ask
+on. This device's identity keypair is deliberately kept, so hosts that knew
+this machine still recognise it after re-pairing; delete the identity files
+from the config directory for a true factory reset."
+            }
+            _ => return None,
+        })
+    }

    /// The value after `--flag`, if any.
    fn value(args: &[String], flag: &str) -> Option<String> {
@@ -138,6 +262,12 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
            return OK;
        };
        let rest: Vec<String> = args[1..].to_vec();
+        // `--help`/`-h` after any verb prints that verb's help — before dispatch, so a verb
+        // never mistakes the flag for its subject (`punktfunk pair -h` must not dial "-h").
+        if rest.iter().any(|a| a == "--help" || a == "-h") {
+            println!("{}", verb_help(&verb).unwrap_or(USAGE));
+            return OK;
+        }
        match verb.as_str() {
            "pair" => pair(&rest),
            "hosts" => hosts(&rest),
@@ -149,10 +279,22 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
            "speed-test" => speed_test(&rest),
            "profiles" => profiles(&rest),
            "reset" => reset(),
-            "-h" | "--help" | "help" => {
-                println!("{USAGE}");
-                OK
-            }
+            "-h" | "--help" | "help" => match positional(&rest, 0) {
+                None => {
+                    println!("{USAGE}");
+                    OK
+                }
+                Some(topic) => match verb_help(&topic) {
+                    Some(h) => {
+                        println!("{h}");
+                        OK
+                    }
+                    None => {
+                        eprintln!("no command called \"{topic}\"\n\n{USAGE}");
+                        UNRESOLVED
+                    }
+                },
+            },
            "--version" | "version" => {
                println!("punktfunk {}", env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION"));
                OK
@@ -600,10 +742,17 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
            return UNRESOLVED;
        };
        // An address that isn't saved is still a legitimate thing to probe — this verb answers
-        // "can I reach this?", not "do I know this?".
-        let (addr, port) = match resolve(&reference) {
-            Ok((known, i)) => (known.hosts[i].addr.clone(), known.hosts[i].port),
-            Err(_) => split_host_port(&reference),
+        // "can I reach this?", not "do I know this?". Resolved QUIETLY for the same reason:
+        // `resolve`'s "pair it first" advice is for verbs that need a saved host, and printing
+        // it here would scold the exact usage this verb documents.
+        let known = KnownHosts::load();
+        let link = DeepLink {
+            host_ref: reference.clone(),
+            ..Default::default()
+        };
+        let (addr, port) = match deeplink::resolve_host(&link, &known) {
+            HostResolution::Known(i) => (known.hosts[i].addr.clone(), known.hosts[i].port),
+            _ => split_host_port(&reference),
        };
        if punktfunk_core::client::NativeClient::probe(&addr, port, PROBE_TIMEOUT) {
            println!("reachable {addr}:{port}");
@@ -649,14 +798,15 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
            },
            punktfunk_core::config::CompositorPref::Auto,
            punktfunk_core::config::GamepadPref::Auto,
-            0,    // bitrate_kbps: the host's default; this connect never presents
-            0,    // video_caps: nothing decodes here
-            2,    // audio_channels
-            0,    // video_codecs: the probe carries no video
-            0,    // preferred_codec
-            None, // display_hdr
-            0,    // client_caps: nothing renders a cursor
-            None, // launch
+            0,     // bitrate_kbps: the host's default; this connect never presents
+            0,     // video_caps: nothing decodes here
+            2,     // audio_channels
+            0,     // video_codecs: the probe carries no video
+            0,     // preferred_codec
+            None,  // display_hdr
+            0,     // client_caps: nothing renders a cursor
+            false, // frame_parts: probe/whole-AU consumer
+            None,  // launch
            Some(punktfunk_core::client::device_name()),
            Some(pin),
            Some(identity),
@@ -769,15 +919,7 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
    /// Is stdin a terminal? Decides whether a verb may ask a question or must refuse with
    /// [`NEEDS_INTERACTION`] — a CLI that blocks a CI job on a prompt is a hang, not a UX.
    fn is_tty() -> bool {
-        #[cfg(unix)]
-        {
-            // SAFETY-free check: `isatty` via the std file descriptor, without libc.
-            std::io::IsTerminal::is_terminal(&std::io::stdin())
-        }
-        #[cfg(not(unix))]
-        {
-            std::io::IsTerminal::is_terminal(&std::io::stdin())
-        }
+        std::io::IsTerminal::is_terminal(&std::io::stdin())
    }

    #[cfg(test)]
@@ -820,6 +962,32 @@ punktfunk:// link takes. Exit codes: 0 ok, 2 connect, 3 trust, 4 renderer, 5 not
            assert_eq!(split_host_port("desk:nope"), ("desk:nope".into(), 9777));
        }

+        /// Every advertised verb documents itself — a USAGE line without a help entry is a
+        /// promise `help <verb>` breaks. The overview and each entry must also name the verb.
+        #[test]
+        fn every_usage_verb_has_help() {
+            for verb in [
+                "pair",
+                "hosts",
+                "wake",
+                "library",
+                "launch",
+                "open",
+                "reachable",
+                "speed-test",
+                "profiles",
+                "reset",
+            ] {
+                let h = verb_help(verb).unwrap_or_else(|| panic!("no help for {verb}"));
+                assert!(
+                    h.starts_with(&format!("punktfunk {verb}")),
+                    "help for {verb} must lead with its own invocation"
+                );
+                assert!(USAGE.contains(verb), "USAGE must advertise {verb}");
+            }
+            assert!(verb_help("bogus").is_none());
+        }
+
        #[test]
        fn value_reads_the_argument_after_its_flag() {
            let a = argv(&["--game", "steam:570", "--exec"]);
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+//! Runs the REAL `punktfunk` binary and pins its self-documentation contract: help goes
+//! to stdout and exits 0, an unknown verb refuses on stderr with the not-found code.
+//!
+//! This exists so CI *executes* the shipped binary at least once per platform. A binary
+//! that compiles but is the wrong program passes every build/clippy/fmt gate — that is
+//! exactly how 0.22.0 shipped a stub as `punktfunk-session` — and only a gate that runs
+//! the thing catches the class. The help paths are the right probe: they touch no config
+//! stores and no network, so they are safe on any runner.
+#![cfg(any(target_os = "linux", windows))]
+
+use std::process::Command;
+
+fn punktfunk(args: &[&str]) -> std::process::Output {
+    Command::new(env!("CARGO_BIN_EXE_punktfunk"))
+        .args(args)
+        .output()
+        .expect("run punktfunk")
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn bare_and_help_print_the_overview_on_stdout() {
+    for args in [&[][..], &["help"][..], &["--help"][..], &["-h"][..]] {
+        let out = punktfunk(args);
+        assert!(out.status.success(), "{args:?} must exit 0");
+        let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout);
+        assert!(
+            stdout.contains("punktfunk pair"),
+            "{args:?} overview lists the verbs"
+        );
+        assert!(
+            stdout.contains("help <command>"),
+            "{args:?} overview points at per-verb help"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn per_verb_help_answers_both_spellings() {
+    for args in [
+        &["help", "launch"][..],
+        &["launch", "--help"][..],
+        &["launch", "-h"][..],
+    ] {
+        let out = punktfunk(args);
+        assert!(out.status.success(), "{args:?} must exit 0");
+        let stdout = String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout);
+        assert!(
+            stdout.contains("--exec"),
+            "{args:?} documents launch's flags"
+        );
+    }
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn version_prints_the_crate_version() {
+    let out = punktfunk(&["--version"]);
+    assert!(out.status.success());
+    assert!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stdout).contains(env!("CARGO_PKG_VERSION")));
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn unknown_verbs_refuse_with_the_not_found_code() {
+    let out = punktfunk(&["frobnicate"]);
+    assert_eq!(out.status.code(), Some(5), "unknown verb exits 5");
+    assert!(String::from_utf8_lossy(&out.stderr).contains("unknown command"));
+
+    let out = punktfunk(&["help", "frobnicate"]);
+    assert_eq!(out.status.code(), Some(5), "unknown help topic exits 5");
+}
@@ -54,6 +54,25 @@ Loader's own (SHA-256-verified) install. Installs and updates can take a couple
 networks: Decky's installer also contacts its plugin store first, which may be slow or blackholed
 before the actual download proceeds.

+### Updating the client
+
+The plugin also reports — and where it can, installs — updates for the **client** it launches.
+What is possible depends on how that client was installed, and the About tab names the install
+kind so the answer is never a mystery:
+
+| Install | Update |
+| --- | --- |
+| **Flatpak** (the usual Deck client) | One tap. `flatpak update --user io.unom.Punktfunk` — a per-user install, which is why `sudo flatpak update` never touches it. |
+| **.deb / .rpm** (and rpm-ostree, which stages for the next reboot) | One tap, *after* an explicit opt-in: `sudo usermod -aG punktfunk-update $USER`. The tap starts a fixed, parameterless root oneshot (`punktfunk-client-update.service`) through polkit — nothing about the request is attacker-influenceable, and the payload comes from your distro's own signed repositories. |
+| **pacman** | Same, plus the root-owned `PACMAN_FULL_SYSUPGRADE=1` in `/etc/punktfunk/update.conf` — a partial upgrade is against Arch doctrine, so the only thing the helper will run is a full `pacman -Syu`. |
+| **sysext, nix, a source build** | The plugin shows the command and stops. There is no feed behind those installs, and a button that can only fail is worse than one honest line. |
+
+Whether a *newer* client exists is the client's own answer (`punktfunk-client --check-update`),
+read from the Ed25519-signed per-channel manifest the host's update check already trusts —
+`PUNKTFUNK_UPDATE_CHECK=0` disables the check, `PUNKTFUNK_UPDATE_APPLY=0` keeps the check but
+never offers to install. A client too old to have that mode is reported as such rather than as
+up to date.
+
 ## Build & sideload (development)

 ```sh
@@ -22,8 +22,14 @@ The backend's jobs are the things Steam can't do:
 * **get_settings() / set_settings()** — read/write the flatpak client's stream settings JSON
  (resolution / bitrate / gamepad), so the Deck UI configures the stream the client reads.
 * **kill_stream()** — force-stop a wedged stream (``flatpak kill``).
-* **check_update()** — poll the registry's per-channel ``manifest.json`` and report whether a
-  newer build is available (the frontend then drives Decky's own install RPC to apply it).
+* **check_update()** — report pending updates for BOTH the plugin and the client. The plugin's
+  comes from the registry's per-channel ``manifest.json`` (the frontend then drives Decky's own
+  install RPC to apply it); the client's depends on how it was installed — a flatpak is compared
+  by OSTree commit here, anything else is asked of the client itself
+  (``punktfunk-client --check-update``, which verifies a signed manifest).
+* **update_client()** — apply the client update by whichever route that install supports:
+  ``flatpak update --user``, ``punktfunk-client --apply-update`` (the packaged root helper), or
+  a refusal carrying the command to run by hand.

 The TXT-record keys parsed (``proto`` / ``fp`` / ``pair`` / ``id`` / ``mgmt``) are defined by
 the host advert in ``crates/punktfunk-host/src/discovery.rs``.
@@ -392,6 +398,18 @@ def _client_argv() -> list[str] | None:
    return [native] if native else None


+def _client_is_flatpak() -> bool:
+    """Is the client this plugin actually drives the FLATPAK one?
+
+    Not the same question as "is the flatpak installed": `PF_DECKY_CLIENT=native` forces the
+    native binary on a box that has both, and the update check has to describe the client the
+    launcher will really run — otherwise a Deck with both would be offered a flatpak update for
+    a client it never starts.
+    """
+    prefix = _client_argv()
+    return bool(prefix) and prefix[0] == _flatpak()
+
+
 def _flatpak_env() -> dict:
    """Environment for a headless client run from the backend (no display needed for pairing).
    Reconstruct the user-session bits flatpak wants; the backend may not inherit them. Harmless
@@ -562,7 +580,12 @@ async def _client_update_state() -> dict:
    **per-user** install (so ``sudo flatpak update``, which is system-scope, never touches it), and
    it versions independently of this plugin — so we compare the installed commit against the
    remote's here and let the QAM offer a user-scope update. Best-effort; all-``False`` on any error
-    (not installed, no flatpak, offline)."""
+    (not installed, no flatpak, offline).
+
+    Flatpak keeps its OWN comparison (commits, not versions) because it is the exact one: a
+    flatpak built from main between releases carries the release's crate version, so the
+    signed-manifest comparison the native path uses would call it up to date when it isn't.
+    Native installs have no commit to compare and go through :func:`_native_update_state`."""
    state = {"available": False, "installed": "", "remote": ""}
    rc, info = await _flatpak_capture(["info", "--user", APP_ID], timeout=10.0)
    if rc != 0:
@@ -581,6 +604,50 @@ async def _client_update_state() -> dict:
    return state


+# --- native (non-flatpak) client updates ----------------------------------------------------
+#
+# A .deb/.rpm/pacman/sysext/nix client is not something this plugin can reason about on its own:
+# working out whether a newer build exists means fetching a per-channel manifest and verifying
+# its Ed25519 signature, and Decky's embedded Python has no crypto library to do that with (nor
+# should the trust rule live in two languages). So the CLIENT answers both questions —
+# `--check-update --json` says what is available and who could install it, `--apply-update`
+# drives the packaged root helper — and this backend is a UI over those, exactly as it already
+# is for `--pair` / `--library` / `--list-hosts`.
+#
+# Shape of `--check-update --json` (pf_client_core::update::Status):
+#   {kind, channel, current, latest, update_available, apply, applier, command,
+#    opt_in_hint?, notes_url, error?}
+# `applier` is what this file routes on: "flatpak" (we run flatpak), "helper" (the client runs
+# the root helper), "none" (show `command` — nothing here can install it).
+
+
+async def _native_update_state() -> dict:
+    """Ask a NATIVE client whether a newer build exists for its channel. Returns the client's
+    own status dict, or ``{}`` when it couldn't be asked (no native client, a client too old to
+    have the mode, offline). Best-effort by design: an unanswerable check must read as "can't
+    tell", never as "up to date"."""
+    rc, out, err = await _run_client(["--check-update", "--json"], timeout=30.0)
+    # The JSON is authoritative whenever there IS JSON, whatever the exit code: the client
+    # exits 0 up-to-date, 10 update-available, and 1 when the check failed — but in that last
+    # case it STILL prints a status carrying `error` plus the install kind and the command for
+    # this box, which is exactly what the UI needs to explain itself. Reading only the exit
+    # code would throw all of that away and report a bare "couldn't check".
+    if out.strip():
+        try:
+            data = json.loads(out)
+            if isinstance(data, dict):
+                return data
+        except json.JSONDecodeError:
+            decky.logger.warning("check-update: unparseable output: %s", out[:200])
+    if rc == -1:
+        return {}
+    # A client predating `--check-update` ignores the flag and falls through to GTK init, which
+    # fails headless — the same signature the other headless modes classify.
+    code = _classify_library_error(err)
+    decky.logger.info("native check-update unavailable (rc=%s, %s)", rc, code)
+    return {"error": code} if code == "client-outdated" else {}
+
+
 def _split_txt(txt: str) -> list[str]:
    """Split an avahi TXT column into tokens, honouring the ``"key=value"`` quoting."""
    tokens: list[str] = []
@@ -1138,14 +1205,71 @@ class Plugin:
            return {"ok": False}
        return {"ok": True}

+    async def _update_native_client(self) -> dict:
+        """The non-flatpak leg of :meth:`update_client` — drive the client's own
+        ``--apply-update``, which starts the packaged root helper.
+
+        The timeout is generous because a package-manager run on a stale box is slow; the
+        client caps its own wait at 30 min, so this one sits below that and reports a timeout
+        rather than hanging the QAM forever.
+        """
+        state = await _native_update_state()
+        if not state:
+            # No client answered at all (none installed, or one too old for the mode) — say
+            # that, rather than "this install updates by hand", which would be a guess.
+            return {"ok": False, "updated": False, "error": "client-unavailable"}
+        applier = state.get("applier")
+        if applier != "helper":
+            # Nothing here can install it — hand back the command the client computed, so the
+            # UI shows one true line instead of guessing per install kind.
+            return {
+                "ok": False,
+                "updated": False,
+                "error": "manual",
+                "command": state.get("opt_in_hint") or state.get("command", ""),
+            }
+        rc, out, err = await _run_client(["--apply-update", "--json"], timeout=900.0)
+        if rc == -1:
+            return {"ok": False, "updated": False, "error": "timeout"}
+        outcome: dict = {}
+        if out.strip():
+            try:
+                outcome = json.loads(out)
+            except json.JSONDecodeError:
+                pass
+        if not outcome.get("ok"):
+            detail = outcome.get("error") or (err.strip().splitlines() or ["update failed"])[-1]
+            decky.logger.warning("native client update failed (rc=%s): %s", rc, detail)
+            return {"ok": False, "updated": False, "error": "update-failed", "detail": detail}
+        _update_cache["data"] = None  # invalidate the cached "update available" snapshot
+        decky.logger.info(
+            "native client update: %s -> %s (changed=%s, staged=%s)",
+            outcome.get("before", ""), outcome.get("after", ""),
+            outcome.get("changed"), outcome.get("staged"),
+        )
+        return {
+            "ok": True,
+            "updated": bool(outcome.get("changed")),
+            "staged": bool(outcome.get("staged")),
+        }
+
    async def update_client(self) -> dict:
-        """Update the flatpak **client** (io.unom.Punktfunk) in the USER installation — the scope a
-        Steam Deck install lives in, which ``sudo flatpak update`` (system-scope) never reaches.
-        Returns whether a new commit was actually pulled. Best-effort; non-fatal. A NATIVE client
-        is updated by whatever installed it (distro package manager, sysext, nix), never here —
-        `check_update` reports no client update for one, so the UI never offers this."""
-        if not _flatpak_installed():
-            return {"ok": False, "updated": False, "error": "flatpak-not-found"}
+        """Update the **client**, by whichever route this box's install actually supports.
+
+        * **flatpak** — ``flatpak update --user`` in the USER installation, the scope a Steam
+          Deck install lives in and which ``sudo flatpak update`` (system-scope) never reaches.
+        * **native, one-tap capable** (.deb / .rpm / pacman with the packaged root helper and
+          the operator's group opt-in) — ``punktfunk-client --apply-update``, which starts the
+          fixed, parameterless ``punktfunk-client-update.service`` through polkit. This backend
+          passes nothing to it; the helper derives everything from root-owned state.
+        * **anything else** (sysext, nix, a source build, no opt-in) — refused with the exact
+          command to run, which the UI shows. `check_update` reports the same, so the UI knows
+          not to offer a button in the first place.
+
+        Returns ``{ok, updated, error?, detail?, command?, staged?}``. Best-effort; non-fatal.
+        """
+        if not _client_is_flatpak():
+            return await self._update_native_client()
        _, before = await _flatpak_capture(["info", "--user", APP_ID], timeout=10.0)
        before_commit = _field_from(before, "Commit")
        rc, out = await _flatpak_capture(["update", "--user", "-y", APP_ID], timeout=300.0)
@@ -1183,6 +1307,13 @@ class Plugin:
            "client_update_available": False,
            "client_current": "",
            "client_latest": "",
+            # How the client got here (`flatpak`, `apt`, `dnf`, `sysext`, `nix`, `source`, …),
+            # who could install an update (`flatpak` | `helper` | `none`), and the one line that
+            # does it by hand. Empty on a flatpak-only box that never reaches the native path.
+            "client_install": "",
+            "client_applier": "",
+            "client_command": "",
+            "client_opt_in": "",
        }

        now = time.monotonic()
@@ -1190,12 +1321,31 @@ class Plugin:
        if not force and cached and (now - _update_cache["at"]) < _UPDATE_TTL_S:
            return cached

-        # Client (flatpak) update — checked ALWAYS, even on a dev/sideloaded plugin build.
+        # Client update — checked ALWAYS, even on a dev/sideloaded plugin build. Which check
+        # runs depends on how the client was installed: the flatpak compares OSTree commits
+        # (exact for a per-user flatpak), everything else asks the client itself, which
+        # verifies the signed per-channel manifest. See _client_update_state / _native_update_state.
        try:
-            cu = await _client_update_state()
-            result["client_update_available"] = bool(cu["available"])
-            result["client_current"] = (cu["installed"] or "")[:10]
-            result["client_latest"] = (cu["remote"] or "")[:10]
+            if _client_is_flatpak():
+                cu = await _client_update_state()
+                result["client_update_available"] = bool(cu["available"])
+                result["client_current"] = (cu["installed"] or "")[:10]
+                result["client_latest"] = (cu["remote"] or "")[:10]
+                result["client_install"] = "flatpak"
+                result["client_applier"] = "flatpak"
+                result["client_command"] = f"flatpak update --user {APP_ID}"
+            else:
+                nu = await _native_update_state()
+                result["client_update_available"] = bool(nu.get("update_available"))
+                result["client_current"] = str(nu.get("current", ""))
+                result["client_latest"] = str(nu.get("latest", ""))
+                result["client_install"] = str(nu.get("kind", ""))
+                result["client_applier"] = str(nu.get("applier", ""))
+                result["client_command"] = str(nu.get("command", ""))
+                result["client_opt_in"] = str(nu.get("opt_in_hint", "") or "")
+                if nu.get("error"):
+                    # "Couldn't tell" — never rendered as up to date; the UI shows the reason.
+                    result["client_error"] = str(nu["error"])
        except Exception:  # noqa: BLE001
            decky.logger.warning("client update check failed", exc_info=True)

@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@ export interface StreamSettings {
  codec?: string; // "auto" | "hevc" | "h264" | "av1" — soft preference (absent in pre-codec files)
  gamepad: string; // "auto" | "xbox360" | "xboxone" | "dualsense" | "dualshock4" | "steamdeck"
  compositor: string; // "auto" | "kwin" | "wlroots" | "mutter" | "gamescope"
+  // Round-trips only — deliberately NOT offered as a row here. It decides whether the session
+  // grabs the keyboard so Alt+Tab/Super reach the host, and Game Mode is gamescope: it has no
+  // compositor shortcuts to inhibit and hands the focused window every key already. A toggle
+  // here would be a dead one. The desktop client's row still edits this same file.
  inhibit_shortcuts: boolean;
  mic_enabled: boolean;
 }
@@ -124,11 +128,20 @@ export interface UpdateInfo {
  hash: string; // sha256 of that zip (Decky verifies it)
  channel: string; // "latest" (stable) | "canary"
  update_available: boolean; // a newer PLUGIN build is available
-  // The flatpak CLIENT (io.unom.Punktfunk) versions independently and is a per-user install, so
-  // `sudo flatpak update` never touches it — the plugin offers a user-scope update instead.
+  // The CLIENT versions independently of this plugin, and how it updates depends on how it was
+  // installed. A flatpak is a per-user install `sudo flatpak update` never touches, compared by
+  // OSTree commit; every other install (.deb/.rpm/pacman/sysext/nix/source) is compared by the
+  // client itself against the signed per-channel manifest (`punktfunk-client --check-update`).
  client_update_available: boolean;
-  client_current: string; // installed client commit (short) — informational
-  client_latest: string; // remote client commit (short) — informational
+  client_current: string; // installed client commit (flatpak) or version (native)
+  client_latest: string; // newest client commit (flatpak) or version (native)
+  client_install: string; // "flatpak" | "apt" | "dnf" | "pacman" | "sysext" | "nix" | "source" | ""
+  // Who can perform the update: "flatpak" (this plugin runs it), "helper" (the client drives the
+  // packaged root helper), "none" (nothing here can — show `client_command`).
+  client_applier: string;
+  client_command: string; // one copy-pastable line that updates this install by hand
+  client_opt_in: string; // set when one-tap WOULD work after `usermod -aG punktfunk-update`
+  client_error?: string; // the client check couldn't complete (e.g. "client-outdated")
  error?: string; // "update-channel-unknown" (dev build) | "fetch-failed"
 }

@@ -206,8 +219,18 @@ export const probeHost = callable<
  { ok: boolean; online?: boolean; error?: string }
 >("probe_host");
 export const checkUpdate = callable<[force: boolean], UpdateInfo>("check_update");
-// Update the flatpak client in the user installation (`flatpak update --user -y io.unom.Punktfunk`).
+// Update the client by whichever route its install supports: `flatpak update --user` for the
+// flatpak, `punktfunk-client --apply-update` (the packaged root helper) for a one-tap-capable
+// native install. Everything else comes back `ok: false, error: "manual"` with `command` — the
+// line to run by hand. A package-manager run can take minutes; the backend allows 15.
 export const updateClient = callable<
  [],
-  { ok: boolean; updated: boolean; error?: string }
+  {
+    ok: boolean;
+    updated: boolean;
+    staged?: boolean; // installed, but a reboot activates it (rpm-ostree)
+    error?: string;
+    detail?: string;
+    command?: string; // set with error "manual"
+  }
 >("update_client");
@@ -240,11 +240,61 @@ export function useUpdate() {
  return { info, checking, check };
 }

-/** True when EITHER the plugin or the flatpak client has a pending update. */
+/** True when EITHER the plugin or the client has a pending update. */
 export function hasUpdate(info: UpdateInfo | null | undefined): boolean {
  return !!info && (info.update_available || info.client_update_available);
 }

+/**
+ * Can this Deck actually INSTALL the pending client update, or only tell you how?
+ *
+ * A flatpak and a one-tap-capable native install (the packaged root helper + the operator's
+ * group opt-in) get a button; a sysext, a nix profile, a source build or a box that hasn't
+ * opted in gets the command. Offering a button that can only fail is worse than saying so.
+ */
+export function clientUpdateIsOneTap(info: UpdateInfo | null | undefined): boolean {
+  return (
+    !!info &&
+    info.client_update_available &&
+    (info.client_applier === "flatpak" || info.client_applier === "helper")
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * How the client got onto this box, in words a Deck user recognises. The raw kind comes from
+ * the client's own detector (`pf_update_check::detect`); anything unmapped falls through as
+ * itself rather than as "unknown", because the raw word is still more useful than a shrug.
+ */
+export function clientInstallLabel(kind: string): string {
+  switch (kind) {
+    case "flatpak":
+      return "Flatpak (per-user)";
+    case "apt":
+      return "System package (apt)";
+    case "dnf":
+      return "System package (dnf)";
+    case "rpm-ostree":
+      return "Layered package (rpm-ostree)";
+    case "pacman":
+      return "System package (pacman)";
+    case "sysext":
+      return "System extension (sysext)";
+    case "nix":
+      return "Nix profile";
+    case "steamos-source":
+      return "On-device build";
+    case "source":
+      return "Built from source";
+    default:
+      return kind;
+  }
+}
+
+/** True when the only pending update is one this Deck can't apply itself. */
+export function clientUpdateIsManualOnly(info: UpdateInfo | null | undefined): boolean {
+  return !!info && info.client_update_available && !clientUpdateIsOneTap(info);
+}
+
 /** The explicit "Check for updates" action — always ends in a toast so the tap has feedback. */
 export async function checkForUpdatesNow(
  check: (force: boolean) => Promise<UpdateInfo | null>,
@@ -256,8 +306,20 @@ export async function checkForUpdatesNow(
  } else if (hasUpdate(res)) {
    const parts: string[] = [];
    if (res.update_available) parts.push(`plugin v${res.current} → v${res.latest}`);
-    if (res.client_update_available) parts.push("client");
+    if (res.client_update_available) {
+      parts.push(res.client_latest ? `client ${res.client_latest}` : "client");
+    }
    body = `Update available: ${parts.join(" + ")}.`;
+    if (clientUpdateIsManualOnly(res)) {
+      // Say the honest thing up front rather than letting the user find out at the button.
+      body += " The client updates outside Punktfunk on this install.";
+    }
+  } else if (res.client_error) {
+    // A failed CLIENT check must never read as "up to date" — that is the one wrong answer.
+    body =
+      res.client_error === "client-outdated"
+        ? "Couldn’t check the client — it predates update checks. Update it once by hand."
+        : "Couldn’t check the client for updates.";
  } else if (res.error === "update-channel-unknown") {
    body = "Development build — plugin updates are disabled; the client is up to date.";
  } else {
@@ -266,32 +328,67 @@ export async function checkForUpdatesNow(
  toaster.toast({ title: "Punktfunk", body });
 }

+/** One line of user-facing copy for whatever `updateClient()` came back with. */
+function clientUpdateResultBody(r: Awaited<ReturnType<typeof updateClient>>): string {
+  if (r.ok) {
+    if (r.staged) return "Client updated — reboot to finish.";
+    return r.updated ? "Client updated to the latest version." : "Client is already up to date.";
+  }
+  // "manual" is not a failure: the box simply can't install it, and `command` says how.
+  if (r.error === "manual") {
+    return r.command
+      ? `This client updates outside Punktfunk. Run: ${r.command}`
+      : "This client updates outside Punktfunk — use the way you installed it.";
+  }
+  if (r.error === "timeout") return "Client update timed out — check the box and try again.";
+  if (r.error === "client-unavailable")
+    return "Couldn’t reach the client to update it — is it still installed?";
+  return `Client update failed${r.detail ? `: ${r.detail}` : r.error ? ` (${r.error})` : ""}.`;
+}
+
 /**
- * Apply whichever updates are pending. The flatpak CLIENT is updated first (a user-scope
- * `flatpak update`, awaited); then, if the PLUGIN itself has an update, Decky's install RPC
- * reinstalls it — which reloads the plugin and tears this panel down, so it goes last and is
- * fire-and-forget. `check` (when passed) refreshes the panel state after a client-only update so
- * the "Update available" button clears.
+ * Apply whichever updates are pending.
+ *
+ * The CLIENT goes first and is awaited, by whichever route its install supports — a user-scope
+ * `flatpak update`, or the packaged root helper via `punktfunk-client --apply-update`. An
+ * install neither can serve is not attempted at all: the user gets the command in a toast,
+ * because a button that can only fail teaches nothing.
+ *
+ * The PLUGIN goes last and is fire-and-forget: Decky's install RPC reinstalls and reloads the
+ * plugin, tearing this panel down before any result could arrive. `check` (when passed)
+ * refreshes the panel state after a client-only update so the "Update available" button clears.
 */
 export async function applyUpdate(
  info: UpdateInfo,
  check?: (force: boolean) => Promise<UpdateInfo | null>,
 ): Promise<void> {
-  if (info.client_update_available) {
-    toaster.toast({ title: "Punktfunk", body: "Updating the client…" });
+  if (info.client_update_available && clientUpdateIsOneTap(info)) {
+    toaster.toast({
+      title: "Punktfunk",
+      // A package-manager run is not instant; say so before the wait, not after.
+      body:
+        info.client_applier === "helper"
+          ? "Updating the client — this can take a few minutes…"
+          : "Updating the client…",
+    });
    try {
      const r = await updateClient();
-      toaster.toast({
-        title: "Punktfunk",
-        body: !r.ok
-          ? `Client update failed${r.error ? ` (${r.error})` : ""}.`
-          : r.updated
-            ? "Client updated to the latest version."
-            : "Client is already up to date.",
-      });
+      toaster.toast({ title: "Punktfunk", body: clientUpdateResultBody(r) });
    } catch {
      toaster.toast({ title: "Punktfunk", body: "Client update failed." });
    }
+  } else if (info.client_update_available) {
+    // Nothing here can install it — hand over the one line that does, rather than a button
+    // that would fail. `client_opt_in` wins when joining the group is what's missing, since
+    // that is the step that turns this into a one-tap update from then on.
+    const line = info.client_opt_in || info.client_command;
+    toaster.toast({
+      title: "Punktfunk",
+      body: line
+        ? `Client update available (${info.client_latest}). Run: ${line}`
+        : `A newer client (${info.client_latest}) is available — update it the way you installed it.`,
+      duration: 12_000,
+    });
  }

  if (info.update_available) {
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import { PluginErrorBoundary } from "./boundary";
 import {
  applyUpdate,
  checkForUpdatesNow,
+  clientUpdateIsManualOnly,
  hasUpdate,
  mergeHosts,
  needsPair,
@@ -72,27 +73,42 @@ const QamPanel: FC = () => {

  return (
    <>
-      {hasUpdate(update) && (
-        <PanelSection title="Update available">
-          <PanelSectionRow>
-            <ButtonItem
-              layout="below"
-              onClick={() => applyUpdate(update!, check)}
-              label={
-                update!.update_available
-                  ? `Plugin v${update!.current} → v${update!.latest}${
-                      update!.client_update_available ? " + client" : ""
-                    }`
-                  : "New client version"
-              }
-              description="Installing can take a couple of minutes"
-            >
-              <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
-              Update Punktfunk
-            </ButtonItem>
-          </PanelSectionRow>
-        </PanelSection>
-      )}
+      {hasUpdate(update) &&
+        // A client this Deck can't install (a sysext, a nix profile, a source build, or a box
+        // that hasn't opted into one-tap updates) gets the command, not a button — tapping
+        // something that can only fail is worse than reading one line. A pending PLUGIN update
+        // still wins the button, since that half always works.
+        (clientUpdateIsManualOnly(update) && !update!.update_available ? (
+          <PanelSection title="Client update available">
+            <PanelSectionRow>
+              <Field
+                focusable
+                label={update!.client_latest || "Newer version"}
+                description={update!.client_opt_in || update!.client_command}
+              />
+            </PanelSectionRow>
+          </PanelSection>
+        ) : (
+          <PanelSection title="Update available">
+            <PanelSectionRow>
+              <ButtonItem
+                layout="below"
+                onClick={() => applyUpdate(update!, check)}
+                label={
+                  update!.update_available
+                    ? `Plugin v${update!.current} → v${update!.latest}${
+                        update!.client_update_available ? " + client" : ""
+                      }`
+                    : "New client version"
+                }
+                description="Installing can take a couple of minutes"
+              >
+                <FaDownload style={{ marginRight: "0.5em" }} />
+                Update Punktfunk
+              </ButtonItem>
+            </PanelSectionRow>
+          </PanelSection>
+        ))}

      <PanelSection title="Punktfunk">
        <PanelSectionRow>
--- a/Show More
+++ b/Show More