diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
index 0caf201b..9154d47a 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/PeerFiles.vue
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
         <div
           v-if="isMediaMime(item.mime_type)"
           class="relative aspect-video overflow-hidden cursor-pointer group"
-          @click="isOwned(item) ? viewOwned(item) : (isPlayable(item.mime_type) ? playMedia(item) : undefined)"
+          @click="openItem(item)"
         >
           <img
             v-if="item.mime_type.startsWith('image/') && previewUrls[item.id]"
@@ -351,11 +351,12 @@
             <div class="mt-3 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
               <div class="min-w-0">
                 <p class="text-sm font-medium text-white truncate">{{ viewerItem.filename.split('/').pop() }}</p>
-                <p class="text-xs text-green-400">Owned · unlocked</p>
+                <p v-if="isOwned(viewerItem)" class="text-xs text-green-400">Owned · unlocked</p>
+                <p v-else class="text-xs text-white/50">Free · shared by peer</p>
               </div>
               <button
                 class="glass-button px-3 py-1.5 rounded-lg text-xs font-medium flex items-center gap-1.5 shrink-0"
-                @click="saveOwned(viewerItem)"
+                @click="saveViewerItem(viewerItem)"
               >
                 <svg class="w-3.5 h-3.5" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" viewBox="0 0 24 24">
                   <path stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" stroke-width="2" d="M4 16v1a3 3 0 003 3h10a3 3 0 003-3v-1m-4-4l-4 4m0 0l-4-4m4 4V4" />
@@ -695,10 +696,17 @@ function base64ToBlob(base64: string, mime: string): Blob {
   return new Blob([Uint8Array.from(atob(base64), c => c.charCodeAt(0))], { type: mime })
 }
 
-// In-app viewer for owned content (image / video / audio), served from cache.
+// In-app viewer (lightbox) for owned content AND free images. Owned content is
+// loaded as a blob URL from the purchase cache; free images point straight at
+// the Range-capable streaming proxy (no base64 round-trip).
 const viewerItem = ref<CatalogItem | null>(null)
 const viewerUrl = ref<string | null>(null)
 const viewerMime = ref<string>('')
+/** Revoke the current viewer URL only when it's a blob: URL — free items use a
+ *  plain /api/peer-content URL that must not be passed to revokeObjectURL. */
+function releaseViewerUrl() {
+  if (viewerUrl.value?.startsWith('blob:')) URL.revokeObjectURL(viewerUrl.value)
+}
 async function viewOwned(item: CatalogItem) {
   const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
   if (!onion) return
@@ -719,7 +727,7 @@ async function viewOwned(item: CatalogItem) {
       audioPlayer.play(url, item.filename.split('/').pop() || item.filename)
       return
     }
-    if (viewerUrl.value) URL.revokeObjectURL(viewerUrl.value)
+    releaseViewerUrl()
     viewerUrl.value = URL.createObjectURL(base64ToBlob(res.data, mime))
     viewerMime.value = mime
     viewerItem.value = item
@@ -730,11 +738,56 @@ async function viewOwned(item: CatalogItem) {
   }
 }
 function closeViewer() {
-  if (viewerUrl.value) URL.revokeObjectURL(viewerUrl.value)
+  releaseViewerUrl()
   viewerUrl.value = null
   viewerItem.value = null
   viewerMime.value = ''
 }
+
+/**
+ * Card click dispatcher: every peer file opens in the appropriate viewer.
+ * - owned → in-app viewer / bottom-bar player from the purchase cache
+ * - paid + playable → 10% preview (existing behaviour)
+ * - paid + non-playable (blurred images etc.) → pay modal — the full content
+ *   is never fetched or revealed before purchase
+ * - free image → full-screen lightbox streaming from the Range proxy
+ * - free audio/video → bottom-bar player / video modal (via playMedia)
+ */
+function openItem(item: CatalogItem) {
+  if (isOwned(item)) {
+    void viewOwned(item)
+    return
+  }
+  if (isPaidItem(item.access)) {
+    if (isPlayable(item.mime_type)) void playMedia(item)
+    else openPayModal(item)
+    return
+  }
+  if (isPlayable(item.mime_type)) {
+    void playMedia(item)
+    return
+  }
+  if (item.mime_type.startsWith('image/')) {
+    const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
+    if (!onion) return
+    releaseViewerUrl()
+    viewerUrl.value = `/api/peer-content/${encodeURIComponent(onion)}/${encodeURIComponent(item.id)}`
+    viewerMime.value = item.mime_type
+    viewerItem.value = item
+  }
+}
+
+/** Viewer footer Save: owned content saves from the purchase cache; free
+ *  content streams from the Range proxy. */
+function saveViewerItem(item: CatalogItem) {
+  if (isOwned(item)) {
+    void saveOwned(item)
+    return
+  }
+  const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
+  if (!onion) return
+  streamDownload(`/api/peer-content/${encodeURIComponent(onion)}/${encodeURIComponent(item.id)}`, item)
+}
 // Save the owned file to disk from cache (the optional "downloadable" path).
 async function saveOwned(item: CatalogItem) {
   const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
@@ -1205,15 +1258,14 @@ async function pollOnchain(address: string) {
       timeout: 30000,
     })
     if (res?.paid) {
-      const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; error?: string }>({
+      const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; mime_type?: string; error?: string }>({
         method: 'content.download-peer-onchain',
         params: { onion, content_id: item.id, address },
         timeout: 120000,
       })
       onchainPaying.value = false
       if (dl?.data) {
-        triggerDownload(dl.data, item)
-        closePayModal()
+        openPurchased(item, dl.data, dl.mime_type)
       } else {
         lnError.value = dl?.error || 'Paid, but the download failed. Try again shortly.'
       }
@@ -1273,6 +1325,36 @@ async function prepareEcashPay() {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Shared post-payment success handling for ALL payment rails (ecash,
+ * lightning-from-node, external invoice QR, on-chain): mark the item owned,
+ * open it in-app — audio autoplays in the global bottom-bar player,
+ * image/video open in the viewer modal — and refresh the owned list.
+ * A browser download used to fire here instead, which silently fails on the
+ * mobile companion ("paid but never unlocked"); the viewer's Save button
+ * still offers an explicit download.
+ */
+function openPurchased(item: CatalogItem, base64Data: string, mimeType?: string) {
+  const onion = props.peerId || currentPeer.value?.onion
+  if (onion) ownedKeys.value = new Set(ownedKeys.value).add(ownKey(onion, item.id))
+  const mime = mimeType || item.mime_type
+  if (mime.startsWith('audio/')) {
+    // Straight to the bottom-bar player — the blob URL intentionally stays
+    // alive while the bar owns playback.
+    audioPlayer.play(
+      URL.createObjectURL(base64ToBlob(base64Data, mime)),
+      item.filename.split('/').pop() || item.filename,
+    )
+  } else {
+    releaseViewerUrl()
+    viewerUrl.value = URL.createObjectURL(base64ToBlob(base64Data, mime))
+    viewerMime.value = mime
+    viewerItem.value = item
+  }
+  closePayModal()
+  void loadOwned()
+}
+
 /** Confirm the ecash payment with the backend the user selected. */
 async function confirmEcashPay() {
   const item = payItem.value
@@ -1291,27 +1373,7 @@ async function confirmEcashPay() {
     })
     if (result?.data) {
       // The purchase is now cached + owned by this node (backend persisted it).
-      // Mark it owned and open the in-app viewer rather than firing a browser
-      // download — the latter silently fails on the mobile companion, which is
-      // why a paid item used to never "unlock". The item stays unlocked going
-      // forward; the viewer offers a Save button for an explicit download.
-      ownedKeys.value = new Set(ownedKeys.value).add(ownKey(onion, item.id))
-      const mime = result.mime_type || item.mime_type
-      // A just-bought song goes straight to the bottom-bar player — the
-      // owned-content lightbox is for images/video only.
-      if (mime.startsWith('audio/')) {
-        audioPlayer.play(
-          URL.createObjectURL(base64ToBlob(result.data, mime)),
-          item.filename.split('/').pop() || item.filename,
-        )
-      } else {
-        if (viewerUrl.value) URL.revokeObjectURL(viewerUrl.value)
-        viewerUrl.value = URL.createObjectURL(base64ToBlob(result.data, mime))
-        viewerMime.value = mime
-        viewerItem.value = item
-      }
-      closePayModal()
-      void loadOwned()
+      openPurchased(item, result.data, result.mime_type)
     } else if (result?.error) {
       // Keep the confirm screen open so the user can switch backend and retry.
       purchaseError.value = result.error
@@ -1391,14 +1453,13 @@ async function payWithLightning() {
       return
     }
     // 3. Settled — pull the file using the payment hash as the gate token.
-    const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; error?: string }>({
+    const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; mime_type?: string; error?: string }>({
       method: 'content.download-peer-invoice',
       params: { onion, content_id: item.id, payment_hash: inv.payment_hash },
       timeout: 120000,
     })
     if (dl?.data) {
-      triggerDownload(dl.data, item)
-      closePayModal()
+      openPurchased(item, dl.data, dl.mime_type)
     } else {
       lnError.value = dl?.error || 'Paid, but the download failed. Try again shortly.'
     }
@@ -1428,14 +1489,13 @@ async function pollInvoice() {
     if (res?.paid) {
       // Settled — pull the file using the payment hash as the gate token.
       invoiceWaiting.value = false
-      const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; error?: string }>({
+      const dl = await rpcClient.call<{ data?: string; mime_type?: string; error?: string }>({
         method: 'content.download-peer-invoice',
         params: { onion, content_id: item.id, payment_hash: inv.payment_hash },
         timeout: 120000,
       })
       if (dl?.data) {
-        triggerDownload(dl.data, item)
-        closePayModal()
+        openPurchased(item, dl.data, dl.mime_type)
       } else {
         invoiceError.value = dl?.error || 'Paid, but the download failed. Try again shortly.'
       }
diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/PeerFilesRefresh.test.ts b/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/PeerFilesRefresh.test.ts
index 21277387..5ed060d4 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/PeerFilesRefresh.test.ts
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/__tests__/PeerFilesRefresh.test.ts
@@ -85,4 +85,54 @@ describe('PeerFiles', () => {
     expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('offline')
     expect(wrapper.text()).not.toContain('Refreshing peer files...')
   })
+
+  it('opens the full-screen lightbox when a FREE image card is clicked', async () => {
+    vi.mocked(rpcClient.federationListNodes).mockResolvedValue({
+      nodes: [{
+        did: 'did:key:peer',
+        pubkey: 'peer',
+        onion: 'peer.onion',
+        name: 'Peer',
+        trust_level: 'trusted',
+      }],
+    } as never)
+    const freeImage = {
+      id: 'photo-1',
+      filename: 'sunset.jpg',
+      mime_type: 'image/jpeg',
+      size_bytes: 1024,
+      description: '',
+      access: 'free',
+    }
+    vi.mocked(rpcClient.call).mockImplementation((async (req: { method: string }) => {
+      if (req.method === 'content.browse-peer') return { items: [freeImage] }
+      if (req.method === 'content.owned-list') return { items: [] }
+      return {}
+    }) as never)
+
+    const wrapper = mount(PeerFiles, {
+      props: { peerId: 'peer.onion' },
+      global: {
+        plugins: [createPinia()],
+        stubs: {
+          Teleport: true,
+        },
+      },
+    })
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('sunset.jpg')
+
+    // The free image card click was previously a no-op (the old ternary fell
+    // through to `undefined` for non-playable free items).
+    await wrapper.find('.aspect-video').trigger('click')
+    await flushPromises()
+
+    const viewerImg = wrapper
+      .findAll('img')
+      .find(img => (img.attributes('src') || '').includes('/api/peer-content/'))
+    expect(viewerImg).toBeTruthy()
+    expect(viewerImg!.attributes('src')).toContain('photo-1')
+    expect(wrapper.text()).toContain('Free · shared by peer')
+  })
 })