diff --git a/mobile/app/pair-confirm.tsx b/mobile/app/pair-confirm.tsx
index 32decd093..78e9627a9 100644
--- a/mobile/app/pair-confirm.tsx
+++ b/mobile/app/pair-confirm.tsx
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react'
+import { useCallback, useRef, useState } from 'react'
 import { View, Text, StyleSheet, Pressable, ActivityIndicator, BackHandler } from 'react-native'
 import { useSafeAreaInsets } from 'react-native-safe-area-context'
 import { useFocusEffect, useLocalSearchParams, useRouter } from 'expo-router'
 import { ChevronLeft } from 'lucide-react-native'
-import { parsePairingCode } from '../src/transport/pairing'
+import { resolvePairConfirmRouteState } from '../src/transport/pair-confirm-state'
 import { connect } from '../src/transport/rpc-client'
 import { saveHost, getNextHostName } from '../src/transport/host-store'
-import type { ConnectionLogEntry, PairingOffer, RpcResponse } from '../src/transport/types'
+import type { ConnectionLogEntry, RpcResponse } from '../src/transport/types'
 import { colors, spacing, radii, typography } from '../src/theme/mobile-theme'
 import { ConnectionLog } from '../src/components/ConnectionLog'
 
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
   const router = useRouter()
   const insets = useSafeAreaInsets()
   const params = useLocalSearchParams<{ code?: string }>()
-  const [offer, setOffer] = useState<PairingOffer | null>(null)
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<Status>('awaiting-confirm')
   const [errorMessage, setErrorMessage] = useState('')
   const [logs, setLogs] = useState<ConnectionLogEntry[]>([])
@@ -32,6 +31,15 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
   // batch fewer setState calls when entries arrive in bursts.
   const logsRef = useRef<ConnectionLogEntry[]>([])
 
+  const routeState = resolvePairConfirmRouteState(params.code)
+  const offer = routeState.offer
+  const resolvedStatus =
+    status === 'awaiting-confirm' && routeState.kind === 'error' ? 'error' : status
+  const resolvedErrorMessage =
+    status === 'awaiting-confirm' && routeState.kind === 'error'
+      ? routeState.errorMessage
+      : errorMessage
+
   const cancel = useCallback(() => {
     router.replace('/')
   }, [router])
@@ -46,21 +54,6 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
     }, [cancel])
   )
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    if (!params.code) {
-      setStatus('error')
-      setErrorMessage('Missing pairing code')
-      return
-    }
-    const parsed = parsePairingCode(params.code)
-    if (!parsed) {
-      setStatus('error')
-      setErrorMessage('Not a valid pairing code')
-      return
-    }
-    setOffer(parsed)
-  }, [params.code])
-
   async function confirm() {
     if (!offer) return
     setStatus('connecting')
@@ -141,7 +134,7 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
       </Pressable>
 
       <View style={styles.content}>
-        {offer && status === 'awaiting-confirm' && (
+        {offer && resolvedStatus === 'awaiting-confirm' && (
           <>
             <Text style={styles.title}>Pair with this desktop?</Text>
             <Text style={styles.subtitle}>
@@ -156,7 +149,7 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
           </>
         )}
 
-        {status === 'connecting' && (
+        {resolvedStatus === 'connecting' && (
           <>
             <ActivityIndicator size="large" color={colors.textSecondary} />
             <Text style={styles.connectingText}>Connecting…</Text>
@@ -166,9 +159,9 @@ export default function PairConfirmScreen() {
           </>
         )}
 
-        {status === 'error' && (
+        {resolvedStatus === 'error' && (
           <>
-            <Text style={styles.errorText}>{errorMessage}</Text>
+            <Text style={styles.errorText}>{resolvedErrorMessage}</Text>
             {logs.length > 0 && (
               <View style={styles.logSlot}>
                 <ConnectionLog entries={logs} title="Pairing log" />
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.test.ts b/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a318dd7e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+import { Buffer } from 'node:buffer'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { resolvePairConfirmRouteState } from './pair-confirm-state'
+import type { PairingOffer } from './types'
+
+function encodeOffer(offer: PairingOffer): string {
+  return Buffer.from(JSON.stringify(offer))
+    .toString('base64')
+    .replace(/\+/g, '-')
+    .replace(/\//g, '_')
+    .replace(/=+$/g, '')
+}
+
+describe('resolvePairConfirmRouteState', () => {
+  const offer: PairingOffer = {
+    v: 2,
+    endpoint: 'ws://192.168.1.10:6768',
+    deviceToken: 'token-abc',
+    publicKeyB64: 'pubkey-xyz'
+  }
+
+  it('accepts a valid pairing code', () => {
+    expect(resolvePairConfirmRouteState(encodeOffer(offer))).toEqual({
+      kind: 'ready',
+      offer,
+      errorMessage: ''
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('accepts a full pairing URL', () => {
+    expect(resolvePairConfirmRouteState(`orca://pair#${encodeOffer(offer)}`)).toEqual({
+      kind: 'ready',
+      offer,
+      errorMessage: ''
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('reports a missing pairing code', () => {
+    expect(resolvePairConfirmRouteState(undefined)).toEqual({
+      kind: 'error',
+      offer: null,
+      errorMessage: 'Missing pairing code'
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('reports an invalid pairing code', () => {
+    expect(resolvePairConfirmRouteState('not a pairing code')).toEqual({
+      kind: 'error',
+      offer: null,
+      errorMessage: 'Not a valid pairing code'
+    })
+  })
+})
diff --git a/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.ts b/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..242e67d7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/src/transport/pair-confirm-state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { parsePairingCode } from './pairing'
+import type { PairingOffer } from './types'
+
+export type PairConfirmRouteState =
+  | { kind: 'ready'; offer: PairingOffer; errorMessage: '' }
+  | { kind: 'error'; offer: null; errorMessage: string }
+
+export function resolvePairConfirmRouteState(code: string | undefined): PairConfirmRouteState {
+  if (!code) {
+    return { kind: 'error', offer: null, errorMessage: 'Missing pairing code' }
+  }
+
+  const offer = parsePairingCode(code)
+  if (!offer) {
+    return { kind: 'error', offer: null, errorMessage: 'Not a valid pairing code' }
+  }
+
+  return { kind: 'ready', offer, errorMessage: '' }
+}