diff --git a/CODE-AUDIT.md b/CODE-AUDIT.md
index 153244e..4011a01 100644
--- a/CODE-AUDIT.md
+++ b/CODE-AUDIT.md
@@ -1007,10 +1007,11 @@ token system + shared primitives (UI/SIMP — high value, larger effort) · i18n
   check-for-new, update-yt-dlp) vs `ArrowSyncRegular` (re-index, check-for-updates) for the same "redo/refresh" idea.
 - [x] **L107 — Spinner sizes mixed** — `"tiny"` almost everywhere, `"extra-tiny"` for the QueueItem queued row.
 - [x] **L108 — Main window sets no explicit `title`** (relies on the document `<title>`).
-- [ ] **L109 — Versions auto-load with no indicator.** yt-dlp/ffmpeg versions in About just appear;
-  only the manual "Check" button shows a spinner. *Deferred (visual, with UX26): a boot loading state worth
-  eyeballing against the real sub-second load; joins the watched visual pass with the other skeleton/spinner
-  polish.*
+- [x] **L109 — Versions auto-load with no indicator.** yt-dlp/ffmpeg versions in About just appear;
+  only the manual "Check" button shows a spinner. *Fixed (Batch 18, with UX26): the About card shows Fluent
+  `Skeleton` lines for the yt-dlp and ffmpeg versions while the mount loads them (`checking` now starts true
+  and settles in a `finally`; an ffmpeg bridge failure settles to "not found" rather than a permanent
+  skeleton). Verified in the preview probe that the card settles to the loaded state cleanly.*
 - [x] **L110 — One muted-text token, many class aliases.** `colorNeutralForeground3` is re-declared as
   `hint`/`sub`/`meta`/`srcSub`/`stats`/`count`/`emptyHint`/`previewMeta` across components. *Fixed: one
   `useTextStyles().muted` in [ui/text.ts](src/renderer/src/components/ui/text.ts). Adopted for the pure-color
@@ -1389,13 +1390,14 @@ are an undefined spacing/radius/type scale and a drift between Fluent components
   (Downloads), 18 (Library), 12 (History). **Standard:** a single section-gap (16px) via a shared screen wrapper.
   *Fixed: all five view roots now use `SPACE.section` (16) — Downloads 20→16, Library 18→16, History 12→16;
   Settings/Terminal were already 16 and are now tokenized.*
-- [ ] **UI3 — Card padding has no scale.** 14 (QueueItem) / 16 (DownloadBar) / 20 (Settings card) /
+- [x] **UI3 — Card padding has no scale.** 14 (QueueItem) / 16 (DownloadBar) / 20 (Settings card) /
   32 (Onboarding) / `10px 12px` (History row) / `12px 14px` (Library head) / `8px 10px` (template row).
   **Standard:** a padding scale (e.g. control 8–10, list-row 12, card 16, hero 24) keyed to surface tier.
-  *Implemented (SPACE scale defined; the card tier unified to 16 — QueueItem 14→16, Settings cards 20→16;
-  DownloadBar already 16; Onboarding → `hero`) but **left unchecked for a watched visual pass**: 20→16 tightens
-  the 11 settings cards and 14→16 loosens queue rows. The smaller list-row/control paddings (History/Library
-  head/template) are not yet migrated. Eyeball, then check off or retune the card value.*
+  *Done (Batch 18): the remaining list-row/control paddings migrated to the `SPACE` scale — History row and
+  Downloads summary → `snug/cozy`, Library head/detail and Terminal gate/log and the template form → `cozy`
+  (12, the list-row tier; the odd 14px horizontals snapped down), template row → `tight/snug`. The earlier
+  card-tier deltas (20→16 settings cards, 14→16 queue rows) plus these were eyeballed via the Electron-probe
+  screenshot pass (light + dark, Downloads/History/Library/Settings): nothing reads cramped or loose; kept.*
 - [x] **UI4 — Asymmetric app content padding.** `padding: '24px 28px'` ([App.tsx](src/renderer/src/App.tsx)) —
   28px horizontal appears nowhere else. **Standard:** symmetric or scale-based padding. *Fixed: the `<main>`
   content padding is now the symmetric `SPACE.page` (24px).*
@@ -1436,13 +1438,13 @@ are an undefined spacing/radius/type scale and a drift between Fluent components
 
 ### Icons
 
-- [ ] **UI12 — No icon-size scale.** Inline `fontSize` of 11/14/16/18/20/22/26/28/40 is scattered
+- [x] **UI12 — No icon-size scale.** Inline `fontSize` of 11/14/16/18/20/22/26/28/40 is scattered
   across components. **Standard:** a small set (16 inline / 20 control / 24 section / 40 empty-state).
-  *Implemented (`ICON` = 16/20/24/40, all four tiers in use; standalone chrome glyphs migrated) but **left
-  unchecked for a watched visual pass** because a few glyphs shift: the former-18px chrome icons (sidebar nav +
-  theme toggles, IconButton md) → 20 (control), the settings card-header icons 20→24 (section), and the private
-  badge 14→16. Box-proportional glyphs (brand/source tiles, `watchBadge` 11px, thumbnail placeholders 22/28)
-  are documented exclusions and unchanged. Eyeball the 18→20 / 20→24 / 14→16 deltas.*
+  *Done (Batch 18): the `ICON` = 16/20/24/40 tiers were already in place; the deferred eyeball of the shifted
+  glyphs (18→20 sidebar nav/theme toggles, 20→24 settings card headers, 14→16 private badge) happened in the
+  Electron-probe screenshot pass — the nav icons sit balanced in their 20px tier, the card-header glyphs read
+  as proper section markers at 24, nothing looks oversized. Box-proportional glyphs (brand/source tiles,
+  `watchBadge`, thumbnail placeholders) remain documented exclusions.*
 - [x] **UI13 — Regular vs Filled weight mixed for one concept.** `ArrowDownloadRegular` (nav, buttons)
   vs `ArrowDownloadFilled` (brand mark). **Standard:** one weight per concept (Filled only for brand/emphasis).
   *Verified: `ArrowDownloadFilled` appears only on the two brand marks (Sidebar, Onboarding); every other
@@ -1457,11 +1459,13 @@ are an undefined spacing/radius/type scale and a drift between Fluent components
 - [x] **UI15 — Raw `<button>`s alongside Fluent `<Button>`.** Sidebar navItem/iconBtn/themeSeg,
   DownloadBar segment/plKindBtn, CommandPalette item, and Library `groupHead` (a `role="button"` div)
   are bespoke. **Standard:** wrap recurring patterns so hover/focus/disabled are uniform (ties to L5/M15).
-- [ ] **UI16 — Button size hierarchy isn't applied uniformly.** DownloadBar `large`; Library "Index"
+- [x] **UI16 — Button size hierarchy isn't applied uniformly.** DownloadBar `large`; Library "Index"
   `large` but its toolbar `small`; History all `small`; Settings mostly default. **Standard:** size-by-role (screen primary = large; secondary = medium; row actions = small).
-  *Convention documented (screen-primary large · row/toolbar small · settings default/medium); current usage
-  already broadly follows it. **Left unchecked** — the specific per-screen size tweaks are a subjective visual
-  call, so they join the watched visual pass (with UI3/UI12).*
+  *Done (Batch 18): the usage the item lists already matches the size-by-role rule (each screen's one primary
+  is `large` — Download/Add-to-queue, Library Index; row/toolbar actions `small`; settings cards default) —
+  confirmed screen-by-screen in the screenshot pass, no tweaks needed. The convention is now codified in
+  [ui/tokens.ts](src/renderer/src/components/ui/tokens.ts) alongside the other scales so it's a rule, not an
+  accident.*
 - [x] **UI17 — `appearance="secondary"` used in only two spots** (Library "Check for new", Terminal
   "Stop") while every other non-primary button is `subtle`. **Standard:** pick subtle *or* secondary as the standard non-primary appearance.
   *Fixed: both switched to `subtle` (the app's standard non-primary appearance — used by every other
@@ -1488,11 +1492,11 @@ are an undefined spacing/radius/type scale and a drift between Fluent components
   **brand-tint**. Each class is now internally consistent, and the rule is documented on
   [SegmentedControl](src/renderer/src/components/ui/SegmentedControl.tsx). The "Library pill" the item cited is
   gone — UI18 replaced it with the shared `StatusChip`, so there's no third treatment left to reconcile.*
-- [ ] **UI21 — Sidebar active-nav rail is expanded-only.** The inset brand box-shadow shows only when
+- [x] **UI21 — Sidebar active-nav rail is expanded-only.** The inset brand box-shadow shows only when
   expanded; collapsed relies on tint alone. **Standard:** a consistent active indicator in both states.
-  *Deferred (subjective visual): whether the collapsed rail needs its own inset indicator (and how it reads
-  against the new active-download `CounterBadge` added in Batch 11) is an eyeball call; joins the watched
-  visual pass. The tint already marks the active item in both states.*
+  *Fixed (Batch 18): the inset rail moved from a conditional inline style into `navItemActive` itself, so it
+  shows in both states. Screenshot-verified collapsed: the 3px brand rail hugs the row's left edge and reads
+  clearly beside the active-download `CounterBadge` pinned at the icon's top-right — no collision.*
 - [x] **UI22 — Brand-icon tiles differ.** `mark` (on-brand on solid brand) vs `srcIcon`
   (brandForeground2 on brand-tint) vs `sectionIcon` (compoundBrand, no tile). **Standard:** a defined icon-emphasis set.
   *Resolved (the set is now defined + documented): three deliberate emphasis levels — **brand mark** (`mark`,
@@ -1731,10 +1735,12 @@ root cause is already filed.
   keyboard focus — so screen-reader and keyboard users get the name; the icon isn't the only affordance. A
   permanently-visible text label is a deliberate compact-layout tradeoff for the URL row (the Download button
   beside it carries the primary text label), so it's left as a visual choice, not an a11y gap.*
-- [ ] **UX18 — The quality control morphs after Fetch** (preset list → real formats; label "Quality" →
+- [x] **UX18 — The quality control morphs after Fetch** (preset list → real formats; label "Quality" →
   "Quality / format") in place — a surprising transform. **Fix:** keep a stable control with a clear "formats loaded" state.
-  *Deferred (subjective visual): the morph is arguably informative (the label change signals real formats
-  loaded); whether it "surprises" is a judgment best made watching it, so it joins the watched visual pass.*
+  *Fixed (Batch 18): the label stays "Quality" in both states; a small brand-colored "• fetched" tag appears
+  beside it once real formats load, so the state change is signalled without the control or its label
+  morphing. Verified in the preview probe: Fetch on a URL loads the mock formats and the tag + format list
+  render as designed (screenshot).*
 - [x] **UX19 — Window size/position isn't remembered.** [index.ts](src/main/index.ts) opens a fixed
   920×700 every launch (no bounds persistence). **Fix:** persist + restore window bounds. *Fixed with W2 —
   [windowState.ts](src/main/windowState.ts) persists + restores bounds/maximized with an off-screen guard.*
@@ -1766,10 +1772,11 @@ root cause is already filed.
 - [x] **UX25 — Empty-state copy mismatches the flow** (L78): Downloads says "Paste a URL above to get
   started," but the actual path is Fetch/Download. *Resolved by L78 (DownloadsView empty-state copy
   rewritten to match the Fetch/Download flow).*
-- [ ] **UX26 — yt-dlp/ffmpeg version + initial settings load have no skeleton/spinner** — brief blank
+- [x] **UX26 — yt-dlp/ffmpeg version + initial settings load have no skeleton/spinner** — brief blank
   states on boot (plus the documented one-frame theme flash). **Fix:** lightweight loading states.
-  *Deferred (low value, needs eyeballing): the blanks are sub-second on a normal launch; adding skeletons is
-  a perceived-polish tweak worth doing while watching the actual boot, so it joins the visual pass.*
+  *Fixed (Batch 18, with L109): the About versions show skeleton lines during the boot load, and SettingsView
+  renders three skeleton cards until the settings store's `loaded` flag flips — no more flash of fallback
+  values. (The one-frame theme flash remains separately documented under SR1.)*
 
 ---
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadBar.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadBar.tsx
index 8488f1e..17c3b0f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadBar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadBar.tsx
@@ -358,11 +358,17 @@ export function DownloadBar(): React.JSX.Element {
         </div>
 
         <div className={styles.control}>
-          <Caption1>{usingFormats ? 'Quality / format' : 'Quality'}</Caption1>
+          {/* The label stays "Quality" in both states (UX18) — the fetched tag,
+              not a morphing label, signals that the list now shows the site's
+              real formats. */}
+          <Caption1>
+            Quality
+            {usingFormats && <span className={styles.qualityFetched}> • fetched</span>}
+          </Caption1>
           {usingFormats ? (
             <Select
               className={styles.quality}
-              aria-label="Quality / format"
+              aria-label="Quality (fetched formats)"
               size="large"
               value={selectedFormat?.id ?? ''}
               options={(info?.formats ?? []).map((f) => ({ value: f.id, label: f.label }))}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadsView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadsView.tsx
index d309f78..8e96209 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadsView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/DownloadsView.tsx
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     display: 'flex',
     alignItems: 'center',
     gap: '12px',
-    padding: '10px 14px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): snug vertical, cozy horizontal (was 10/14).
+    padding: `${SPACE.snug} ${SPACE.cozy}`,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorNeutralBackground1,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge),
     border: `1px solid ${tokens.colorNeutralStroke2}`
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/HistoryView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/HistoryView.tsx
index d7116b1..9fad7bd 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/HistoryView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/HistoryView.tsx
@@ -85,7 +85,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     display: 'flex',
     alignItems: 'center',
     gap: '12px',
-    padding: '10px 12px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): snug vertical, cozy horizontal.
+    padding: `${SPACE.snug} ${SPACE.cozy}`,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorNeutralBackground1,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge),
     border: `1px solid ${tokens.colorNeutralStroke2}`
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/LibraryView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/LibraryView.tsx
index bcd769a..31b68db 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/LibraryView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/LibraryView.tsx
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     display: 'flex',
     alignItems: 'center',
     gap: '12px',
-    padding: '12px 14px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): cozy on both axes (was 12/14).
+    padding: SPACE.cozy,
     width: '100%',
     border: 'none',
     backgroundColor: 'transparent',
@@ -148,7 +149,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
   },
   detail: {
     borderTop: `1px solid ${tokens.colorNeutralStroke2}`,
-    padding: '12px 14px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): cozy on both axes (was 12/14).
+    padding: SPACE.cozy,
     display: 'flex',
     flexDirection: 'column',
     gap: '12px'
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/SettingsView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
index 623bd72..630a534 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/SettingsView.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,15 @@
 import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
-import { Input, Caption1, makeStyles, mergeClasses, tokens } from '@fluentui/react-components'
+import {
+  Input,
+  Caption1,
+  Skeleton,
+  SkeletonItem,
+  makeStyles,
+  mergeClasses,
+  tokens
+} from '@fluentui/react-components'
 import { SearchRegular } from '@fluentui/react-icons'
+import { useSettings } from '../store/settings'
 import { ScreenHeader, useScreenStyles } from './ui/Screen'
 import { SPACE } from './ui/tokens'
 import { DownloadsCard } from './settings/DownloadsCard'
@@ -43,6 +52,9 @@ const CARDS = [
 export function SettingsView(): React.JSX.Element {
   const styles = useStyles()
   const screen = useScreenStyles()
+  // Until persisted settings arrive, the cards would flash their fallback values;
+  // show skeleton cards for that brief boot window instead (UX26).
+  const loaded = useSettings((s) => s.loaded)
 
   // Settings search (Phase O). Matching still reads each card's rendered text (so a
   // search covers every visible label without hand-maintaining per-card keywords),
@@ -88,18 +100,28 @@ export function SettingsView(): React.JSX.Element {
           )}
         </div>
 
-        {CARDS.map((Card, i) => (
-          <div
-            // Static array, never reordered/filtered (cards only hide) — index key is stable.
-            key={i}
-            ref={(el) => {
-              cardRefs.current[i] = el
-            }}
-            style={hidden[i] ? { display: 'none' } : undefined}
-          >
-            <Card />
-          </div>
-        ))}
+        {!loaded ? (
+          // Boot skeleton (UX26): three placeholder cards while persisted settings
+          // load, instead of a flash of fallback values.
+          <Skeleton aria-label="Loading settings">
+            {[0, 1, 2].map((i) => (
+              <SkeletonItem key={i} size={128} style={{ marginBottom: SPACE.section }} />
+            ))}
+          </Skeleton>
+        ) : (
+          CARDS.map((Card, i) => (
+            <div
+              // Static array, never reordered/filtered (cards only hide) — index key is stable.
+              key={i}
+              ref={(el) => {
+                cardRefs.current[i] = el
+              }}
+              style={hidden[i] ? { display: 'none' } : undefined}
+            >
+              <Card />
+            </div>
+          ))
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   )
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/Sidebar.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
index 4bdaf67..f006900 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/Sidebar.tsx
@@ -132,6 +132,10 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorBrandBackground2,
     color: tokens.colorBrandForeground2,
     fontWeight: tokens.fontWeightSemibold,
+    // The active-nav rail shows in BOTH sidebar states (UI21) — collapsed used to
+    // rely on tint alone. It hugs the row's left edge, clear of the collapsed
+    // count badge pinned at the icon's top-right.
+    boxShadow: `inset 3px 0 0 0 ${tokens.colorCompoundBrandStroke}`,
     ':hover': {
       backgroundColor: tokens.colorBrandBackground2
     }
@@ -253,11 +257,6 @@ export function Sidebar({
                 active && styles.navItemActive,
                 focus.focusRing
               )}
-              style={
-                active && !collapsed
-                  ? { boxShadow: `inset 3px 0 0 0 ${tokens.colorCompoundBrandStroke}` }
-                  : undefined
-              }
               onClick={() => onTabChange(n.value)}
               aria-current={active ? 'page' : undefined}
               aria-label={
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/TemplateManager.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/TemplateManager.tsx
index 5f64bec..ca6266f 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/TemplateManager.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/TemplateManager.tsx
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import { useTemplates } from '../store/templates'
 import { newId } from '../id'
 import { Hint } from './Hint'
 import { EmptyState } from './ui/EmptyState'
+import { SPACE } from './ui/tokens'
 
 const useStyles = makeStyles({
   root: {
@@ -33,7 +34,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     display: 'flex',
     alignItems: 'center',
     gap: '10px',
-    padding: '8px 10px',
+    // Control-tier padding (UI3): tight vertical, snug horizontal.
+    padding: `${SPACE.tight} ${SPACE.snug}`,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorNeutralBackground2,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge),
     border: `1px solid ${tokens.colorNeutralStroke2}`
@@ -63,7 +65,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     display: 'flex',
     flexDirection: 'column',
     gap: '8px',
-    padding: '12px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): cozy on both axes.
+    padding: SPACE.cozy,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorNeutralBackground2,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge),
     border: `1px solid ${tokens.colorNeutralStroke2}`
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/TerminalView.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/TerminalView.tsx
index d5be666..520629a 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/TerminalView.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/TerminalView.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     flexDirection: 'column',
     alignItems: 'flex-start',
     gap: '8px',
-    padding: '12px 14px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): cozy on both axes (was 12/14).
+    padding: SPACE.cozy,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorStatusWarningBackground1,
     color: tokens.colorStatusWarningForeground1,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge)
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ const useStyles = makeStyles({
     minHeight: '160px',
     overflowY: 'auto',
     margin: 0,
-    padding: '12px 14px',
+    // List-row padding tier (UI3): cozy on both axes (was 12/14).
+    padding: SPACE.cozy,
     backgroundColor: tokens.colorNeutralBackground1,
     color: tokens.colorNeutralForeground1,
     ...shorthands.borderRadius(tokens.borderRadiusLarge),
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/downloadBar/styles.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/downloadBar/styles.ts
index 06ac073..6acc909 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/downloadBar/styles.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/downloadBar/styles.ts
@@ -79,6 +79,11 @@ export const useDownloadBarStyles = makeStyles({
   quality: {
     minWidth: '220px'
   },
+  // The "fetched" state tag beside the Quality label once real formats load
+  // (UX18) — the label itself stays stable instead of morphing.
+  qualityFetched: {
+    color: tokens.colorBrandForeground2
+  },
   spacer: {
     flexGrow: 1
   },
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/AboutCard.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/AboutCard.tsx
index 2f6547d..553cba1 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/AboutCard.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/AboutCard.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,9 @@ import {
   Subtitle2,
   Caption1,
   Text,
-  Spinner
+  Spinner,
+  Skeleton,
+  SkeletonItem
 } from '@fluentui/react-components'
 import { InfoRegular, ArrowSyncRegular } from '@fluentui/react-icons'
 import { type YtdlpUpdateChannel } from '@shared/ipc'
@@ -68,8 +70,20 @@ export function AboutCard(): React.JSX.Element {
         />
       </Field>
 
+      {/* Boot loading state (L109/UX26): the versions load automatically on mount,
+          so show skeleton lines instead of a blank until they arrive. */}
+      {!version && checking && (
+        <Skeleton aria-label="Loading yt-dlp version">
+          <SkeletonItem size={16} style={{ maxWidth: '180px' }} />
+        </Skeleton>
+      )}
       {version?.ok && <Text className={styles.mono}>yt-dlp {version.version}</Text>}
       {version && !version.ok && <Caption1 className={errText.errorPre}>{version.error}</Caption1>}
+      {!ffmpeg && (
+        <Skeleton aria-label="Loading ffmpeg versions">
+          <SkeletonItem size={16} style={{ maxWidth: '220px' }} />
+        </Skeleton>
+      )}
       {ffmpeg && (
         <div className={styles.folderRow}>
           <div>
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/useAboutCard.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/useAboutCard.ts
index ac8c9c3..df10bc7 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/useAboutCard.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/useAboutCard.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ export interface AboutCardController {
 export function useAboutCard(): AboutCardController {
   const ytdlpChannel = useSettings((s) => s.ytdlpChannel)
 
-  const [checking, setChecking] = useState(false)
+  // `checking` starts true: the mount effect immediately loads the version, and
+  // the card shows a skeleton line for that boot load instead of a blank (L109).
+  const [checking, setChecking] = useState(true)
   const [version, setVersion] = useState<YtdlpVersionResult | null>(null)
   const [ffmpeg, setFfmpeg] = useState<FfmpegVersionResult | null>(null)
   const [updating, setUpdating] = useState(false)
@@ -31,9 +33,20 @@ export function useAboutCard(): AboutCardController {
   useEffect(() => {
     // Show the current yt-dlp version without a manual click, and reflect a
     // background auto-update (which may run on launch) live in this panel.
-    window.api.getYtdlpVersion().then(setVersion).catch(logError('getYtdlpVersion'))
+    window.api
+      .getYtdlpVersion()
+      .then(setVersion)
+      .catch(logError('getYtdlpVersion'))
+      .finally(() => setChecking(false))
     // ffmpeg/ffprobe are display-only (bundled, not auto-updated); load them once.
-    window.api.getFfmpegVersions().then(setFfmpeg).catch(logError('getFfmpegVersions'))
+    // On a bridge failure, settle to "not found" rather than a permanent skeleton.
+    window.api
+      .getFfmpegVersions()
+      .then(setFfmpeg)
+      .catch((e) => {
+        logError('getFfmpegVersions')(e)
+        setFfmpeg({ ffmpeg: null, ffprobe: null })
+      })
     return window.api.onYtdlpAutoUpdateStatus((s) => {
       if (s.phase === 'checking') {
         setChecking(true)
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/ui/tokens.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/ui/tokens.ts
index 0febf66..300f9d0 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/ui/tokens.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/ui/tokens.ts
@@ -118,6 +118,17 @@ export const ICON = {
   hero: 40
 } as const
 
+/**
+ * Button size-by-role convention (UI16) — there's no token to alias (Fluent's
+ * `size` prop is per-instance), so the rule lives here with the other scales:
+ *
+ * - `large`  — the screen's one primary action (DownloadBar Download / Add-to-
+ *   queue, Library Index).
+ * - `small`  — row actions and toolbar buttons inside lists (History row
+ *   actions, Library toolbar, queue-header actions).
+ * - default (medium) — settings-card buttons and everything in between.
+ */
+
 /**
  * One motion policy (UI26). The app keeps a single, subtle transition timing
  * (matching the sidebar's former `0.15s ease`) and gates *all* transitions and