diff --git a/apps/ios/Sources/RootTabs.swift b/apps/ios/Sources/RootTabs.swift
index 3b450647b..fe3d2fe76 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Sources/RootTabs.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Sources/RootTabs.swift
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import SwiftUI
+import UIKit
 
 struct RootTabs: View {
     @EnvironmentObject private var appModel: NodeAppModel
@@ -13,29 +14,13 @@ struct RootTabs: View {
                 .tabItem { Label("Voice", systemImage: "mic") }
 
             SettingsTab()
-                .tabItem {
-                    VStack {
-                        ZStack(alignment: .topTrailing) {
-                            Image(systemName: "gearshape")
-                            Circle()
-                                .fill(self.settingsIndicatorColor)
-                                .frame(width: 9, height: 9)
-                                .overlay(
-                                    Circle()
-                                        .stroke(.black.opacity(0.2), lineWidth: 0.5))
-                                .shadow(
-                                    color: self.settingsIndicatorGlowColor,
-                                    radius: self.settingsIndicatorGlowRadius,
-                                    x: 0,
-                                    y: 0)
-                                .scaleEffect(self.settingsIndicatorScale)
-                                .opacity(self.settingsIndicatorOpacity)
-                                .offset(x: 7, y: -2)
-                        }
-                        Text("Settings")
-                    }
-                }
+                .tabItem { Label("Settings", systemImage: "gearshape") }
         }
+        .background(TabBarControllerAccessor { tabBarController in
+            guard let item = tabBarController.tabBar.items?[Self.settingsTabIndex] else { return }
+            item.badgeValue = " "
+            item.badgeColor = self.settingsBadgeColor
+        })
         .onAppear { self.updateConnectingPulse(for: self.bridgeIndicatorState) }
         .onChange(of: self.bridgeIndicatorState) { _, newValue in
             self.updateConnectingPulse(for: newValue)
@@ -48,55 +33,25 @@ struct RootTabs: View {
         case disconnected
     }
 
+    private static let settingsTabIndex = 2
+
     private var bridgeIndicatorState: BridgeIndicatorState {
         if self.appModel.bridgeServerName != nil { return .connected }
         if self.appModel.bridgeStatusText.localizedCaseInsensitiveContains("connecting") { return .connecting }
         return .disconnected
     }
 
-    private var settingsIndicatorColor: Color {
+    private var settingsBadgeColor: UIColor {
         switch self.bridgeIndicatorState {
         case .connected:
-            Color.green
+            UIColor.systemGreen
         case .connecting:
-            Color.yellow
+            UIColor.systemYellow.withAlphaComponent(self.isConnectingPulse ? 1.0 : 0.6)
         case .disconnected:
-            Color.red
+            UIColor.systemRed
         }
     }
 
-    private var settingsIndicatorGlowColor: Color {
-        switch self.bridgeIndicatorState {
-        case .connected:
-            Color.green.opacity(0.75)
-        case .connecting:
-            Color.yellow.opacity(0.6)
-        case .disconnected:
-            Color.clear
-        }
-    }
-
-    private var settingsIndicatorGlowRadius: CGFloat {
-        switch self.bridgeIndicatorState {
-        case .connected:
-            6
-        case .connecting:
-            self.isConnectingPulse ? 6 : 3
-        case .disconnected:
-            0
-        }
-    }
-
-    private var settingsIndicatorScale: CGFloat {
-        guard self.bridgeIndicatorState == .connecting else { return 1 }
-        return self.isConnectingPulse ? 1.12 : 0.96
-    }
-
-    private var settingsIndicatorOpacity: Double {
-        guard self.bridgeIndicatorState == .connecting else { return 1 }
-        return self.isConnectingPulse ? 1.0 : 0.75
-    }
-
     private func updateConnectingPulse(for state: BridgeIndicatorState) {
         guard state == .connecting else {
             withAnimation(.easeOut(duration: 0.2)) { self.isConnectingPulse = false }
@@ -109,3 +64,41 @@ struct RootTabs: View {
         }
     }
 }
+
+private struct TabBarControllerAccessor: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
+    let onResolve: (UITabBarController) -> Void
+
+    func makeUIViewController(context: Context) -> ResolverViewController {
+        ResolverViewController(onResolve: self.onResolve)
+    }
+
+    func updateUIViewController(_ uiViewController: ResolverViewController, context: Context) {
+        uiViewController.onResolve = self.onResolve
+        uiViewController.resolveIfPossible()
+    }
+}
+
+private final class ResolverViewController: UIViewController {
+    var onResolve: (UITabBarController) -> Void
+
+    init(onResolve: @escaping (UITabBarController) -> Void) {
+        self.onResolve = onResolve
+        super.init(nibName: nil, bundle: nil)
+        self.view.isHidden = true
+    }
+
+    @available(*, unavailable)
+    required init?(coder: NSCoder) {
+        fatalError("init(coder:) has not been implemented")
+    }
+
+    override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
+        super.viewDidAppear(animated)
+        self.resolveIfPossible()
+    }
+
+    func resolveIfPossible() {
+        guard let tabBarController = self.tabBarController else { return }
+        self.onResolve(tabBarController)
+    }
+}