backend/internal/account/account.go

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import (
 	"database/sql"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"math/rand/v2"
 	"strings"
 	"time"
 
@@ -525,8 +526,13 @@ func (s *Store) create(ctx context.Context, kind, externalID string, seed provis
 	return created, nil
 }
 
-// guestDisplayName is the display name stamped on a freshly provisioned guest.
-const guestDisplayName = "Guest"
+// guestDisplayName mints the display name stamped on a freshly provisioned guest: "Guest" plus a
+// random six-digit suffix (e.g. "Guest042317"), so a guest is distinguishable to opponents — in a
+// random match the other player sees a distinct name rather than every guest reading a bare
+// "Guest". Not an identifier and not unique (collisions are harmless — it is a label only).
+func guestDisplayName() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("Guest%06d", rand.IntN(1_000_000))
+}
 
 // ProvisionGuest creates a fresh ephemeral guest account: a durable row carrying
 // no identity, flagged is_guest, so it can hold a session and a game seat (both
@@ -553,7 +559,7 @@ func (s *Store) ProvisionGuest(ctx context.Context, browserTZ, language string)
 	}
 	stmt := table.Accounts.
 		INSERT(table.Accounts.AccountID, table.Accounts.DisplayName, table.Accounts.IsGuest, table.Accounts.TimeZone, table.Accounts.PreferredLanguage).
-		VALUES(accountID, guestDisplayName, true, tz, lang).
+		VALUES(accountID, guestDisplayName(), true, tz, lang).
 		RETURNING(table.Accounts.AllColumns)
 
 	var row model.Accounts

backend/internal/inttest/account_test.go

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ package inttest
 import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
@@ -241,6 +242,10 @@ func TestProvisionSeedsTimeZone(t *testing.T) {
 	if guest.PreferredLanguage != "ru" {
 		t.Errorf("guest PreferredLanguage = %q, want the seeded ru", guest.PreferredLanguage)
 	}
+	// A guest's display name is "Guest" + a random six-digit suffix (distinct to opponents).
+	if m, _ := regexp.MatchString(`^Guest\d{6}$`, guest.DisplayName); !m {
+		t.Errorf("guest DisplayName = %q, want Guest + 6 digits", guest.DisplayName)
+	}
 	plainGuest, err := store.ProvisionGuest(ctx, "", "")
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("provision plain guest: %v", err)

ui/android/variables.gradle

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ext {
-    minSdkVersion = 24
+    minSdkVersion = 29
     compileSdkVersion = 36
     targetSdkVersion = 36
     androidxActivityVersion = '1.11.0'

ui/e2e/native.spec.ts

@@ -97,14 +97,15 @@ test.describe('native offline-first', () => {
     await expectOfflineGuestLobby(page);
 
     // New game -> the offline mode selector offers "with friends" (pass-and-play) to the local guest.
-    // A minimal create: set the mandatory host (master) PIN, decline a seat, the sole offered variant
-    // (Erudit — the profileless guest's default), two open seats.
+    // A minimal create: set the mandatory host (master) PIN. A guest host skips the "do you take a
+    // seat?" prompt (no name to seat) and goes straight to the two open seats, so pick the sole
+    // offered variant (Erudit — the profileless guest's default) right after the PIN.
     await page.locator('button.tab').nth(0).click();
     await page.getByRole('button', { name: /With friends|друзьями/i }).click();
     await page.locator('.hostpin .plink').click();
     await typePin(page, '9999');
     await typePin(page, '9999');
-    await page.getByRole('button', { name: /^(No|Нет)$/ }).click();
+    await expect(page.getByRole('button', { name: /^(No|Нет)$/ })).toHaveCount(0); // no seat prompt for a guest
     await page.locator('.variant').click();
     await page.locator('.pname').nth(0).fill('Ann');
     await page.locator('.pname').nth(1).fill('Bob');

ui/src/game/Game.svelte

@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
   import Rack from './Rack.svelte';
   import { gateway } from '../lib/gateway';
   import { gameSource, localSource, isLocalGameId } from '../lib/gamesource';
+  import { localGuestId } from '../lib/localguest';
   import { notePreviewLocal, notePreviewNetwork } from '../lib/localeval-metrics';
   import { navigate } from '../lib/router.svelte';
   import { app, handleError, showToast, markChatRead, seedChatUnread } from '../lib/app.svelte';
@@ -1442,9 +1443,18 @@
   // seatName renders a seat's name: "you" for the viewer, the localized "searching for
   // opponent" placeholder for an open game's still-empty seat (no account), otherwise the
   // display name.
+  // isMe reports whether a seat belongs to the viewer — matched against the server account id OR
+  // the device-local guest id, the same rule the lobby uses for "my games". A device-local game
+  // (vs_ai / hotseat) is seated under the local guest id when created offline, and its human seat
+  // must still read "You" after a merge switches the active account to a durable id; without the
+  // local-guest arm the seat matched neither and a vs_ai game showed BOTH seats as robots.
+  function isMe(accountId: string | undefined): boolean {
+    return !!accountId && (accountId === app.session?.userId || accountId === localGuestId());
+  }
+
   function seatName(s: { accountId: string; displayName: string } | undefined): string {
     if (!s) return '';
-    if (s.accountId === app.session?.userId) return t('common.you');
+    if (isMe(s.accountId)) return t('common.you');
     // An honest-AI game shows the robot opponent as 🤖, never its (pooled human-like) name.
     if (view?.game.vsAi) return '🤖';
     if (!s.accountId) return t('game.searchingForOpponent');

ui/src/lib/app.svelte.ts

@@ -982,7 +982,11 @@ export async function bootstrap(): Promise<void> {
     // to online when the network returns. Web-only reaches here (the Mini-App branches returned above),
     // so isStandalone gates it.
     const cachedProfile = await loadProfile();
-    const canOffline = !!cachedProfile && !vkcb && isStandalone() && !!cachedProfile.email;
+    // A native app is offline-first, so a native launch — even a guest with no email — must fall back
+    // to the cached session's offline lobby rather than hang ~25 s on adoptSession's retrying profile
+    // fetch when the device is offline (e.g. airplane mode). Web keeps the installed-PWA + email gate.
+    const nativeChannel = clientChannel() === 'android' || clientChannel() === 'ios';
+    const canOffline = !vkcb && (nativeChannel || (!!cachedProfile && isStandalone() && !!cachedProfile.email));
     if (canOffline) {
       const interfaceOffline = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && navigator.onLine === false;
       gateway.setToken(saved.token);

ui/src/lib/netstate.svelte.ts

@@ -175,7 +175,10 @@ function applyEffect(effect: Effect): void {
  * poll immediately (the native reconcile) rather than after the first interval.
  */
 export function bootOffline(kickNow = false): void {
-  snap = { state: 'offlineNoNetwork', fails: 0, connectingSince: 0 };
+  // provisional: this offline is an assumption, not an observation — the first probe result confirms
+  // it (silent heal if reachable, so a first launch that had connectivity does not flash a spurious
+  // "back online" toast) or turns it into a real offline (see the reducer).
+  snap = { state: 'offlineNoNetwork', fails: 0, connectingSince: 0, provisional: true };
   arm(kickNow ? 0 : OFFLINE_POLL_MS);
 }
 

ui/src/lib/netstate.test.ts

@@ -248,3 +248,31 @@ describe('reduce — purity', () => {
     expect(prev).toEqual({ state: 'connecting', fails: 1, connectingSince: 5 });
   });
 });
+
+// A boot-assumed (provisional) offline — bootOffline sets this — heals SILENTLY on its first
+// successful probe (a first launch that actually had connectivity must not flash "back online"),
+// while a failed probe confirms it as a real offline whose later recovery does toast.
+describe('provisional (boot-assumed) offline', () => {
+  const bootOffline: NetSnapshot = { state: 'offlineNoNetwork', fails: 0, connectingSince: 0, provisional: true };
+
+  it('heals to online with NO toast when the first probe succeeds', () => {
+    const r = reduce(bootOffline, e('probeOk'), cfg);
+    expect(r.next.state).toBe('online');
+    expect(r.effects).toEqual([]); // no "back online" toast — it was never really offline
+  });
+
+  it('clears provisional on a failed probe, then toasts on the eventual recovery', () => {
+    const failed = reduce(bootOffline, e('probeFailed'), cfg);
+    expect(failed.next.state).toBe('offlineNoNetwork');
+    expect(failed.next.provisional).toBe(false);
+    expect(failed.effects).toEqual([]);
+    const healed = reduce(failed.next, e('probeOk'), cfg);
+    expect(healed.next.state).toBe('online');
+    expect(healed.effects).toEqual([{ kind: 'toast', toast: 'online' }]); // now a real recovery
+  });
+
+  it('a non-provisional (observed) offline still toasts on recovery', () => {
+    const r = reduce(offline, e('probeOk'), cfg);
+    expect(r.effects).toEqual([{ kind: 'toast', toast: 'online' }]);
+  });
+});

ui/src/lib/netstate.ts

@@ -74,6 +74,14 @@ export interface NetSnapshot {
    * it (0 while not `connecting`).
    */
   connectingSince: number;
+  /**
+   * provisional marks an `offlineNoNetwork` that was ASSUMED at boot (bootOffline), not observed from
+   * a real online→offline transition. The first probe confirms it: a success means we were reachable
+   * all along, so the machine heals to online SILENTLY (no "back online" toast — there was nothing to
+   * come back from); a failure clears the flag, turning it into a confirmed offline whose later
+   * recovery does toast. Absent/false in every non-boot snapshot.
+   */
+  provisional?: boolean;
 }
 
 /** NetInput is an event stamped with the wall-clock time it occurred at; only the debounce branch
@@ -198,13 +206,20 @@ export function reduce(prev: NetSnapshot, ev: NetInput, cfg: NetConfig): NetResu
       switch (ev.type) {
         case 'callOk':
         case 'probeOk':
-          // The probe (or a reconcile call) won — self-heal to online with a "back online" toast.
-          return { next: onlineSnapshot(), effects: [{ kind: 'toast', toast: 'online' }] };
+          // The probe (or a reconcile call) won — heal to online. A boot-assumed (provisional) offline
+          // that is reachable on its very first probe was never really offline, so heal SILENTLY; a
+          // confirmed offline gets the "back online" toast.
+          return { next: onlineSnapshot(), effects: prev.provisional ? [] : [{ kind: 'toast', toast: 'online' }] };
+        case 'callFailed':
+        case 'probeFailed':
+          // A failed probe confirms a boot-assumed offline as real (its eventual recovery will then
+          // toast); a non-provisional offline is unchanged.
+          return prev.provisional ? { next: { ...prev, provisional: false }, effects: [] } : { next: prev, effects: [] };
         case 'osOnline':
           // Trigger a probe; stay offline until it actually wins (a captive portal can report online).
           return { next: prev, effects: [{ kind: 'startProbe' }] };
         default:
-          // callFailed / probeFailed / osOffline (still offline), versionRecommended (no nudge): no-op.
+          // osOffline (still offline), versionRecommended (no nudge): no-op.
           return { next: prev, effects: [] };
       }
   }

ui/src/screens/NewGame.svelte

@@ -265,7 +265,10 @@
       case 'host-set':
         if (r.kind === 'set') {
           hostPin = r.lock;
-          askHostPlays = true;
+          // A guest host has no meaningful display name to seat, so the "do you take a seat?"
+          // prompt would only produce a nameless seat — skip it and go straight to the (empty)
+          // player seats. A durable host is still asked.
+          if (!guest) askHostPlays = true;
         }
         break;
       case 'host-change':