diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
index 8095205a5..c33e6ca89 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import { OverlayPortalHost } from "./components/OverlayPortal";
 import { useUniwindTheme } from "./lib/useUniwindTheme";
 import { appBlurTargetRef } from "./lib/appBlurTarget";
 import { useMobileNavigationTheme } from "./lib/useMobileNavigationTheme";
+import { shouldHandleAppLink } from "./lib/appLinking";
 
 import "../global.css";
 
@@ -41,14 +42,7 @@ const appLinking = {
   // schemes `app.config.ts` registers, because iOS never delivers an
   // unregistered scheme to the app.
   prefixes: [Linking.createURL("/"), "pylon-code://", "pylon-code-dev://", "pylon-code-preview://"],
-  // The Expo dev client launches the app via
-  // <scheme>://expo-development-client/?url=<packager> — that URL addresses
-  // the launcher, not app navigation. Without this filter it falls through
-  // to the NotFound wildcard route on every dev launch.
-  // expo-sharing uses a private lifecycle URL only to wake the app. The
-  // persisted share inbox below owns navigation once the payload is durable.
-  filter: (url: string) =>
-    !url.includes("expo-development-client") && !url.includes("://expo-sharing"),
+  filter: shouldHandleAppLink,
 };
 
 const Navigation = createStaticNavigation(RootStack);
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ad75f3271
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vite-plus/test";
+
+import { shouldHandleAppLink } from "./appLinking";
+
+describe("shouldHandleAppLink", () => {
+  it.each([
+    "pylon-code://",
+    "pylon-code:///",
+    "pylon-code-dev://",
+    "pylon-code-dev:///",
+    "pylon-code-preview://",
+    "pylon-code-preview:///",
+    "PYLON-CODE://",
+  ])("keeps the current route for wake-only link %s", (url) => {
+    expect(shouldHandleAppLink(url)).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "pylon-code://threads/env-1/thread-1",
+    "pylon-code-dev://threads/env-1/thread-1",
+    "pylon-code-preview://settings/environments",
+    "pylon-code://pair?pairingUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.test",
+    "pylon-code://?pairingUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fexample.test",
+  ])("preserves navigable and pairing link %s", (url) => {
+    expect(shouldHandleAppLink(url)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it.each([
+    "pylon-code-dev://expo-development-client/?url=packager",
+    "pylon-code://expo-sharing/anything",
+  ])("ignores native lifecycle link %s", (url) => {
+    expect(shouldHandleAppLink(url)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.ts b/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4d4897444
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/lib/appLinking.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/** Ignore lifecycle and wake-only URLs before they reach React Navigation. */
+export function shouldHandleAppLink(url: string): boolean {
+  if (url.includes("expo-development-client") || url.includes("://expo-sharing")) {
+    return false;
+  }
+
+  // iOS dictation keyboards can return to the app with only its scheme. Those
+  // URLs wake the app but have no route, so navigation must keep its stack.
+  return !/^pylon-code(?:-dev|-preview)?:\/*$/i.test(url);
+}