diff --git a/src/app/page.tsx b/src/app/page.tsx
index e7e9be0..75df668 100644
--- a/src/app/page.tsx
+++ b/src/app/page.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,25 @@ import { ChatScreen } from "@/components/screens/ChatScreen";
 import { AuthScreen } from "@/components/screens/AuthScreen";
 import { DailyRewardModal } from "@/components/online/DailyRewardModal";
 import { useSessionStore } from "@/lib/session-store";
-import { useUIStore } from "@/lib/ui-store";
+import { useGameStore } from "@/lib/game-store";
+import { useOnlineStore } from "@/lib/online-store";
+import { screenFromHash, useUIStore, type Screen } from "@/lib/ui-store";
+
+/** Transient screens can't be restored without their state — fall back to home. */
+function resolveScreen(s: Screen): Screen {
+  switch (s) {
+    case "game":
+      return useGameStore.getState().started ? s : "home";
+    case "room":
+      return useOnlineStore.getState().room ? s : "home";
+    case "chat":
+      return useOnlineStore.getState().activeChatFriend ? s : "home";
+    case "matchmaking":
+      return useOnlineStore.getState().matchmaking.phase !== "idle" ? s : "home";
+    default:
+      return s;
+  }
+}
 
 export default function Page() {
   const screen = useUIStore((s) => s.screen);
@@ -23,6 +41,14 @@ export default function Page() {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     init();
+    useUIStore.getState().initHistory();
+
+    const onPop = (e: PopStateEvent) => {
+      const raw = ((e.state?.screen as Screen) ?? screenFromHash());
+      useUIStore.getState().syncFromPop(resolveScreen(raw));
+    };
+    window.addEventListener("popstate", onPop);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener("popstate", onPop);
   }, [init]);
 
   return (
diff --git a/src/components/online/ScreenHeader.tsx b/src/components/online/ScreenHeader.tsx
index ca1d906..5c8c48f 100644
--- a/src/components/online/ScreenHeader.tsx
+++ b/src/components/online/ScreenHeader.tsx
@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ export function ScreenHeader({
   back?: Screen;
   right?: React.ReactNode;
 }) {
-  const go = useUIStore((s) => s.go);
+  const navBack = useUIStore((s) => s.back);
   const { locale } = useI18n();
   const Chevron = locale === "fa" ? ChevronRight : ChevronLeft;
   return (
     <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 mb-5">
       <button
-        onClick={() => go(back)}
+        onClick={() => navBack(back)}
         className="glass rounded-full p-2.5 hover:bg-navy-800/80 transition"
       >
         <Chevron className="size-5 text-cream/80" />
diff --git a/src/components/screens/ChatScreen.tsx b/src/components/screens/ChatScreen.tsx
index 11636c8..1582f6a 100644
--- a/src/components/screens/ChatScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/components/screens/ChatScreen.tsx
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ export function ChatScreen() {
   const messages = useOnlineStore((s) => s.chatMessages);
   const sendChat = useOnlineStore((s) => s.sendChat);
   const closeChat = useOnlineStore((s) => s.closeChat);
-  const go = useUIStore((s) => s.go);
+  const navBack = useUIStore((s) => s.back);
   const [text, setText] = useState("");
   const endRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
   const prevLen = useRef(0);
@@ -30,14 +30,14 @@ export function ChatScreen() {
     prevLen.current = messages.length;
   }, [messages]);
 
+  // Clean up the chat subscription whenever we leave (header back OR hardware back).
+  useEffect(() => () => closeChat(), [closeChat]);
+
   if (!friend) {
     return null;
   }
 
-  const back = () => {
-    closeChat();
-    go("friends");
-  };
+  const back = () => navBack("friends");
 
   const send = async () => {
     const v = text.trim();
diff --git a/src/lib/ui-store.ts b/src/lib/ui-store.ts
index 01e6efe..f6d2309 100644
--- a/src/lib/ui-store.ts
+++ b/src/lib/ui-store.ts
@@ -15,23 +15,92 @@ export type Screen =
   | "chat"
   | "game"; // the table (used for both ai + online)
 
+const ALL_SCREENS: Screen[] = [
+  "home", "auth", "profile", "friends", "online",
+  "room", "matchmaking", "leaderboard", "shop", "chat", "game",
+];
+
+/** Screens safe to restore from a URL on a cold load (no transient state needed). */
+export const STATIC_SCREENS: Screen[] = [
+  "home", "auth", "profile", "friends", "online", "leaderboard", "shop",
+];
+
+export function screenFromHash(): Screen {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return "home";
+  const h = window.location.hash.replace(/^#\/?/, "");
+  return (ALL_SCREENS.includes(h as Screen) ? (h as Screen) : "home");
+}
+
+function urlFor(screen: Screen): string {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return "/";
+  const base = window.location.pathname + window.location.search;
+  return screen === "home" ? base : `${base}#/${screen}`;
+}
+
+function pushHistory(screen: Screen, replace = false) {
+  if (typeof window === "undefined") return;
+  const state = { screen };
+  if (replace) window.history.replaceState(state, "", urlFor(screen));
+  else window.history.pushState(state, "", urlFor(screen));
+}
+
 interface UIStore {
   screen: Screen;
   /** screen to return to from the game table */
   returnTo: Screen;
   dailyModalOpen: boolean;
+
   go: (screen: Screen) => void;
   goGame: (returnTo?: Screen) => void;
+  /** Browser/hardware back. */
+  back: (fallback?: Screen) => void;
+  /** Sync from a popstate event (does not touch history). */
+  syncFromPop: (screen: Screen) => void;
+  /** Establish a home base entry + restore a deep-linked screen on load. */
+  initHistory: () => void;
+
   openDaily: () => void;
   closeDaily: () => void;
 }
 
-export const useUIStore = create<UIStore>((set) => ({
+export const useUIStore = create<UIStore>((set, get) => ({
   screen: "home",
   returnTo: "home",
   dailyModalOpen: false,
-  go: (screen) => set({ screen }),
-  goGame: (returnTo = "home") => set({ screen: "game", returnTo }),
+
+  go: (screen) => {
+    if (get().screen === screen) return;
+    pushHistory(screen);
+    set({ screen });
+  },
+
+  goGame: (returnTo = "home") => {
+    pushHistory("game");
+    set({ screen: "game", returnTo });
+  },
+
+  back: (fallback) => {
+    if (typeof window !== "undefined") {
+      window.history.back();
+      return;
+    }
+    if (fallback) set({ screen: fallback });
+  },
+
+  syncFromPop: (screen) => set({ screen }),
+
+  initHistory: () => {
+    // Always anchor a "home" base entry so back() has somewhere to land.
+    pushHistory("home", true);
+    const target = screenFromHash();
+    if (target !== "home" && STATIC_SCREENS.includes(target)) {
+      pushHistory(target);
+      set({ screen: target });
+    } else {
+      set({ screen: "home" });
+    }
+  },
+
   openDaily: () => set({ dailyModalOpen: true }),
   closeDaily: () => set({ dailyModalOpen: false }),
 }));