diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripLoadingSplash.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripLoadingSplash.tsx
index 6987fd021..ca0c4b286 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripLoadingSplash.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripLoadingSplash.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { useEffect, useState } from 'react'
 import { useTranslation } from '../../../i18n'
 import MDancingTrek from '../../components/MDancingTrek'
 import { useTripSplashBeats } from '../../../components/shared/useTripSplashBeats'
@@ -10,6 +11,36 @@ import { useTripSplashBeats } from '../../../components/shared/useTripSplashBeat
  * progress dots track which beat is on. Under reduced motion it holds a single
  * frame (the real "loading photos" one) with no transitions.
  */
+/**
+ * How long a trip may take to open before the splash comes up. The page
+ * transition holds the page the trip was opened from for up to 800ms
+ * (mobile/routeTransition.ts), so a trip that loads in that time slides in
+ * whole, the way the dashboard slides back in on the way out, and the splash is
+ * only for a slow connection.
+ */
+export const TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS = 1000
+
+/**
+ * While a trip opens. At first nothing but the screen's own background, marked
+ * as a route fallback, which the page transition waits on; the splash only once
+ * the load takes longer than TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS.
+ */
+export function MTripOpening({ title }: { title: string }) {
+  const [slow, setSlow] = useState(false)
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const timer = window.setTimeout(() => setSlow(true), TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS)
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(timer)
+  }, [])
+  if (slow) return <MTripLoadingSplash title={title} />
+  return (
+    <div
+      data-route-fallback=""
+      aria-busy="true"
+      className="fixed inset-0 z-50 bg-[color:var(--m-bg)] bg-[image:var(--m-scr)]"
+    />
+  )
+}
+
 export default function MTripLoadingSplash({ title }: { title: string }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation()
   const { reduceMotion, activeIndex, step, steps } = useTripSplashBeats({ liveReducedMotion: true })
diff --git a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripShell.tsx b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripShell.tsx
index d8b7dfe1d..99c5ce573 100644
--- a/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripShell.tsx
+++ b/client/src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripShell.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import MPlacesBrowser from './places/MPlacesBrowser'
 import MTripTabPanel from './tabs/MTripTabPanel'
 import MTripSheets from './sheets/MTripSheets'
 import MReceiptScanButton from './tabs/MReceiptScanButton'
-import MTripLoadingSplash from './MTripLoadingSplash'
+import { MTripOpening } from './MTripLoadingSplash'
 import { usePluginDayTints, dayTintBackground } from '../../../components/Plugins/PluginDaySchedule'
 import { stageOf } from '../../../components/Roadtrip/roadtripRowModel'
 import { badgeLabel, distanceBadge } from './roadtrip/stageBadges'
@@ -450,9 +450,11 @@ export default function MTripShell({
   // With the plan beside the map, the map shows the day the plan shows: its
   // places framed, its route drawn, the other days' pins put away, exactly as
   // a phone does when it switches over to the map.
-  // Not before the splash has gone: the map is not there to frame until then.
-  const mapReady = !planner.isLoading && planner.splashDone
-  const followDayId = mapReady && split && trTab === 'plan' && view === 'plan' && mode !== 'browse' ? planner.selectedDayId : null
+  // Not before the trip has opened: the map is not there to frame until then.
+  // The store can still hold the trip opened before, for the frame before loadTrip resets it.
+  const ownTrip = trip && String(trip.id) === String(tripId) ? trip : null
+  const opened = !planner.isLoading && !!ownTrip
+  const followDayId = opened && split && trTab === 'plan' && view === 'plan' && mode !== 'browse' ? planner.selectedDayId : null
   const { autoShowRoute, setExpandedDayIds } = planner
   const selectDayRef = useRef(planner.handleSelectDay)
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -521,9 +523,9 @@ export default function MTripShell({
     openDocSyncSignal,
   }
 
-  // Splash — same gate as the desktop page, in the mobile design language.
-  if (planner.isLoading || !planner.splashDone) {
-    return <MTripLoadingSplash title={trip?.title || ''} />
+  // No minimum splash as on the desktop: the page transition hides the wait (MTripOpening).
+  if (!opened && (planner.isLoading || trip)) {
+    return <MTripOpening title={ownTrip?.title || ''} />
   }
   if (!trip) return null
 
diff --git a/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MTripShell.test.tsx b/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MTripShell.test.tsx
index 9d2b9e59a..4e8e61649 100644
--- a/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MTripShell.test.tsx
+++ b/client/tests/unit/mobile/trip/MTripShell.test.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ vi.mock('../../../../src/mobile/screens/trip/tabs/MTripTabPanel', () => ({ defau
 vi.mock('../../../../src/mobile/screens/trip/sheets/MTripSheets', () => ({ default: () => null }))
 
 import MTripShell from '../../../../src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripShell'
+import { TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS } from '../../../../src/mobile/screens/trip/MTripLoadingSplash'
 
 /** Last shell api handed to a slot — the object every slot shares. */
 let shellApi!: MTripShellApi
@@ -135,15 +136,30 @@ describe('MTripShell', () => {
     )
   })
 
-  it('FE-MOB-SHELL-001: shows the loading splash with the trip title while the planner loads', () => {
-    renderShell({ isLoading: true } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
-    expect(screen.getByText('Japan 2026')).toBeInTheDocument()
-    expect(screen.queryByTestId('sheets')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+  it('FE-MOB-SHELL-001: while the trip loads the page transition holds, and only a slow load brings the splash', () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      const { container } = renderShell({ isLoading: true } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
+      expect(container.querySelector('[data-route-fallback]')).toBeInTheDocument()
+      expect(screen.queryByText('Japan 2026')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+      expect(screen.queryByTestId('sheets')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+
+      act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS))
+      expect(screen.getByText('Japan 2026')).toBeInTheDocument()
+      expect(container.querySelector('[data-route-fallback]')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
   })
 
-  it('FE-MOB-SHELL-002: keeps the splash up until the photo warm-up finished', () => {
+  it('FE-MOB-SHELL-002: the trip shows as soon as it has loaded, without the desktop splash minimum', () => {
     renderShell({ splashDone: false } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
-    expect(screen.getByText('Japan 2026')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    expect(screen.getByTestId('map-area')).toBeInTheDocument()
+  })
+
+  it('FE-MOB-SHELL-002b: the trip opened before, still in the store, is never shown for the one opening', () => {
+    const { container } = renderShell({ tripId: 2 } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
+    expect(container.querySelector('[data-route-fallback]')).toBeInTheDocument()
     expect(screen.queryByTestId('map-area')).not.toBeInTheDocument()
   })
 
@@ -153,8 +169,14 @@ describe('MTripShell', () => {
   })
 
   it('FE-MOB-SHELL-003b: the splash falls back to the brand name before the trip arrives', () => {
-    renderShell({ isLoading: true, trip: null } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
-    expect(screen.getByText('TREK')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    try {
+      renderShell({ isLoading: true, trip: null } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
+      act(() => vi.advanceTimersByTime(TRIP_SPLASH_AFTER_MS))
+      expect(screen.getByText('TREK')).toBeInTheDocument()
+    } finally {
+      vi.useRealTimers()
+    }
   })
 
   it('FE-MOB-SHELL-004: seeds the running trip on today rather than on day one', () => {
@@ -617,27 +639,27 @@ describe('MTripShell', () => {
 
     // #2880: the day is seeded while the splash still covers the shell, so the
     // rail only exists after the selection has settled.
-    it('FE-MOB-SHELL-094: the active day is brought into view once the splash lifts (#2880)', () => {
+    it('FE-MOB-SHELL-094: the active day is brought into view once the trip has opened (#2880)', () => {
       const scrollIntoView = vi.mocked(Element.prototype.scrollIntoView)
       scrollIntoView.mockClear()
       stubRects({ left: 480, right: 540 })
-      const { planner, rerenderShell } = renderShell({ selectedDayId: 12, splashDone: false } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
+      const { planner, rerenderShell } = renderShell({ selectedDayId: 12, isLoading: true } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
       expect(scrollIntoView).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
 
-      ;(planner as { splashDone: boolean }).splashDone = true
+      ;(planner as { isLoading: boolean }).isLoading = false
       rerenderShell()
 
       expect(scrollIntoView).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
       expect(scrollIntoView).toHaveBeenCalledWith({ behavior: 'auto', inline: 'center', block: 'nearest' })
     })
 
-    it('FE-MOB-SHELL-095: after the splash a chip already in view leaves the rail alone', () => {
+    it('FE-MOB-SHELL-095: once the trip has opened a chip already in view leaves the rail alone', () => {
       const scrollIntoView = vi.mocked(Element.prototype.scrollIntoView)
       scrollIntoView.mockClear()
       stubRects({ left: 40, right: 100 })
-      const { planner, rerenderShell } = renderShell({ selectedDayId: 12, splashDone: false } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
+      const { planner, rerenderShell } = renderShell({ selectedDayId: 12, isLoading: true } as Partial<TripPlanner>)
 
-      ;(planner as { splashDone: boolean }).splashDone = true
+      ;(planner as { isLoading: boolean }).isLoading = false
       rerenderShell()
 
       expect(scrollIntoView).not.toHaveBeenCalled()