diff --git a/src/components/Button.tsx b/src/components/Button.tsx
index 810442fea0..717985d475 100644
--- a/src/components/Button.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Button.tsx
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@ export type ButtonProps = Pick<
     PressableComponent?: React.ComponentType<PressableProps>
   }
 
-export type ButtonTextProps = TextProps & VariantProps & {disabled?: boolean}
+export type ButtonTextProps = TextProps &
+  VariantProps & {disabled?: boolean; emoji?: boolean}
 
 const Context = React.createContext<VariantProps & ButtonState>({
   hovered: false,
diff --git a/src/components/InternationalPhoneCodeSelect.tsx b/src/components/InternationalPhoneCodeSelect.tsx
index 4346953158..bdfe2e0152 100644
--- a/src/components/InternationalPhoneCodeSelect.tsx
+++ b/src/components/InternationalPhoneCodeSelect.tsx
@@ -6,9 +6,11 @@ import {useLingui} from '@lingui/react'
 import {getCountriesWithTelephoneCodes} from '#/lib/international-telephone-codes'
 import {isWeb} from '#/platform/detection'
 import {useGeolocationStatus} from '#/state/geolocation'
-import {atoms as a} from '#/alf'
+import {atoms as a, web} from '#/alf'
 import * as Select from '#/components/Select'
 
+export const DEFAULT_PHONE_COUNTRY = 'US'
+
 /**
  * Country picker for a phone number input
  *
@@ -24,6 +26,9 @@ export function InternationalPhoneCodeSelect({
 }) {
   const {_, i18n} = useLingui()
   const {location} = useGeolocationStatus()
+
+  const defaultCountry = location?.countryCode || DEFAULT_PHONE_COUNTRY
+
   const items = useMemo(() => {
     const telCountryMap = getCountriesWithTelephoneCodes(i18n)
 
@@ -37,22 +42,25 @@ export function InternationalPhoneCodeSelect({
           unicodeFlag,
           svgFlag,
         }))
-        // boost the default value to the top
-        .sort((a, b) =>
-          a.value === location.countryCode
-            ? -1
-            : b.value === location.countryCode
-              ? 1
-              : 0,
-        )
+        // boost the default value to the top, then sort by name
+        .sort((a, b) => {
+          if (a.value === defaultCountry) return -1
+          if (b.value === defaultCountry) return 1
+          return a.name.localeCompare(b.name)
+        })
     )
-  }, [i18n, location])
+  }, [i18n, defaultCountry])
 
   return (
     <Select.Root value={value} onValueChange={onChange}>
       <Select.Trigger label={_(msg`Select telephone code`)}>
-        <Select.ValueText placeholder={_(msg`Select telephone code`)}>
-          {item => item.unicodeFlag + ' ' + item.code}
+        <Select.ValueText placeholder="+...">
+          {selected => (
+            <>
+              <Flag {...selected} />
+              {selected.code}
+            </>
+          )}
         </Select.ValueText>
         <Select.Icon />
       </Select.Trigger>
@@ -64,17 +72,11 @@ export function InternationalPhoneCodeSelect({
             <Select.Item value={item.value} label={item.label}>
               <Select.ItemIndicator />
               <Select.ItemText style={[a.flex_1]} emoji>
-                {isWeb ? (
-                  <Image
-                    source={item.svgFlag}
-                    accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
-                  />
-                ) : (
-                  item.unicodeFlag + ' '
-                )}
+                {isWeb ? <Flag {...item} /> : item.unicodeFlag + ' '}
                 {item.name}
               </Select.ItemText>
               <Select.ItemText style={[a.text_right]}>
+                {' '}
                 {item.code}
               </Select.ItemText>
             </Select.Item>
@@ -85,3 +87,20 @@ export function InternationalPhoneCodeSelect({
     </Select.Root>
   )
 }
+
+function Flag({unicodeFlag, svgFlag}: {unicodeFlag: string; svgFlag: any}) {
+  if (isWeb) {
+    return (
+      <Image
+        source={svgFlag}
+        style={[
+          a.rounded_2xs,
+          {height: 13, aspectRatio: 4 / 3, marginRight: 6},
+          web({verticalAlign: 'bottom'}),
+        ]}
+        accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
+      />
+    )
+  }
+  return unicodeFlag + ' '
+}
diff --git a/src/components/Select/index.tsx b/src/components/Select/index.tsx
index 33650de31e..8d4412be2a 100644
--- a/src/components/Select/index.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Select/index.tsx
@@ -122,10 +122,12 @@ export function ValueText({
   const t = useTheme()
 
   let text = value && children(value)
-  if (typeof text !== 'string') text = placeholder
+  if (!text) text = placeholder
 
   return (
-    <ButtonText style={[t.atoms.text, a.font_normal, style]}>{text}</ButtonText>
+    <ButtonText style={[t.atoms.text, a.font_normal, style]} emoji>
+      {text}
+    </ButtonText>
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/src/components/Select/index.web.tsx b/src/components/Select/index.web.tsx
index 71d0ae7013..f4146706f6 100644
--- a/src/components/Select/index.web.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Select/index.web.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,9 @@
-import {
-  createContext,
-  type CSSProperties,
-  forwardRef,
-  Fragment,
-  useContext,
-  useMemo,
-} from 'react'
+import {createContext, forwardRef, Fragment, useContext, useMemo} from 'react'
 import {View} from 'react-native'
 import {Select as RadixSelect} from 'radix-ui'
 
-import {flatten, useTheme} from '#/alf'
+import {useA11y} from '#/state/a11y'
+import {flatten, useTheme, web} from '#/alf'
 import {atoms as a} from '#/alf'
 import {useInteractionState} from '#/components/hooks/useInteractionState'
 import {Check_Stroke2_Corner0_Rounded as CheckIcon} from '#/components/icons/Check'
@@ -105,7 +99,6 @@ export function Trigger({children, label}: TriggerProps) {
           a.flex,
           a.relative,
           t.atoms.bg_contrast_50,
-          a.w_full,
           a.align_center,
           a.gap_sm,
           a.justify_between,
@@ -153,6 +146,7 @@ export function Content<T>({
 }: ContentProps<T>) {
   const t = useTheme()
   const selectedValue = useContext(SelectedValueContext)
+  const {reduceMotionEnabled} = useA11y()
 
   const scrollBtnStyles: React.CSSProperties[] = [
     a.absolute,
@@ -194,8 +188,11 @@ export function Content<T>({
       <RadixSelect.Content
         style={flatten([t.atoms.bg, a.rounded_sm, a.overflow_hidden])}
         position="popper"
+        align="center"
         sideOffset={5}
-        className="radix-select-content">
+        className="radix-select-content"
+        // prevent the keyboard shortcut for opening the composer
+        onKeyDown={evt => evt.stopPropagation()}>
         <View
           style={[
             a.flex_1,
@@ -203,6 +200,7 @@ export function Content<T>({
             t.atoms.border_contrast_low,
             a.rounded_sm,
             a.overflow_hidden,
+            !reduceMotionEnabled && a.zoom_fade_in,
           ]}>
           <RadixSelect.ScrollUpButton style={flatten(up)}>
             <ChevronUpIcon style={[t.atoms.text]} size="xs" />
@@ -269,7 +267,7 @@ export function Item({ref, value, style, children}: ItemProps) {
         t.atoms.text,
         a.relative,
         a.flex,
-        {minHeight: 25, paddingLeft: 30, paddingRight: 35},
+        {minHeight: 25, paddingLeft: 30, paddingRight: 8},
         a.user_select_none,
         a.align_center,
         a.rounded_xs,
@@ -288,8 +286,10 @@ export function Item({ref, value, style, children}: ItemProps) {
 
 export const ItemText = function ItemText({children, style}: ItemTextProps) {
   return (
-    <RadixSelect.ItemText style={flatten(style) as CSSProperties}>
-      {children}
+    <RadixSelect.ItemText asChild>
+      <Text style={flatten([style, web({pointerEvents: 'inherit'})])}>
+        {children}
+      </Text>
     </RadixSelect.ItemText>
   )
 }
diff --git a/src/components/Select/types.ts b/src/components/Select/types.ts
index 47bfd23f8c..5526f947d1 100644
--- a/src/components/Select/types.ts
+++ b/src/components/Select/types.ts
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ export type ValueProps = {
   /**
    * Only needed for native. Extracts the label from an item. Defaults to `item => item.label`
    */
-  children?: (value: any) => string
+  children?: (value: any) => React.ReactNode
   placeholder?: string
   style?: StyleProp<TextStyle>
 }