diff --git a/desktop/playwright.config.ts b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
index 5e9dbc9f97f..09307cf8543 100644
--- a/desktop/playwright.config.ts
+++ b/desktop/playwright.config.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export default defineConfig({
"**/sidebar-offcanvas-rail.spec.ts",
"**/search-scope-screenshots.spec.ts",
"**/onboarding-docked-cta-screenshots.spec.ts",
- "**/discovery-landing-shot.spec.ts",
+ "**/anonymous-shell-shot.spec.ts",
"**/identity-key-help.spec.ts",
"**/key-import-reveal.spec.ts",
"**/navigation.spec.ts",
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/AnonymousShellLanding.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/AnonymousShellLanding.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b91e9ef65ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/AnonymousShellLanding.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,185 @@
+import { Compass, Plus } from "lucide-react";
+
+import {
+ FEATURED_COMMUNITIES,
+ type FeaturedCommunity,
+} from "@/features/onboarding/featuredCommunities";
+import { Button } from "@/shared/ui/button";
+import { Card } from "@/shared/ui/card";
+import { Skeleton } from "@/shared/ui/skeleton";
+
+import { ONBOARDING_SECONDARY_CTA_CLASS } from "./OnboardingChrome";
+
+/**
+ * EXPLORATION — anonymous-first app shell (Discord model).
+ *
+ * A fresh install opens straight into something that looks like the app:
+ * a ghost sidebar on the left and a community-discovery home in the main
+ * pane. No identity ceremony and no agent greeting the user — joining a
+ * community creates the key silently, and agents become something you
+ * discover later. The classic corridor and key import stay reachable as
+ * quiet options below the fold.
+ */
+export function AnonymousShellLanding({
+ error,
+ isPending,
+ onAdvancedSetup,
+ onImportKey,
+ onJoin,
+}: {
+ error: string | null;
+ isPending: boolean;
+ /** Classic corridor: identity → backup → harness → config. */
+ onAdvancedSetup: () => void;
+ onImportKey: () => void;
+ onJoin: (community: FeaturedCommunity) => void;
+}) {
+ return (
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ Find your community on Buzz
+
+
+ From building agents to protocol talk, there’s a place for you.
+ Jump in — your identity is created as you go.
+
+
+ {error ? (
+
{error}
+ ) : null}
+
+ Featured communities
+
+
+ {FEATURED_COMMUNITIES.map((community) => (
+
+
+
+ {community.emoji}
+
+
+
+
+ {community.name}
+
+
+ {community.members.toLocaleString()} members
+
+
+
+ {community.tagline}
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ ))}
+
+
+
+ Want to set things up yourself first?
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+ );
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/DiscoveryLanding.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/DiscoveryLanding.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index 39cbaadc3df..00000000000
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/DiscoveryLanding.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,123 +0,0 @@
-import {
- FEATURED_COMMUNITIES,
- type FeaturedCommunity,
-} from "@/features/onboarding/featuredCommunities";
-import { Button } from "@/shared/ui/button";
-import { Card } from "@/shared/ui/card";
-
-import { ONBOARDING_SECONDARY_CTA_CLASS } from "./OnboardingChrome";
-
-/**
- * EXPLORATION — Discord-style first-open landing.
- *
- * The very first screen a fresh install shows: a directory of communities
- * the user can join right away. No identity ceremony, no agent corridor —
- * clicking Join creates the key silently and connects. Agent setup and key
- * backup become one avenue off this screen (`onAdvancedSetup`) instead of
- * the mandatory path.
- */
-export function DiscoveryLanding({
- error,
- isPending,
- onAdvancedSetup,
- onImportKey,
- onJoin,
-}: {
- error: string | null;
- isPending: boolean;
- /** Classic corridor: identity → backup → harness → config. */
- onAdvancedSetup: () => void;
- onImportKey: () => void;
- onJoin: (community: FeaturedCommunity) => void;
-}) {
- return (
-
-
-
- Find your people
-
-
- Jump into a community — we’ll set up your identity as you go. Your
- agents, backups, and settings are one click away once you’re in.
-
- {error ?
{error}
: null}
-
- {FEATURED_COMMUNITIES.map((community) => (
-
-
-
- {community.emoji}
-
-
-
-
- {community.name}
-
-
- {community.members.toLocaleString()} members
-
-
-
- {community.tagline}
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- ))}
-
-
-
- Have an invite link, or want to run your own?
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- );
-}
diff --git a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx
index 160311179ed..cbe89f2546b 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@ import {
import { StartupWindowDragRegion } from "@/shared/ui/StartupWindowDragRegion";
import type { FeaturedCommunity } from "@/features/onboarding/featuredCommunities";
import { useCommunityOnboarding } from "@/features/onboarding/communityOnboarding";
+import { AnonymousShellLanding } from "./AnonymousShellLanding";
import { BackupStep } from "./BackupStep";
import { DefaultConfigStep } from "./DefaultConfigStep";
-import { DiscoveryLanding } from "./DiscoveryLanding";
import { DownloadKeyStep } from "./DownloadKeyStep";
import {
backupSessionToPasswordEntry,
@@ -327,12 +327,44 @@ export function MachineOnboardingFlow({
}
: undefined;
+ // EXPLORATION — the discover page escapes the onboarding shell entirely.
+ // A fresh install opens straight into a full-bleed mock of the app frame
+ // (rail + sidebar + main pane) instead of a centered onboarding corridor,
+ // so the first thing a user meets is the product, not a setup ceremony.
+ if (page === "discover") {
+ return (
+
-