diff --git a/android/src/app.rs b/android/src/app.rs
index fc84d26..f61f441 100644
--- a/android/src/app.rs
+++ b/android/src/app.rs
@@ -2026,7 +2026,7 @@ impl SleekApp {
         }
         #[cfg(not(target_os = "android"))]
         {
-            self.state.status_line = "Browser opened for sign-in — look for the Chromium window (Alt+Tab if covered).".into();
+            self.state.status_line = "Browser opened for sign-in — look for the browser window (Alt+Tab if covered).".into();
             // Fullscreen Sleek sits above everything on Fluxbox/VNC; yield first.
             self.yield_to_oauth_browser(ctx);
         }
@@ -3057,15 +3057,10 @@ impl eframe::App for SleekApp {
                 )
                 .show_separator_line(false)
                 .show(ctx, |ui| {
-                    let panel_h = ui.available_height();
-                    ScrollArea::vertical()
-                        .auto_shrink([false, false])
-                        .max_height(panel_h)
-                        .id_salt("chats_master_scroll")
-                        .show(ui, |ui| {
-                            let act = ui::chats_tab(ui, &th, &mut self.state);
-                            self.handle_chats_action(act);
-                        });
+                    // chats_tab keeps the join card pinned and scrolls only
+                    // the conversation list below it.
+                    let act = ui::chats_tab(ui, &th, &mut self.state, true);
+                    self.handle_chats_action(act);
                 });
         }
 
@@ -3107,6 +3102,14 @@ impl eframe::App for SleekApp {
                 }
             }
 
+            // Chats owns its own list scroll area so the join card remains
+            // pinned instead of moving with the outer page scroll.
+            if registered && self.state.tab == Tab::Chats {
+                let act = ui::chats_tab(ui, &th, &mut self.state, true);
+                self.handle_chats_action(act);
+                return;
+            }
+
             let panel_h = ui.available_height();
             ScrollArea::vertical()
                 .auto_shrink([false, false])
@@ -3119,10 +3122,9 @@ impl eframe::App for SleekApp {
                     // Route::Chat is rendered above without this outer scroll.
                     if registered {
                         match self.state.tab {
-                            Tab::Chats => {
-                                let act = ui::chats_tab(ui, &th, &mut self.state);
-                                self.handle_chats_action(act);
-                            }
+                            // Handled by the early return above (chats_tab has its own
+                            // scroll area); unreachable here whenever `registered`.
+                            Tab::Chats => {}
                             Tab::Discover => {
                                 match ui::discover_tab(ui, &th, &mut self.state) {
                                     DiscoverAction::None => {}
@@ -3164,7 +3166,19 @@ impl eframe::App for SleekApp {
                             ui.add_space(sp.xl * 2.0);
                             title(ui, &th, "Connecting");
                             ui.add_space(sp.md);
-                            dim_label(ui, &th, &self.state.status_line);
+                            let mut status_lines = self.state.status_line.lines();
+                            if let Some(message) = status_lines.next() {
+                                dim_label(ui, &th, message);
+                            }
+                            for line in status_lines {
+                                let url = line.trim();
+                                if url.starts_with("http://") || url.starts_with("https://") {
+                                    ui.hyperlink_to("Open login link", url);
+                                    ui.label(egui::RichText::new(url).small());
+                                } else if !url.is_empty() {
+                                    dim_label(ui, &th, url);
+                                }
+                            }
                             ui.add_space(sp.lg);
                             if button(ui, &th, "Cancel").clicked() {
                                 self.do_intentional_disconnect();
diff --git a/android/src/auth.rs b/android/src/auth.rs
index e9c2db2..e751780 100644
--- a/android/src/auth.rs
+++ b/android/src/auth.rs
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ fn open_system_browser(url: &str) -> Result<()> {
     }
 }
 
-/// Desktop open: prefer `$BROWSER`, then Chromium (Codespace VNC), then `open`.
+/// Desktop open: prefer `$BROWSER`, then the configured URL handler, then Chromium.
 ///
 /// Codespace / desktop-lite has no default browser; Chromium from nix needs
 /// `--no-sandbox` because user namespaces are blocked.
@@ -558,7 +558,25 @@ fn open_desktop_browser(url: &str) -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
-    // 2) Chromium / Chrome with container-friendly flags (VNC / Docker).
+    // 2) Prefer the desktop URL handler. This uses the user's configured
+    // browser (for example the installed Chrome Flatpak), whereas probing
+    // Chromium binaries first can select a browser that is unavailable or
+    // cannot start in restricted VM environments.
+    if let Ok(opener) = std::env::var("SLEEK_XDG_OPEN") {
+        if !opener.is_empty() {
+            match Command::new(&opener).arg(url).spawn() {
+                Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
+                Err(e) => log::warn!("SLEEK_XDG_OPEN={opener} failed: {e}"),
+            }
+        }
+    } else if which_bin("xdg-open").is_some() {
+        match Command::new("xdg-open").arg(url).spawn() {
+            Ok(_) => return Ok(()),
+            Err(e) => log::debug!("xdg-open failed: {e}"),
+        }
+    }
+
+    // 3) Chromium / Chrome with container-friendly flags (VNC / Docker).
     let chromes = ["chromium", "chromium-browser", "google-chrome", "google-chrome-stable"];
     for bin in chromes {
         if which_bin(bin).is_some() {
@@ -582,7 +600,7 @@ fn open_desktop_browser(url: &str) -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
-    // 3) Firefox (nix profile); sandbox often fails in Codespaces.
+    // 4) Firefox (nix profile); sandbox often fails in Codespaces.
     if which_bin("firefox").is_some() {
         match Command::new("firefox")
             .env("MOZ_DISABLE_CONTENT_SANDBOX", "1")
@@ -595,7 +613,7 @@ fn open_desktop_browser(url: &str) -> Result<()> {
         }
     }
 
-    // 4) Generic opener (xdg-open / open).
+    // 5) Generic opener (xdg-open / open).
     open::that(url).context("open browser")
 }
 
@@ -623,9 +641,9 @@ pub async fn bluesky_login_mobile(
     let url = login_url(auth_broker, handle, None);
     log::info!("bluesky mobile login url: {url}");
     match open_system_browser(&url) {
-        Ok(()) => on_status(
-            "Browser opened — complete Bluesky sign-in; Sleek will resume via freeq://".into(),
-        ),
+        Ok(()) => on_status(format!(
+            "Browser opened — complete Bluesky sign-in; Sleek will resume via freeq://\n{url}"
+        )),
         Err(e) => {
             log::warn!("failed to open browser: {e}; url={url}");
             on_status(format!(
@@ -664,7 +682,7 @@ pub async fn bluesky_login_loopback(
     // backend and used to leave the UI stuck on "Opening browser…".
     log::info!("bluesky login url: {url}");
     match open_system_browser(&url) {
-        Ok(()) => on_status("Browser opened — complete sign-in, then return here".into()),
+        Ok(()) => on_status(format!("Browser opened — complete sign-in, then return here\n{url}")),
         Err(e) => {
             log::warn!("failed to open browser: {e}; url={url}");
             on_status(format!(
diff --git a/android/src/ui/chats.rs b/android/src/ui/chats.rs
index 4cc193d..2302218 100644
--- a/android/src/ui/chats.rs
+++ b/android/src/ui/chats.rs
@@ -12,11 +12,14 @@ pub enum ChatsAction {
     Join(String),
 }
 
-pub fn chats_tab(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState) -> ChatsAction {
+pub fn chats_tab(
+    ui: &mut egui::Ui,
+    th: &Theme,
+    state: &mut AppState,
+    pinned_join: bool,
+) -> ChatsAction {
     let mut action = ChatsAction::None;
     let sp = &th.spacing;
-    let p = &th.palette;
-
     // Quick join
     card(ui, th, |ui| {
         title_2(ui, th, "Join channel");
@@ -48,6 +51,25 @@ pub fn chats_tab(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState) -> ChatsAc
     });
     ui.add_space(sp.md);
 
+    if pinned_join {
+        // In the wide master panel, keep the join controls pinned and scroll
+        // only the conversation list. The narrow layout already has one
+        // outer scroll area, so do not nest another scrollbar there.
+        egui::ScrollArea::vertical()
+            .auto_shrink([false, false])
+            .id_salt("chats_conversation_scroll")
+            .show(ui, |ui| action = chats_list(ui, th, state));
+    } else {
+        action = chats_list(ui, th, state);
+    }
+
+    action
+}
+
+pub fn chats_list(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState) -> ChatsAction {
+    let mut action = ChatsAction::None;
+    let sp = &th.spacing;
+    let p = &th.palette;
     let conversations: Vec<(String, String, bool, u32, String, String, i64)> = state
         .sorted_conversations()
         .into_iter()
diff --git a/android/src/ui/connect.rs b/android/src/ui/connect.rs
index cc98009..64d1631 100644
--- a/android/src/ui/connect.rs
+++ b/android/src/ui/connect.rs
@@ -9,6 +9,27 @@ use vidya::{
 use crate::state::{AppState, ConnectMode, ConnectionState};
 use crate::ui::widgets::{avatar_circle, card, text_edit_clipboard_menu};
 
+fn oauth_status(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, status: &str) {
+    // OAuth fallback messages append the broker URL on a separate line. Keep
+    // it clickable so sign-in remains possible when automatic browser launch
+    // is unavailable.
+    let mut lines = status.lines();
+    if let Some(message) = lines.next() {
+        dim_label(ui, th, message);
+    }
+    for line in lines {
+        let url = line.trim();
+        if url.starts_with("http://") || url.starts_with("https://") {
+            ui.horizontal_wrapped(|ui| {
+                ui.hyperlink_to("Open login link", url);
+                ui.label(egui::RichText::new(url).small());
+            });
+        } else if !url.is_empty() {
+            dim_label(ui, th, url);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 pub fn connect_screen(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState) -> ConnectAction {
     let mut action = ConnectAction::None;
     let sp = &th.spacing;
@@ -51,7 +72,7 @@ pub fn connect_screen(ui: &mut egui::Ui, th: &Theme, state: &mut AppState) -> Co
                 }
 
                 if !state.status_line.is_empty() && loading {
-                    dim_label(ui, th, &state.status_line);
+                    oauth_status(ui, th, &state.status_line);
                     ui.add_space(sp.sm);
                 }