diff --git a/web/packages/teleport/src/AppLauncher/AppLauncher.tsx b/web/packages/teleport/src/AppLauncher/AppLauncher.tsx
index 32cc8a267d3b0..a7d0fb24d8d15 100644
--- a/web/packages/teleport/src/AppLauncher/AppLauncher.tsx
+++ b/web/packages/teleport/src/AppLauncher/AppLauncher.tsx
@@ -35,11 +35,12 @@ export function AppLauncher() {
   const queryParams = new URLSearchParams(search);
 
   const createAppSession = useCallback(async (params: UrlLauncherParams) => {
+    let fqdn = params.fqdn;
+    const port = location.port ? `:${location.port}` : '';
+
     try {
-      let fqdn = params.fqdn;
       if (!fqdn) {
         const app = await service.getAppFqdn(params);
-
         fqdn = app.fqdn;
       }
 
@@ -48,7 +49,6 @@ export function AppLauncher() {
         params.arn = decodeURIComponent(params.arn);
       }
 
-      const port = location.port ? `:${location.port}` : '';
       const session = await service.createAppSession(params);
 
       await fetch(`https://${fqdn}${port}/x-teleport-auth`, {
@@ -72,7 +72,11 @@ export function AppLauncher() {
       window.location.replace(`https://${fqdn}${port}${path}`);
     } catch (err) {
       let statusText = 'Something went wrong';
-      if (err instanceof Error) {
+
+      if (err instanceof TypeError) {
+        // `fetch` returns `TypeError` when there is a network error.
+        statusText = `Unable to access "${fqdn}". This may happen if your Teleport Proxy is using untrusted or self-signed certificate. Please ensure Teleport Proxy service uses valid certificate or access the application domain directly (https://${fqdn}${port}) and accept the certificate exception from your browser.`;
+      } else if (err instanceof Error) {
         statusText = err.message;
       }