diff --git a/mobile/app/_layout.tsx b/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
index 9080cdedcf9..a1ae162061d 100644
--- a/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
+++ b/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import * as Notifications from 'expo-notifications'
 import * as Linking from 'expo-linking'
 import { colors } from '../src/theme/mobile-theme'
 import { OrcaLogo } from '../src/components/OrcaLogo'
+import { MobileRootErrorBoundary } from '../src/components/MobileRootErrorBoundary'
 import { RpcClientProvider } from '../src/transport/client-context'
 import { getNotificationNavigationTarget } from '../src/notifications/notification-routing'
 import { useOpenNotificationRoute } from '../src/notifications/use-open-notification-route'
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ Notifications.setNotificationHandler({
   })
 })
 
-export default function RootLayout() {
+function RootLayoutContents() {
   const router = useRouter()
   const openNotificationRoute = useOpenNotificationRoute()
   const handledNotificationIdsRef = useRef<Set<string>>(new Set())
@@ -205,6 +206,23 @@ export default function RootLayout() {
   )
 }
 
+export default function RootLayout() {
+  const router = useRouter()
+  const leaveFailedRoute = useCallback(() => {
+    if (router.canGoBack()) {
+      router.back()
+      return
+    }
+    router.replace('/')
+  }, [router])
+
+  return (
+    <MobileRootErrorBoundary onGoBack={leaveFailedRoute}>
+      <RootLayoutContents />
+    </MobileRootErrorBoundary>
+  )
+}
+
 const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   root: {
     flex: 1,
diff --git a/mobile/src/components/MobileRootErrorBoundary.tsx b/mobile/src/components/MobileRootErrorBoundary.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7985147f26a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/components/MobileRootErrorBoundary.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,161 @@
+import { Component, Fragment, type ErrorInfo, type ReactNode } from 'react'
+import { AlertTriangle, ArrowLeft, RefreshCw } from 'lucide-react-native'
+import { Pressable, StyleSheet, Text, View } from 'react-native'
+import { colors, radii, spacing, typography } from '../theme/mobile-theme'
+
+type Props = {
+  children: ReactNode
+  onGoBack: () => void
+}
+
+type State = {
+  error: Error | null
+  resetKey: number
+}
+
+export class MobileRootErrorBoundary extends Component<Props, State> {
+  state: State = { error: null, resetKey: 0 }
+
+  static getDerivedStateFromError(error: Error): Partial<State> {
+    return { error }
+  }
+
+  componentDidCatch(error: Error, errorInfo: ErrorInfo): void {
+    console.error(
+      '[mobile-root-error-boundary] render crash contained by boundary',
+      error,
+      errorInfo
+    )
+  }
+
+  handleRetry = (): void => {
+    this.setState(({ resetKey }) => ({ error: null, resetKey: resetKey + 1 }))
+  }
+
+  handleGoBack = (): void => {
+    this.props.onGoBack()
+    this.handleRetry()
+  }
+
+  render(): ReactNode {
+    if (this.state.error) {
+      return <MobileRootErrorFallback onRetry={this.handleRetry} onGoBack={this.handleGoBack} />
+    }
+
+    return <Fragment key={this.state.resetKey}>{this.props.children}</Fragment>
+  }
+}
+
+function MobileRootErrorFallback({
+  onRetry,
+  onGoBack
+}: {
+  onRetry: () => void
+  onGoBack: () => void
+}): ReactNode {
+  return (
+    <View style={styles.container} accessibilityRole="alert" testID="mobile-root-error-boundary">
+      <View style={styles.iconBadge}>
+        <AlertTriangle size={20} color={colors.statusRed} />
+      </View>
+      <View style={styles.copy}>
+        <Text style={styles.title}>This part of Orca hit an error.</Text>
+        <Text style={styles.description}>
+          The app is still running. Retry this screen or go back and continue elsewhere.
+        </Text>
+      </View>
+      <View style={styles.actions}>
+        <Pressable
+          accessibilityLabel="Retry"
+          accessibilityRole="button"
+          style={styles.primaryButton}
+          onPress={onRetry}
+        >
+          <RefreshCw size={16} color={colors.bgBase} />
+          <Text style={styles.primaryButtonText}>Retry</Text>
+        </Pressable>
+        <Pressable
+          accessibilityLabel="Go back"
+          accessibilityRole="button"
+          style={styles.secondaryButton}
+          onPress={onGoBack}
+        >
+          <ArrowLeft size={16} color={colors.textSecondary} />
+          <Text style={styles.secondaryButtonText}>Go back</Text>
+        </Pressable>
+      </View>
+    </View>
+  )
+}
+
+const styles = StyleSheet.create({
+  container: {
+    flex: 1,
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    justifyContent: 'center',
+    gap: spacing.lg,
+    padding: spacing.xl,
+    backgroundColor: colors.bgBase
+  },
+  iconBadge: {
+    width: 44,
+    height: 44,
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    justifyContent: 'center',
+    borderRadius: 22,
+    borderWidth: StyleSheet.hairlineWidth,
+    borderColor: colors.statusRed,
+    backgroundColor: colors.bgPanel
+  },
+  copy: {
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    gap: spacing.sm,
+    maxWidth: 420
+  },
+  title: {
+    color: colors.textPrimary,
+    fontSize: typography.titleSize,
+    fontWeight: '600',
+    textAlign: 'center'
+  },
+  description: {
+    color: colors.textSecondary,
+    fontSize: typography.bodySize,
+    lineHeight: 20,
+    textAlign: 'center'
+  },
+  actions: {
+    width: '100%',
+    maxWidth: 360,
+    gap: spacing.sm
+  },
+  primaryButton: {
+    minHeight: 40,
+    flexDirection: 'row',
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    justifyContent: 'center',
+    gap: spacing.sm,
+    paddingHorizontal: spacing.xl,
+    borderRadius: radii.button,
+    backgroundColor: colors.surfaceBright
+  },
+  primaryButtonText: {
+    color: colors.bgBase,
+    fontSize: typography.bodySize,
+    fontWeight: '600'
+  },
+  secondaryButton: {
+    minHeight: 40,
+    flexDirection: 'row',
+    alignItems: 'center',
+    justifyContent: 'center',
+    gap: spacing.sm,
+    paddingHorizontal: spacing.xl,
+    borderRadius: radii.button
+  },
+  secondaryButtonText: {
+    color: colors.textSecondary,
+    fontSize: typography.bodySize,
+    fontWeight: '500'
+  }
+})
diff --git a/mobile/src/components/mobile-root-error-boundary.test.tsx b/mobile/src/components/mobile-root-error-boundary.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..22ebbb5734f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/components/mobile-root-error-boundary.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { createElement, type ReactNode } from 'react'
+import { act, create, type ReactTestRenderer } from 'react-test-renderer'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  hideSplash: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined),
+  preventAutoHide: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+}))
+
+vi.mock('react-native', () => ({
+  Pressable: 'Pressable',
+  ScrollView: 'ScrollView',
+  StyleSheet: { create: <T,>(styles: T) => styles, hairlineWidth: 1 },
+  Text: 'Text',
+  View: 'View'
+}))
+vi.mock('lucide-react-native', () => ({
+  AlertTriangle: 'AlertTriangle',
+  ArrowLeft: 'ArrowLeft',
+  RefreshCw: 'RefreshCw'
+}))
+vi.mock('expo-router', () => {
+  function Stack(): never {
+    throw new Error('route render exploded')
+  }
+  Stack.Screen = 'StackScreen'
+  return {
+    Stack,
+    useRouter: () => ({ back: vi.fn(), canGoBack: () => true, replace: vi.fn() })
+  }
+})
+vi.mock('expo-status-bar', () => ({ StatusBar: 'StatusBar' }))
+vi.mock('expo-splash-screen', () => ({
+  hideAsync: mocks.hideSplash,
+  preventAutoHideAsync: mocks.preventAutoHide
+}))
+vi.mock('expo-notifications', () => ({
+  DEFAULT_ACTION_IDENTIFIER: 'default',
+  addNotificationResponseReceivedListener: () => ({ remove: vi.fn() }),
+  clearLastNotificationResponse: vi.fn(),
+  getLastNotificationResponse: () => null,
+  setNotificationHandler: vi.fn()
+}))
+vi.mock('expo-linking', () => ({
+  addEventListener: () => ({ remove: vi.fn() }),
+  getInitialURL: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(null)
+}))
+vi.mock('./OrcaLogo', () => ({ OrcaLogo: 'OrcaLogo' }))
+vi.mock('../transport/client-context', () => ({
+  RpcClientProvider: ({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) => children
+}))
+vi.mock('../notifications/notification-routing', () => ({
+  getNotificationNavigationTarget: vi.fn()
+}))
+vi.mock('../notifications/use-open-notification-route', () => ({
+  useOpenNotificationRoute: () => vi.fn()
+}))
+vi.mock('../transport/host-store', () => ({ loadHostCatalog: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue([]) }))
+vi.mock('../transport/pairing', () => ({ extractPairingCodeFromUrl: () => null }))
+vi.mock('../transport/mobile-relay-pairing-recovery', () => ({
+  recoverMobileRelayPairing: vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined)
+}))
+
+import RootLayout from '../../app/_layout'
+
+describe('mobile root error boundary', () => {
+  let renderer: ReactTestRenderer | null = null
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    act(() => renderer?.unmount())
+    renderer = null
+    vi.restoreAllMocks()
+  })
+
+  it('contains a route render failure and shows recovery actions', () => {
+    vi.spyOn(console, 'error').mockImplementation(() => undefined)
+
+    act(() => {
+      renderer = create(createElement(RootLayout))
+    })
+
+    const fallback = renderer.root.findByProps({ testID: 'mobile-root-error-boundary' })
+    expect(
+      fallback.findAllByType('Pressable').map((button) => button.props.accessibilityLabel)
+    ).toEqual(['Retry', 'Go back'])
+    expect(console.error).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      '[mobile-root-error-boundary] render crash contained by boundary',
+      expect.any(Error),
+      expect.objectContaining({ componentStack: expect.any(String) })
+    )
+  })
+})