diff --git a/apps/example-sender/src/lib/relay.remote.ts b/apps/example-sender/src/lib/relay.remote.ts
index 61fb6f1..ac926e6 100644
--- a/apps/example-sender/src/lib/relay.remote.ts
+++ b/apps/example-sender/src/lib/relay.remote.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@ import { command, getRequestEvent } from '$app/server';
 import { error } from '@sveltejs/kit';
 import * as v from 'valibot';
 
-import { APP_DOMAIN } from '$lib/config';
 import {
 	listNotificationsForUser,
 	markAllReadForUser,
@@ -60,7 +59,9 @@ export const sendTest = command(
 				recipient: locals.did,
 				title: title?.trim() || 'Hello from the example sender',
 				body: body?.trim() || 'If you can read this, the integration works end to end.',
-				uri: `https://${APP_DOMAIN}`,
+				// A cross-site URL so PWA inbox links open in the default browser (an
+				// atmo.pub subdomain would be treated as same-site and stay in-app on iOS).
+				uri: 'https://bsky.app',
 				category: category?.trim() || undefined
 			});
 			return { ok: true, ...result };
diff --git a/apps/web/src/routes/(app)/inbox/+page.svelte b/apps/web/src/routes/(app)/inbox/+page.svelte
index 11c2bbe..203cd9f 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/routes/(app)/inbox/+page.svelte
+++ b/apps/web/src/routes/(app)/inbox/+page.svelte
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 <script lang="ts">
+	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
 	import { invalidateAll } from '$app/navigation';
 	import AppMark from '$lib/components/AppMark.svelte';
 	import Icon from '$lib/components/Icon.svelte';
@@ -10,6 +11,19 @@
 
 	let busy = $state(false);
 
+	// In an installed PWA, `target="_blank"` opens an in-app browser (and iOS
+	// keeps it Safari-only). A plain same-window navigation to an out-of-scope URL
+	// (notification uris are cross-origin → outside our scope) is the only thing
+	// iOS hands to the user's *default* browser. So: drop `target` when running
+	// standalone, keep new-tab in a normal browser. Detected after mount so SSR/
+	// hydration render the same thing first (no mismatch).
+	let standalone = $state(false);
+	onMount(() => {
+		standalone =
+			window.matchMedia('(display-mode: standalone)').matches ||
+			(navigator as Navigator & { standalone?: boolean }).standalone === true;
+	});
+
 	async function markAll() {
 		busy = true;
 		try {
@@ -20,17 +34,20 @@
 		}
 	}
 
-	async function open(n: PageData['notifications'][number]) {
-		if (!n.read) {
-			try {
-				await markNotificationsRead({ ids: [n.id] });
-				await invalidateAll();
-			} catch {
+	// Mark read in the background (fire-and-forget). We DON'T open the link here —
+	// notifications with a `uri` are real <a target="_blank"> anchors so the OS hands
+	// the link to the default browser (a standalone PWA keeps `window.open` in-app).
+	function markRead(n: PageData['notifications'][number]) {
+		if (n.read) return;
+		markNotificationsRead({ ids: [n.id] })
+			.then(() => invalidateAll())
+			.catch(() => {
 				/* ignore — opening still proceeds */
-			}
-		}
-		if (n.uri) window.open(n.uri, '_blank', 'noopener');
+			});
 	}
+
+	const rowClass =
+		'flex w-full items-start gap-3 rounded-md px-2 py-3 text-left transition-colors hover:bg-surface-2';
 </script>
 
 <svelte:head><title>Inbox · atmo.pub</title></svelte:head>
@@ -75,33 +92,44 @@
 		<ul class="mt-2 divide-y divide-line-2">
 			{#each data.notifications as n (n.id)}
 				<li>
-					<button
-						type="button"
-						onclick={() => open(n)}
-						class="flex w-full items-start gap-3 rounded-md px-2 py-3 text-left transition-colors hover:bg-surface-2"
-					>
-						<AppMark id={n.sender} size={40} />
-						<div class="min-w-0 flex-1">
-							<div class="flex items-center gap-2">
-								<span class="truncate text-sm font-semibold text-fg">{n.title}</span>
-								{#if !n.read}
-									<span
-										class="size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-accent"
-										aria-label="unread"
-									></span>
-								{/if}
-							</div>
-							{#if n.body}
-								<p class="mt-0.5 line-clamp-2 text-sm text-muted">{n.body}</p>
-							{/if}
-							<div class="mt-1 flex items-center gap-2 font-mono text-xs text-muted-2">
-								<RelativeTime date={n.createdAt} />
-								{#if n.category}<span>· {n.category}</span>{/if}
-							</div>
-						</div>
-					</button>
+					{#if n.uri}
+						<!-- Open in the default browser. Standalone PWA: no target → out-of-scope nav
+						     hands off to the default browser. Normal browser: new tab. -->
+						<a
+							href={n.uri}
+							target={standalone ? undefined : '_blank'}
+							rel="noopener noreferrer"
+							onclick={() => markRead(n)}
+							class={rowClass}
+						>
+							{@render item(n)}
+						</a>
+					{:else}
+						<button type="button" onclick={() => markRead(n)} class={rowClass}>
+							{@render item(n)}
+						</button>
+					{/if}
 				</li>
 			{/each}
 		</ul>
 	{/if}
 </div>
+
+{#snippet item(n: PageData['notifications'][number])}
+	<AppMark id={n.sender} size={40} />
+	<div class="min-w-0 flex-1">
+		<div class="flex items-center gap-2">
+			<span class="truncate text-sm font-semibold text-fg">{n.title}</span>
+			{#if !n.read}
+				<span class="size-2 shrink-0 rounded-full bg-accent" aria-label="unread"></span>
+			{/if}
+		</div>
+		{#if n.body}
+			<p class="mt-0.5 line-clamp-2 text-sm text-muted">{n.body}</p>
+		{/if}
+		<div class="mt-1 flex items-center gap-2 font-mono text-xs text-muted-2">
+			<RelativeTime date={n.createdAt} />
+			{#if n.category}<span>· {n.category}</span>{/if}
+		</div>
+	</div>
+{/snippet}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/routes/go/+page.svelte b/apps/web/src/routes/go/+page.svelte
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c13209
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/web/src/routes/go/+page.svelte
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+<script lang="ts">
+	// Handoff page for opening an external link in the user's default browser from
+	// the installed PWA. Push clicks go through the service worker, which can only
+	// open in-scope pages — it opens THIS page, which links out to the destination.
+	//
+	// iOS only hands an out-of-scope link to the default browser on a real TAP, so
+	// there we DON'T auto-redirect (it would just load the URL inside the PWA) —
+	// the user taps the button. Everywhere else (Mac PWA, desktop) the programmatic
+	// redirect works, so we do it automatically.
+	import { onMount } from 'svelte';
+	import { goto } from '$app/navigation';
+	import { page } from '$app/state';
+
+	const to = $derived(page.url.searchParams.get('to') ?? '');
+	const valid = $derived(/^https?:\/\//.test(to));
+	const host = $derived(valid ? new URL(to).host : '');
+
+	onMount(() => {
+		// Once the link opens, the browser/app takes over (page → hidden); when the
+		// user comes back to the PWA (→ visible) drop them on the inbox instead of
+		// leaving them stranded on this handoff page.
+		let leftForLink = false;
+		function onVisibility() {
+			if (document.visibilityState === 'hidden') leftForLink = true;
+			else if (leftForLink) goto('/inbox', { replaceState: true });
+		}
+		document.addEventListener('visibilitychange', onVisibility);
+
+		const iosStandalone = (navigator as Navigator & { standalone?: boolean }).standalone === true;
+		if (valid && !iosStandalone) window.location.href = to;
+
+		return () => document.removeEventListener('visibilitychange', onVisibility);
+	});
+</script>
+
+<svelte:head><title>Open link · atmo.pub</title></svelte:head>
+
+<main class="flex min-h-dvh flex-col items-center justify-center gap-5 px-6 text-center">
+	{#if valid}
+		<div>
+			<p class="text-sm text-muted">Continue to</p>
+			<p class="mt-1 font-medium break-all text-fg">{host}</p>
+		</div>
+		<a
+			href={to}
+			rel="noopener noreferrer"
+			class="rounded-md bg-accent px-5 py-2.5 text-sm font-semibold text-accent-fg transition-opacity hover:opacity-90"
+		>
+			Open in browser
+		</a>
+		<a href="/inbox" class="text-sm font-medium text-muted hover:text-fg">Back to inbox</a>
+	{:else}
+		<p class="text-sm text-muted">That link looks invalid.</p>
+		<a href="/inbox" class="text-sm font-medium text-accent hover:underline">Back to inbox</a>
+	{/if}
+</main>
diff --git a/apps/web/src/service-worker.ts b/apps/web/src/service-worker.ts
index 24c75e3..ec97984 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/service-worker.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/service-worker.ts
@@ -68,17 +68,25 @@ sw.addEventListener('push', (event) => {
 	);
 });
 
-// Focus an existing tab (navigating it to the notification's link) or open one.
+// A click goes to the PWA (the SW can only open in-scope pages). For an external
+// link we open the in-scope `/go` handoff page, which then bounces to the user's
+// default browser (a PWA can't render an out-of-scope URL); links to nowhere just
+// open the inbox. Routing through `/go` also keeps `client.navigate` same-origin
+// (it can't navigate an existing window to a cross-origin URL).
 sw.addEventListener('notificationclick', (event) => {
 	event.notification.close();
 	const uri = (event.notification.data as { uri?: string } | null)?.uri;
-	const target = uri && /^https?:/.test(uri) ? uri : new URL('/inbox', sw.location.origin).href;
+	const origin = sw.location.origin;
+	const target =
+		uri && /^https?:/.test(uri)
+			? new URL(`/go?to=${encodeURIComponent(uri)}`, origin).href
+			: new URL('/inbox', origin).href;
 	event.waitUntil(
 		(async () => {
 			const clients = await sw.clients.matchAll({ type: 'window', includeUncontrolled: true });
 			for (const client of clients) {
 				await client.focus();
-				if (uri) await client.navigate(target);
+				await client.navigate(target);
 				return;
 			}
 			await sw.clients.openWindow(target);