diff --git a/mobile/lib/features/profile/presence_cache_provider.dart b/mobile/lib/features/profile/presence_cache_provider.dart
index f735c376c35..2ce1100eb54 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/features/profile/presence_cache_provider.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/features/profile/presence_cache_provider.dart
@@ -8,11 +8,15 @@ import '../../shared/relay/relay.dart';
 /// In-memory cache of other users' presence.
 ///
 /// Subscribes to kind:20001 presence events over the relay WebSocket for
-/// real-time updates. There is no longer a REST backstop — agents that
-/// publish presence purely over WS are fine, and TTL expiry will be handled
-/// by the relay-side `presence:true` filter extension when that lands.
+/// real-time updates. Hydrates newly tracked users from relay-generated
+/// kind:40902 snapshots so the UI does not wait for the next heartbeat.
 class PresenceCacheNotifier extends Notifier<Map<String, String>> {
+  static const _batchDelay = Duration(milliseconds: 50);
+
   final Set<String> _tracked = {};
+  final Set<String> _pending = {};
+  final Map<String, int> _revisions = {};
+  Timer? _batchTimer;
   void Function()? _presenceUnsub;
   int _subscriptionVersion = 0;
 
@@ -21,28 +25,36 @@ class PresenceCacheNotifier extends Notifier<Map<String, String>> {
     final sessionState = ref.watch(relaySessionProvider);
 
     ref.onDispose(() {
+      _batchTimer?.cancel();
+      _batchTimer = null;
+      _pending.clear();
       _presenceUnsub?.call();
       _presenceUnsub = null;
     });
 
     if (sessionState.status == SessionStatus.connected) {
       _subscribePresenceUpdates();
+      Future.microtask(_refreshAll);
     }
 
     return {};
   }
 
   /// Track presence for [pubkeys].
-  ///
-  /// Currently a no-op for the actual fetch — we rely on live kind:20001
-  /// events. The tracked set is still used to filter incoming events so the
-  /// cache doesn't grow unbounded.
   void track(List<String> pubkeys) {
-    final normalized = pubkeys.map((pk) => pk.toLowerCase()).toList();
+    final normalized = pubkeys
+        .map((pk) => pk.toLowerCase())
+        .where((pk) => pk.isNotEmpty)
+        .toList();
+    final uncached = normalized
+        .where((pk) => !state.containsKey(pk) && !_pending.contains(pk))
+        .toList();
+
     _tracked.addAll(normalized);
-    // TODO(presence): once the relay supports a `presence:true` filter
-    // extension, issue a one-shot fetch here for the latest known state per
-    // pubkey. Until then, presence is "online whenever they publish".
+
+    if (uncached.isEmpty) return;
+    _pending.addAll(uncached);
+    _batchTimer ??= Timer(_batchDelay, _flushPending);
   }
 
   /// Subscribe to kind:20001 presence events over WebSocket.
@@ -76,12 +88,84 @@ class PresenceCacheNotifier extends Notifier<Map<String, String>> {
     final pubkey = event.pubkey.toLowerCase();
     if (!_tracked.contains(pubkey)) return;
     final status = event.content;
-    if (status != 'online' && status != 'away' && status != 'offline') return;
+    if (!_isValidStatus(status)) return;
+    _updatePresence(pubkey, status);
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _refreshAll() async {
+    if (_tracked.isEmpty) return;
+    await _fetchPresence(_tracked.toList());
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _flushPending() async {
+    _batchTimer = null;
+    if (_pending.isEmpty) return;
+
+    final pubkeys = _pending.toList();
+    _pending.clear();
+    await _fetchPresence(pubkeys);
+  }
+
+  Future<void> _fetchPresence(List<String> pubkeys) async {
+    final requested = pubkeys.toSet().toList();
+    if (requested.isEmpty) return;
+
+    // Relay queries require NIP-98 authentication. A connected-looking dev or
+    // test session can still be anonymous, so avoid starting a request that is
+    // guaranteed to fail until an identity is available.
+    final nsec = ref.read(relayConfigProvider).nsec;
+    if (nsec == null || nsec.isEmpty) return;
+
+    final startingRevisions = {
+      for (final pubkey in requested) pubkey: _revisions[pubkey] ?? 0,
+    };
+
+    try {
+      final session = ref.read(relaySessionProvider.notifier);
+      final events = await session.queryRelay([
+        NostrFilter(
+          kinds: const [EventKind.presenceSnapshot],
+          authors: requested,
+          limit: requested.length,
+        ),
+      ]);
+
+      final statuses = <String, ({int createdAt, String status})>{};
+      for (final event in events) {
+        final pubkey = event.getTagValue('p')?.toLowerCase();
+        final status = event.content;
+        if (pubkey == null ||
+            !startingRevisions.containsKey(pubkey) ||
+            !_isValidStatus(status)) {
+          continue;
+        }
+        final existing = statuses[pubkey];
+        if (existing == null || event.createdAt > existing.createdAt) {
+          statuses[pubkey] = (createdAt: event.createdAt, status: status);
+        }
+      }
+
+      for (final pubkey in requested) {
+        // A live update received while this request was in flight is newer
+        // than the snapshot and must win.
+        if ((_revisions[pubkey] ?? 0) != startingRevisions[pubkey]) continue;
+        _updatePresence(pubkey, statuses[pubkey]?.status ?? 'offline');
+      }
+    } catch (error) {
+      debugPrint('[PresenceCacheNotifier] presence snapshot failed: $error');
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _updatePresence(String pubkey, String status) {
     if (state[pubkey] == status) return;
     final updated = Map<String, String>.from(state);
     updated[pubkey] = status;
+    _revisions[pubkey] = (_revisions[pubkey] ?? 0) + 1;
     state = updated;
   }
+
+  bool _isValidStatus(String status) =>
+      status == 'online' || status == 'away' || status == 'offline';
 }
 
 final presenceCacheProvider =
diff --git a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/nostr_models.dart b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/nostr_models.dart
index 820fee4ed6a..0a93ac618bb 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/shared/relay/nostr_models.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/shared/relay/nostr_models.dart
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ abstract final class EventKind {
   static const streamMessageV2 = 40002;
   static const channelThreadSummary = 39005;
   static const channelWindowBounds = 39006;
+  static const presenceSnapshot = 40902;
   static const streamMessageEdit = 40003;
   static const streamMessageDiff = 40008;
   static const systemMessage = 40099;
diff --git a/mobile/test/features/profile/presence_cache_provider_test.dart b/mobile/test/features/profile/presence_cache_provider_test.dart
index 9fc02d9575b..4a8205f3683 100644
--- a/mobile/test/features/profile/presence_cache_provider_test.dart
+++ b/mobile/test/features/profile/presence_cache_provider_test.dart
@@ -1,17 +1,92 @@
+import 'dart:async';
+
 import 'package:flutter/widgets.dart';
 import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
 import 'package:hooks_riverpod/hooks_riverpod.dart';
+import 'package:nostr/nostr.dart' as nostr;
 import 'package:buzz/features/profile/presence_cache_provider.dart';
 import 'package:buzz/shared/relay/relay.dart';
 
 /// Tests for [PresenceCacheNotifier] in the pure-Nostr world.
 ///
-/// The cache is now purely WS-driven: the notifier subscribes to kind:20001
-/// (presence updates) over the relay session and only mutates state for
-/// pubkeys that have been registered via [PresenceCacheNotifier.track].
-/// There is no longer a REST backstop — the previous test seeded state via
-/// a `GET /api/presence` call which has been removed.
+/// The cache hydrates tracked users from relay-generated snapshots, then keeps
+/// them current through live kind:20001 presence updates.
 void main() {
+  test('hydrates tracked pubkeys from a batched presence snapshot', () async {
+    final relaySession = _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier()
+      ..queryResult = [
+        _snapshot('relay', 'alice', 'online'),
+        _snapshot('relay', 'bob', 'away'),
+      ];
+    final container = _buildContainer(relaySession: relaySession);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider);
+    await _pumpEventQueue();
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider.notifier).track(['Alice']);
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider.notifier).track(['BOB']);
+    await _waitForSnapshot();
+
+    expect(relaySession.queries, hasLength(1));
+    final filter = relaySession.queries.single.single;
+    expect(filter.kinds, [EventKind.presenceSnapshot]);
+    expect(filter.authors, containsAll(<String>['alice', 'bob']));
+    expect(filter.limit, 2);
+    expect(container.read(presenceCacheProvider), {
+      'alice': 'online',
+      'bob': 'away',
+    });
+  });
+
+  test('marks a tracked pubkey offline when no snapshot exists', () async {
+    final relaySession = _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier();
+    final container = _buildContainer(relaySession: relaySession);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider);
+    await _pumpEventQueue();
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider.notifier).track(['alice']);
+    await _waitForSnapshot();
+
+    expect(container.read(presenceCacheProvider)['alice'], 'offline');
+  });
+
+  test('live update wins over an in-flight presence snapshot', () async {
+    final snapshotCompleter = Completer<List<NostrEvent>>();
+    final relaySession = _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier()
+      ..queryHandler = (_) => snapshotCompleter.future;
+    final container = _buildContainer(relaySession: relaySession);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider);
+    await _pumpEventQueue();
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider.notifier).track(['alice']);
+    await _waitForSnapshotStart();
+    relaySession.emit(_presence('alice', 'online'));
+    snapshotCompleter.complete(const []);
+    await _pumpEventQueue();
+
+    expect(container.read(presenceCacheProvider)['alice'], 'online');
+  });
+
+  test('snapshot failure leaves presence unknown for a live update', () async {
+    final relaySession = _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier()
+      ..queryHandler = (_) => Future.error(Exception('snapshot unavailable'));
+    final container = _buildContainer(relaySession: relaySession);
+    addTearDown(container.dispose);
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider);
+    await _pumpEventQueue();
+
+    container.read(presenceCacheProvider.notifier).track(['alice']);
+    await _waitForSnapshot();
+
+    expect(container.read(presenceCacheProvider).containsKey('alice'), isFalse);
+  });
+
   test('WS presence event updates cache for tracked pubkey', () async {
     final relaySession = _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier();
     final container = _buildContainer(relaySession: relaySession);
@@ -148,20 +223,41 @@ Future<void> _pumpEventQueue() async {
   await Future<void>.delayed(Duration.zero);
 }
 
+Future<void> _waitForSnapshotStart() async {
+  await Future<void>.delayed(const Duration(milliseconds: 75));
+}
+
+Future<void> _waitForSnapshot() async {
+  await _waitForSnapshotStart();
+  await _pumpEventQueue();
+}
+
 ProviderContainer _buildContainer({
   required _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier relaySession,
 }) {
   return ProviderContainer(
     overrides: [
       appLifecycleProvider.overrideWith(() => _FakeAppLifecycleNotifier()),
+      relayConfigProvider.overrideWith(_AuthenticatedRelayConfigNotifier.new),
       relaySessionProvider.overrideWith(() => relaySession),
     ],
   );
 }
 
+class _AuthenticatedRelayConfigNotifier extends RelayConfigNotifier {
+  final String _nsec = nostr.Keys.generate().nsec;
+
+  @override
+  RelayConfig build() =>
+      RelayConfig(baseUrl: 'https://relay.example', nsec: _nsec);
+}
+
 class _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier extends RelaySessionNotifier {
   final List<NostrFilter> filters = [];
+  final List<List<NostrFilter>> queries = [];
   final List<void Function(NostrEvent)> _listeners = [];
+  List<NostrEvent> queryResult = const [];
+  Future<List<NostrEvent>> Function(List<NostrFilter>)? queryHandler;
 
   @override
   SessionState build() => const SessionState(status: SessionStatus.connected);
@@ -180,6 +276,15 @@ class _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier extends RelaySessionNotifier {
     };
   }
 
+  @override
+  Future<List<NostrEvent>> queryRelay(
+    List<NostrFilter> filters, {
+    Duration timeout = const Duration(seconds: 8),
+  }) {
+    queries.add(filters);
+    return queryHandler?.call(filters) ?? Future.value(queryResult);
+  }
+
   /// Emit an event synchronously to all live subscribers.
   void emit(NostrEvent event) {
     for (final listener in List.of(_listeners)) {
@@ -188,6 +293,19 @@ class _RecordingRelaySessionNotifier extends RelaySessionNotifier {
   }
 }
 
+NostrEvent _snapshot(String relayPubkey, String subjectPubkey, String status) =>
+    NostrEvent(
+      id: 'snapshot-$subjectPubkey-$status',
+      pubkey: relayPubkey,
+      createdAt: 1000,
+      kind: EventKind.presenceUpdate,
+      tags: [
+        ['p', subjectPubkey],
+      ],
+      content: status,
+      sig: 'sig',
+    );
+
 class _FakeAppLifecycleNotifier extends AppLifecycleNotifier {
   @override
   AppLifecycleState build() => AppLifecycleState.resumed;