diff --git a/lib/notification/notification_service.dart b/lib/notification/notification_service.dart
index dd5819f..bdd4953 100644
--- a/lib/notification/notification_service.dart
+++ b/lib/notification/notification_service.dart
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ class NotificationService {
     // iOS Talk category mirrors the Android inline reply + mark-as-read actions
     // so both platforms expose the same quick actions. The actual delivery of
     // these while the app is terminated is handled by the (Phase 3) NSE.
+    // The plugin defaults to prompting here, which would block startup on the
+    // OS dialog; the prompt belongs to maybePromptTalkNotifications instead.
     final iosSettings = DarwinInitializationSettings(
+      requestAlertPermission: false,
+      requestSoundPermission: false,
+      requestBadgePermission: false,
       notificationCategories: [
         DarwinNotificationCategory(
           PushRenderer.iosTalkCategory,
diff --git a/lib/state/app/modules/chat_list/bloc/chat_list_bloc.dart b/lib/state/app/modules/chat_list/bloc/chat_list_bloc.dart
index c1cd1f5..24128f8 100644
--- a/lib/state/app/modules/chat_list/bloc/chat_list_bloc.dart
+++ b/lib/state/app/modules/chat_list/bloc/chat_list_bloc.dart
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class ChatListBloc
   /// A background poll that returns the same rooms would otherwise rebuild the
   /// list and re-persist the whole state every 15 s.
   bool _isUnchanged(GetRoomResponse rooms) {
-    final encoded = jsonEncode(rooms.data);
+    final encoded = jsonEncode(rooms.data.toList());
     final unchanged =
         encoded == _lastRoomsJson &&
         innerState?.rooms != null &&
diff --git a/lib/view/pages/files/files_upload_dialog.dart b/lib/view/pages/files/files_upload_dialog.dart
index 0288c78..2b63619 100644
--- a/lib/view/pages/files/files_upload_dialog.dart
+++ b/lib/view/pages/files/files_upload_dialog.dart
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ class _FilesUploadDialogState extends State<FilesUploadDialog> {
     });
 
     final webdavClient = await WebdavApi.webdav;
+    if (!mounted) return;
 
     if (!override) {
       List<dynamic> result;
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ class _FilesUploadDialogState extends State<FilesUploadDialog> {
           ),
         );
 
+        if (!mounted) return;
         if (replaceFiles != true) {
           setState(() {
             _resetProgress();
@@ -230,8 +232,8 @@ class _FilesUploadDialogState extends State<FilesUploadDialog> {
       uploadetFilePaths.add(fullRemotePath);
     }
 
-    setState(_resetProgress);
     if (!mounted) return;
+    setState(_resetProgress);
     Navigator.of(context).pop();
     widget.onUploadFinished(uploadetFilePaths);
   }
diff --git a/lib/widget/avatar_actions_sheet.dart b/lib/widget/avatar_actions_sheet.dart
index 5e1a1e0..901975e 100644
--- a/lib/widget/avatar_actions_sheet.dart
+++ b/lib/widget/avatar_actions_sheet.dart
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ Future<AvatarSheetResult?> showAvatarActionsSheet(
         onTap: () async {
           final bytes = await _pickAndCrop(
             sheetContext,
-            () => FilePick.singleGalleryPick(sheetContext),
+            () => FilePick.singleGalleryPick(sheetContext, forCrop: true),
           );
           if (bytes == null || !sheetContext.mounted) return;
           result = AvatarUploadResult(bytes);
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ Future<AvatarSheetResult?> showAvatarActionsSheet(
         onTap: () async {
           final bytes = await _pickAndCrop(
             sheetContext,
-            () => FilePick.cameraPick(sheetContext),
+            () => FilePick.cameraPick(sheetContext, forCrop: true),
           );
           if (bytes == null || !sheetContext.mounted) return;
           result = AvatarUploadResult(bytes);
diff --git a/lib/widget/chat_background_picker_sheet.dart b/lib/widget/chat_background_picker_sheet.dart
index 6f29474..cbae7d0 100644
--- a/lib/widget/chat_background_picker_sheet.dart
+++ b/lib/widget/chat_background_picker_sheet.dart
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Future<Uint8List?> showChatBackgroundPickerSheet(BuildContext context) async {
         title: const Text('Aus Galerie wählen'),
         onTap: () async {
           final bytes = await _pickRaw(
-            () => FilePick.singleGalleryPick(sheetContext),
+            () => FilePick.singleGalleryPick(sheetContext, forCrop: true),
           );
           if (bytes == null || !sheetContext.mounted) return;
           result = bytes;
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ Future<Uint8List?> showChatBackgroundPickerSheet(BuildContext context) async {
         leading: const Icon(Icons.photo_camera_outlined),
         title: const Text('Foto aufnehmen'),
         onTap: () async {
-          final bytes = await _pickRaw(() => FilePick.cameraPick(sheetContext));
+          final bytes = await _pickRaw(
+            () => FilePick.cameraPick(sheetContext, forCrop: true),
+          );
           if (bytes == null || !sheetContext.mounted) return;
           result = bytes;
           Navigator.of(sheetContext).pop();
diff --git a/lib/widget/file_pick.dart b/lib/widget/file_pick.dart
index 40be7e0..7f2578e 100644
--- a/lib/widget/file_pick.dart
+++ b/lib/widget/file_pick.dart
@@ -23,11 +23,31 @@ class FilePick {
         return pickedImages.isNotEmpty ? pickedImages : null;
       });
 
-  static Future<XFile?> singleGalleryPick(BuildContext context) =>
-      _guarded(context, () => _picker.pickImage(source: ImageSource.gallery));
+  static Future<XFile?> singleGalleryPick(
+    BuildContext context, {
+    bool forCrop = false,
+  }) => _pickImage(context, ImageSource.gallery, forCrop: forCrop);
 
-  static Future<XFile?> cameraPick(BuildContext context) =>
-      _guarded(context, () => _picker.pickImage(source: ImageSource.camera));
+  static Future<XFile?> cameraPick(
+    BuildContext context, {
+    bool forCrop = false,
+  }) => _pickImage(context, ImageSource.camera, forCrop: forCrop);
+
+  /// [forCrop] makes the picker re-encode to a bounded JPEG: the Dart cropper
+  /// can't decode HEIC (iOS gallery default) and is slow on full-size photos.
+  static Future<XFile?> _pickImage(
+    BuildContext context,
+    ImageSource source, {
+    required bool forCrop,
+  }) => _guarded(
+    context,
+    () => _picker.pickImage(
+      source: source,
+      maxWidth: forCrop ? 2048 : null,
+      maxHeight: forCrop ? 2048 : null,
+      imageQuality: forCrop ? 90 : null,
+    ),
+  );
 
   static Future<List<String>?> documentPick() async {
     final result = await FilePicker.pickFiles(allowMultiple: true);