diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/core/navigation/AppNavigation.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/core/navigation/AppNavigation.kt
index c7626edc..5b62747e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/core/navigation/AppNavigation.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/core/navigation/AppNavigation.kt
@@ -95,22 +95,32 @@ fun AppNavigation(
     val shellTitle = currentRoute
         ?.takeIf { it in shellBackRoutes }
         ?.let(AppRoute::titleFor)
+    // Tab-switch semantics: pop to the graph start, keep a single instance, and
+    // save/restore each tab's own back stack. Every navigation to a top-level
+    // route must go through this so a tab is never pushed on top of another tab.
+    val selectTab: (String) -> Unit = { route ->
+        navController.navigate(route) {
+            popUpTo(navController.graph.findStartDestination().id) {
+                saveState = true
+            }
+            launchSingleTop = true
+            restoreState = true
+        }
+    }
     val navigateBackOrHome: () -> Unit = {
         if (!navController.popBackStack()) {
-            navController.navigate(AppRoute.HOME) {
-                popUpTo(navController.graph.findStartDestination().id) {
-                    saveState = true
-                }
-                launchSingleTop = true
-                restoreState = true
-            }
+            selectTab(AppRoute.HOME)
         }
     }
     val navigateRoute: (String) -> Unit = { route ->
-        if (route == "back") {
-            navigateBackOrHome()
-        } else {
-            navController.navigate(route)
+        when {
+            route == "back" -> navigateBackOrHome()
+            // Top-level tabs must use tab-switch semantics. Plain-navigating to a
+            // tab (e.g. a "Game waiting" card → PLAY) would stack it on the current
+            // tab; the bottom bar then saves that substack and `restoreState` later
+            // lands the user on the wrong tab (Home → Play was the symptom).
+            route in AppRoute.topLevelRoutes -> selectTab(route)
+            else -> navController.navigate(route)
         }
     }
 
@@ -143,15 +153,7 @@ fun AppNavigation(
             if (currentRoute in bottomRoutes) {
                 AppBottomNavigation(
                     currentRoute = currentRoute,
-                    onRouteSelected = { route ->
-                        navController.navigate(route) {
-                            popUpTo(navController.graph.findStartDestination().id) {
-                                saveState = true
-                            }
-                            launchSingleTop = true
-                            restoreState = true
-                        }
-                    }
+                    onRouteSelected = selectTab
                 )
             }
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/domain/usecase/GameSessionManager.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/domain/usecase/GameSessionManager.kt
index 5851537b..1bb0e887 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/domain/usecase/GameSessionManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/domain/usecase/GameSessionManager.kt
@@ -84,7 +84,9 @@ class GameSessionManager @Inject constructor(
         val activeSession = sessionRepository.getActiveSessionForCouple(couple.id)
         if (activeSession != null) {
             val partnerId = couple.userIds.firstOrNull { it != userId }
-            val partnerName = partnerId?.let { userRepository.getUser(it) }?.displayName ?: "Partner"
+            val partnerName = partnerId
+                ?.let { runCatching { userRepository.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
+                ?.displayName ?: "Partner"
             return Result.failure(
                 Exception("partner_active_session|$partnerName|${gameTypeLabel(gameType)}")
             )
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/desiresync/DesireSyncScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/desiresync/DesireSyncScreen.kt
index bb3342cc..5185f399 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/desiresync/DesireSyncScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/desiresync/DesireSyncScreen.kt
@@ -1008,8 +1008,9 @@ class DSReplayViewModel @Inject constructor(
                 return@launch
             }
             val partnerId = couple.userIds.firstOrNull { it != uid }
-            val partnerName = partnerId?.let { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }?.displayName
-                ?: "Your partner"
+            val partnerName = partnerId
+                ?.let { runCatching { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
+                ?.displayName ?: "Your partner"
             _uiState.update { it.copy(partnerName = partnerName) }
 
             val session = sessionRepository.getSessionById(couple.id, sessionId) ?: run {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/games/WaitingForPartnerScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/games/WaitingForPartnerScreen.kt
index 94fd69b1..3f3db6a4 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/games/WaitingForPartnerScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/games/WaitingForPartnerScreen.kt
@@ -62,11 +62,16 @@ class WaitingForPartnerViewModel @Inject constructor(
     init {
         viewModelScope.launch {
             val userId = gameSessionManager.currentUserId ?: return@launch
-            val couple = gameSessionManager.getCoupleForUser(userId) ?: return@launch
+            val couple = runCatching { gameSessionManager.getCoupleForUser(userId) }.getOrNull()
+                ?: return@launch
             coupleId = couple.id
 
             val partnerId = couple.userIds.firstOrNull { it != userId }
-            val partnerName = partnerId?.let { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }?.displayName ?: "Partner"
+            // getUser() throws on Firestore failure (e.g. PERMISSION_DENIED); never let
+            // that escape this launch or the whole app crashes on the waiting screen.
+            val partnerName = partnerId
+                ?.let { runCatching { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
+                ?.displayName ?: "Partner"
 
             gameSessionManager.observeActiveSession(couple.id).collect { session ->
                 if (session == null) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/howwell/HowWellScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/howwell/HowWellScreen.kt
index 4908086b..5023f1f9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/howwell/HowWellScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/howwell/HowWellScreen.kt
@@ -1179,8 +1179,9 @@ class HowWellReplayViewModel @Inject constructor(
                 return@launch
             }
             val partnerId = couple.userIds.firstOrNull { it != uid }
-            val partnerName = partnerId?.let { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }?.displayName
-                ?: "Your partner"
+            val partnerName = partnerId
+                ?.let { runCatching { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
+                ?.displayName ?: "Your partner"
             _uiState.update { it.copy(partnerName = partnerName) }
 
             val session = sessionRepository.getSessionById(couple.id, sessionId) ?: run {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/pairing/PairingSuccessScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/pairing/PairingSuccessScreen.kt
index 9a167a7d..584d1b41 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/pairing/PairingSuccessScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/pairing/PairingSuccessScreen.kt
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ class PairingSuccessViewModel @Inject constructor(
     init {
         viewModelScope.launch {
             val myId = authRepository.currentUserId ?: return@launch
-            val me = userRepository.getUser(myId)
+            val me = runCatching { userRepository.getUser(myId) }.getOrNull()
             val couple = coupleRepository.getCoupleForUser(myId)
             val partnerId = couple?.userIds?.firstOrNull { it != myId }
             val partner = partnerId?.let { runCatching { userRepository.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/thisorthat/ThisOrThatScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/thisorthat/ThisOrThatScreen.kt
index 403cab9b..7f5e0aa1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/thisorthat/ThisOrThatScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/app/closer/ui/thisorthat/ThisOrThatScreen.kt
@@ -1249,8 +1249,9 @@ class ThisOrThatReplayViewModel @Inject constructor(
                 return@launch
             }
             val partnerId = couple.userIds.firstOrNull { it != uid }
-            val partnerName = partnerId?.let { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }?.displayName
-                ?: "Your partner"
+            val partnerName = partnerId
+                ?.let { runCatching { gameSessionManager.getUser(it) }.getOrNull() }
+                ?.displayName ?: "Your partner"
             _uiState.update { it.copy(partnerName = partnerName) }
 
             val session = sessionRepository.getSessionById(couple.id, sessionId) ?: run {