bugfixes: switch fallthrough, SSV debug-gate, session verify, speed math, auto-reconnect, permission recovery, health indicator, lifecycle-safety, GDPR consent, progress feedback

lib/components/bottom_bar.dart

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.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/online_dot.dart';
 import 'package:paladinvpn/components/watch_ad_button.dart';
@@ -14,9 +15,12 @@ class BottomBar extends StatelessWidget {
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
-    return Consumer<VpnConnection>(
-      builder: (context, vpn, _) {
-        final isOnline = vpn.status == VpnStatus.connected;
+    return Consumer2<VpnConnection, SessionTimer>(
+      builder: (context, vpn, timer, _) {
+        final isConnected = vpn.status == VpnStatus.connected;
+        // Health is based on whether we've successfully talked to the
+        // server recently — not just whether the VPN tunnel is up.
+        final serverHealthy = isConnected && timer.hasSyncedOnce;
 
         return Container(
           margin: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 24, vertical: 8),
@@ -31,10 +35,17 @@ class BottomBar extends StatelessWidget {
           child: Row(
             children: [
               // Server online/offline chip
-              OnlineDot(isOnline: isOnline),
+              OnlineDot(
+                isOnline: serverHealthy,
+                label: isConnected && !timer.hasSyncedOnce
+                    ? 'Syncing…'
+                    : serverHealthy
+                        ? 'Server Online'
+                        : 'Disconnected',
+              ),
               const Spacer(),
               // Support button — only visible while connected AND ads are enabled
-              if (isOnline && AdManager.adsEnabled) const WatchAdButton(),
+              if (isConnected && AdManager.adsEnabled) const WatchAdButton(),
             ],
           ),
         );

lib/components/clock_display.dart

@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import 'dart:math';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
 import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/session_timer.dart';
@@ -13,7 +12,6 @@ import 'package:paladinvpn/logic/session_timer.dart';
 class ClockDisplay extends StatelessWidget {
   const ClockDisplay({super.key});
 
-  static const Color _cyanGlow = Color(0xFF00E5FF);
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
@@ -77,8 +75,8 @@ class ClockDisplay extends StatelessWidget {
                         const Icon(Icons.speed, color: Colors.white54, size: 14),
                         const SizedBox(width: 4),
                         Text(
-                          timer.currentSpeedKbps > 0.5
-                              ? '${timer.currentSpeedKbps.toStringAsFixed(1)} KB/s'
+                          timer.currentSpeedKBps > 0.5
+                              ? '${timer.currentSpeedKBps.toStringAsFixed(1)} KB/s'
                               : 'Idle',
                           style: const TextStyle(
                             fontSize: 12,

lib/components/connect_button.dart

@@ -65,10 +65,12 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
     final timer = context.read<SessionTimer>();
 
     if (vpn.status == VpnStatus.connected) {
-      // Disconnect — apply a short cooldown to prevent rapid toggle spam
+      // Disconnect — await the full teardown so the notification and UI
+      // stay in sync with the actual tunnel state.
       HapticFeedback.lightImpact();
-      vpn.disconnect();
       timer.stop();
+      await vpn.disconnect();
+      // Short cooldown to prevent accidental immediate reconnect
       setState(() => _inCooldown = true);
       Future.delayed(const Duration(seconds: 2), () {
         if (mounted) setState(() => _inCooldown = false);
@@ -85,11 +87,50 @@ class _ConnectButtonState extends State<ConnectButton>
           if (mounted) setState(() => _inCooldown = false);
         });
       }
-      // On failure the button stays active — the error message in
-      // StatusText tells the user what went wrong.
+      // On failure, check if it's a permission issue and offer recovery.
+      if (!success && mounted) {
+        final msg = vpn.errorMessage ?? '';
+        if (msg.contains('permission') || msg.contains('Permission')) {
+          _showPermissionDialog();
+        }
+      }
     }
   }
 
+  /// Shows a dialog guiding the user to grant the VPN permission in
+  /// Android system settings, since there's no way to re-prompt the
+  /// native VpnService dialog after the first denial.
+  void _showPermissionDialog() {
+    showDialog(
+      context: context,
+      builder: (ctx) => AlertDialog(
+        backgroundColor: const Color(0xFF1A202C),
+        title: const Text('VPN Permission Required',
+            style: TextStyle(color: Colors.white)),
+        content: const Text(
+          'PaladinVPN needs permission to set up a VPN connection.\n\n'
+          'Since the permission was denied once, Android won\'t ask again. '
+          'To grant it manually:\n\n'
+          '1. Open your device Settings\n'
+          '2. Go to Apps → PaladinVPN\n'
+          '3. Tap "VPN" and enable it\n'
+          '4. Return to PaladinVPN and tap connect',
+          style: TextStyle(color: Color(0xFFA0AEC0)),
+        ),
+        actions: [
+          FilledButton(
+            onPressed: () => Navigator.of(ctx).pop(),
+            style: FilledButton.styleFrom(
+              backgroundColor: const Color(0xFF00E5FF),
+            ),
+            child: const Text('Got it',
+                style: TextStyle(color: Color(0xFF0D1117))),
+          ),
+        ],
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
     return Consumer2<VpnConnection, SessionTimer>(

lib/components/gdpr_button.dart

@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import 'dart:async';
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:google_mobile_ads/google_mobile_ads.dart';
+import 'package:url_launcher/url_launcher.dart';
+
+/// GdprButton lets the user review or change their ad consent choices.
+///
+/// When tapped, it tries to show Google's UMP consent form so the user
+/// can adjust their preferences (personalized vs non-personalized ads).
+/// If the form isn't available (e.g. user is outside the EEA), it falls
+/// back to opening the privacy policy instead.
+class GdprButton extends StatelessWidget {
+  const GdprButton({super.key});
+
+  Future<void> _showConsentForm() async {
+    try {
+      // If the form is already available, show it directly — no need to
+      // re-request consent info from Google's servers on every tap.
+      if (await ConsentInformation.instance.isConsentFormAvailable()) {
+        await _loadAndShowForm();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Form not available — refresh consent info first, then try again.
+      final completer = Completer<void>();
+      ConsentInformation.instance.requestConsentInfoUpdate(
+        ConsentRequestParameters(),
+        () async {
+          if (await ConsentInformation.instance.isConsentFormAvailable()) {
+            await _loadAndShowForm();
+          }
+          completer.complete();
+        },
+        (FormError error) {
+          debugPrint('[GDPR] Consent update error: ${error.message}');
+          _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy();
+          completer.complete();
+        },
+      );
+      await completer.future.timeout(
+        const Duration(seconds: 10),
+        onTimeout: _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy,
+      );
+    } catch (e) {
+      debugPrint('[GDPR] Error: $e');
+      _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy();
+    }
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _loadAndShowForm() async {
+    final completer = Completer<void>();
+    ConsentForm.loadConsentForm(
+      (ConsentForm form) {
+        form.show((FormError? dismissError) {
+          if (dismissError != null) {
+            debugPrint('[GDPR] Form dismissed with error: ${dismissError.message}');
+          }
+          completer.complete();
+        });
+      },
+      (FormError loadError) {
+        debugPrint('[GDPR] Form load error: ${loadError.message}');
+        _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy();
+        completer.complete();
+      },
+    );
+    await completer.future.timeout(
+      const Duration(seconds: 120),
+      onTimeout: _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy,
+    );
+  }
+
+  void _fallbackToPrivacyPolicy() async {
+    final Uri url = Uri.parse(
+      'https://github.com/esefxdz/PaladinVPN/blob/main/PRIVACY_POLICY.md',
+    );
+    if (!await launchUrl(url, mode: LaunchMode.externalApplication)) {
+      debugPrint('Could not launch $url');
+    }
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    return IconButton(
+      icon: const Icon(Icons.admin_panel_settings_outlined,
+          color: Colors.white, size: 28),
+      onPressed: _showConsentForm,
+      tooltip: 'Ad consent & privacy choices',
+      splashRadius: 24,
+    );
+  }
+}

lib/components/notification.dart

@@ -41,10 +41,14 @@ class VpnNotificationManager {
 
     if (!_initialized) await init();
 
+    // NOTE: The channel ID includes 'v2' to force Android to create a fresh
+    // notification channel. Android channels are immutable once created — if
+    // the old channel was created without 'ongoing: true', users would be
+    // stuck with a swipeable notification forever.
     const androidDetails = AndroidNotificationDetails(
-      'paladin_vpn_status',
+      'paladin_vpn_status_v2',
       'VPN Status',
-      channelDescription: 'Persistent notification shown while VPN is active',
+      channelDescription: 'Shown while VPN is active — non-dismissable',
       importance: Importance.low,
       priority: Priority.low,
       // Non-dismissable while VPN is running
@@ -58,16 +62,36 @@ class VpnNotificationManager {
       showWhen: false,
       // Show on lock screen
       visibility: NotificationVisibility.public,
+      // Extra insurance against swipe-to-dismiss on aggressive Android skins
+      usesChronometer: false,
+      category: AndroidNotificationCategory.service,
     );
 
     const notificationDetails = NotificationDetails(android: androidDetails);
 
-    await _plugin.show(
-      888, // Fixed ID — always updates the same notification
-      'Paladin VPN Active',
-      'Time: $timeLeft  •  $speedKbps',
-      notificationDetails,
-    );
+    try {
+      await _plugin.show(
+        888, // Fixed ID — always updates the same notification
+        'Paladin VPN Active',
+        'Time: $timeLeft  •  $speedKbps',
+        notificationDetails,
+      );
+    } catch (e) {
+      // If showing fails (e.g. permission revoked), try to recover by
+      // re-initializing and retrying once.
+      _initialized = false;
+      try {
+        await init();
+        await _plugin.show(
+          888,
+          'Paladin VPN Active',
+          'Time: $timeLeft  •  $speedKbps',
+          notificationDetails,
+        );
+      } catch (_) {
+        // Give up — the VPN still works, just without the notification.
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   static Future<void> cancel() async {

lib/components/online_dot.dart

@@ -1,22 +1,29 @@
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
-/// OnlineDot displays a glowing green dot when the server is online/connected,
-/// and a muted gray dot when disconnected.
+/// OnlineDot displays a glowing green dot when the server is healthy,
+/// and a muted gray dot when disconnected or still syncing.
 class OnlineDot extends StatelessWidget {
-  /// Represents if the VPN tunnel session is active (online).
+  /// Whether the server has been confirmed reachable.
   final bool isOnline;
 
+  /// Optional custom label. Falls back to "Server Online" / "Disconnected".
+  final String? label;
+
   const OnlineDot({
     super.key,
     required this.isOnline,
+    this.label,
   });
 
   @override
   Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final displayLabel = label ??
+        (isOnline ? 'Server Online' : 'Disconnected');
+
     return Row(
       mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
       children: [
-        // Glowing status dot: Green when active, muted gray when inactive.
+        // Glowing status dot: Green when healthy, muted gray when not.
         AnimatedContainer(
           duration: const Duration(milliseconds: 400),
           width: 8,
@@ -35,10 +42,8 @@ class OnlineDot extends StatelessWidget {
           ),
         ),
         const SizedBox(width: 10),
-        
-        // Dynamic status text label
         Text(
-          isOnline ? 'Server Online' : 'Disconnected',
+          displayLabel,
           style: TextStyle(
             fontSize: 13,
             fontWeight: FontWeight.w500,