diff --git a/apps/chanora_flutter/ios/Runner/AppDelegate.swift b/apps/chanora_flutter/ios/Runner/AppDelegate.swift
index 101b0ed..c0c1ee0 100644
--- a/apps/chanora_flutter/ios/Runner/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/apps/chanora_flutter/ios/Runner/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -8,20 +8,25 @@ import AVFoundation
     _ application: UIApplication,
     didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplication.LaunchOptionsKey: Any]?
   ) -> Bool {
-    // Configure the iOS AVAudioSession for voice chat BEFORE Flutter
-    // starts the audio engine. The category + mode combination tells
-    // iOS to:
-    //   * route via the receiver/speaker like a phone call
-    //     (`.playAndRecord` + `.voiceChat`)
-    //   * engage hardware AEC / NS where the device supports it
-    //   * default the speaker output (so the user doesn't have to
-    //     hold the phone to their ear)
-    //   * permit Bluetooth headsets (so AirPods et al. just work)
+    // Configure the iOS AVAudioSession **category + mode** at
+    // app-launch time, but DEFER setActive(true) until the scene
+    // is foregrounded. Calling setActive in didFinishLaunching is
+    // racy on iOS 17+ devices: if the user launches the app from a
+    // cold state, the UIApplication isn't yet `.active` and
+    // setActive returns `AVAudioSessionErrorCodeCannotStartPlaying`
+    // (561017449) — the iOS audio policy server refuses to grant
+    // the audio session because the app is not yet considered the
+    // foreground priority owner. Symptom in production builds:
+    // 'AVAudioSession setup failed: Error 561017449 "Session
+    // activation failed"' in NSLog, after which the audio engine
+    // is unusable until the user backgrounds + foregrounds the
+    // app.
     //
-    // SRS-197 covers the iOS audio routing contract; this is the
-    // matching iOS-side implementation. Failures are logged but do
-    // not block app launch — the audio engine will still come up,
-    // just at the iOS default playback route.
+    // The category itself can be set whenever; only the active
+    // state needs to be deferred. We listen for
+    // didBecomeActiveNotification and activate then. Most
+    // production iOS voice apps (Discord, Zoom, FaceTime) follow
+    // this same shape.
     do {
       let session = AVAudioSession.sharedInstance()
       try session.setCategory(
@@ -29,12 +34,23 @@ import AVFoundation
         mode: .voiceChat,
         options: [.defaultToSpeaker, .allowBluetooth, .allowBluetoothA2DP]
       )
-      try session.setActive(true, options: [])
-      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession configured (playAndRecord/voiceChat)")
+      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession category set (playAndRecord/voiceChat)")
     } catch {
-      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession setup failed: \(error)")
+      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession setCategory failed: \(error)")
     }
 
+    // Activate the session once the app is actually foreground. The
+    // notification fires immediately after the cold-launch settles,
+    // and again on every resume-from-background — both safe
+    // moments to call setActive(true). Repeated activation while
+    // already-active is a no-op per the docs.
+    NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(
+      self,
+      selector: #selector(activateAudioSession),
+      name: UIApplication.didBecomeActiveNotification,
+      object: nil
+    )
+
     // Request microphone access on first launch rather than waiting
     // for the user's first voice-channel join. The latter is
     // surprising: the user has only tapped "connect to server" and
@@ -65,6 +81,19 @@ import AVFoundation
     return super.application(application, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions: launchOptions)
   }
 
+  /// Called by `didBecomeActiveNotification` (cold-launch settle +
+  /// every resume-from-background). Activates the AVAudioSession.
+  /// Repeated activation is a no-op when the session is already
+  /// active so this is safe to call on every foreground.
+  @objc private func activateAudioSession() {
+    do {
+      try AVAudioSession.sharedInstance().setActive(true, options: [])
+      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession activated on foreground")
+    } catch {
+      NSLog("chanora_flutter: AVAudioSession setActive failed: \(error)")
+    }
+  }
+
   func didInitializeImplicitFlutterEngine(_ engineBridge: FlutterImplicitEngineBridge) {
     GeneratedPluginRegistrant.register(with: engineBridge.pluginRegistry)
   }