diff --git a/mobile/app/_layout.tsx b/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
index d3f4dfd..a073489 100644
--- a/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
+++ b/mobile/app/_layout.tsx
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@ import { StyleSheet, View } from 'react-native';
 import { Stack, type ErrorBoundaryProps, useRouter } from 'expo-router';
 import * as Linking from 'expo-linking';
 import { SafeAreaProvider, SafeAreaView } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
+import { useFonts } from 'expo-font';
+import * as Notifications from 'expo-notifications';
+import { hideSplashScreen } from '@utils/splashScreenManager';
+import { useTheme } from '@providers/ThemeProvider';
+import { ThemedCustomText, ThemedButton } from '@components/themed';
 import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
 import { hideSplashScreen, initializeSplashScreen } from '@utils/splashScreenManager';
 import { ThemeProvider, useTheme } from '@providers/ThemeProvider';
@@ -20,6 +25,19 @@ import { Sentry, initializeSentry } from '@config/sentry';
 import { classifyWalletTxError } from '@/lib/walletErrors';
 import { useWalletStore } from '@store/useStore';
 
+Notifications.setNotificationHandler({
+  handleNotification: async () => ({
+    shouldShowAlert: true,
+    shouldPlaySound: true,
+    shouldSetBadge: false,
+    shouldShowBanner: true,
+    shouldShowList: true,
+  }),
+});
+
+export const unstable_settings = {
+  initialRouteName: '(tabs)',
+};
 initializeSplashScreen();
 initializeSentry();
 
@@ -88,6 +106,14 @@ function RootLayoutNav() {
   }, [fontsLoaded, fontError]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
+    Notifications.requestPermissionsAsync();
+  }, []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const backAction = () => {
+      if (router.canGoBack()) {
+        router.back();
+        return true;
     if (!fontsLoaded && !fontError) return;
 
     let isMounted = true;
diff --git a/mobile/package.json b/mobile/package.json
index 42023a1..75b4a0c 100644
--- a/mobile/package.json
+++ b/mobile/package.json
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@
     "expo-notifications": "~55.0.23",
     "expo-router": "~55.0.16",
     "expo-secure-store": "^55.0.13",
+    "expo-notifications": "~0.30.0",
+    "expo-splash-screen": "~0.30.3",
+    "expo-status-bar": "~3.0.9",
+    "react": "19.1.0",
+    "react-native": "0.81.5",
     "expo-splash-screen": "~55.0.21",
     "expo-status-bar": "~55.0.6",
     "lucide-react-native": "^1.16.0",
diff --git a/mobile/store/huntStore.ts b/mobile/store/huntStore.ts
index 809f9af..efb435b 100644
--- a/mobile/store/huntStore.ts
+++ b/mobile/store/huntStore.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,9 @@ import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
 import * as SecureStore from 'expo-secure-store';
 import type { Clue, HuntStatus, StoredHunt } from '@lib/types';
 
+import type { HuntStatus, StoredHunt, Clue } from "@lib/types";
+import * as SecureStore from "expo-secure-store";
+import { scheduleHuntExpiryNotification } from "@utils/huntNotifications";
 const HUNTS_KEY = 'hunty_hunts';
 const CLUES_KEY = 'hunty_clues';
 
@@ -230,3 +233,14 @@ export async function getFeaturedHunts(limit = 3): Promise<StoredHunt[]> {
     })
     .slice(0, limit);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Record that the current player has joined a hunt and schedule a local
+ * notification 1 hour before the hunt expires.
+ */
+export async function joinHunt(huntId: number): Promise<void> {
+  const hunts = await readHunts();
+  const hunt = hunts.find((h) => h.id === huntId);
+  if (!hunt || !hunt.endTime) return;
+  await scheduleHuntExpiryNotification(huntId, hunt.title, hunt.endTime);
+}
diff --git a/mobile/utils/huntNotifications.ts b/mobile/utils/huntNotifications.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f92cdd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/utils/huntNotifications.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import * as Notifications from "expo-notifications";
+
+const NOTIF_ID_PREFIX = "hunt_expiry_";
+
+/**
+ * Schedule a local notification 1 hour before a hunt's endTime.
+ * If endTime is missing or already within 1 hour, no notification is scheduled.
+ * Cancels any existing notification for the same hunt before scheduling.
+ */
+export async function scheduleHuntExpiryNotification(
+  huntId: number,
+  huntTitle: string,
+  endTimeSeconds: number
+): Promise<void> {
+  const triggerAt = (endTimeSeconds - 3600) * 1000; // 1 hour before, in ms
+  if (triggerAt <= Date.now()) return;
+
+  await cancelHuntExpiryNotification(huntId);
+
+  await Notifications.scheduleNotificationAsync({
+    identifier: `${NOTIF_ID_PREFIX}${huntId}`,
+    content: {
+      title: "Hunt Expiring Soon ⏰",
+      body: `Your joined Hunt challenge "${huntTitle}" expires in 1 Hour!`,
+      data: { huntId },
+    },
+    trigger: { type: Notifications.SchedulableTriggerInputTypes.DATE, date: new Date(triggerAt) },
+  });
+}
+
+/** Cancel the expiry reminder for a specific hunt. */
+export async function cancelHuntExpiryNotification(huntId: number): Promise<void> {
+  await Notifications.cancelScheduledNotificationAsync(`${NOTIF_ID_PREFIX}${huntId}`);
+}