diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/shonar/widget/ShonarWidget.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/shonar/widget/ShonarWidget.kt
index e2f6579..22e7786 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/shonar/widget/ShonarWidget.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/shonar/widget/ShonarWidget.kt
@@ -47,22 +47,41 @@ class ShonarRecordWidget : AppWidgetProvider() {
     companion object {
         const val ACTION_WIDGET_RECORD = "com.shonar.widget.RECORD_TAP"
 
+        /**
+         * Render the vector to a bitmap instead of handing the launcher a
+         * drawable resource id: themed-icon launchers (Lawnchair) re-tint any
+         * resource they can resolve, which flattened the navy+teal mic to a
+         * gray monochrome silhouette. A bitmap is opaque pixels — nothing to
+         * tint. (2026-09-17)
+         */
+        private fun bitmapOf(ctx: Context, resId: Int, dp: Int): android.graphics.Bitmap {
+            val size = (dp * ctx.resources.displayMetrics.density).toInt().coerceAtLeast(64)
+            val d = androidx.core.content.ContextCompat.getDrawable(ctx, resId)
+                ?: throw IllegalStateException("missing widget drawable $resId")
+            val bmp =
+                android.graphics.Bitmap.createBitmap(size, size, android.graphics.Bitmap.Config.ARGB_8888)
+            val canvas = android.graphics.Canvas(bmp)
+            d.setBounds(0, 0, size, size)
+            d.draw(canvas)
+            return bmp
+        }
+
         fun views(
             ctx: Context,
             phase: com.shonar.recording.RecordingSnapshot.Phase,
         ): RemoteViews {
             val v = RemoteViews(ctx.packageName, R.layout.shonar_widget)
-            v.setImageViewResource(R.id.widget_icon, R.drawable.ic_widget_mic)
+            v.setImageViewBitmap(R.id.widget_icon, bitmapOf(ctx, R.drawable.ic_widget_mic, 96))
             when (phase) {
                 com.shonar.recording.RecordingSnapshot.Phase.RECORDING -> {
-                    v.setImageViewResource(R.id.widget_badge, R.drawable.ic_widget_badge_rec)
+                    v.setImageViewBitmap(R.id.widget_badge, bitmapOf(ctx, R.drawable.ic_widget_badge_rec, 28))
                     v.setViewVisibility(R.id.widget_badge, View.VISIBLE)
                     v.setContentDescription(
                         R.id.widget_button, ctx.getString(R.string.widget_recording),
                     )
                 }
                 com.shonar.recording.RecordingSnapshot.Phase.PAUSED -> {
-                    v.setImageViewResource(R.id.widget_badge, R.drawable.ic_widget_badge_paused)
+                    v.setImageViewBitmap(R.id.widget_badge, bitmapOf(ctx, R.drawable.ic_widget_badge_paused, 28))
                     v.setViewVisibility(R.id.widget_badge, View.VISIBLE)
                     v.setContentDescription(
                         R.id.widget_button, ctx.getString(R.string.widget_paused),
@@ -77,10 +96,14 @@ class ShonarRecordWidget : AppWidgetProvider() {
             }
 
             val tap: PendingIntent = if (phase == com.shonar.recording.RecordingSnapshot.Phase.IDLE) {
-                PendingIntent.getBroadcast(
+                // Invisible activity trampoline, NOT a broadcast: a cold
+                // process woken by a broadcast is battery-throttled (the
+                // banner could take ~10s); an activity start runs at full
+                // priority and gives startForegroundService its FGS
+                // exemption on Android 12+.
+                PendingIntent.getActivity(
                     ctx, 50,
-                    Intent(ctx, ShonarRecordWidget::class.java).setAction(ACTION_WIDGET_RECORD)
-                        .addFlags(Intent.FLAG_RECEIVER_FOREGROUND),
+                    Intent(ctx, StartRecordingActivity::class.java),
                     PendingIntent.FLAG_UPDATE_CURRENT or PendingIntent.FLAG_IMMUTABLE,
                 )
             } else {