diff --git a/components/auth/key-exchange-qr.tsx b/components/auth/key-exchange-qr.tsx
index 807e8d5f..1b54287b 100644
--- a/components/auth/key-exchange-qr.tsx
+++ b/components/auth/key-exchange-qr.tsx
@@ -19,9 +19,15 @@ interface KeyExchangeQRProps {
  * QR code component for key exchange URI.
  *
  * Displays a dash-key:/dash-st: URI as a QR code that can be scanned by a
- * wallet app. On touch devices (where scanning your own screen is impossible)
- * it also offers an "Open in wallet app" deep link into a wallet registered
- * for the URI scheme. Includes copy-to-clipboard functionality for manual entry.
+ * wallet app, and offers an "Open Dash Wallet" deep link into whichever wallet
+ * is registered for the URI scheme on this device. The deep link matters on
+ * desktop too — Dash Evo Tool runs on the same machine as the browser, so
+ * scanning is a detour — but the browser gives no signal when no handler is
+ * registered, so a fallback hint appears once the link has been clicked.
+ *
+ * Copy-to-clipboard is offered on desktop only: on a touch device the deep
+ * link already hands the URI to the wallet, and pasting it by hand is the
+ * path the deep link exists to avoid.
  */
 export function KeyExchangeQR({
   uri,
@@ -30,13 +36,19 @@ export function KeyExchangeQR({
 }: KeyExchangeQRProps) {
   const [copied, setCopied] = useState(false)
   const [isTouchDevice, setIsTouchDevice] = useState(false)
+  const [launchAttempted, setLaunchAttempted] = useState(false)
 
   // Coarse-pointer detection has to run client-side; the static export renders
-  // the desktop (QR-first) layout until hydration.
+  // the desktop variant until hydration.
   useEffect(() => {
     setIsTouchDevice(window.matchMedia('(pointer: coarse)').matches)
   }, [])
 
+  // A new request (retry, or expiry-driven regeneration) starts a fresh attempt
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setLaunchAttempted(false)
+  }, [uri])
+
   const handleCopy = async () => {
     try {
       await navigator.clipboard.writeText(uri)
@@ -56,16 +68,15 @@ export function KeyExchangeQR({
 
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">
-      {/* Deep link for wallets installed on this device */}
-      {isTouchDevice && (
-        <a
-          href={uri}
-          className={cn(buttonVariants({ size: 'lg' }), 'w-full gap-2')}
-        >
-          <ArrowTopRightOnSquareIcon className="w-5 h-5" />
-          Open in Wallet App
-        </a>
-      )}
+      {/* Deep link into a wallet registered for the scheme on this device */}
+      <a
+        href={uri}
+        onClick={() => setLaunchAttempted(true)}
+        className={cn(buttonVariants({ size: 'lg' }), 'w-full gap-2')}
+      >
+        <ArrowTopRightOnSquareIcon className="w-5 h-5" />
+        Open Dash Wallet
+      </a>
 
       {/* QR Code */}
       <div className="p-4 bg-white rounded-xl shadow-sm border-2 border-blue-500">
@@ -83,8 +94,8 @@ export function KeyExchangeQR({
       <div className="text-center">
         <p className="text-sm text-gray-600 dark:text-gray-400">
           {isTouchDevice
-            ? 'Open in a wallet app on this device, or scan the QR code with a wallet on another device'
-            : 'Scan with a compatible Dash wallet, such as Dash Evo Tool'}
+            ? 'Open a wallet app on this device, or scan the QR code with a wallet on another device'
+            : 'Open a wallet on this computer, such as Dash Evo Tool, or scan the QR code with a wallet on your phone'}
         </p>
         {remainingTime !== null && remainingTime !== undefined && (
           <p className="text-xs text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-500 mt-1">
@@ -93,23 +104,34 @@ export function KeyExchangeQR({
         )}
       </div>
 
-      {/* Copy button */}
-      <button
-        onClick={handleCopy}
-        className="flex items-center gap-2 px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:hover:bg-neutral-800 transition-colors"
-      >
-        {copied ? (
-          <>
-            <CheckIcon className="w-4 h-4 text-green-500" />
-            <span className="text-green-600 dark:text-green-400">Copied!</span>
-          </>
-        ) : (
-          <>
-            <ClipboardIcon className="w-4 h-4" />
-            <span>Copy URI</span>
-          </>
-        )}
-      </button>
+      {/* Copy button — desktop only; the deep link supersedes it on touch */}
+      {!isTouchDevice && (
+        <button
+          onClick={handleCopy}
+          className="flex items-center gap-2 px-4 py-2 text-sm rounded-lg border border-gray-200 dark:border-gray-700 hover:bg-gray-50 dark:hover:bg-neutral-800 transition-colors"
+        >
+          {copied ? (
+            <>
+              <CheckIcon className="w-4 h-4 text-green-500" />
+              <span className="text-green-600 dark:text-green-400">Copied!</span>
+            </>
+          ) : (
+            <>
+              <ClipboardIcon className="w-4 h-4" />
+              <span>Copy URI</span>
+            </>
+          )}
+        </button>
+      )}
+
+      {/* Browsers stay silent when no app handles the scheme, so say what to do */}
+      {launchAttempted && (
+        <p className="text-xs text-center text-gray-500 dark:text-gray-500">
+          {isTouchDevice
+            ? 'Nothing opened? No wallet app on this device is registered to handle Dash login links. Scan the QR code with a wallet on another device instead.'
+            : 'Nothing opened? No wallet on this device is registered to handle Dash login links. Scan the QR code with a wallet on another device, or copy the URI and paste it into your wallet.'}
+        </p>
+      )}
     </div>
   )
 }