diff --git a/neode-ui/src/App.vue b/neode-ui/src/App.vue
index 165cff25..b70d65af 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/App.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/App.vue
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ import { useScreensaverStore } from '@/stores/screensaver'
 import { useUIModeStore } from '@/stores/uiMode'
 import { startRemoteRelay, stopRemoteRelay } from '@/api/remote-relay'
 import { shouldShowIntroSplash } from '@/utils/introSplash'
+import { isCompanionApp } from '@/utils/openExternal'
 
 const router = useRouter()
 const screensaverStore = useScreensaverStore()
@@ -430,7 +431,8 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   // refresh) starts with the typing splash for the full effect. In-session SPA
   // navigation never remounts App, and deep-route refreshes keep their place.
   const { IS_DEMO } = await import('@/composables/useDemoIntro')
-  if (IS_DEMO && bootPath === '/') replayRequested = true
+  // Companion in-app demo never requests the splash replay; browser demo unaffected.
+  if (IS_DEMO && bootPath === '/' && !isCompanionApp()) replayRequested = true
   let onboardingComplete: boolean | null = localStorage.getItem('neode_onboarding_complete') === '1' ? true : null
   // Root boots always ask the backend — even when this browser thinks it has
   // seen the intro. Both `neode_intro_seen` and `neode_onboarding_complete`
@@ -586,6 +588,12 @@ async function handleSplashComplete() {
   {
     const { IS_DEMO } = await import('@/composables/useDemoIntro')
     if (IS_DEMO) {
+      // Companion in-app demo skips the intro and lands on /login; browser demo unaffected.
+      if (isCompanionApp()) {
+        await router.push('/login').catch(() => {})
+        reveal()
+        return
+      }
       await router.push('/onboarding/intro').catch(() => {})
       reveal()
       return
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/utils/__tests__/openExternal.test.ts b/neode-ui/src/utils/__tests__/openExternal.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..ac4c2f98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/neode-ui/src/utils/__tests__/openExternal.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, afterEach } from 'vitest'
+import { isCompanionApp } from '../openExternal'
+
+// isCompanionApp() is the single companion-detection source used to skip the
+// demo intro (App.vue + RootRedirect.vue) and by appLauncher — it must be true
+// iff the native shell injected window.ArchipelagoNative with openInApp.
+
+type TestWindow = Window & { ArchipelagoNative?: unknown }
+const w = window as TestWindow
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  delete w.ArchipelagoNative
+})
+
+describe('isCompanionApp', () => {
+  it('is false in a plain browser/PWA (no bridge injected)', () => {
+    expect(isCompanionApp()).toBe(false)
+  })
+
+  it('is true when the native shell injected the bridge with openInApp', () => {
+    w.ArchipelagoNative = { openInApp: () => {} }
+    expect(isCompanionApp()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('is false when the bridge exists but lacks a callable openInApp', () => {
+    w.ArchipelagoNative = { openExternal: () => {} }
+    expect(isCompanionApp()).toBe(false)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/RootRedirect.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/RootRedirect.vue
index d43d96ef..b1831a29 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/RootRedirect.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/RootRedirect.vue
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import { ref, onMounted } from 'vue'
 import { useRouter } from 'vue-router'
 import { isOnboardingComplete } from '@/composables/useOnboarding'
 import { IS_DEMO } from '@/composables/useDemoIntro'
+import { isCompanionApp } from '@/utils/openExternal'
 import BootScreen from '@/components/BootScreen.vue'
 
 const router = useRouter()
@@ -80,6 +81,13 @@ async function checkOnboarded(): Promise<boolean> {
 
 async function proceedToApp() {
   if (IS_DEMO) {
+    // Companion in-app demo skips the intro (acts as intro-already-seen) and
+    // lands on /login; browser demo unaffected. No log() here — it writes
+    // sessionStorage, and the skip path must write nothing.
+    if (isCompanionApp()) {
+      router.replace('/login').catch(() => {})
+      return
+    }
     demoRoute()
     return
   }
@@ -147,6 +155,12 @@ onMounted(async () => {
   if (isUp) {
     // Demo: per-day intro gate instead of server-side onboarding state.
     if (IS_DEMO) {
+      // Companion in-app demo skips the intro; browser demo unaffected.
+      // No log() — the skip path must write nothing to storage.
+      if (isCompanionApp()) {
+        router.replace('/login').catch(() => {})
+        return
+      }
       demoRoute()
       return
     }