diff --git a/app/build.gradle.kts b/app/build.gradle.kts
index d757805..92b653f 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/app/build.gradle.kts
@@ -225,6 +225,9 @@ dependencies {
 
     androidTestImplementation("androidx.test.ext:junit:1.2.1")
     androidTestImplementation("androidx.test:runner:1.6.2")
+    // GrantPermissionRule: permissions have to be granted before the
+    // activity launches, or its permission dialog steals focus from Compose.
+    androidTestImplementation("androidx.test:rules:1.6.1")
     androidTestImplementation(platform("androidx.compose:compose-bom:2024.12.01"))
     androidTestImplementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-junit4")
     debugImplementation("androidx.compose.ui:ui-test-manifest")
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatFlowTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatFlowTest.kt
index e49c040..64fad42 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatFlowTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/ChatFlowTest.kt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue
@@ -36,7 +37,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class ChatFlowTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     /**
      * Which relay to drive.
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrossPlatformTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrossPlatformTest.kt
index ff7d3e0..6e37e55 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrossPlatformTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrossPlatformTest.kt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import org.junit.Rule
@@ -33,7 +34,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class CrossPlatformTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     private val args get() = InstrumentationRegistry.getArguments()
     private val relay: String get() = args.getString("relay") ?: "relay1.flamenet.io"
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrudSurfaceTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrudSurfaceTest.kt
index 9034d0a..5cbc15b 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrudSurfaceTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/CrudSurfaceTest.kt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue
@@ -35,7 +36,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class CrudSurfaceTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     /**
      * Which relay to drive.
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/FeatureUseTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/FeatureUseTest.kt
index db74cb2..ec8e0a3 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/FeatureUseTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/FeatureUseTest.kt
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue
@@ -40,7 +41,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class FeatureUseTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     /**
      * Which relay to drive.
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/LiveSignUpFleetTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/LiveSignUpFleetTest.kt
index 816dc30..14b951a 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/LiveSignUpFleetTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/LiveSignUpFleetTest.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue
@@ -50,7 +51,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class LiveSignUpFleetTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     private val args get() = InstrumentationRegistry.getArguments()
 
diff --git a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/SignUpFlowTest.kt b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/SignUpFlowTest.kt
index 68e3b0c..c6d1379 100644
--- a/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/SignUpFlowTest.kt
+++ b/app/src/androidTest/kotlin/io/flamenet/messenger/app/SignUpFlowTest.kt
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import androidx.compose.ui.test.printToString
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performClick
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextClearance
 import androidx.compose.ui.test.performTextInput
+import androidx.test.rule.GrantPermissionRule
 import androidx.test.platform.app.InstrumentationRegistry
 import androidx.test.ext.junit.runners.AndroidJUnit4
 import org.junit.Assume.assumeTrue
@@ -36,7 +37,24 @@ import org.junit.runner.RunWith
 @RunWith(AndroidJUnit4::class)
 class SignUpFlowTest {
 
-    @get:Rule val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
+        /**
+     * 🔴 Granted BEFORE the activity launches, and that ordering is the point.
+     *
+     * `MainActivity.onCreate` asks for POST_NOTIFICATIONS before it calls
+     * `setContent`. The permission dialog is a separate activity and takes
+     * focus, so the Compose rule attaches to a window that has no hierarchy
+     * yet and every test dies with "No compose hierarchies found in the app".
+     *
+     * `order = 0` puts this outside the Compose rule, so the grant happens
+     * first and no dialog ever appears.
+     */
+    @get:Rule(order = 0)
+    val permissions: GrantPermissionRule = GrantPermissionRule.grant(
+        android.Manifest.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS,
+    )
+
+    @get:Rule(order = 1)
+    val compose = createAndroidComposeRule<MainActivity>()
 
     /**
      * Which relay to drive.