diff --git a/CONTRIBUTING.md b/CONTRIBUTING.md
index c425801..568dce0 100644
--- a/CONTRIBUTING.md
+++ b/CONTRIBUTING.md
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ fix.
 2. Update only the single durable owner for changed semantics and any materially changed current snapshot. If semantics remain disputed, record a hold and stop dependent work.
 3. Implement and run repository hygiene, `npm run check`, the relevant browser/network gates, and review in proportion to the whole acceptance boundary.
 4. Keep accepted truth checkpoints and dependent candidates on branches until the phase is complete. Rebase or rebuild a retained candidate from exact `main` only when starting a new phase, preserving main's owning truth on conflicts and transplanting only approved scoped code, tests, and new facts.
-5. Open one pull request for the complete phase, resolve required review/checks, squash-merge it once, deploy that merged revision when authorized, perform scoped postflight, then audit references and reparse safety before cleanup.
+5. Open one pull request for the complete phase, resolve required review/checks, meet the [release approval boundary](./docs/reference/versioning.md#automatic-publication) before a publishing merge, squash-merge it once, deploy that merged revision when authorized, perform scoped postflight, then audit references and reparse safety before cleanup.
 
 One coherent phase should leave one meaningful squash commit on `main`. Include
 its source, tests, owned semantic documentation, and materially changed status
diff --git a/docs/design/visual-language.md b/docs/design/visual-language.md
index 0827796..c5c518c 100644
--- a/docs/design/visual-language.md
+++ b/docs/design/visual-language.md
@@ -39,7 +39,13 @@ order and interaction ownership consistent across languages, themes and viewport
 sizes. Reflow or bounded scrolling must not hide a primary action, truncate an
 essential value, overlap controls or change meaning.
 
-Tooltips and state overlays reuse the same illustrative scene in every mode.
+Help-only indicators toggle their guidance on click or tap and dismiss on a
+second activation, outside tap, Escape or focus leaving. Action controls keep
+their direct click action and offer touch guidance on long-press. `Tooltip`
+owns both interactions; pages do not add their own open state or timers.
+
+Tooltips, state overlays and entry/error pages reuse the same illustrative scene
+in every mode.
 Chinese and English add a concise caption beneath it; pure-visual mode keeps the
 scene and its playful pictograms as an explicit alternative. Names, addresses and other literal
 values without a corresponding scene remain text. Illustration and caption
diff --git a/docs/reference/configuration.md b/docs/reference/configuration.md
index 0cf7548..5041435 100644
--- a/docs/reference/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/reference/configuration.md
@@ -74,9 +74,13 @@ schema field. The user settings are:
 
 | Setting | Contract |
 | --- | --- |
-| `site` | Saved Piik Site origin; omit it for Local mode. The launcher or `--site` updates it. |
+| `site` | Saved Piik Site origin. The launcher or `--site` updates it. |
 | `localAccessPassword` | Empty by default. Optional password for the App's Local room authority, with the same exact-match behavior as `SITE_ACCESS_PASSWORD`. It is separate from a hosted site's password. |
 
+The launcher preselects a saved Site when present; otherwise it preselects the
+public invitation link. Selecting a mode does not start it: the user confirms
+with the launch button. Local mode remains available for the same network.
+
 Command-line options select entry and local runtime behavior:
 
 | Option | Purpose |
diff --git a/docs/reference/versioning.md b/docs/reference/versioning.md
index 5419e0f..99a1a6e 100644
--- a/docs/reference/versioning.md
+++ b/docs/reference/versioning.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Versions And Compatibility
 
-Reviewed 2026-09-12. `v1.0.0` is the declared public compatibility baseline.
+Reviewed 2026-09-13. `v1.0.0` is the declared public compatibility baseline.
 App, Server and the embedded Web build share one product version, plus the full
 Git SHA for source provenance. [Status](../status.md) owns the current publication
 state; automatic publication follows the product-change boundary below.
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ identity separately. Stable update notices ignore prereleases.
 
 ## Automatic Publication
 
+Before a product-changing merge or manual run that can publish, present the
+planned version and complete Chinese/English release notes to the owner and
+obtain explicit authorization for that release. Implementation or UI acceptance
+does not authorize publication. Each later release needs fresh confirmation;
+previous release/deployment permission is not standing authority. Once a release
+is authorized, its packaging, mirror retries and matching deployments may proceed
+within that scope without asking again. Automation executes the approved release.
+
 After one-time activation, a complete squash PR merged to main runs the existing
 CI pipeline. `scripts/release-version.mjs` filters unreleased first-parent
 commits by actual changed paths. Website/film, documentation, research, agent
diff --git a/internal/app/launcher/server.go b/internal/app/launcher/server.go
index 4980af3..8a1ed2d 100644
--- a/internal/app/launcher/server.go
+++ b/internal/app/launcher/server.go
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ func (server *Server) handleState(response http.ResponseWriter, request *http.Re
 			if server.site != "" {
 				return ModeSite
 			}
-			return ModeLocal
+			return ModeLink
 		}(),
 	})
 }
diff --git a/internal/app/launcher/server_test.go b/internal/app/launcher/server_test.go
index 14df8b5..f39433a 100644
--- a/internal/app/launcher/server_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/launcher/server_test.go
@@ -96,10 +96,11 @@ func TestLauncherIncludesTheInjectedBuildVersionAndRevision(t *testing.T) {
 		Version       string `json:"version"`
 		Revision      string `json:"revision"`
 		PackageTarget string `json:"packageTarget"`
+		DefaultMode   Mode   `json:"defaultMode"`
 	}
 	if response.StatusCode != http.StatusOK || json.NewDecoder(response.Body).Decode(&state) != nil ||
 		state.Version != version || state.Revision != revision ||
-		state.PackageTarget != runtime.GOOS+"-"+runtime.GOARCH {
+		state.PackageTarget != runtime.GOOS+"-"+runtime.GOARCH || state.DefaultMode != ModeLink {
 		t.Fatalf("launcher build = %d, %+v", response.StatusCode, state)
 	}
 }
diff --git a/src/client/App.tsx b/src/client/App.tsx
index 6f6443d..9bcf5f0 100644
--- a/src/client/App.tsx
+++ b/src/client/App.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { AppHeader } from "./components/living/Header";
 import { BrandLoader } from "./components/living/BrandMark";
 import { Btn, Pill } from "./components/living/primitives";
 import { Comic, type ComicKind } from "./components/living/Comic";
-import { Glyph, type GlyphName } from "./ui/icons";
+import { Glyph } from "./ui/icons";
 import { setCopy, useCopy } from "./ui/copy";
 import { initTheme } from "./ui/theme";
 import { installBrowserDebug } from "./lib/debug";
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ class RouteBoundary extends Component<
   render(): ReactNode {
     return this.state.failed ? (
       <StaticRoute
-        icon="alert"
         comic="warning"
         titleKey="gate.unavailableRoute"
         action="reload"
@@ -177,14 +176,13 @@ function AppRoute() {
   }
   return appRoute.kind === "malformed-room" ? (
     <StaticRoute
-      icon="door"
       comic="room-not-found"
       titleKey="gate.malformed"
       hintKey="gate.malformedHint"
       action="join"
     />
   ) : (
-    <StaticRoute icon="alert" comic="warning" titleKey="gate.unavailableRoute" />
+    <StaticRoute comic="warning" titleKey="gate.unavailableRoute" />
   );
 }
 
@@ -215,13 +213,11 @@ function RouteLoader() {
 }
 
 function StaticRoute({
-  icon,
   comic,
   titleKey,
   hintKey,
   action,
 }: {
-  icon: GlyphName;
   comic: ComicKind;
   titleKey: "gate.malformed" | "gate.unavailableRoute";
   hintKey?: "gate.malformedHint";
@@ -233,15 +229,7 @@ function StaticRoute({
       <AppHeader />
       <main className="lr-join">
         <div className="lr-join-panel">
-          {vis ? (
-            // The scene states this exact situation, so the meaning needs no
-            // hover: a tooltip trigger would leave it pointer-only.
-            <Comic kind={comic} theme="paper" />
-          ) : (
-            <span className="lr-tv-big" style={{ borderColor: "var(--ink)", color: "var(--ink)", background: "var(--paper)" }}>
-              <Glyph name={icon} size={30} />
-            </span>
-          )}
+          <Comic kind={comic} theme="paper" />
           {vis ? null : (
             <div className="lr-access-text">
               <h1>{t(titleKey)}</h1>
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/CaptureSourcePicker.tsx b/src/client/components/living/CaptureSourcePicker.tsx
index db73cad..8aaeb3a 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/CaptureSourcePicker.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/CaptureSourcePicker.tsx
@@ -143,11 +143,9 @@ export function CaptureSourcePicker({
               {refreshButton}
             </Tooltip>
           )}
-          {vis ? closeButton : (
-            <Tooltip text={t("common.cancel")} place="below" align="end">
-              {closeButton}
-            </Tooltip>
-          )}
+          <Tooltip kind="hint-close" text={vis ? undefined : t("common.cancel")} place="below" align="end">
+            {closeButton}
+          </Tooltip>
         </header>
 
         <div
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/Header.tsx b/src/client/components/living/Header.tsx
index 07ae9d1..0a9fc1f 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/Header.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/Header.tsx
@@ -23,26 +23,28 @@ export function LedStrip({
 }) {
   const { vis } = useCopy();
   const wrapped = !vis || comic;
+  const Trigger = wrapped ? "button" : "span";
   const strip = (
-    <span
+    <Trigger
+      type={wrapped ? "button" : undefined}
       className="lr-leds"
       data-state={state}
-      role="status"
       aria-label={label}
-      tabIndex={wrapped ? 0 : undefined}
     >
       <i />
       <i />
       <i />
       {vis ? null : <span className="lr-leds-label">{label}</span>}
-    </span>
+    </Trigger>
   );
-  return wrapped ? (
-    <Tooltip kind={comic} tone={state} text={vis ? undefined : label} place="below" align="start">
-      {strip}
-    </Tooltip>
-  ) : (
-    strip
+  return (
+    <span role="status">
+      {wrapped ? (
+        <Tooltip toggleOnClick kind={comic} tone={state} text={vis ? undefined : label} place="below" align="start">
+          {strip}
+        </Tooltip>
+      ) : strip}
+    </span>
   );
 }
 
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/LauncherForm.tsx b/src/client/components/living/LauncherForm.tsx
index 4d93fa3..c835fc4 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/LauncherForm.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/LauncherForm.tsx
@@ -168,6 +168,7 @@ export function LauncherForm({
         cap="client.launch.go"
         tone="primary"
         type="submit"
+        hint={MODES.find((choice) => choice.mode === mode)?.comic}
         disabled={mode === "site" && !site.trim()}
       />
     </form>
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/Stage.tsx b/src/client/components/living/Stage.tsx
index 7bb68a6..c73951d 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/Stage.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/Stage.tsx
@@ -102,14 +102,14 @@ export function StageOverlay({
   const { vis } = useCopy();
   const showMascot =
     transition ||
-    (vis && Boolean(comic) &&
+    (Boolean(comic) &&
       (Boolean(spin) || comic === "waiting-for-host" || comic === "recovering"));
   const content = (
     <>
       {comic ? <Comic kind={comic} theme="stage" tone={tone}
         motion={transition || spin ? "progress" : undefined} /> : null}
       <span className="lr-tv-status-content">
-        {(vis || !comic || onActivate) && (showMascot ? (
+        {(showMascot || vis || !comic || onActivate) && (showMascot ? (
           <BrandLoader />
         ) : (
           <span className={`lr-tv-big${spin ? " lr-spin" : ""}${onActivate ? " is-action is-ripple" : ""}`}>
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/StatusIndicator.tsx b/src/client/components/living/StatusIndicator.tsx
index 88e8a78..5df38ce 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/StatusIndicator.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/StatusIndicator.tsx
@@ -12,20 +12,22 @@ export function StatusIndicator({ status, label }: {
   const { vis, t } = useCopy();
   const hint = status.tooltip ?? status.comic;
   const text = label ?? t(status.labelKey);
+  const wrapped = !vis || Boolean(hint);
+  const Trigger = wrapped ? "button" : "span";
   const indicator = (
-    <span
+    <Trigger
+      type={wrapped ? "button" : undefined}
       className="lr-status-indicator"
       data-tone={status.tone}
       data-pulse={status.pulse || undefined}
-      role="img"
+      role={wrapped ? undefined : "img"}
       aria-label={text}
-      tabIndex={!vis || hint ? 0 : undefined}
     >
       <Glyph name={status.icon} size={17} />
-    </span>
+    </Trigger>
   );
-  return !vis || hint
-    ? <Tooltip kind={hint} tone={status.tone} motion={status.pulse ? "progress" : undefined}
+  return wrapped
+    ? <Tooltip toggleOnClick kind={hint} tone={status.tone} motion={status.pulse ? "progress" : undefined}
         text={vis ? undefined : text}>{indicator}</Tooltip>
     : indicator;
 }
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/Tooltip.tsx b/src/client/components/living/Tooltip.tsx
index b0640e4..bdd8e11 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/Tooltip.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/Tooltip.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 // Shared tooltip: the same comic in every mode, with a localized caption in
-// text modes. Literal names and values can stand alone. Visibility has three channels:
-// hover on fine pointers, keyboard focus via :has(:focus-visible), and the
-// Material long-press on touch (500ms hold → open, ~1.5s after release →
-// auto-hide, context menu and the trailing synthetic click suppressed).
+// text modes. Literal names and values can stand alone. Hover and keyboard
+// focus show guidance; help-only controls also toggle it on click/tap.
+// Action controls keep their click and use a 500ms touch hold for guidance,
+// hiding 1.5s after release and suppressing the trailing synthetic click.
 // Alignment: the align prop is a desktop-tuned preference; whenever a show
 // channel opens, the trigger's live viewport position is measured and
 // start/center/end is re-picked so the panel never clips off-screen (rows
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
   className,
   place = "above",
   align = "center",
+  toggleOnClick = false,
   children,
 }: {
   kind?: ComicKind | HintKind;
@@ -56,6 +57,8 @@ export function Tooltip({
   place?: "above" | "below";
   /** Preferred alignment; re-picked at open time if it would clip off-screen. */
   align?: Align;
+  /** For help-only buttons; action controls keep click and touch long-press. */
+  toggleOnClick?: boolean;
   children: ReactNode;
 }) {
   const defaults = getComicPresentation(kind);
@@ -71,17 +74,19 @@ export function Tooltip({
   const pressPoint = useRef<{ x: number; y: number } | null>(null);
   const [hoverOpen, setHoverOpen] = useState(false);
   const [focusOpen, setFocusOpen] = useState(false);
-  const [touchOpen, setTouchOpen] = useState(false);
+  const [pressOpen, setPressOpen] = useState(false);
   const [panelMounted, setPanelMounted] = useState(false);
   const [position, setPosition] = useState({ left: 0, top: 0, caret: 0, below: place === "below" });
   // True while the current gesture is a touch, so contextmenu can tell a
   // long-press from a mouse right-click without reading vendor event fields.
   const touchGesture = useRef(false);
-  const interactionOpen = hoverOpen || focusOpen || touchOpen;
+  const interactionOpen = hoverOpen || focusOpen || pressOpen;
   const trigger = isValidElement<{
       disabled?: boolean;
       "aria-label"?: string;
       "aria-describedby"?: string;
+      "aria-expanded"?: boolean;
+      "aria-controls"?: string;
       label?: string;
       title?: string;
     }>(children) ? children : null;
@@ -194,7 +199,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
     const dismiss = (event: KeyboardEvent) => {
       if (event.key !== "Escape") return;
       setHoverOpen(false);
-      setTouchOpen(false);
+      setPressOpen(false);
       setFocusOpen(false);
     };
     document.addEventListener("keydown", dismiss);
@@ -226,17 +231,19 @@ export function Tooltip({
     [],
   );
 
-  // While long-press-open, any tap elsewhere dismisses (WCAG dismissible).
+  // A click/touch-open hint stays until dismissed or focus leaves its trigger.
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!touchOpen) return;
+    if (!pressOpen) return;
     const dismiss = (event: PointerEvent) => {
       if (!wrapRef.current?.contains(event.target as Node)) {
-        setTouchOpen(false);
+        setPressOpen(false);
+        setHoverOpen(false);
+        setFocusOpen(false);
       }
     };
     document.addEventListener("pointerdown", dismiss);
     return () => document.removeEventListener("pointerdown", dismiss);
-  }, [touchOpen]);
+  }, [pressOpen]);
 
   const cancelPress = () => {
     if (pressTimer.current !== null) {
@@ -249,7 +256,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
   return (
     <span
       ref={wrapRef}
-      className={`lr-comic-tip-wrap${className ? ` ${className}` : ""}${disabledTrigger ? " is-disabled-trigger" : ""}${hoverOpen ? " is-hover-open" : ""}${focusOpen ? " is-focus-open" : ""}${touchOpen ? " is-tip-open" : ""}`}
+      className={`lr-comic-tip-wrap${className ? ` ${className}` : ""}${disabledTrigger ? " is-disabled-trigger" : ""}${hoverOpen ? " is-hover-open" : ""}${focusOpen ? " is-focus-open" : ""}${pressOpen ? " is-tip-open" : ""}`}
       tabIndex={disabledTrigger ? 0 : undefined}
       aria-label={disabledTriggerLabel}
       aria-describedby={disabledTrigger && text && interactionOpen ? tooltipId : undefined}
@@ -273,6 +280,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
       onBlur={(event) => {
         if (!event.currentTarget.contains(event.relatedTarget as Node | null)) {
           setFocusOpen(false);
+          if (toggleOnClick) setPressOpen(false);
         }
       }}
       onPointerDown={(event) => {
@@ -282,13 +290,14 @@ export function Tooltip({
         // completed long-press. A later touch starts a new, actionable gesture.
         longPressed.current = false;
         cancelPress();
+        if (toggleOnClick) return;
         pressPoint.current = { x: event.clientX, y: event.clientY };
         pressTimer.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
           pressTimer.current = null;
           longPressed.current = true;
           mountPanel();
           pickAlign();
-          setTouchOpen(true);
+          setPressOpen(true);
         }, LONG_PRESS_MS);
       }}
       onPointerUp={() => {
@@ -299,7 +308,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
           hideTimer.current = window.setTimeout(() => {
             hideTimer.current = null;
             longPressed.current = false;
-            setTouchOpen(false);
+            setPressOpen(false);
           }, TOUCH_HIDE_MS);
         }
       }}
@@ -311,7 +320,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
           window.clearTimeout(hideTimer.current);
           hideTimer.current = null;
         }
-        setTouchOpen(false);
+        setPressOpen(false);
       }}
       onPointerMove={(event) => {
         // Only a real drag (scroll intent) cancels the hold — Chrome emits
@@ -345,6 +354,18 @@ export function Tooltip({
           event.stopPropagation();
         }
       }}
+      onClick={(event) => {
+        if (!toggleOnClick || disabledTrigger || tipRef.current?.contains(event.target as Node)) return;
+        if (pressOpen) {
+          setPressOpen(false);
+          setHoverOpen(false);
+          setFocusOpen(false);
+        } else {
+          mountPanel();
+          pickAlign();
+          setPressOpen(true);
+        }
+      }}
       onKeyDown={(event) => {
         if (event.key !== "Escape" && (event.target as HTMLElement).matches(":focus-visible")) {
           mountPanel();
@@ -352,8 +373,10 @@ export function Tooltip({
         }
       }}
     >
-      {trigger && text ? cloneElement(trigger, {
+      {trigger && (text || toggleOnClick) ? cloneElement(trigger, {
         "aria-describedby": [trigger.props["aria-describedby"], interactionOpen ? tooltipId : undefined].filter(Boolean).join(" ") || undefined,
+        "aria-expanded": toggleOnClick ? interactionOpen : trigger.props["aria-expanded"],
+        "aria-controls": toggleOnClick ? tooltipId : trigger.props["aria-controls"],
       }) : children}
       <span ref={tipRef} id={tooltipId} popover="manual"
         data-tone={resolvedTone}
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/brand-mark.css b/src/client/components/living/brand-mark.css
index 9dc8b74..b600c82 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/brand-mark.css
+++ b/src/client/components/living/brand-mark.css
@@ -163,7 +163,8 @@ html[data-theme="dark"] .lr-brand-sparkles { stroke: #f4c14d; }
     stroke-dashoffset: 0 !important;
   }
   .lr-brand-mark:is(.is-animated, .is-once) .lr-brand-eye-open,
-  .lr-brand-mark:is(.is-animated, .is-once) .lr-brand-sparkles {
+  .lr-brand-mark:is(.is-animated, .is-once) .lr-brand-sparkles,
+  .lr-brand-mark:is(.is-animated, .is-once) .lr-brand-sparkles > * {
     animation: none !important;
     opacity: 0 !important;
   }
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/primitives.tsx b/src/client/components/living/primitives.tsx
index 6f9f82a..c786380 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/primitives.tsx
+++ b/src/client/components/living/primitives.tsx
@@ -231,23 +231,23 @@ export function Pill({
 }) {
   const { vis } = useCopy();
   const wrapped = !vis || Boolean(comic);
+  const Trigger = wrapped ? "button" : "span";
   const body = (
-    <span
+    <Trigger
+      type={wrapped ? "button" : undefined}
       className={`lr-pill${tone ? ` is-${tone}` : ""}`}
-      role={alert ? "alert" : "status"}
-      // Hint-wrapped bodies must take keyboard focus, or the comic is
-      // unreachable for keyboard users (spans never match :focus-visible).
-      tabIndex={wrapped ? 0 : undefined}
     >
       <Glyph name={icon} size={16} />
       {vis ? <span className="visually-hidden">{label}</span> : <span>{label}</span>}
-    </span>
+    </Trigger>
   );
-  return wrapped ? (
-    <Tooltip kind={comic} tone={tooltipTone ?? (tone === "good" ? "live" : tone === "bad" ? "bad" : "warn")}
-      motion={tone === "good" ? "still" : undefined} text={vis ? undefined : label}>{body}</Tooltip>
-  ) : (
-    body
+  return (
+    <span role={alert ? "alert" : "status"}>
+      {wrapped ? (
+        <Tooltip toggleOnClick kind={comic} tone={tooltipTone ?? (tone === "good" ? "live" : tone === "bad" ? "bad" : "warn")}
+          motion={tone === "good" ? "still" : undefined} text={vis ? undefined : label}>{body}</Tooltip>
+      ) : body}
+    </span>
   );
 }
 
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ export function SwitchItem({
   label: string;
   /** Text modes: extra sentence in the tooltip. */
   note?: string;
-  /** Vis mode: 2-panel hint comic on hover/focus; native title stays off. */
+  /** Shared hint comic; native title stays off. */
   hint?: HintKind;
 }) {
   const { vis, t } = useCopy();
diff --git a/src/client/components/living/status-indicator.css b/src/client/components/living/status-indicator.css
index 2f2604e..3e2795e 100644
--- a/src/client/components/living/status-indicator.css
+++ b/src/client/components/living/status-indicator.css
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@
   border-radius: 8px;
   vertical-align: middle;
 }
+button.lr-status-indicator {
+  border: 0;
+  background: transparent;
+  cursor: pointer;
+}
 .lr-status-indicator[data-tone="live"] { --status-colour: var(--live); }
 .lr-status-indicator[data-tone="busy"] { --status-colour: var(--action); }
 .lr-status-indicator[data-tone="warn"] { --status-colour: var(--warn); }
diff --git a/src/client/pages/AppLauncherPage.tsx b/src/client/pages/AppLauncherPage.tsx
index 52941a5..685b45f 100644
--- a/src/client/pages/AppLauncherPage.tsx
+++ b/src/client/pages/AppLauncherPage.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
 const launcherStateSchema = z.object({
   site: z.string(),
   localAccessPassword: z.string(),
-  defaultMode: z.enum(["local", "site"]),
+  defaultMode: z.enum(["local", "link", "site"]),
   revision: z.string(),
   version: z.string().default("development"),
   packageTarget: z.string().optional(),
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export function AppLauncherPage() {
   const { lang, vis, t } = useCopy();
   const [loading, setLoading] = useState(true);
   const [starting, setStarting] = useState(false);
-  const [mode, setMode] = useState<AppMode>("local");
+  const [mode, setMode] = useState<AppMode>("link");
   const [site, setSite] = useState("");
   const [localAccessPassword, setLocalAccessPassword] = useState("");
   const [error, setError] = useState<null | "load" | "launch">(null);
diff --git a/src/client/pages/HostPage.tsx b/src/client/pages/HostPage.tsx
index 3423d2b..b28f364 100644
--- a/src/client/pages/HostPage.tsx
+++ b/src/client/pages/HostPage.tsx
@@ -3782,42 +3782,12 @@ export function HostPage({
                   <span
                     className="lr-meter-cell"
                   >
-                    {vis ? (
-                      <span
-                        style={{ position: "relative", display: "inline-flex" }}
-                      >
-                        <Glyph name="speaker" size={16} />
-                        {details.hasAudio ? null : (
-                          <span
-                            aria-hidden="true"
-                            style={{
-                              position: "absolute",
-                              top: -3,
-                              bottom: -3,
-                              left: "50%",
-                              width: 2.5,
-                              borderRadius: 2,
-                              background: "currentColor",
-                              transform: "translateX(-50%) rotate(45deg)",
-                            }}
-                          />
-                        )}
-                        <span className="visually-hidden">
-                          {details.hasAudio
-                            ? t("host.capture.hasAudio")
-                            : t("host.capture.noAudio")}
-                        </span>
-                      </span>
-                    ) : (
-                      <>
-                        <Glyph name="speaker" size={16} />
-                        <b>
-                          {details.hasAudio
-                            ? t("host.capture.hasAudio")
-                            : t("host.capture.noAudio")}
-                        </b>
-                      </>
-                    )}
+                    <Glyph name={details.hasAudio ? "speaker" : "speakerOff"} size={16} />
+                    <b className={vis ? "visually-hidden" : undefined}>
+                      {details.hasAudio
+                        ? t("host.capture.hasAudio")
+                        : t("host.capture.noAudio")}
+                    </b>
                   </span>
                 </div>
               </div>
diff --git a/src/client/pages/StatusPreviewPage.tsx b/src/client/pages/StatusPreviewPage.tsx
index 01338e1..e87abb5 100644
--- a/src/client/pages/StatusPreviewPage.tsx
+++ b/src/client/pages/StatusPreviewPage.tsx
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ export function StatusPreviewPage() {
           </div>
         </section>
         <section className="sp-catalog">
-          <header><h2>图标状态词典</h2><p>一个图标表达一件事。悬停、键盘聚焦或长按查看对应文字或漫画。</p></header>
+          <header><h2>图标状态词典</h2><p>一个图标表达一件事。悬停、键盘聚焦或点击查看对应图解；再次点击或点外部关闭。</p></header>
           <div className="sp-catalog-grid">
             {Object.entries(STATUS_CATALOG).map(([key, item]) => <article key={key}>
               <StatusIndicator status={item} /><span>{t(item.labelKey)}</span><code>{key}</code>
diff --git a/src/client/pages/ViewerPage.tsx b/src/client/pages/ViewerPage.tsx
index c7559d6..eba9b71 100644
--- a/src/client/pages/ViewerPage.tsx
+++ b/src/client/pages/ViewerPage.tsx
@@ -2168,15 +2168,6 @@ export function ViewerPage({
                 failureCode === "ROOM_CLOSED"
               ? "room-not-found"
               : "warning";
-    const deniedIcon: GlyphName =
-      failureCode === "ROOM_NOT_FOUND" ||
-      failureCode === "ROOM_CLOSED"
-        ? "door"
-        : failureCode === "ROOM_ACCESS_DENIED"
-          ? "lock"
-          : failureCode === "ROOM_FULL"
-            ? "users"
-            : "alert";
     const deniedHintKey: CopyKey = codeOnlyDenied
       ? "viewer.hint.denied"
       : failureCode === "ROOM_NOT_FOUND" ||
@@ -2213,27 +2204,10 @@ export function ViewerPage({
             </div>
           ) : (
             <div className="lr-join-panel">
-              {vis ? (
-                <>
-                  <Comic kind={deniedComic} theme="paper" tone={viewerStatus.activity.tone} />
-                  <span className="visually-hidden" role="alert">
-                    {t(presentation.messageKey)} · {t(deniedHintKey)}
-                  </span>
-                </>
-              ) : (
-              <span
-                className="lr-tv-big"
-                style={{
-                  borderColor: "var(--ink)",
-                  color: "var(--ink)",
-                  background: "var(--paper)",
-                }}
-                role="img"
-                aria-label={t(presentation.messageKey)}
-              >
-                <Glyph name={deniedIcon} size={30} />
+              <Comic kind={deniedComic} theme="paper" tone={viewerStatus.activity.tone} />
+              <span className="visually-hidden" role="alert">
+                {t(presentation.messageKey)} · {t(deniedHintKey)}
               </span>
-              )}
               {vis ? null : (
                 <div className="lr-access-text">
                   <h1>{t(presentation.messageKey)}</h1>
@@ -2246,6 +2220,7 @@ export function ViewerPage({
                     icon="key"
                     cap="join.passwordAction"
                     title="join.passwordAction"
+                    hint={viewerPasswordExpanded ? "hint-collapse" : "hint-password"}
                     expanded={viewerPasswordExpanded}
                     controls="viewer-password-retry"
                     onClick={() => setViewerPasswordExpanded((current) => !current)}
@@ -2545,12 +2520,14 @@ export function ViewerPage({
                     <Btn
                       icon="check"
                       title="host.nameSave"
+                      hint="hint-rename"
                       type="submit"
                       disabled={displayNameDraft === displayName}
                     />
                     <Btn
                       icon="x"
                       title="host.nameCancel"
+                      hint="hint-close"
                       onClick={() => {
                         setDisplayNameDraft(displayName);
                         setDisplayNameError(false);
diff --git a/src/client/styles.css b/src/client/styles.css
index afa36ee..647f6ef 100644
--- a/src/client/styles.css
+++ b/src/client/styles.css
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ ul { margin: 0; padding: 0; list-style: none; }
   gap: 7px;
   align-items: center;
   padding: 8px 12px;
+  border: 0;
   border-radius: 999px;
   background: var(--wall-2);
 }
@@ -1732,8 +1733,8 @@ html[data-theme="dark"] .lr-switch::after { background: var(--ink); }
    explanation focus instead. Enter is delayed ~120ms, exit is immediate. Under
    prefers-reduced-motion the global block collapses the transition to instant
    and the comic's own RM block pins its final frame. */
-/* Visibility is three-channel state owned by Tooltip: fine-pointer hover,
-   keyboard focus-visible, and Material-style touch long-press. */
+/* Tooltip owns hover, keyboard focus and press. Help buttons toggle on tap;
+   action controls retain long-press guidance. */
 .lr-comic-tip-wrap { position: relative; display: inline-flex; }
 .lr-comic-tip-wrap.is-disabled-trigger > :disabled { pointer-events: none; }
 .lr-comic-tip {
@@ -1826,7 +1827,7 @@ html[data-theme="dark"] .lr-switch::after { background: var(--ink); }
   }
 }
 
-/* channels 2+3: keyboard focus-visible and touch long-press */
+/* Keyboard focus and click/long-press guidance. */
 .lr-comic-tip-wrap.is-focus-open .lr-comic-tip,
 .lr-comic-tip-wrap.is-tip-open .lr-comic-tip {
   opacity: 1;