ser

lib/components/clock_display.dart

@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/session_timer.dart';
 ///
 /// Shows a circular quota-progress arc, a glowing countdown timer, and the
 /// current transfer speed — all sized to fit within the 260px button.
+///
+/// Before the first server sync arrives, a subtle "Syncing…" placeholder
+/// is shown instead of a misleading 00:00:00.
 class ClockDisplay extends StatelessWidget {
   const ClockDisplay({super.key});
 
@@ -16,50 +19,76 @@ class ClockDisplay extends StatelessWidget {
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return Consumer<SessionTimer>(
       builder: (context, timer, _) {
+        final bool showSyncing = !timer.hasSyncedOnce;
+
         return SizedBox(
           width: 200,
           height: 200,
           child: Stack(
             alignment: Alignment.center,
             children: [
-              // Center content: countdown + speed
+              // Center content: countdown + speed  (or syncing placeholder)
               Column(
                 mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
                 children: [
-                  // Glowing countdown timer
-                  Text(
-                    timer.formatted,
-                    style: const TextStyle(
-                      fontSize: 40,
-                      fontWeight: FontWeight.w800,
-                      color: Colors.white,
-                      letterSpacing: 2,
-                      shadows: [
-                        Shadow(
-                          color: Color.fromRGBO(0, 229, 255, 0.5),
-                          blurRadius: 16,
+                  if (showSyncing) ...[
+                    // Syncing placeholder — spinner + label
+                    const SizedBox(
+                      width: 32,
+                      height: 32,
+                      child: CircularProgressIndicator(
+                        strokeWidth: 2,
+                        color: Color.fromRGBO(0, 229, 255, 0.5),
+                      ),
+                    ),
+                    const SizedBox(height: 10),
+                    const Text(
+                      'Syncing…',
+                      style: TextStyle(
+                        fontSize: 16,
+                        fontWeight: FontWeight.w600,
+                        color: Color.fromRGBO(0, 229, 255, 0.6),
+                        letterSpacing: 1.5,
+                      ),
+                    ),
+                  ] else ...[
+                    // Glowing countdown timer
+                    Text(
+                      timer.formatted,
+                      style: const TextStyle(
+                        fontSize: 40,
+                        fontWeight: FontWeight.w800,
+                        color: Colors.white,
+                        letterSpacing: 2,
+                        shadows: [
+                          Shadow(
+                            color: Color.fromRGBO(0, 229, 255, 0.5),
+                            blurRadius: 16,
+                          ),
+                        ],
+                      ),
+                    ),
+                    const SizedBox(height: 6),
+
+                    // Speed indicator
+                    Row(
+                      mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
+                      children: [
+                        const Icon(Icons.speed, color: Colors.white54, size: 14),
+                        const SizedBox(width: 4),
+                        Text(
+                          timer.currentSpeedKbps > 0.5
+                              ? '${timer.currentSpeedKbps.toStringAsFixed(1)} KB/s'
+                              : 'Idle',
+                          style: const TextStyle(
+                            fontSize: 12,
+                            color: Colors.white54,
+                            fontWeight: FontWeight.w500,
+                          ),
                         ),
                       ],
                     ),
-                  ),
-                  const SizedBox(height: 6),
-
-                  // Speed indicator
-                  Row(
-                    mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
-                    children: [
-                      const Icon(Icons.speed, color: Colors.white54, size: 14),
-                      const SizedBox(width: 4),
-                      Text(
-                        '${timer.currentSpeedKbps.toStringAsFixed(1)} KB/s',
-                        style: const TextStyle(
-                          fontSize: 12,
-                          color: Colors.white54,
-                          fontWeight: FontWeight.w500,
-                        ),
-                      ),
-                    ],
-                  ),
+                  ],
                 ],
               ),
             ],

lib/components/connect_button.dart

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
 import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
 import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/vpn_connection.dart';
 import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/session_timer.dart';
+import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/ad_manager.dart';
 import 'package:paladinvpn/components/clock_display.dart';
 
 class ConnectButton extends StatefulWidget {
@@ -60,30 +62,51 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
   void _handleTap() async {
     if (_inCooldown) return;
 
-    setState(() => _inCooldown = true);
-    Future.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 5), () {
-      if (mounted) setState(() => _inCooldown = false);
-    });
-
     final vpn = context.read<VpnConnection>();
     final timer = context.read<SessionTimer>();
+    final ad = context.read<AdManager>();
 
     if (vpn.status == VpnStatus.connected) {
+      // Disconnect — apply a short cooldown to prevent rapid toggle spam
+      HapticFeedback.lightImpact();
       vpn.disconnect();
       timer.stop();
+      setState(() => _inCooldown = true);
+      Future.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 2), () {
+        if (mounted) setState(() => _inCooldown = false);
+      });
     } else if (vpn.status == VpnStatus.disconnected ||
                vpn.status == VpnStatus.error) {
+      // Only attempt connect if an ad is loaded (or we're in dev/web mode)
+      if (!ad.isAdLoaded && !ad.isAdLoading) {
+        ad.preloadAd(); // trigger a reload in background
+        ScaffoldMessenger.of(context).showSnackBar(
+          const SnackBar(
+            content: Text('Ad is not ready yet. Please wait a moment.'),
+            duration: Duration(seconds: 2),
+          ),
+        );
+        return;
+      }
+      HapticFeedback.lightImpact();
       final success = await vpn.connect();
       if (success) {
         timer.start('main_ad');
+        // Only apply cooldown on success — failures clear immediately
+        setState(() => _inCooldown = true);
+        Future.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 5), () {
+          if (mounted) setState(() => _inCooldown = false);
+        });
       }
+      // On failure the button stays active — the error message in
+      // StatusText tells the user what went wrong.
     }
   }
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
-    return Consumer2<VpnConnection, SessionTimer>(
-      builder: (context, vpn, timer, _) {
+    return Consumer3<VpnConnection, SessionTimer, AdManager>(
+      builder: (context, vpn, timer, ad, _) {
         final isConnected = vpn.status == VpnStatus.connected;
         final isConnecting = vpn.status == VpnStatus.connecting;
 
@@ -126,7 +149,7 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
                 child: Center(
                   child: isConnected
                     ? const ClockDisplay()
-                    : _buildDisconnectedIcon(vpn.status, _inCooldown),
+                    : _buildDisconnectedIcon(vpn.status, _inCooldown, ad),
                 ),
               );
             },
@@ -136,7 +159,7 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
     );
   }
 
-  Widget _buildDisconnectedIcon(VpnStatus status, bool inCooldown) {
+  Widget _buildDisconnectedIcon(VpnStatus status, bool inCooldown, AdManager ad) {
     if (status == VpnStatus.connecting || status == VpnStatus.disconnecting) {
       return const SizedBox(
         width: 48,
@@ -147,19 +170,38 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
         ),
       );
     }
+    // Determine the right label for the disconnected state
+    String label;
+    IconData icon;
+    Color tint;
+
+    if (inCooldown) {
+      label = 'PLEASE WAIT';
+      icon  = Icons.hourglass_bottom;
+      tint  = Colors.grey;
+    } else if (status == VpnStatus.error) {
+      label = 'TRY AGAIN';
+      icon  = Icons.refresh;
+      tint  = const Color(0xFFEF5350); // soft red — something went wrong
+    } else if (!ad.isAdLoaded && !ad.isAdLoading) {
+      label = 'LOADING AD…';
+      icon  = Icons.hourglass_empty;
+      tint  = const Color.fromRGBO(74, 85, 104, 0.7);
+    } else {
+      label = 'TAP TO CONNECT';
+      icon  = Icons.power_settings_new;
+      tint  = const Color.fromRGBO(74, 85, 104, 0.7);
+    }
+
     return Column(
       mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
       children: [
-        Icon(
-          inCooldown ? Icons.hourglass_bottom : Icons.power_settings_new,
-          size: 64,
-          color: inCooldown ? Colors.grey : const Color.fromRGBO(74, 85, 104, 0.7),
-        ),
+        Icon(icon, size: 64, color: tint),
         const SizedBox(height: 12),
         Text(
-          inCooldown ? 'PLEASE WAIT' : 'TAP TO CONNECT',
+          label,
           style: TextStyle(
-            color: inCooldown ? Colors.grey : const Color.fromRGBO(74, 85, 104, 0.9),
+            color: tint,
             fontWeight: FontWeight.bold,
             letterSpacing: 1.5,
           ),

lib/components/notification.dart

@@ -26,10 +26,19 @@ class VpnNotificationManager {
     _initialized = true;
   }
 
+  static String? _lastTimeLeft;
+  static String? _lastSpeedKbps;
+
   static Future<void> showOrUpdateStatus({
     required String timeLeft,
     required String speedKbps,
   }) async {
+    // Skip update if nothing changed — prevents notification flicker
+    // on Android skins that animate every notification update.
+    if (timeLeft == _lastTimeLeft && speedKbps == _lastSpeedKbps) return;
+    _lastTimeLeft  = timeLeft;
+    _lastSpeedKbps = speedKbps;
+
     if (!_initialized) await init();
 
     const androidDetails = AndroidNotificationDetails(

lib/components/watch_ad_button.dart

@@ -15,9 +15,15 @@ class WatchAdButton extends StatelessWidget {
       child: InkWell(
         borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(12),
         onTap: () async {
-          final success = await context.read<AdManager>().showAd('bonus_ad');
-          if (success && context.mounted) {
-            context.read<SessionTimer>().addBonusTime(); // Calls Hivemind API for 30m + 1GB
+          final adWatched = await context.read<AdManager>().showAd('bonus_ad');
+          if (!adWatched || !context.mounted) return;
+
+          // The actual session extension happens server-side via AdMob SSV.
+          // addBonusTime() syncs the new limits from the server.
+          final synced = await context.read<SessionTimer>().addBonusTime();
+          if (!context.mounted) return;
+
+          if (synced) {
             ScaffoldMessenger.of(context).showSnackBar(
               SnackBar(
                 content: const Text(
@@ -32,6 +38,18 @@ class WatchAdButton extends StatelessWidget {
                 duration: const Duration(seconds: 2),
               ),
             );
+          } else {
+            ScaffoldMessenger.of(context).showSnackBar(
+              const SnackBar(
+                content: Text(
+                  'Could not confirm bonus. Please check your connection.',
+                  style: TextStyle(fontWeight: FontWeight.w600),
+                ),
+                backgroundColor: Color(0xFF5D4037),
+                behavior: SnackBarBehavior.floating,
+                duration: Duration(seconds: 3),
+              ),
+            );
           }
         },
         child: Container(