diff --git a/bitchat/Services/BluetoothMeshService.swift b/bitchat/Services/BluetoothMeshService.swift
index 4fb0484d..2db27492 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/BluetoothMeshService.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/BluetoothMeshService.swift
@@ -1353,16 +1353,19 @@ class BluetoothMeshService: NSObject {
         // Check if we should reset the notification flag
         if let emptyTime = networkBecameEmptyTime {
             let currentNetworkSize = collectionsQueue.sync { activePeers.count }
+            print("📱 Checking network empty state: size=\(currentNetworkSize), emptyTime=\(emptyTime)")
             if currentNetworkSize == 0 {
                 // Network is still empty, check if enough time has passed
                 let timeSinceEmpty = Date().timeIntervalSince(emptyTime)
                 if timeSinceEmpty >= networkEmptyResetDelay {
                     // Reset the flag after network has been empty for the delay period
+                    print("📱 Resetting notification flag after \(timeSinceEmpty)s of empty network")
                     hasNotifiedNetworkAvailable = false
                     // Keep the empty time set so we don't immediately notify again
                 }
             } else {
                 // Network is no longer empty, clear the empty time
+                print("📱 Network no longer empty, clearing empty time")
                 networkBecameEmptyTime = nil
             }
         }
@@ -1975,6 +1978,7 @@ class BluetoothMeshService: NSObject {
                 
                 // Check if we've already announced this peer
                 let isFirstAnnounce = !announcedPeers.contains(senderID)
+                print("📱 Peer announce: \(senderID), isFirstAnnounce: \(isFirstAnnounce), wasInserted: \(wasInserted ?? false)")
                 
                 // Clean up stale peer IDs with the same nickname
                 collectionsQueue.sync(flags: .barrier) {
@@ -2115,6 +2119,8 @@ class BluetoothMeshService: NSObject {
                         
                         // Send network available notification if appropriate
                         let currentNetworkSize = collectionsQueue.sync { self.activePeers.count }
+                        print("📱 Network size after peer announce: \(currentNetworkSize), hasNotified: \(hasNotifiedNetworkAvailable)")
+                        
                         if currentNetworkSize > 0 {
                             // Clear empty time since network is active
                             networkBecameEmptyTime = nil
@@ -2126,17 +2132,24 @@ class BluetoothMeshService: NSObject {
                                 
                                 if let lastNotification = lastNetworkNotificationTime {
                                     let timeSinceLastNotification = now.timeIntervalSince(lastNotification)
+                                    print("📱 Time since last notification: \(timeSinceLastNotification)s, cooldown: \(networkNotificationCooldown)s")
                                     if timeSinceLastNotification < networkNotificationCooldown {
                                         // Too soon to send another notification
                                         shouldSendNotification = false
+                                        print("📱 Skipping notification - cooldown period active")
                                     }
                                 }
                                 
                                 if shouldSendNotification {
+                                    print("📱 Triggering network availability notification for \(currentNetworkSize) peers")
                                     hasNotifiedNetworkAvailable = true
                                     lastNetworkNotificationTime = now
                                     NotificationService.shared.sendNetworkAvailableNotification(peerCount: currentNetworkSize)
+                                } else {
+                                    print("📱 Not sending notification - cooldown active")
                                 }
+                            } else {
+                                print("📱 Not sending notification - already notified")
                             }
                         }
                         
diff --git a/bitchat/Services/NotificationService.swift b/bitchat/Services/NotificationService.swift
index 74930709..e76bc932 100644
--- a/bitchat/Services/NotificationService.swift
+++ b/bitchat/Services/NotificationService.swift
@@ -20,9 +20,11 @@ class NotificationService {
     private init() {}
     
     func requestAuthorization() {
-        UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .sound, .badge]) { granted, _ in
+        UNUserNotificationCenter.current().requestAuthorization(options: [.alert, .sound, .badge]) { granted, error in
             if granted {
-                // Permission granted
+                print("📱 Notification permission granted")
+            } else {
+                print("📱 Notification permission denied: \(error?.localizedDescription ?? "Unknown")")
             }
         }
     }
@@ -87,8 +89,29 @@ class NotificationService {
     func sendNetworkAvailableNotification(peerCount: Int) {
         let title = "👥 bitchatters nearby!"
         let body = peerCount == 1 ? "1 person around" : "\(peerCount) people around"
-        let identifier = "network-available"
+        let identifier = "network-available-\(Date().timeIntervalSince1970)"
         
-        sendLocalNotification(title: title, body: body, identifier: identifier)
+        print("📱 Sending network notification: \(body)")
+        
+        // For network notifications, we want to show them even in foreground
+        let content = UNMutableNotificationContent()
+        content.title = title
+        content.body = body
+        content.sound = .default
+        content.interruptionLevel = .timeSensitive  // Make it more prominent
+        
+        let request = UNNotificationRequest(
+            identifier: identifier,
+            content: content,
+            trigger: nil // Deliver immediately
+        )
+        
+        UNUserNotificationCenter.current().add(request) { error in
+            if let error = error {
+                print("📱 Error sending network notification: \(error)")
+            } else {
+                print("📱 Network notification sent successfully")
+            }
+        }
     }
 }