diff --git a/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.css b/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.css
index 7279088a..c9b10263 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.css
+++ b/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.css
@@ -219,6 +219,50 @@
   gap: 2px;
 }
 
+/* Clickable app-version badge → Settings → Updates (sits by the network icon) */
+.logs-footer__version {
+  background: none;
+  border: none;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+  padding: 0 6px;
+  height: var(--chrome-icon-btn);
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  font-size: 11px;
+  font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
+  letter-spacing: 0.02em;
+  color: var(--chrome-fg, #ebdbb2);
+  opacity: 0.55;
+  transition: opacity 0.15s, color 0.15s;
+}
+.logs-footer__version:hover {
+  opacity: 1;
+  color: var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26);
+  text-decoration: underline;
+}
+/* Update-available: highlight the badge + a pulsing notification dot. */
+.logs-footer__version--update {
+  position: relative;
+  opacity: 1;
+  color: var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26);
+  font-weight: 600;
+}
+.logs-footer__version-dot {
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 6px;
+  height: 6px;
+  margin-left: 5px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26);
+  box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26) 60%, transparent);
+  animation: version-dot-pulse 2s ease-in-out infinite;
+  vertical-align: middle;
+}
+@keyframes version-dot-pulse {
+  0%, 100% { box-shadow: 0 0 0 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26) 55%, transparent); }
+  50%      { box-shadow: 0 0 0 4px color-mix(in srgb, var(--chrome-accent, #b8bb26) 0%, transparent); }
+}
+
 /* Discord button */
 .logs-footer__discord {
   background: none;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.jsx b/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.jsx
index 9728e150..33981476 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/LogsFooter.jsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { getFrontendLogs, clearFrontendLogs } from '../utils/consoleBuffer';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { useAppStore } from '../store';
 import NetworkToggle from './NetworkToggle';
+import { APP_VERSION } from '../utils/appVersion';
 import './LogsFooter.css';
 
 /**
@@ -142,6 +143,10 @@ export default function LogsFooter() {
   }
   const [collapsed, setCollapsed] = useState(true);
   const { t } = useTranslation();
+  // Update availability drives the footer version badge's notification dot.
+  const updateStatus = useAppStore((s) => s.updateStatus);
+  const updateVersion = useAppStore((s) => s.updateVersion);
+  const updateReady = updateStatus === 'available' || updateStatus === 'ready';
   const [height, setHeight] = useState(() => {
     const v = Number(localStorage.getItem(LS_HEIGHT));
     return Number.isFinite(v) && v >= MIN_H && v <= MAX_H ? v : 300;
@@ -412,6 +417,20 @@ export default function LogsFooter() {
               </button>
             </div>
           )}
+          <button
+            type="button"
+            className={`logs-footer__version ${updateReady ? 'logs-footer__version--update' : ''}`}
+            onClick={() => useAppStore.getState().openSettingsTab?.('updates')}
+            title={updateReady
+              ? t('logs.update_available', { version: updateVersion || '', defaultValue: 'Update available ({{version}}) — click to update' })
+              : t('logs.version_updates', { defaultValue: 'Check for updates' })}
+            aria-label={updateReady
+              ? t('logs.update_available_aria', { version: updateVersion || '', defaultValue: 'Update available ({{version}}) — open updates' })
+              : t('logs.version_updates_aria', { defaultValue: 'Open updates — app version {{v}}', v: APP_VERSION })}
+          >
+            v{APP_VERSION}
+            {updateReady && <span className="logs-footer__version-dot" aria-hidden="true" />}
+          </button>
           <NetworkToggle />
           <button
             type="button"
diff --git a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
index 3ed79fbb..7b57a5a4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
+++ b/frontend/src/i18n/locales/en.json
@@ -1552,6 +1552,10 @@
     "close_aria": "Close logs panel",
     "join_discord": "Join our Discord",
     "join_discord_aria": "Join our Discord community",
+    "version_updates": "Check for updates",
+    "version_updates_aria": "Open updates — app version {{v}}",
+    "update_available": "Update available ({{version}}) — click to update",
+    "update_available_aria": "Update available ({{version}}) — open updates",
     "support_project": "Support this project",
     "support_project_aria": "Support this project",
     "contact": "Contact",
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Settings.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/Settings.jsx
index 7d8ad1fd..a72fbe55 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Settings.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Settings.jsx
@@ -1157,7 +1157,11 @@ async function askConfirm(message, title = 'Confirm') {
 
 export default function Settings() {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState('models');
+  // One-shot deep-link: a caller (e.g. the footer version badge → Updates) can
+  // set `pendingSettingsTab` and navigate here; consume it as the initial tab.
+  const pendingSettingsTab = useAppStore((s) => s.pendingSettingsTab);
+  const setPendingSettingsTab = useAppStore((s) => s.setPendingSettingsTab);
+  const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState(() => pendingSettingsTab || 'models');
   const [logSource, setLogSource] = useState('backend');
   const [logs, setLogs] = useState([]);
   const [logMeta, setLogMeta] = useState({ path: '', exists: false });
@@ -1167,6 +1171,16 @@ export default function Settings() {
   const [updateState, setUpdateState] = useState('idle'); // idle|checking|downloading|uptodate|error
   const updateChannel = useAppStore((s) => s.updateChannel);
 
+  // Consume a one-shot deep-link tab (covers the case where Settings is already
+  // open and the value changes after mount); clear it so a later plain open of
+  // Settings doesn't jump tabs.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (pendingSettingsTab) {
+      setActiveTab(pendingSettingsTab);
+      setPendingSettingsTab(null);
+    }
+  }, [pendingSettingsTab, setPendingSettingsTab]);
+
   // TanStack Query — shared cache with App.jsx, no duplicate requests
   const { data: hw } = useSysinfo();
   const { data: status } = useModelStatus();
diff --git a/frontend/src/store/uiSlice.ts b/frontend/src/store/uiSlice.ts
index a7d37d17..9340b3c8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/store/uiSlice.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/store/uiSlice.ts
@@ -54,6 +54,13 @@ export interface UiSlice {
    * that profile once it appears in the loaded profiles list, then clears this.
    */
   pendingProfileId: string | null;
+  /**
+   * One-shot hand-off for "open Settings on a specific tab": a caller (e.g. the
+   * footer version badge) sets the tab id and navigates to `settings`; the
+   * Settings page consumes it as its initial/active tab, then clears it. Mirrors
+   * `pendingProfileId`.
+   */
+  pendingSettingsTab: string | null;
   isSidebarCollapsed: boolean;
   isSidebarProjectsCollapsed: boolean;
   sidebarTab: SidebarTab;
@@ -66,6 +73,9 @@ export interface UiSlice {
   setActiveVoiceId: (id: string | null) => void;
   setModeBeforeVoice: (mode: AppMode | null) => void;
   setPendingProfileId: (id: string | null) => void;
+  setPendingSettingsTab: (tab: string | null) => void;
+  /** Navigate to Settings on a specific tab in one call. */
+  openSettingsTab: (tab: string) => void;
   setIsSidebarCollapsed: (collapsed: boolean) => void;
   setIsSidebarProjectsCollapsed: (collapsed: boolean) => void;
   setSidebarTab: (tab: SidebarTab) => void;
@@ -86,6 +96,7 @@ export const createUiSlice: StateCreator<UiSlice, [], [], UiSlice> = (set, get)
   activeVoiceId: null,
   modeBeforeVoice: null,
   pendingProfileId: null,
+  pendingSettingsTab: null,
   isSidebarCollapsed: false,
   isSidebarProjectsCollapsed: false,
   sidebarTab: 'projects',
@@ -98,6 +109,8 @@ export const createUiSlice: StateCreator<UiSlice, [], [], UiSlice> = (set, get)
   setActiveVoiceId: (id) => set({ activeVoiceId: id }),
   setModeBeforeVoice: (mode) => set({ modeBeforeVoice: mode }),
   setPendingProfileId: (id) => set({ pendingProfileId: id }),
+  setPendingSettingsTab: (tab) => set({ pendingSettingsTab: tab }),
+  openSettingsTab: (tab) => set({ pendingSettingsTab: tab, mode: 'settings' }),
   setIsSidebarCollapsed: (collapsed) => set({ isSidebarCollapsed: collapsed }),
   setIsSidebarProjectsCollapsed: (collapsed) => set({ isSidebarProjectsCollapsed: collapsed }),
   setSidebarTab: (tab) => set({ sidebarTab: tab }),
diff --git a/frontend/src/test/openSettingsTab.test.js b/frontend/src/test/openSettingsTab.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf037b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/test/openSettingsTab.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
+import { useAppStore } from '../store';
+
+// The footer version badge deep-links to Settings → Updates via openSettingsTab.
+describe('openSettingsTab — footer version badge → Settings tab deep-link', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    useAppStore.getState().setMode('launchpad');
+    useAppStore.getState().setPendingSettingsTab(null);
+  });
+
+  it('sets the pending tab AND navigates to settings in one call', () => {
+    useAppStore.getState().openSettingsTab('updates');
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().mode).toBe('settings');
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().pendingSettingsTab).toBe('updates');
+  });
+
+  it('setPendingSettingsTab can clear the one-shot value after Settings consumes it', () => {
+    useAppStore.getState().openSettingsTab('updates');
+    useAppStore.getState().setPendingSettingsTab(null);
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().pendingSettingsTab).toBeNull();
+    // mode stays on settings — only the one-shot tab hint is cleared
+    expect(useAppStore.getState().mode).toBe('settings');
+  });
+});