diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
index 1443544d94697..844835236605b 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/App.tsx
@@ -76,6 +76,7 @@ import {
   rootNavigationRef,
 } from "./lib/rootNavigation";
 import { pruneNewTaskBranchCheckouts } from "./features/threads/NewTaskDraftRouteScreen";
+import { installAppUpdateChecks } from "./features/updates/app-updates";
 
 import "../global.css";
 
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ const appServiceDisposers = [
   startIncomingShareInbox(),
   installAgentNotificationNavigation(linkToAppPath),
   installAppShortcuts(linkToAppPath),
+  installAppUpdateChecks(),
 ];
 disposeOnFoundationReplace(typeof module === "undefined" ? undefined : module.hot, () => {
   for (const dispose of appServiceDisposers) dispose();
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/home/HomeRouteScreen.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/features/home/HomeRouteScreen.tsx
index 5756a140e779b..b4db8f499ecc9 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/home/HomeRouteScreen.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/home/HomeRouteScreen.tsx
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import { useAdaptiveWorkspaceLayout } from "../layout/AdaptiveWorkspaceLayout";
 import { useDeviceType, useNativeColumnLayoutMetrics } from "../../native/native-layout-metrics";
 import { WorkspaceEmptyDetail } from "../layout/WorkspaceEmptyDetail";
 import { AndroidScreenHeader } from "../../components/ui/AndroidScreenHeader";
-import { checkForAppUpdateOnLaunch, startAppUpdateForegroundRecheck } from "../updates/app-updates";
 import { AndroidHomeFabLayout } from "./AndroidHomeFab";
 import { HomeScreen } from "./HomeScreen";
 import { HomeHeader } from "./HomeHeader";
@@ -95,11 +94,6 @@ export function HomeRouteScreen() {
     [selectThreadRoute],
   );
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    void checkForAppUpdateOnLaunch();
-    startAppUpdateForegroundRecheck();
-  }, []);
-
   const {
     archiveThread,
     confirmDeleteThread,
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.test.ts
index 73c95d01d8eb1..882659bbea324 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.test.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.test.ts
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
+import { AppState } from "react-native";
 import { describe, expect, it, vi } from "vite-plus/test";
 
 import {
   createAppUpdateDeferral,
-  createAppUpdateLaunchCheck,
+  installAppUpdateChecks,
   runAppUpdateCheck,
   type AppUpdateCheckState,
   type AppUpdateClient,
@@ -234,10 +235,9 @@ describe("runAppUpdateCheck", () => {
     const client = makeUpdateClient({
       checkForUpdateAsync: vi.fn(() => checkResult),
     });
-    const checkOnLaunch = createAppUpdateLaunchCheck(client);
     const manualStates: AppUpdateCheckState[] = [];
 
-    const launchCheck = checkOnLaunch();
+    const launchCheck = runAppUpdateCheck({ client });
     const manualCheck = runAppUpdateCheck({
       client,
       onStateChange: (state) => manualStates.push(state),
@@ -303,16 +303,16 @@ describe("runAppUpdateCheck", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("createAppUpdateLaunchCheck", () => {
-  it("checks at most once for each JavaScript launch", async () => {
+describe("installAppUpdateChecks", () => {
+  it("checks once at launch and stops listening for foregrounds when disposed", () => {
+    const remove = vi.fn();
+    vi.mocked(AppState.addEventListener).mockReturnValueOnce({ remove });
     const client = makeUpdateClient();
-    const checkOnLaunch = createAppUpdateLaunchCheck(client);
 
-    const first = checkOnLaunch();
-    const second = checkOnLaunch();
-    await first;
-
-    expect(second).toBeUndefined();
+    const dispose = installAppUpdateChecks(client);
     expect(client.checkForUpdateAsync).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
+    dispose();
+
+    expect(remove).toHaveBeenCalledOnce();
   });
 });
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.ts b/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.ts
index 87111109ebb8a..ead6f68ccc783 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/features/updates/app-updates.ts
@@ -466,20 +466,6 @@ function isAppUpdateUnavailableError(error: unknown): boolean {
   return typeof code === "string" && UPDATE_CHECK_UNAVAILABLE_ERROR_CODES.has(code);
 }
 
-export function createAppUpdateLaunchCheck(
-  client: AppUpdateClient = Updates,
-): () => Promise<void> | undefined {
-  let started = false;
-
-  return () => {
-    if (started || !isAppUpdateCheckAvailable(client)) return undefined;
-    started = true;
-    return runAppUpdateCheck({ client });
-  };
-}
-
-export const checkForAppUpdateOnLaunch = createAppUpdateLaunchCheck();
-
 export const FOREGROUND_APP_UPDATE_RECHECK_AFTER_MS = 15 * 60 * 1000;
 
 export function shouldRecheckAppUpdateOnForeground(
@@ -494,31 +480,30 @@ export function shouldRecheckAppUpdateOnForeground(
   );
 }
 
-export function createAppUpdateForegroundRecheck(
+/**
+ * App-lifetime update checks: one at launch, then again when the app returns
+ * from a long stay in the background.
+ */
+export function installAppUpdateChecks(
   client: AppUpdateClient = Updates,
   deferral: AppUpdateDeferral = appUpdateDeferral,
 ): () => void {
-  let started = false;
-
-  return () => {
-    if (started || !isAppUpdateCheckAvailable(client)) return;
-    started = true;
-    let backgroundedAtMs: number | null = null;
-    AppState.addEventListener("change", (state) => {
-      if (state === "background") {
-        backgroundedAtMs = Date.now();
-        return;
-      }
-      if (state !== "active") return;
-      const shouldCheck = shouldRecheckAppUpdateOnForeground(
-        backgroundedAtMs,
-        Date.now(),
-        deferral.pendingInstall,
-      );
-      backgroundedAtMs = null;
-      if (shouldCheck) void runAppUpdateCheck({ client, deferral });
-    });
-  };
+  if (!isAppUpdateCheckAvailable(client)) return () => undefined;
+  void runAppUpdateCheck({ client, deferral });
+  let backgroundedAtMs: number | null = null;
+  const subscription = AppState.addEventListener("change", (state) => {
+    if (state === "background") {
+      backgroundedAtMs = Date.now();
+      return;
+    }
+    if (state !== "active") return;
+    const shouldCheck = shouldRecheckAppUpdateOnForeground(
+      backgroundedAtMs,
+      Date.now(),
+      deferral.pendingInstall,
+    );
+    backgroundedAtMs = null;
+    if (shouldCheck) void runAppUpdateCheck({ client, deferral });
+  });
+  return () => subscription.remove();
 }
-
-export const startAppUpdateForegroundRecheck = createAppUpdateForegroundRecheck();