diff --git a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
index 4523e49b..cd30e753 100644
--- a/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
+++ b/neode-ui/src/views/Mesh.vue
@@ -38,6 +38,13 @@ const sendError = ref('')
 const broadcasting = ref(false)
 const configuring = ref(false)
 const connectingDevice = ref<string | null>(null)
+// Onboarding modal (#6): guides a first-time connect for a freshly-detected,
+// not-yet-connected device — a friendlier wrapper around the same Connect
+// action the "Detected USB devices" list already offers, not a new setup
+// engine. `onboardingDismissed` remembers paths the user closed without
+// connecting, so it doesn't reappear every poll tick for the same device.
+const showOnboardingModal = ref(false)
+const onboardingDismissed = ref<Set<string>>(new Set())
 const chatScrollEl = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
 const mobileShowChat = ref(false)
 // Device status panel starts collapsed on mobile (expandable via its header).
@@ -1014,11 +1021,34 @@ async function handleConnectDevice(devicePath: string) {
   connectingDevice.value = devicePath
   try {
     await mesh.configure({ enabled: true, device_path: devicePath } as Partial<import('@/stores/mesh').MeshStatus>)
+    showOnboardingModal.value = false
   } finally {
     connectingDevice.value = null
   }
 }
 
+const undismissedDetectedDevices = computed(() =>
+  (mesh.status?.detected_devices ?? []).filter((d) => !onboardingDismissed.value.has(d))
+)
+
+function dismissOnboarding() {
+  for (const d of undismissedDetectedDevices.value) onboardingDismissed.value.add(d)
+  showOnboardingModal.value = false
+}
+
+// Pop the onboarding modal the moment a device is detected but not yet
+// connected — same trigger condition the inline "Detected USB devices" list
+// already uses (mesh.status.detected_devices non-empty + not connected),
+// just surfaced as a guided prompt instead of requiring the user to notice
+// the collapsed Device card.
+watch(
+  () => [mesh.status?.device_connected, undismissedDetectedDevices.value.length] as const,
+  ([connected, count]) => {
+    if (!connected && count > 0) showOnboardingModal.value = true
+  },
+  { immediate: true },
+)
+
 function signalBars(rssi: number | null): number {
   if (rssi === null) return 0
   if (rssi > -60) return 4
@@ -2308,6 +2338,32 @@ function isImageMime(mime?: string): boolean {
       </div>
     </div>
 
+    <!-- Onboarding modal (#6): guided first-connect prompt for a freshly
+         detected, not-yet-connected mesh device — wraps the same Connect
+         action the inline "Detected USB devices" list already offers. -->
+    <div v-if="showOnboardingModal" class="mesh-transport-modal-backdrop" @click.self="dismissOnboarding">
+      <div class="glass-card mesh-transport-modal">
+        <h3 class="mesh-transport-title">📡 Mesh Device Found</h3>
+        <p class="mesh-transport-sub">
+          A radio was detected but isn't connected yet. Connect it to start using off-grid mesh chat.
+        </p>
+        <div class="mesh-transport-options">
+          <button
+            v-for="dev in undismissedDetectedDevices"
+            :key="dev"
+            class="mesh-transport-option"
+            :disabled="connectingDevice !== null"
+            @click="handleConnectDevice(dev)"
+          >
+            <span class="mesh-transport-icon">📡</span>
+            <span class="mesh-transport-label">{{ dev }}</span>
+            <span class="mesh-transport-meta">{{ connectingDevice === dev ? 'Connecting…' : 'Connect' }}</span>
+          </button>
+        </div>
+        <button class="mesh-transport-cancel" @click="dismissOnboarding">Not now</button>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+
   </div>
 </template>