diff --git a/src/components/time-tracking/TimeTrackingFieldClient.tsx b/src/components/time-tracking/TimeTrackingFieldClient.tsx
index 4cae2cc..8cab82f 100644
--- a/src/components/time-tracking/TimeTrackingFieldClient.tsx
+++ b/src/components/time-tracking/TimeTrackingFieldClient.tsx
@@ -392,8 +392,15 @@ const TRANS_ES: Translations = {
 
 function getLangCookie(): string {
   if (typeof document === "undefined") return "en";
-  const match = document.cookie.match(/time_tracking_lang=(\w+)/);
-  return match ? match[1] : "en";
+  // `time_tracking_lang` is the explicit override. Fall back to
+  // `wl_lang` so workers who switched to Spanish on the Water Log
+  // mobile app inherit the same language when they tap the Time tab
+  // — without this, the Time tab resets to English every time.
+  const tt = document.cookie.match(/time_tracking_lang=(\w+)/);
+  if (tt) return tt[1];
+  const wl = document.cookie.match(/wl_lang=(\w+)/);
+  if (wl) return wl[1];
+  return "en";
 }
 
 function setLangCookie(lang: string) {
@@ -410,8 +417,8 @@ function langToBcp(): "en-US" | "es-ES" {
   // Cheap global so `formatTime` doesn't have to thread `lang` around.
   // Resolved at call time from the lang cookie that's always set.
   if (typeof document === "undefined") return "en-US";
-  const m = document.cookie.match(/time_tracking_lang=(\w+)/);
-  return m?.[1] === "es" ? "es-ES" : "en-US";
+  const m = getLangCookie();
+  return m === "es" ? "es-ES" : "en-US";
 }
 
 function formatHours(minutes: number): string {
@@ -538,7 +545,12 @@ function emptyManualDraft(): State["manualEntryDraft"] {
 
 const initialState: State = {
   lang: (getLangCookie() as "en" | "es") ?? "en",
-  screen: "pin",
+  // Start in `"loading"` so the init effect can resolve the session
+  // cookie + open clock-in before the UI renders. Previously this
+  // was `"pin"`, which caused a ~one-tick flash of the PIN screen on
+  // every tab switch — workers with a valid session saw the PIN UI
+  // for a moment before it was swapped out for Hub/Working.
+  screen: "loading",
   tasks: [],
   openEntry: null,
   payPeriod: null,