diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
index 86735c6ee..9cafa1a8c 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ import {
 } from '../../../utils/translation/langUtils';
 import { chromeTranslationEngine } from '../../../utils/translation/chromeEngine';
 import { SequenceCardStyle } from '../styles.css';
-import { useTauriUpdater } from '../../../hooks/useTauriUpdater';
+import { UpdateProgress, useTauriUpdater } from '../../../hooks/useTauriUpdater';
+import { describeUpdateError, manualDownloadUrl } from '../../../utils/updateErrors';
 import { isTauri as isTauriEnv, invokeTauri, tauriInvoke } from '../../../hooks/useTauri';
 import { isSafeGlobalToggleKey } from '../../../hooks/useCallHotkeys';
 import { customWindowChromeAtom } from '../../../state/customWindowChrome';
@@ -2682,6 +2683,22 @@ function Messages() {
   );
 }
 
+const formatMb = (bytes: number): string => `${(bytes / 1_048_576).toFixed(1)} MB`;
+
+function updateProgressText(progress: UpdateProgress | undefined): string {
+  if (!progress) return 'Checking for the update…';
+  if (progress.phase === 'installing') return 'Installing — Lotus Chat will restart in a moment…';
+  if (progress.phase === 'retrying') {
+    return `The update server didn’t respond. Trying again in ${progress.waitSecs} s (attempt ${progress.attempt + 1} of ${progress.maxAttempts})…`;
+  }
+  const attempt =
+    progress.attempt > 1 ? ` (attempt ${progress.attempt} of ${progress.maxAttempts})` : '';
+  const { downloaded, total } = progress;
+  if (!total) return `Downloading update… ${formatMb(downloaded)}${attempt}`;
+  const pct = Math.min(100, Math.floor((downloaded / total) * 100));
+  return `Downloading update… ${pct}% (${formatMb(downloaded)} of ${formatMb(total)})${attempt}`;
+}
+
 function AppUpdates() {
   const { isTauri, status, check, install } = useTauriUpdater();
   if (!isTauri) return null;
@@ -2694,18 +2711,41 @@ function AppUpdates() {
         : status.state === 'available'
           ? `Update available: v${status.version}`
           : status.state === 'installing'
-            ? 'Installing update, the app will restart shortly...'
+            ? updateProgressText(status.progress)
             : status.state === 'error'
-              ? `Update check failed: ${status.message}`
+              ? describeUpdateError(status.phase, status.message)
               : 'Check for a new version of Lotus Chat.';
 
+  const retry = () => {
+    if (status.state === 'error' && status.phase !== 'check') install();
+    else check();
+  };
+
   const after =
     status.state === 'available' ? (
-      <Button size="300" radii="300" onClick={install}>
+      <Button size="300" radii="300" onClick={() => install()}>
         <Text size="B300">Install &amp; Restart</Text>
       </Button>
     ) : status.state === 'checking' || status.state === 'installing' ? (
       <Spinner variant="Secondary" size="200" />
+    ) : status.state === 'error' ? (
+      <Box gap="200" wrap="Wrap" justifyContent="End">
+        <Button size="300" radii="300" variant="Secondary" onClick={retry}>
+          <Text size="B300">Try again</Text>
+        </Button>
+        {status.phase !== 'check' && (
+          <Button
+            size="300"
+            radii="300"
+            variant="Secondary"
+            fill="None"
+            outlined
+            onClick={() => window.open(manualDownloadUrl(navigator.userAgent), '_blank')}
+          >
+            <Text size="B300">Download installer</Text>
+          </Button>
+        )}
+      </Box>
     ) : (
       <Button size="300" radii="300" variant="Secondary" onClick={check}>
         <Text size="B300">Check</Text>
@@ -2717,6 +2757,11 @@ function AppUpdates() {
       <Text size="L400">App Updates</Text>
       <SequenceCard className={SequenceCardStyle} variant="SurfaceVariant" direction="Column">
         <SettingTile title="Check for Updates" description={description} after={after} />
+        {status.state === 'error' && (
+          <Text size="T200" priority="300" style={{ wordBreak: 'break-word' }}>
+            Details: {status.message}
+          </Text>
+        )}
       </SequenceCard>
     </Box>
   );
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useTauriUpdater.ts b/src/app/hooks/useTauriUpdater.ts
index 0ae050145..02c3ad90d 100644
--- a/src/app/hooks/useTauriUpdater.ts
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useTauriUpdater.ts
@@ -1,17 +1,33 @@
 import { useCallback } from 'react';
-import { atom, useAtom } from 'jotai';
+import { atom, useAtom, useSetAtom } from 'jotai';
+import { useTauriEvent } from './useTauri';
+import { UpdatePhase, parseUpdateError } from '../utils/updateErrors';
 
 type TauriInternals = { invoke: (cmd: string, args?: Record<string, unknown>) => Promise<unknown> };
 const tauriInvoke = (): TauriInternals['invoke'] | undefined =>
   (window as unknown as { __TAURI_INTERNALS__?: TauriInternals }).__TAURI_INTERNALS__?.invoke;
 
-type UpdateStatus =
+/** Detail of the native `lotus-update-progress` event (see lib.rs `install_update`). */
+export type UpdateProgress =
+  | {
+      phase: 'downloading';
+      attempt: number;
+      maxAttempts: number;
+      downloaded: number;
+      total: number | null;
+    }
+  | { phase: 'retrying'; attempt: number; maxAttempts: number; waitSecs: number; error: string }
+  | { phase: 'installing' };
+
+export type UpdateStatus =
   | { state: 'idle' }
   | { state: 'checking' }
   | { state: 'up-to-date' }
   | { state: 'available'; version: string }
-  | { state: 'installing' }
-  | { state: 'error'; message: string };
+  | { state: 'installing'; progress?: UpdateProgress }
+  | { state: 'error'; phase: UpdatePhase; message: string };
+
+export type UpdateFailure = { phase: UpdatePhase; message: string };
 
 // Module-level so the result of a manual "Check for updates" survives closing
 // and reopening Settings (it used to be component state, so the "update
@@ -20,6 +36,17 @@ type UpdateStatus =
 // mid-request by the resolve/reject below, so nothing gets stuck.
 const updateStatusAtom = atom<UpdateStatus>({ state: 'idle' });
 
+/**
+ * Mirror native download progress into the status. Mounted once (in
+ * TauriUpdateFeature) so the listener isn't duplicated per consumer.
+ */
+export function useTauriUpdateProgress(): void {
+  const setStatus = useSetAtom(updateStatusAtom);
+  useTauriEvent<UpdateProgress>('lotus-update-progress', (progress) =>
+    setStatus((prev) => (prev.state === 'installing' ? { state: 'installing', progress } : prev)),
+  );
+}
+
 export function useTauriUpdater() {
   const isTauri = !!tauriInvoke();
   const [status, setStatus] = useAtom(updateStatusAtom);
@@ -36,22 +63,29 @@ export function useTauriUpdater() {
           : { state: 'up-to-date' },
       );
     } catch (e) {
-      setStatus({ state: 'error', message: String(e) });
+      setStatus({ state: 'error', ...parseUpdateError(String(e), 'check') });
     }
   }, [setStatus]);
 
-  const install = useCallback(async () => {
+  /**
+   * Resolves `undefined` when nothing needed installing (a successful install
+   * restarts the app instead), or the failure.
+   */
+  const install = useCallback(async (): Promise<UpdateFailure | undefined> => {
     const invoke = tauriInvoke();
-    if (!invoke) return;
+    if (!invoke) return undefined;
     setStatus({ state: 'installing' });
     try {
       await invoke('install_update');
-      // On a successful install the native side calls app.restart(), so this
+      // On a successful install the native side restarts the app, so this
       // resolve is only reached when nothing was installed (no update found) —
       // don't leave the UI stuck on "installing".
       setStatus({ state: 'up-to-date' });
+      return undefined;
     } catch (e) {
-      setStatus({ state: 'error', message: String(e) });
+      const failure = parseUpdateError(String(e), 'download');
+      setStatus({ state: 'error', ...failure });
+      return failure;
     }
   }, [setStatus]);
 
diff --git a/src/app/pages/client/ClientNonUIFeatures.tsx b/src/app/pages/client/ClientNonUIFeatures.tsx
index 73c464b69..261cc00b4 100644
--- a/src/app/pages/client/ClientNonUIFeatures.tsx
+++ b/src/app/pages/client/ClientNonUIFeatures.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useAtomValue, useSetAtom } from 'jotai';
 import React, { ReactNode, useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from 'react';
 import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { Icons } from 'folds';
 import {
   ClientEvent,
   ClientEventHandlerMap,
@@ -62,10 +63,11 @@ import {
 import { STATUS_EXPIRY_KEY, STATUS_MSG_KEY } from '../../features/settings/account/Profile';
 import { setPresenceWithRetry } from '../../utils/presenceWrite';
 import { useDeepLinkNavigate } from '../../hooks/useDeepLinkNavigate';
-import { toastQueueAtom } from '../../state/toast';
+import { dismissToastAtom, toastQueueAtom } from '../../state/toast';
 import { useReminders } from '../../hooks/useReminders';
 import { getRoomRetentionMs, isExpired } from '../../utils/retention';
-import { useTauriUpdater } from '../../hooks/useTauriUpdater';
+import { useTauriUpdateProgress, useTauriUpdater } from '../../hooks/useTauriUpdater';
+import { isNetworkUpdateError } from '../../utils/updateErrors';
 import { invokeTauri, isTauri as isTauriApp } from '../../hooks/useTauri';
 import { TauriDesktopFeatures } from '../../components/TauriDesktopFeatures';
 import { KeyboardShortcutsDialog, useKeyboardShortcutsTrigger } from '../../features/shortcuts';
@@ -887,11 +889,50 @@ function RetentionSweeper() {
 const TAURI_UPDATE_CHECK_INTERVAL = 12 * 60 * 60_000; // 12 hours
 const TAURI_UPDATE_LAST_CHECK_KEY = 'lotus.tauriUpdateLastCheck';
 
+const UPDATE_PROGRESS_TOAST = 'tauri-update-progress';
+const UPDATE_FAILED_TOAST = 'tauri-update-failed';
+
 function TauriUpdateFeature() {
   const { isTauri, status, check, install } = useTauriUpdater();
+  useTauriUpdateProgress();
   const setToast = useSetAtom(toastQueueAtom);
+  const dismissToast = useSetAtom(dismissToastAtom);
   const firedRef = useRef<string | null>(null);
 
+  // Installing from the toast used to fail invisibly: the toast was gone and
+  // the only trace was an error line in Settings. Say what is happening, and
+  // on failure leave a toast that retries and points at the manual installer.
+  const installFromToast = useCallback(async () => {
+    dismissToast(UPDATE_FAILED_TOAST);
+    setToast({
+      id: UPDATE_PROGRESS_TOAST,
+      iconSrc: Icons.Download,
+      displayName: 'Downloading update',
+      body: 'Lotus Chat will restart by itself when it’s done. You can keep chatting.',
+      roomName: 'System',
+      roomId: '',
+      onClick: () => undefined,
+    });
+    const failure = await install();
+    dismissToast(UPDATE_PROGRESS_TOAST);
+    if (!failure) return;
+    // Short on purpose; the full explanation and a Download installer button
+    // are in Settings → General → App Updates.
+    const busy = failure.phase !== 'install' && isNetworkUpdateError(failure.message);
+    setToast({
+      id: UPDATE_FAILED_TOAST,
+      iconSrc: Icons.Warning,
+      displayName: 'Update didn’t install',
+      body: `${busy ? 'The update server seems busy. ' : ''}Click to try again, or get the installer in Settings → General → App Updates.`,
+      roomName: 'System',
+      roomId: '',
+      sticky: true,
+      onClick: () => {
+        installFromToast();
+      },
+    });
+  }, [install, setToast, dismissToast]);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!isTauri) return;
 
@@ -917,10 +958,12 @@ function TauriUpdateFeature() {
       body: `Lotus Chat ${status.version} is ready. Click to install and restart.`,
       roomName: 'System',
       roomId: '',
-      onClick: install,
+      onClick: () => {
+        installFromToast();
+      },
       sticky: true,
     });
-  }, [status, setToast, install]);
+  }, [status, setToast, installFromToast]);
 
   return null;
 }
diff --git a/src/app/utils/updateErrors.test.ts b/src/app/utils/updateErrors.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..209f2e5a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/updateErrors.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import {
+  describeUpdateError,
+  manualDownloadUrl,
+  MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL,
+  parseUpdateError,
+} from './updateErrors';
+
+test('parseUpdateError reads the native phase prefix', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(parseUpdateError('download: error sending request for url (x)', 'check'), {
+    phase: 'download',
+    message: 'error sending request for url (x)',
+  });
+  assert.deepEqual(parseUpdateError('install: access denied', 'download'), {
+    phase: 'install',
+    message: 'access denied',
+  });
+});
+
+test('parseUpdateError falls back to the caller phase for unprefixed errors', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(parseUpdateError('error sending request', 'check'), {
+    phase: 'check',
+    message: 'error sending request',
+  });
+});
+
+test('the reported download failure reads as a busy server, not a failed check', () => {
+  const { phase, message } = parseUpdateError(
+    'download: error sending request for url (https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny-desktop/releases/download/latest/LotusChat-x86_64-setup.nsis.zip)',
+    'check',
+  );
+  const text = describeUpdateError(phase, message);
+  assert.match(text, /didn’t finish downloading/);
+  assert.match(text, /download the installer yourself/);
+});
+
+test('only signature failures are reported as a failed safety check', () => {
+  assert.match(
+    describeUpdateError('download', 'The signature X could not be decoded'),
+    /safety check/,
+  );
+  assert.doesNotMatch(describeUpdateError('download', 'No space left on device'), /safety/);
+});
+
+test('check failures never suggest the app is broken', () => {
+  assert.match(describeUpdateError('check', 'operation timed out'), /Lotus Chat still works/);
+  assert.match(describeUpdateError('check', 'weird'), /Lotus Chat still works/);
+});
+
+test('manual download link: Windows gets the installer, others the release page', () => {
+  assert.equal(
+    manualDownloadUrl('Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Edg/140'),
+    MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL.windows,
+  );
+  assert.equal(manualDownloadUrl('Mozilla/5.0 (X11; Linux x86_64)'), MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL.other);
+});
diff --git a/src/app/utils/updateErrors.ts b/src/app/utils/updateErrors.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c671db8f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/updateErrors.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/** Which step of the desktop update failed (the native side prefixes its errors). */
+export type UpdatePhase = 'check' | 'download' | 'install';
+
+/** Where to get the installer by hand when the in-app update keeps failing. */
+export const MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL = {
+  windows:
+    'https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny-desktop/releases/download/latest/LotusChat-x86_64-setup.exe',
+  other: 'https://code.lotusguild.org/LotusGuild/cinny-desktop/releases/tag/latest',
+};
+
+export const manualDownloadUrl = (userAgent: string): string =>
+  /Windows/i.test(userAgent) ? MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL.windows : MANUAL_DOWNLOAD_URL.other;
+
+const NETWORK_PATTERN =
+  /error sending request|timed out|timeout|connection|connect|dns|network|reset|refused|unreachable|Could not fetch a valid release/i;
+
+export const isNetworkUpdateError = (message: string): boolean => NETWORK_PATTERN.test(message);
+
+/** Split `download: error sending request …` into its phase and the raw message. */
+export const parseUpdateError = (
+  raw: string,
+  fallback: UpdatePhase,
+): { phase: UpdatePhase; message: string } => {
+  const match = /^(check|download|install): ([\s\S]*)$/.exec(raw);
+  return match
+    ? { phase: match[1] as UpdatePhase, message: match[2] }
+    : { phase: fallback, message: raw };
+};
+
+/**
+ * A plain-language sentence for an update failure. The raw error ("error
+ * sending request for url (…nsis.zip)") told users nothing about what to do.
+ */
+export const describeUpdateError = (phase: UpdatePhase, message: string): string => {
+  const network = isNetworkUpdateError(message);
+  if (phase === 'check') {
+    return network
+      ? 'Couldn’t reach the update server. It may be busy, or your connection dropped. Lotus Chat still works; try again in a minute.'
+      : 'Couldn’t check for updates. Lotus Chat still works; try again later.';
+  }
+  if (phase === 'download') {
+    return network
+      ? 'The update didn’t finish downloading after several tries. The update server may be busy. Try again in a minute, or download the installer yourself.'
+      : /signature|minisign|base64/i.test(message)
+        ? 'The downloaded update didn’t pass its safety check, so it wasn’t installed. Try again, or download the installer yourself.'
+        : 'The update couldn’t be downloaded. Try again, or download the installer yourself.';
+  }
+  return 'The update downloaded but couldn’t be installed. Download the installer yourself and run it; your chats and settings are kept.';
+};