diff --git a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
index 14186a0a2..deb391b6c 100644
--- a/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/app/AppShell.tsx
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import { useHomeFeedNotifications } from "@/features/notifications/hooks";
 import { usePresenceSession } from "@/features/presence/hooks";
 import { useProfileQuery } from "@/features/profile/hooks";
 import type { SettingsSection } from "@/features/settings/ui/SettingsPanels";
+import { SettingsScreen } from "@/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen";
 import { AppSidebar } from "@/features/sidebar/ui/AppSidebar";
 import { relayClient } from "@/shared/api/relayClient";
 import { useIdentityQuery } from "@/shared/api/hooks";
@@ -44,10 +45,6 @@ const ChannelScreen = React.lazy(async () => {
   const module = await import("@/features/channels/ui/ChannelScreen");
   return { default: module.ChannelScreen };
 });
-const SettingsScreen = React.lazy(async () => {
-  const module = await import("@/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen");
-  return { default: module.SettingsScreen };
-});
 const WorkflowsScreen = React.lazy(async () => {
   const module = await import("@/features/workflows/ui/WorkflowsScreen");
   return { default: module.WorkflowsScreen };
@@ -472,33 +469,29 @@ export function AppShell() {
         />
 
         {settingsOpen ? (
-          <React.Suspense
-            fallback={<ViewLoadingFallback label="Loading settings..." />}
-          >
-            <SettingsScreen
-              currentPubkey={identityQuery.data?.pubkey}
-              fallbackDisplayName={identityQuery.data?.displayName}
-              isUpdatingDesktopNotifications={
-                notificationSettings.isUpdatingDesktopEnabled
-              }
-              notificationErrorMessage={notificationSettings.errorMessage}
-              notificationPermission={notificationSettings.permission}
-              notificationSettings={notificationSettings.settings}
-              onClose={handleCloseSettings}
-              onSectionChange={setSettingsSection}
-              onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled={
-                notificationSettings.setDesktopEnabled
-              }
-              onSetHomeBadgeEnabled={notificationSettings.setHomeBadgeEnabled}
-              onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled={
-                notificationSettings.setMentionsEnabled
-              }
-              onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled={
-                notificationSettings.setNeedsActionEnabled
-              }
-              section={settingsSection}
-            />
-          </React.Suspense>
+          <SettingsScreen
+            currentPubkey={identityQuery.data?.pubkey}
+            fallbackDisplayName={identityQuery.data?.displayName}
+            isUpdatingDesktopNotifications={
+              notificationSettings.isUpdatingDesktopEnabled
+            }
+            notificationErrorMessage={notificationSettings.errorMessage}
+            notificationPermission={notificationSettings.permission}
+            notificationSettings={notificationSettings.settings}
+            onClose={handleCloseSettings}
+            onSectionChange={setSettingsSection}
+            onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled={
+              notificationSettings.setDesktopEnabled
+            }
+            onSetHomeBadgeEnabled={notificationSettings.setHomeBadgeEnabled}
+            onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled={
+              notificationSettings.setMentionsEnabled
+            }
+            onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled={
+              notificationSettings.setNeedsActionEnabled
+            }
+            section={settingsSection}
+          />
         ) : null}
       </SidebarProvider>
     </ChannelNavigationProvider>
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/ProfilePopover.tsx b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/ProfilePopover.tsx
index b46a39384..b223f3a23 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/ProfilePopover.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/profile/ui/ProfilePopover.tsx
@@ -133,8 +133,10 @@ export function ProfilePopover({
               className={MENU_ITEM_CLASS}
               data-testid="profile-popover-settings"
               onClick={() => {
-                onOpenSettings();
                 onOpenChange(false);
+                window.requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+                  onOpenSettings();
+                });
               }}
               role="menuitem"
               type="button"
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen.tsx b/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen.tsx
index af9ccddd4..03bbffcc4 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsScreen.tsx
@@ -1,14 +1,7 @@
-import * as React from "react";
-
 import type { DesktopNotificationPermissionState } from "@/features/notifications/hooks";
 import type { NotificationSettings } from "@/features/notifications/hooks";
 import type { SettingsSection } from "@/features/settings/ui/SettingsPanels";
-import { ViewLoadingFallback } from "@/shared/ui/ViewLoadingFallback";
-
-const SettingsView = React.lazy(async () => {
-  const module = await import("@/features/settings/ui/SettingsView");
-  return { default: module.SettingsView };
-});
+import { SettingsView } from "@/features/settings/ui/SettingsView";
 
 type SettingsScreenProps = {
   currentPubkey?: string;
@@ -42,26 +35,22 @@ export function SettingsScreen({
   section,
 }: SettingsScreenProps) {
   return (
-    <React.Suspense
-      fallback={<ViewLoadingFallback label="Loading settings..." />}
-    >
-      <SettingsView
-        currentPubkey={currentPubkey}
-        fallbackDisplayName={fallbackDisplayName}
-        isUpdatingDesktopNotifications={isUpdatingDesktopNotifications}
-        notificationErrorMessage={notificationErrorMessage}
-        notificationPermission={notificationPermission}
-        notificationSettings={notificationSettings}
-        onClose={onClose}
-        onSectionChange={onSectionChange}
-        onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled={onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled}
-        onSetHomeBadgeEnabled={onSetHomeBadgeEnabled}
-        onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled={onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled}
-        onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled={
-          onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled
-        }
-        section={section}
-      />
-    </React.Suspense>
+    <SettingsView
+      currentPubkey={currentPubkey}
+      fallbackDisplayName={fallbackDisplayName}
+      isUpdatingDesktopNotifications={isUpdatingDesktopNotifications}
+      notificationErrorMessage={notificationErrorMessage}
+      notificationPermission={notificationPermission}
+      notificationSettings={notificationSettings}
+      onClose={onClose}
+      onSectionChange={onSectionChange}
+      onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled={onSetDesktopNotificationsEnabled}
+      onSetHomeBadgeEnabled={onSetHomeBadgeEnabled}
+      onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled={onSetMentionNotificationsEnabled}
+      onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled={
+        onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled
+      }
+      section={section}
+    />
   );
 }
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsView.tsx b/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsView.tsx
index 1d1f29e42..f1e4244cd 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsView.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/settings/ui/SettingsView.tsx
@@ -22,13 +22,11 @@ type SettingsViewProps = SettingsPanelProps & {
 
 function SettingsSectionButton({
   active,
-  index,
   isLoaded,
   onSelect,
   section,
 }: {
   active: boolean;
-  index: number;
   isLoaded: boolean;
   onSelect: (section: SettingsSection) => void;
   section: (typeof settingsSections)[number];
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ function SettingsSectionButton({
     <button
       aria-pressed={active}
       className={cn(
-        "group inline-flex min-w-fit items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium whitespace-nowrap motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-300 motion-safe:ease-out focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring",
+        "group inline-flex min-w-fit items-center gap-2 rounded-lg border px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium whitespace-nowrap motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-200 motion-safe:ease-out focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-ring",
         active
           ? "border-border bg-background text-foreground shadow-sm"
           : "border-transparent bg-transparent text-muted-foreground hover:bg-background/70 hover:text-foreground",
@@ -47,7 +45,6 @@ function SettingsSectionButton({
       )}
       data-testid={`settings-nav-${section.value}`}
       onClick={() => onSelect(section.value)}
-      style={{ transitionDelay: isLoaded ? "0ms" : `${index * 40 + 300}ms` }}
       type="button"
     >
       <Icon
@@ -78,14 +75,12 @@ export function SettingsView({
   onSetNeedsActionNotificationsEnabled,
   section,
 }: SettingsViewProps) {
-  // Entrance animation state
   const [isLoaded, setIsLoaded] = React.useState(false);
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    const timer = setTimeout(() => setIsLoaded(true), 50);
-    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+    const frameId = window.requestAnimationFrame(() => setIsLoaded(true));
+    return () => window.cancelAnimationFrame(frameId);
   }, []);
 
-  // Escape key to close
   React.useEffect(() => {
     function handleKeyDown(event: KeyboardEvent) {
       if (event.key === "Escape" && !event.defaultPrevented) {
@@ -101,32 +96,29 @@ export function SettingsView({
   return (
     <div
       className={cn(
-        "fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center motion-safe:transition-opacity motion-safe:duration-300",
+        "fixed inset-0 z-50 flex items-center justify-center motion-safe:transition-opacity motion-safe:duration-200",
         isLoaded ? "opacity-100" : "opacity-0",
       )}
       data-testid="settings-overlay"
     >
-      {/* Backdrop — click to close */}
       <div
         aria-hidden="true"
         className="absolute inset-0 bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-sm"
         onClick={onClose}
       />
 
-      {/* Modal container */}
-      {/* biome-ignore lint/a11y/useKeyWithClickEvents: Click stops propagation to backdrop; keyboard dismiss handled by Escape key */}
+      {/* biome-ignore lint/a11y/useKeyWithClickEvents: Click stops propagation to backdrop; keyboard dismiss handled by Escape key. */}
       <div
         aria-labelledby="settings-title"
         aria-modal="true"
         className={cn(
-          "relative mx-auto flex h-[min(600px,calc(100vh-8rem))] w-[calc(100%-4rem)] max-w-3xl flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-border bg-background shadow-lg motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-500 motion-safe:ease-out",
+          "relative mx-auto flex h-[min(600px,calc(100vh-8rem))] w-[calc(100%-4rem)] max-w-3xl flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl border border-border bg-background shadow-lg motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-200 motion-safe:ease-out",
           isLoaded ? "opacity-100 scale-100" : "opacity-0 scale-95",
         )}
         data-testid="settings-view"
         onClick={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
         role="dialog"
       >
-        {/* Header with title and close button */}
         <header
           className="flex shrink-0 items-center justify-between border-b border-border px-4 py-3"
           data-tauri-drag-region
@@ -149,12 +141,10 @@ export function SettingsView({
           </button>
         </header>
 
-        {/* Two-column layout */}
         <div className="grid min-h-0 flex-1 grid-rows-[auto_minmax(0,1fr)] overflow-hidden lg:grid-cols-[220px_minmax(0,1fr)] lg:grid-rows-1">
-          {/* Sidebar nav */}
           <aside
             className={cn(
-              "border-b border-border/70 bg-muted/20 motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-700 motion-safe:ease-out lg:border-b-0 lg:border-r",
+              "border-b border-border/70 bg-muted/20 motion-safe:transition-all motion-safe:duration-200 motion-safe:ease-out lg:border-b-0 lg:border-r",
               isLoaded
                 ? "opacity-100 translate-x-0"
                 : "opacity-0 -translate-x-2",
@@ -164,10 +154,9 @@ export function SettingsView({
               aria-label="Settings sections"
               className="flex gap-1 overflow-x-auto px-3 py-3 lg:flex-col lg:overflow-y-auto lg:pt-1"
             >
-              {settingsSections.map((entry, index) => (
+              {settingsSections.map((entry) => (
                 <SettingsSectionButton
                   active={entry.value === section}
-                  index={index}
                   isLoaded={isLoaded}
                   key={entry.value}
                   onSelect={onSectionChange}
@@ -177,7 +166,6 @@ export function SettingsView({
             </nav>
           </aside>
 
-          {/* Content area */}
           <section className="min-h-0 overflow-y-auto px-4 py-4 sm:px-6">
             <div
               className="mx-auto flex w-full max-w-4xl flex-col gap-4"