diff --git a/web/src/components/Layout.tsx b/web/src/components/Layout.tsx
index a8ab584..9dda994 100644
--- a/web/src/components/Layout.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/Layout.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { useLayoutStore } from '../stores/layout.ts';
 import { ServerBar } from './ServerBar.tsx';
 import { ChannelList } from './ChannelList.tsx';
 import { ConversationList } from './ConversationList.tsx';
+import { NotificationPrompt } from './NotificationPrompt.tsx';
 import { MemberList } from './MemberList.tsx';
 import { VoicePanel } from './VoicePanel.tsx';
 import { ServerSettingsModal } from './ServerSettingsModal.tsx';
@@ -223,6 +224,7 @@ export function Layout() {
           <span>{new Date().toISOString().slice(0, 10)}</span>
         </div>
       </div>
+      <NotificationPrompt />
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/web/src/components/NotificationPrompt.tsx b/web/src/components/NotificationPrompt.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a4ab49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/components/NotificationPrompt.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { usePushStore } from '../stores/push.ts';
+
+export function NotificationPrompt() {
+  const { isSupported, permission, isSubscribed, subscribe } = usePushStore();
+  const [dismissed, setDismissed] = useState(false);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (localStorage.getItem('push-prompt-dismissed') === 'true') {
+      setDismissed(true);
+    }
+  }, []);
+
+  // Don't show if not supported, already subscribed, permission resolved, or dismissed
+  if (!isSupported || isSubscribed || permission === 'granted' || permission === 'denied' || dismissed) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  const handleEnable = async () => {
+    setLoading(true);
+    try {
+      await subscribe();
+    } catch {
+      // user denied or error
+    } finally {
+      setLoading(false);
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleDismiss = () => {
+    setDismissed(true);
+    localStorage.setItem('push-prompt-dismissed', 'true');
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="fixed bottom-4 left-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 z-50 max-w-sm w-[calc(100%-2rem)] bg-gb-bg-s border border-gb-bg-t rounded-lg shadow-2xl p-4 flex items-center gap-3">
+      <div className="text-2xl">&#128276;</div>
+      <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
+        <p className="text-sm font-medium text-gb-fg">Enable notifications?</p>
+        <p className="text-xs text-gb-fg-f">Get notified about new messages</p>
+      </div>
+      <div className="flex gap-2 shrink-0">
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          onClick={handleDismiss}
+          className="text-xs px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg text-gb-fg-f hover:text-gb-fg transition-colors"
+        >
+          Not now
+        </button>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          onClick={handleEnable}
+          disabled={loading}
+          className="text-xs px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg bg-gb-aqua text-gb-bg font-bold hover:opacity-90 transition-opacity disabled:opacity-50"
+        >
+          {loading ? '...' : 'Enable'}
+        </button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/web/src/stores/auth.ts b/web/src/stores/auth.ts
index b0f0506..459d132 100644
--- a/web/src/stores/auth.ts
+++ b/web/src/stores/auth.ts
@@ -72,10 +72,12 @@ interface AuthState {
 }
 
 // ponytail: auto-subscribe to push notifications on auth
+// Only fires when permission is already 'granted' (re-subscribe on session restore).
+// iOS requires a user gesture for the initial permission prompt — that's handled by NotificationPrompt.
 function autoSubscribePush() {
   import("../stores/push.ts").then(({ usePushStore }) => {
     const ps = usePushStore.getState();
-    if (ps.isSupported && Notification.permission !== 'denied' && !ps.isSubscribed) {
+    if (ps.isSupported && Notification.permission === 'granted' && !ps.isSubscribed) {
       ps.subscribe();
     }
   });