diff --git a/src/components/dialogs/nuxs/InviteFriendsAnnouncement.tsx b/src/components/dialogs/nuxs/InviteFriendsAnnouncement.tsx
index 8a8577d807..1ef8c5dbbc 100644
--- a/src/components/dialogs/nuxs/InviteFriendsAnnouncement.tsx
+++ b/src/components/dialogs/nuxs/InviteFriendsAnnouncement.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 import {useCallback} from 'react'
 import {View} from 'react-native'
 import {Image} from 'expo-image'
-import {msg} from '@lingui/core/macro'
-import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
-import {Trans} from '@lingui/react/macro'
+import {Trans, useLingui} from '@lingui/react/macro'
 
 import {atoms as a, useTheme, web} from '#/alf'
 import {Button, ButtonText} from '#/components/Button'
@@ -22,7 +20,7 @@ export const enabled = createIsEnabledCheck(() => {
 
 export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
   const t = useTheme()
-  const {_} = useLingui()
+  const {t: l} = useLingui()
   const nuxDialogs = useNuxDialogContext()
   const control = Dialog.useDialogControl()
 
@@ -37,9 +35,9 @@ export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
     // the invite dialog. The invite dialog is mounted persistently by NuxDialogs
     // (not here) so it survives the dismissal - the native bottom sheet cannot
     // hand off to a second sheet mounted in this same subtree. Defer the open to
-    // the next tick so the announcement's teardown completes first.
+    // the next frame so the announcement's teardown completes first.
     control.close(() => {
-      setTimeout(() => nuxDialogs.openInviteFriends())
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => nuxDialogs.openInviteFriends())
     })
   }, [control, nuxDialogs])
 
@@ -52,7 +50,7 @@ export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
         <Dialog.Handle fill={t.palette.primary_400} />
 
         <Dialog.ScrollableInner
-          label={_(msg`Invite your friends`)}
+          label={l`Invite your friends`}
           style={[web({maxWidth: 440})]}
           contentContainerStyle={[
             {paddingTop: 0, paddingLeft: 0, paddingRight: 0},
@@ -72,9 +70,7 @@ export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
               accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
               source={require('../../../../assets/images/invite_friends_announcement_nux.webp')}
               style={[a.w_full, {aspectRatio: 754 / 440}]}
-              alt={_(
-                msg`An illustration of the Bluesky app with a paper airplane flying out of it, representing inviting friends`,
-              )}
+              alt={l`An illustration of the Bluesky app with a paper airplane flying out of it, representing inviting friends`}
             />
             <View
               style={[
@@ -121,7 +117,7 @@ export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
             {!IS_WEB && (
               <View style={[a.w_full, a.gap_sm]}>
                 <Button
-                  label={_(msg`Try it`)}
+                  label={l`Try it`}
                   size="large"
                   color="primary"
                   onPress={onPressTryIt}
@@ -131,7 +127,7 @@ export function InviteFriendsAnnouncement() {
                   </ButtonText>
                 </Button>
                 <Button
-                  label={_(msg`Cancel`)}
+                  label={l`Cancel`}
                   size="large"
                   color="secondary"
                   onPress={() => control.close()}
diff --git a/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialog.tsx b/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialog.tsx
index 2ba8bd1c33..7ca76f6e66 100644
--- a/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialog.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ export function InviteFriendsDialog({
       control={control}
       onClose={onClose}
       nativeOptions={{preventExpansion: true}}>
-      {/* <Dialog.Handle /> */}
       <InviteFriendsDialogInner control={control} />
     </Dialog.Outer>
   )
diff --git a/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialogInner.tsx b/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialogInner.tsx
index 2a22235705..1e2d43066c 100644
--- a/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialogInner.tsx
+++ b/src/features/inviteFriends/InviteFriendsDialogInner.tsx
@@ -2,8 +2,7 @@ import {Suspense, useRef, useState} from 'react'
 import {Pressable, View} from 'react-native'
 import type ViewShot from 'react-native-view-shot'
 import {setStringAsync} from 'expo-clipboard'
-import {requestMediaLibraryPermissionsAsync} from 'expo-image-picker'
-import {createAssetAsync} from 'expo-media-library'
+import {createAssetAsync, requestPermissionsAsync} from 'expo-media-library'
 import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react/macro'
 import {useNavigation} from '@react-navigation/native'
 
@@ -78,7 +77,9 @@ export function InviteFriendsDialogInner({
       return
     }
 
-    const permission = await requestMediaLibraryPermissionsAsync()
+    // Write-only permission - saving the QR image does not require read access
+    // to the user's photo library.
+    const permission = await requestPermissionsAsync(true)
     if (!permission.granted) {
       Toast.show(
         l`You must grant access to your photo library to save the QR code`,
diff --git a/src/features/inviteFriends/components/FollowersPromoBanner.tsx b/src/features/inviteFriends/components/FollowersPromoBanner.tsx
index 295baabd62..35020b884b 100644
--- a/src/features/inviteFriends/components/FollowersPromoBanner.tsx
+++ b/src/features/inviteFriends/components/FollowersPromoBanner.tsx
@@ -17,39 +17,47 @@ export function FollowersPromoBanner({
   const t = useTheme()
   return (
     <View style={[a.px_lg, a.pt_md]}>
-      <Pressable
-        accessibilityRole="button"
-        accessibilityLabel={l`Find and invite friends`}
-        accessibilityHint={l`Opens the find and invite friends settings`}
-        onPress={onPress}
-        style={({pressed}) => [
-          a.flex_row,
-          a.align_center,
-          a.w_full,
-          {
-            height: 80,
-            borderRadius: 16,
-            backgroundColor: t.palette.primary_50,
-            paddingHorizontal: 16,
-            paddingVertical: 16,
-            opacity: pressed ? 0.85 : 1,
-          },
-        ]}>
-        <Image
-          accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
-          source={require('../../../../assets/images/invite_friends_promo_banner.webp')}
-          style={{width: 126, height: 64, marginRight: 16}}
-          contentFit="contain"
-        />
-        <Text
-          style={[
-            a.flex_1,
-            a.text_md,
-            a.font_bold,
-            {color: t.palette.primary_700, lineHeight: 19.5},
+      {/*
+       * The dismiss button is a sibling of (not nested inside) the banner
+       * Pressable - nesting Pressables causes touch-handling conflicts on
+       * Android. This relative wrapper matches the banner bounds so the dismiss
+       * button can be positioned absolutely against the card's top-right corner.
+       */}
+      <View style={[a.relative]}>
+        <Pressable
+          accessibilityRole="button"
+          accessibilityLabel={l`Find and invite friends`}
+          accessibilityHint={l`Opens the find and invite friends settings`}
+          onPress={onPress}
+          style={({pressed}) => [
+            a.flex_row,
+            a.align_center,
+            a.w_full,
+            {
+              height: 80,
+              borderRadius: 16,
+              backgroundColor: t.palette.primary_50,
+              paddingHorizontal: 16,
+              paddingVertical: 16,
+              opacity: pressed ? 0.85 : 1,
+            },
           ]}>
-          {l`Import contacts or invite your friends`}
-        </Text>
+          <Image
+            accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
+            source={require('../../../../assets/images/invite_friends_promo_banner.webp')}
+            style={{width: 126, height: 64, marginRight: 16}}
+            contentFit="contain"
+          />
+          <Text
+            style={[
+              a.flex_1,
+              a.text_md,
+              a.font_bold,
+              {color: t.palette.primary_700, lineHeight: 19.5},
+            ]}>
+            {l`Import contacts or invite your friends`}
+          </Text>
+        </Pressable>
         <Pressable
           accessibilityRole="button"
           accessibilityLabel={l`Dismiss`}
@@ -67,7 +75,7 @@ export function FollowersPromoBanner({
           ]}>
           <TimesIcon width={12} height={12} fill={t.palette.contrast_500} />
         </Pressable>
-      </Pressable>
+      </View>
     </View>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.test.ts b/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.test.ts
index 95e07dc6e3..e24c3ca1cc 100644
--- a/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.test.ts
+++ b/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.test.ts
@@ -22,9 +22,9 @@ describe('invite URLs', () => {
       )
     })
 
-    it('lowercases the handle', () => {
+    it('passes the handle through verbatim (handles are API-normalized, like makeProfileLink)', () => {
       expect(getInviteShareUrl('Alice.Bsky.Social')).toBe(
-        'https://bsky.app/profile/alice.bsky.social',
+        'https://bsky.app/profile/Alice.Bsky.Social',
       )
     })
 
@@ -45,9 +45,9 @@ describe('invite URLs', () => {
       expect(getInviteDisplayUrl('alice')).toBe('bsky.app/profile/alice')
     })
 
-    it('lowercases the handle', () => {
+    it('passes the handle through verbatim (handles are API-normalized, like makeProfileLink)', () => {
       expect(getInviteDisplayUrl('Danielle.bsky.team')).toBe(
-        'bsky.app/profile/danielle.bsky.team',
+        'bsky.app/profile/Danielle.bsky.team',
       )
     })
 
diff --git a/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.ts b/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.ts
index 1b5c68d965..7a22b8faf4 100644
--- a/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.ts
+++ b/src/features/inviteFriends/urls.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ function stripLeadingAt(handle: string): string {
 
 /** Canonical URL - used for QR payload, Share, and Copy. Empty handle -> empty string. */
 export function getInviteShareUrl(handle: string): string {
-  const bare = stripLeadingAt(handle).toLowerCase()
+  const bare = stripLeadingAt(handle)
   if (!bare) return ''
   return `https://bsky.app/profile/${bare}`
 }