diff --git a/bitchat/Services/BLE/BLEService.swift b/bitchat/Services/BLE/BLEService.swift
index 6201ce8c..ff5d6ff4 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/BLE/BLEService.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/BLE/BLEService.swift
@@ -793,15 +793,19 @@ final class BLEService: NSObject {
             }
             let fitsBLECaps = filePacket.encode() != nil
 
-            let candidate = WifiBulkPolicy.SendCandidate(
-                payloadBytes: payload.count,
-                peerCapabilities: self.peerCapabilities(peerID),
-                isDirectlyConnected: self.isPeerConnected(peerID),
-                hasEstablishedNoiseSession: self.noiseService.hasEstablishedSession(with: peerID)
-            )
+            // Normalize to the short routing ID (SHA256-derived 16-hex) once.
+            // Stable/verified private chats address the peer by its full
+            // 64-hex Noise key, but the Noise session and the negotiation
+            // packet are keyed by the short ID — so the capability/session
+            // eligibility checks (and the Wi-Fi offer) must all use it, or a
+            // 64-hex key makes `hasEstablishedSession` return false and Wi-Fi
+            // is never selected even when the peer advertises `.wifiBulk`.
+            let routingID = peerID.toShort()
+
+            let candidate = self.wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: payload.count, to: routingID)
             if WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer(candidate) {
-                self.wifiBulkService.sendFile(payload: payload, to: peerID, transferId: transferId) { [weak self] in
-                    self?.sendFilePrivateViaBLE(payload: payload, to: peerID, transferId: transferId, fitsBLECaps: fitsBLECaps)
+                self.wifiBulkService.sendFile(payload: payload, to: routingID, transferId: transferId) { [weak self] in
+                    self?.sendFilePrivateViaBLE(payload: payload, to: routingID, transferId: transferId, fitsBLECaps: fitsBLECaps)
                 }
                 return
             }
@@ -811,10 +815,29 @@ final class BLEService: NSObject {
                 self.surfaceUndeliverableTransfer(transferId)
                 return
             }
-            self.sendFilePrivateViaBLE(payload: payload, to: peerID, transferId: transferId, fitsBLECaps: true)
+            self.sendFilePrivateViaBLE(payload: payload, to: routingID, transferId: transferId, fitsBLECaps: true)
         }
     }
 
+    /// Builds the Wi-Fi bulk eligibility candidate for a private send.
+    ///
+    /// Normalizes `peerID` to its short routing ID first: stable/verified
+    /// private chats address the peer by its full 64-hex Noise key, but the
+    /// Noise session, advertised capabilities, and connection state are all
+    /// keyed by the short (SHA256-derived 16-hex) ID. Resolving them with the
+    /// 64-hex key would miss the session (`hasEstablishedSession` returns
+    /// false), so Wi-Fi would never be offered even to a directly-connected
+    /// `.wifiBulk` peer.
+    private func wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: Int, to peerID: PeerID) -> WifiBulkPolicy.SendCandidate {
+        let routingID = peerID.toShort()
+        return WifiBulkPolicy.SendCandidate(
+            payloadBytes: payloadBytes,
+            peerCapabilities: peerCapabilities(routingID),
+            isDirectlyConnected: isPeerConnected(routingID),
+            hasEstablishedNoiseSession: noiseService.hasEstablishedSession(with: routingID)
+        )
+    }
+
     /// BLE fragmentation path for private file transfers; also the fallback
     /// target when a Wi-Fi bulk attempt declines, times out, or errors.
     /// May be invoked from the Wi-Fi bulk queue.
@@ -1833,6 +1856,34 @@ extension BLEService {
             cachedServiceUUIDs: cachedServiceUUIDs
         )
     }
+
+    /// The internal Noise service, so tests can drive a real handshake and
+    /// establish a session keyed by a chosen (short) routing ID.
+    var _test_noiseService: NoiseEncryptionService { noiseService }
+
+    /// Registers a directly-connected peer with the given advertised
+    /// capabilities, keyed by its short routing ID (as production does).
+    func _test_registerConnectedPeer(_ peerID: PeerID, capabilities: PeerCapabilities) {
+        let shortID = peerID.toShort()
+        collectionsQueue.sync(flags: .barrier) {
+            peerRegistry.upsert(BLEPeerInfo(
+                peerID: shortID,
+                nickname: "TestPeer_\(shortID.id.prefix(4))",
+                isConnected: true,
+                noisePublicKey: peerID.noiseKey,
+                signingPublicKey: nil,
+                isVerifiedNickname: true,
+                lastSeen: Date(),
+                capabilities: capabilities
+            ))
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Runs the production Wi-Fi bulk eligibility resolution (including peer-ID
+    /// normalization) for the given payload size and recipient.
+    func _test_wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: Int, to peerID: PeerID) -> WifiBulkPolicy.SendCandidate {
+        wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: payloadBytes, to: peerID)
+    }
 }
 #endif
 
diff --git a/bitchatTests/BLEServiceCoreTests.swift b/bitchatTests/BLEServiceCoreTests.swift
index fe7624ec..19ddfb42 100644
--- a/bitchatTests/BLEServiceCoreTests.swift
+++ b/bitchatTests/BLEServiceCoreTests.swift
@@ -216,6 +216,51 @@ struct BLEServiceCoreTests {
             cachedServiceUUIDs: [BLEService.serviceUUID, otherService]
         ))
     }
+
+    // Regression: a stable/verified private chat addresses the peer by its
+    // full 64-hex Noise key, but the Noise session (and capabilities/
+    // connection) are keyed by the short routing ID. The Wi-Fi bulk send path
+    // must normalize the ID first, or `hasEstablishedSession` misses and
+    // Wi-Fi is never offered for a large payload to a direct `.wifiBulk` peer.
+    @Test
+    func wifiBulkEligibility_resolvesWhenAddressedBy64HexNoiseKey() throws {
+        let ble = makeService()
+
+        let noiseKey = Data((0..<32).map { UInt8(($0 &* 7) &+ 3) })
+        let fullKey = PeerID(str: noiseKey.hexEncodedString())   // 64-hex Noise key
+        #expect(fullKey.noiseKey != nil)
+        let shortID = fullKey.toShort()                          // 16-hex routing ID
+        #expect(shortID != fullKey)
+
+        // Establish a real Noise session in the service's noise engine, keyed
+        // by the short routing ID (exactly as a completed handshake would).
+        let peer = NoiseEncryptionService(keychain: MockKeychain())
+        let noise = ble._test_noiseService
+        let m1 = try noise.initiateHandshake(with: shortID)
+        let m2 = try #require(try peer.processHandshakeMessage(from: shortID, message: m1))
+        let m3 = try #require(try noise.processHandshakeMessage(from: shortID, message: m2))
+        _ = try peer.processHandshakeMessage(from: shortID, message: m3)
+
+        #expect(noise.hasEstablishedSession(with: shortID))
+        // The bug in raw form: querying by the 64-hex key misses the session.
+        #expect(!noise.hasEstablishedSession(with: fullKey))
+
+        // Register the peer as a directly-connected `.wifiBulk` neighbor.
+        ble._test_registerConnectedPeer(fullKey, capabilities: [.wifiBulk])
+
+        let bigPayload = FileTransferLimits.maxWifiBulkPayloadBytes
+
+        // The send path normalizes first, so eligibility + offer resolve for
+        // both the short ID and the full 64-hex Noise key.
+        let viaShort = ble._test_wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: bigPayload, to: shortID)
+        let viaFull = ble._test_wifiBulkSendCandidate(payloadBytes: bigPayload, to: fullKey)
+        #expect(viaShort.hasEstablishedNoiseSession)
+        #expect(viaFull.hasEstablishedNoiseSession)
+        #expect(viaFull.isDirectlyConnected)
+        #expect(viaFull.peerCapabilities.contains(.wifiBulk))
+        #expect(WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer(viaShort, enabled: true))
+        #expect(WifiBulkPolicy.shouldOffer(viaFull, enabled: true))
+    }
 }
 
 private func makeService() -> BLEService {