diff --git a/src/ui/Approval.tsx b/src/ui/Approval.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dff8e59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/Approval.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import { Box, Text, useInput } from 'ink';
+import React from 'react';
+import type { ApprovalDecision, ApprovalRequest } from '../session';
+import { Diff } from './Diff';
+import { toolDetail } from './transcript';
+
+export type Pending = { req: ApprovalRequest; resolve: (d: ApprovalDecision) => void };
+
+/** Bridges Session's promise-based approval callback into React state. */
+export type ApprovalBridge = {
+  bind: (fn: (p: Pending | undefined) => void) => void;
+  ask: (req: ApprovalRequest) => Promise<ApprovalDecision>;
+};
+
+export function createApprovalBridge(): ApprovalBridge {
+  let setter: ((p: Pending | undefined) => void) | undefined;
+  return {
+    bind(fn) {
+      setter = fn;
+    },
+    ask(req) {
+      return new Promise((resolve) => {
+        if (!setter) return resolve('deny'); // UI not mounted: fail closed
+        setter({
+          req,
+          resolve: (d) => {
+            setter?.(undefined);
+            resolve(d);
+          },
+        });
+      });
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * What the call is about to do, in the shape that decision needs.
+ *
+ * An edit gets a coloured diff, because the question is which lines change. Every
+ * other tool gets the same argument lines the transcript shows, which is both
+ * consistent and far more readable than a JSON dump of the input.
+ */
+function ApprovalDetail({ name, input }: { name: string; input: unknown }) {
+  const o = (input ?? {}) as Record<string, unknown>;
+
+  if (name === 'write_file') {
+    const content = String(o['content'] ?? '');
+    return <Diff before="" after={content} path={`${String(o['path'])} (new content)`} />;
+  }
+  if (name === 'edit_file') {
+    return <Diff before={String(o['oldString'] ?? '')} after={String(o['newString'] ?? '')} path={String(o['path'])} />;
+  }
+
+  const detail = toolDetail(name, input);
+  if (detail.length === 0) return <Text dimColor>{JSON.stringify(input)}</Text>;
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column">
+      {detail.slice(0, 10).map((d, i) => (
+        <Text key={i} dimColor>
+          {`  ${d}`}
+        </Text>
+      ))}
+      {detail.length > 10 && <Text dimColor>{`  ... ${detail.length - 10} more`}</Text>}
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
+
+/** Why this call stopped, in the words that make the decision obvious. */
+function reason(req: ApprovalRequest): string {
+  if (req.repeated) return `${req.toolName} is repeating the same call`;
+  if (req.subagent) return `a worker subagent wants to run ${req.toolName}`;
+  return `${req.toolName} wants to run`;
+}
+
+export function Approval({ pending }: { pending: Pending }) {
+  const { req } = pending;
+
+  useInput((input, key) => {
+    const c = input.toLowerCase();
+    if (c === 'y' || key.return) pending.resolve('once');
+    else if (c === 'a') pending.resolve('always');
+    else if (c === 'n' || key.escape) pending.resolve('deny');
+  });
+
+  const grant = req.suggestedPattern === '*' ? req.toolName : `${req.toolName} ${req.suggestedPattern}`;
+
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" borderStyle="round" borderColor="yellow" paddingX={1}>
+      <Text color="yellow" bold>
+        {reason(req)}
+      </Text>
+      {req.repeated && <Text dimColor>allowed by the rules, but this is the third identical call this turn</Text>}
+      {req.subagent && !req.repeated && (
+        <Text dimColor>delegated work, gated by your rules exactly as a direct call is</Text>
+      )}
+      {!req.repeated && req.matchedPattern && req.matchedPattern !== '*' && (
+        <Text dimColor>{`matched ${req.toolName}: "${req.matchedPattern}"`}</Text>
+      )}
+      <ApprovalDetail name={req.toolName} input={req.input} />
+      <Text>
+        <Text color="green">y</Text> allow once | <Text color="green">a</Text> always allow {grant} |{' '}
+        <Text color="red">n</Text> deny
+      </Text>
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/Pickers.tsx b/src/ui/Pickers.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8c3add
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/Pickers.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,128 @@
+import { Box, Text, useInput } from 'ink';
+import SelectInput from 'ink-select-input';
+import React from 'react';
+import type { CommandSpec } from '../commands';
+import { InstallPrompt, type RegistryRow } from './Panels';
+
+/** The `/` menu, narrowing as the name is typed. */
+export function CommandMenu({ matches, index }: { matches: readonly CommandSpec[]; index: number }) {
+  const width = Math.max(...matches.map((c) => `/${c.name}${c.arg ? ` ${c.arg}` : ''}`.length)) + 1;
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" marginTop={1}>
+      {matches.map((c, i) => (
+        <Box key={c.name}>
+          <Text color={i === index ? 'cyan' : undefined}>{i === index ? '> ' : '  '}</Text>
+          <Text color={i === index ? 'cyan' : undefined} bold={i === index}>
+            {`/${c.name}${c.arg ? ` ${c.arg}` : ''}`.padEnd(width)}
+          </Text>
+          <Text dimColor>{c.summary}</Text>
+        </Box>
+      ))}
+      <Text dimColor>up/down move | tab complete | enter run | esc dismiss</Text>
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
+
+/** Keyboard wrapper around InstallPrompt, so the prompt itself stays presentational. */
+export function InstallConfirm({
+  staged,
+  onDone,
+}: {
+  staged: { row: RegistryRow; url: string; preview: string };
+  onDone: (yes: boolean) => void;
+}) {
+  useInput((input, key) => {
+    const c = input.toLowerCase();
+    if (c === 'y' || key.return) onDone(true);
+    else if (c === 'n' || key.escape) onDone(false);
+  });
+
+  return <InstallPrompt name={staged.row.name} kind={staged.row.kind} url={staged.url} preview={staged.preview} />;
+}
+
+export type PickerOption = { value: string; label: string };
+
+/**
+ * The bordered frame every wizard and picker sits in.
+ *
+ * It lived as two private copies, one in Onboard and one in McpAdd, which had
+ * already drifted: one took an `error` line and the other did not. One component
+ * means the border, title, hint, and error treatment stay the same everywhere.
+ */
+export function Frame({
+  title,
+  hint,
+  error,
+  warning,
+  children,
+}: {
+  title: string;
+  hint?: string;
+  error?: string;
+  warning?: string;
+  children: React.ReactNode;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" borderStyle="round" borderColor="cyan" paddingX={1}>
+      <Text color="cyan" bold>
+        {title}
+      </Text>
+      {hint && <Text dimColor>{hint}</Text>}
+      {warning && <Text color="yellow">could not list models: {warning}</Text>}
+      {error && <Text color="red">{error}</Text>}
+      {children}
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
+
+/** A `label:` prefix in the frame's colour, for one input line of a form. */
+export function Row({ label, children }: { label: string; children: React.ReactNode }) {
+  return (
+    <Box>
+      <Text color="cyan">{label}: </Text>
+      {children}
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * One bordered list picker, shared by the model, agent, and thinking choosers.
+ *
+ * They were three copies of the same twenty lines differing only in title, hint,
+ * and items. One component means a change to the picker's behaviour — the escape
+ * hint, the highlight, the row limit — lands in all three at once.
+ */
+export function Picker({
+  title,
+  hint,
+  options,
+  current,
+  limit = 10,
+  onSelect,
+}: {
+  title: string;
+  hint?: string;
+  options: readonly PickerOption[];
+  /** Value to start on, so a picker opens at what is already in use. */
+  current?: string;
+  limit?: number;
+  onSelect: (value: string) => void;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <Box flexDirection="column" borderStyle="round" borderColor="cyan" paddingX={1}>
+      <Text color="cyan" bold>
+        {title}
+      </Text>
+      <Text dimColor>{hint ? `${hint} - enter to select, esc to cancel` : 'enter to select, esc to cancel'}</Text>
+      <SelectInput
+        items={options.map((o) => ({ key: o.value, label: o.label, value: o.value }))}
+        limit={limit}
+        initialIndex={Math.max(
+          0,
+          options.findIndex((o) => o.value === current),
+        )}
+        onSelect={(item) => onSelect(item.value)}
+      />
+    </Box>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/buses.ts b/src/ui/buses.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7e1830
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/buses.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+import type { SubagentEvent } from '../subagent';
+import type { SubagentView } from './Panels';
+
+/** One-way channel for out-of-band notices, e.g. an endpoint fallback. */
+export type NoticeBus = {
+  bind: (fn: (text: string) => void) => void;
+  emit: (text: string) => void;
+};
+
+export function createNoticeBus(): NoticeBus {
+  const queued: string[] = [];
+  let sink: ((text: string) => void) | undefined;
+  return {
+    bind(fn) {
+      sink = fn;
+      for (const text of queued.splice(0)) fn(text);
+    },
+    emit(text) {
+      if (sink) sink(text);
+      else queued.push(text);
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/** Subagent progress, from the task tool to the panel. */
+export type SubagentBus = {
+  bind: (fn: (event: SubagentEvent) => void) => void;
+  emit: (event: SubagentEvent) => void;
+};
+
+export function createSubagentBus(): SubagentBus {
+  const queued: SubagentEvent[] = [];
+  let sink: ((event: SubagentEvent) => void) | undefined;
+  return {
+    bind(fn) {
+      sink = fn;
+      for (const event of queued.splice(0)) fn(event);
+    },
+    emit(event) {
+      if (sink) sink(event);
+      else queued.push(event);
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+/** Folds a subagent event into the panel's view, keeping finished agents visible. */
+export function applySubagentEvent(current: SubagentView[], event: SubagentEvent): SubagentView[] {
+  switch (event.type) {
+    case 'start':
+      return [
+        ...current,
+        { id: event.id, kind: event.kind, description: event.description, steps: [], status: 'running' },
+      ];
+    case 'step':
+      return current.map((a) =>
+        a.id === event.id ? { ...a, steps: [...a.steps, { tool: event.tool, summary: event.summary }] } : a,
+      );
+    case 'result':
+      // Attaches to the step it answers rather than appending, so a subagent's
+      // step count stays the number of calls it made.
+      return current.map((a) => {
+        if (a.id !== event.id) return a;
+        const last = a.steps.at(-1);
+        if (!last || last.tool !== event.tool || last.outcome !== undefined) return a;
+        return {
+          ...a,
+          steps: [...a.steps.slice(0, -1), { ...last, outcome: event.summary, ok: event.ok }],
+        };
+      });
+    case 'end':
+      return current.map((a) => (a.id === event.id ? { ...a, status: event.ok ? 'done' : 'failed' } : a));
+    case 'error':
+      return current.map((a) => (a.id === event.id ? { ...a, status: 'failed', error: event.message } : a));
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/ui/panel-bodies.ts b/src/ui/panel-bodies.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4885339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/panel-bodies.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import { costOf, formatUsd } from '../pricing';
+import type { Session } from '../session';
+import { toolSetOf } from '../tools';
+import { todoLines } from './transcript';
+
+export type Panel = { title: string; hint?: string; body: string };
+
+/**
+ * The read-only panel bodies, as pure functions of session and hook state.
+ *
+ * These were inline inside App's submit switch, where each one added a `setPanel`
+ * call wrapped around string assembly and pushed the switch past the point a reader
+ * can follow it. Out here they are testable without mounting Ink, and the switch
+ * reads as routing rather than as formatting.
+ */
+
+export function toolsPanel(session: Session): Panel {
+  const offered = session.activeTools().sort();
+  return {
+    title: 'tools',
+    hint: `${offered.length} offered this turn of ${Object.keys(session.tools).length} registered`,
+    body: offered
+      .map((t) => {
+        const set = toolSetOf(t);
+        return `- \`${t}\`${set ? `  ${set}` : ''}`;
+      })
+      .join('\n'),
+  };
+}
+
+export function costPanel(
+  session: Session,
+  info: { sessionId: string; model: string; agent: string; thinking: string },
+): Panel {
+  const spend = costOf(info.model, session.inputTokens, session.outputTokens);
+  return {
+    title: 'cost',
+    hint: `session ${info.sessionId}`,
+    body: [
+      `- model: \`${info.model}\``,
+      `- billed: ${session.inputTokens} in / ${session.outputTokens} out`,
+      `- spend: ${spend === undefined ? 'unpriced model' : formatUsd(spend)}`,
+      `- context: ~${session.estimatedTokens()} tokens`,
+      `- agent: \`${info.agent}\` thinking \`${info.thinking}\``,
+    ].join('\n'),
+  };
+}
+
+export function contextPanel(files: readonly string[]): Panel {
+  return {
+    title: 'project instructions',
+    body:
+      files.length > 0
+        ? files.map((f) => `- \`${f}\``).join('\n')
+        : 'No `AGENTS.md`, `CLAUDE.md`, or `.shiro.md` found. Run `/init` to write one.',
+  };
+}
+
+export const todosPanel = (session: Session): Panel => ({
+  title: 'task list',
+  body: todoLines(session.notebook.state().todos),
+});
diff --git a/src/ui/transcript.ts b/src/ui/transcript.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f22afc0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/transcript.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,202 @@
+import { TODO_MARK } from '../notebook';
+
+export type Line =
+  | { key: string; kind: 'user'; text: string }
+  | { key: string; kind: 'assistant'; text: string }
+  | { key: string; kind: 'tool'; name: string; detail: string[]; result?: string; ok: boolean }
+  | { key: string; kind: 'info'; text: string }
+  | { key: string; kind: 'error'; text: string };
+
+export type NewLine = Line extends infer T ? (T extends Line ? Omit<T, 'key'> : never) : never;
+
+let seq = 0;
+export const nextKey = () => `l${seq++}`;
+
+export const clip = (s: string, n = 68) => (s.length > n ? `${s.slice(0, n)}...` : s);
+
+/** The single argument that identifies a call, for a tool with no richer formatter. */
+export function preview(input: unknown): string {
+  if (input === null || typeof input !== 'object') return String(input);
+  const o = input as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const first = o['command'] ?? o['path'] ?? o['pattern'] ?? o['url'] ?? o['description'] ?? o['question'] ?? o['name'];
+  if (typeof first === 'string') return first.length > 90 ? `${first.slice(0, 90)}...` : first;
+
+  // A tool with no obvious label, e.g. todo_write, gets a shape rather than a
+  // JSON dump; the panels below already show the content.
+  const todos = o['todos'];
+  if (Array.isArray(todos)) return `${todos.length} task${todos.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  const keys = Object.keys(o);
+  return keys.length === 0 ? '' : keys.slice(0, 3).join(', ');
+}
+
+/**
+ * The arguments that matter for one call, one per line.
+ *
+ * `preview` picks a single field, which loses exactly the information a reader
+ * wants: a `read_file` with an offset, a `grep` scoped by `include`, the twenty
+ * paths a batch read is about to pull in. This is what goes under the tool line in
+ * the transcript, beside the spinner while a call is in flight, and in the approval
+ * prompt for any tool without a diff of its own.
+ */
+export function toolDetail(name: string, input: unknown): string[] {
+  if (input === null || typeof input !== 'object') return [];
+  const o = input as Record<string, unknown>;
+  const str = (k: string) => (typeof o[k] === 'string' ? (o[k] as string) : undefined);
+  const num = (k: string) => (typeof o[k] === 'number' ? (o[k] as number) : undefined);
+  const bool = (k: string) => o[k] === true;
+
+  switch (name) {
+    case 'read_file': {
+      const range = num('offset')
+        ? `lines ${num('offset')}${num('limit') ? `-${num('offset')! + num('limit')! - 1}` : '+'}`
+        : undefined;
+      return [clip(str('path') ?? ''), ...(range ? [range] : [])];
+    }
+    case 'read_many_files': {
+      const files = Array.isArray(o['files']) ? (o['files'] as { path?: unknown }[]) : [];
+      const paths = files.map((f) => (typeof f.path === 'string' ? f.path : '?'));
+      // Every path, not a count: the point of showing this is knowing what is
+      // about to enter the context. `.map((p) => clip(p))` rather than `.map(clip)`,
+      // because the latter hands the array index to clip's width parameter and
+      // truncates every line to nothing.
+      return paths
+        .slice(0, 8)
+        .map((p) => clip(p))
+        .concat(paths.length > 8 ? [`... ${paths.length - 8} more`] : []);
+    }
+    case 'write_file': {
+      const content = str('content') ?? '';
+      return [clip(str('path') ?? ''), `${content.split('\n').length} lines, ${content.length} chars`];
+    }
+    case 'edit_file': {
+      const old = str('oldString') ?? '';
+      return [
+        clip(str('path') ?? ''),
+        `- ${clip(old.split('\n')[0] ?? '', 60)}${old.includes('\n') ? ` (+${old.split('\n').length - 1} lines)` : ''}`,
+        ...(bool('replaceAll') ? ['every occurrence'] : []),
+      ];
+    }
+    case 'multi_edit': {
+      const edits = Array.isArray(o['edits']) ? (o['edits'] as { oldString?: unknown }[]) : [];
+      return [
+        clip(str('path') ?? ''),
+        ...edits.slice(0, 5).map((e, i) => {
+          const old = typeof e.oldString === 'string' ? e.oldString : '';
+          return `${i + 1}. - ${clip(old.split('\n')[0] ?? '', 58)}`;
+        }),
+        ...(edits.length > 5 ? [`... ${edits.length - 5} more edits`] : []),
+      ];
+    }
+    case 'apply_patch': {
+      const patch = str('patch') ?? '';
+      const ops = [...patch.matchAll(/^\*\*\* (Add|Update|Delete) File: (.+)$/gm)].map(
+        (m) => `${m[1]!.toLowerCase()} ${m[2]!.trim()}`,
+      );
+      const moves = [...patch.matchAll(/^\*\*\* Move to: (.+)$/gm)].map((m) => `move to ${m[1]!.trim()}`);
+      return [...ops, ...moves].slice(0, 10).map((line) => clip(line));
+    }
+    case 'move_file':
+      return [`${clip(str('from') ?? '', 40)} -> ${clip(str('to') ?? '', 40)}`];
+    case 'delete_file':
+      return [clip(str('path') ?? '')];
+    case 'bash': {
+      const timeout = num('timeout');
+      return [
+        ...(str('command') ?? '')
+          .split('\n')
+          .slice(0, 4)
+          .map((l) => clip(l)),
+        ...(timeout ? [`timeout ${Math.round(timeout / 1000)}s`] : []),
+      ];
+    }
+    case 'grep': {
+      const parts = [`/${str('pattern') ?? ''}/`];
+      if (str('include')) parts.push(`in ${str('include')}`);
+      if (bool('ignoreCase')) parts.push('case-insensitive');
+      if (bool('includeIgnored')) parts.push('including ignored files');
+      return [clip(parts.join('  '), 90)];
+    }
+    case 'glob':
+      return [clip(str('pattern') ?? ''), ...(bool('includeIgnored') ? ['including ignored files'] : [])];
+    case 'list_dir':
+      return [clip(str('path') ?? '.'), `depth ${num('depth') ?? 2}`];
+    case 'web_fetch':
+      return [clip(str('url') ?? '', 90)];
+    case 'task': {
+      const kind = str('kind') ?? 'explore';
+      return [`${kind}${kind === 'worker' ? ' (writes)' : ''}: ${clip(str('description') ?? '')}`];
+    }
+    case 'todo_write': {
+      const todos = Array.isArray(o['todos']) ? (o['todos'] as { content?: unknown; status?: unknown }[]) : [];
+      return todos.slice(0, 6).map((t) => `${String(t.status ?? '')}: ${clip(String(t.content ?? ''), 56)}`);
+    }
+    case 'git_show':
+      return [str('ref') ?? '', ...(str('path') ? [clip(str('path')!)] : [])];
+    case 'git_log':
+      return [`${num('limit') ?? 15} commits`, ...(str('path') ? [clip(str('path')!)] : [])];
+    case 'git_diff':
+      return [bool('staged') ? 'staged' : 'working tree', ...(str('path') ? [clip(str('path')!)] : [])];
+    case 'git_branch':
+      return [bool('remote') ? 'local and remote' : 'local'];
+    case 'git_blame': {
+      const from = num('startLine');
+      return [clip(str('path') ?? ''), ...(from ? [`lines ${from}-${num('endLine') ?? from + 40}`] : [])];
+    }
+    case 'remember':
+      return [`${str('kind') ?? 'fact'}: ${clip(str('text') ?? '', 60)}`];
+    case 'recall':
+    case 'forget':
+      return [clip(str('query') ?? str('text') ?? '')];
+    case 'skill':
+      return [str('name') ?? ''];
+    default: {
+      const label = preview(input);
+      return label ? [clip(label, 90)] : [];
+    }
+  }
+}
+
+/** First line of a tool result, so the transcript shows an outcome not just a call. */
+export function resultSummary(name: string, output: unknown): string {
+  const text = typeof output === 'string' ? output : JSON.stringify(output ?? '');
+  if (!text) return '';
+
+  const lines = text.split('\n').filter((l) => l.trim().length > 0);
+  const first = lines[0] ?? '';
+
+  // grep and glob return one hit per line, so the count is the useful summary.
+  if (name === 'grep' || name === 'glob') {
+    if (/^No (matches|files matched)/.test(first)) return first;
+    return `${lines.length} ${name === 'grep' ? 'hit' : 'path'}${lines.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  }
+  if (name === 'read_file' || name === 'read_many_files') return `${lines.length} lines`;
+  if (name === 'bash') {
+    const exit = /^exit: (\d+)/.exec(first);
+    return exit ? `exit ${exit[1]}${lines.length > 1 ? `, ${lines.length - 1} lines out` : ''}` : clip(first);
+  }
+  return clip(first, 78);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Attaches a result to the most recent unanswered call of that tool.
+ *
+ * Matched on name rather than call id because the transcript is a flat list of
+ * committed lines, and a parallel pair of calls to the same tool is rare enough
+ * that "the newest one still waiting" is right in practice and cheap.
+ */
+export function withResult(lines: Line[], name: string, result: string, ok: boolean): Line[] {
+  for (let i = lines.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+    const line = lines[i]!;
+    if (line.kind !== 'tool' || line.name !== name || line.result !== undefined) continue;
+    const next = [...lines];
+    next[i] = { ...line, result, ok };
+    return next;
+  }
+  return lines;
+}
+
+/** A task list as markdown, for the `/todos` panel. */
+export const todoLines = (todos: readonly { status: keyof typeof TODO_MARK; content: string; note?: string }[]) =>
+  todos.length > 0
+    ? todos.map((t) => `- ${TODO_MARK[t.status]} ${t.content}${t.note ? ` (${t.note})` : ''}`).join('\n')
+    : 'No task list yet.';