diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
index 7baeeff..fae82d1 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/AbstractUITask.h
@@ -45,4 +45,5 @@ public:
   virtual void loop() = 0;
   virtual void showAlert(const char* text, int duration_millis) {}
   virtual void forceRefresh() {}
-};
+  virtual void addSentChannelMessage(uint8_t channel_idx, const char* sender, const char* text) {}
+};
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
index ec3db4a..ccc7fe7 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/MyMesh.cpp
@@ -476,7 +476,7 @@ bool MyMesh::filterRecvFloodPacket(mesh::Packet* packet) {
     }
   }
 
-  return false;  // never filter — let normal processing continue
+  return false;  // never filter — let normal processing continue
 }
 
 void MyMesh::sendFloodScoped(const ContactInfo& recipient, mesh::Packet* pkt, uint32_t delay_millis) {
@@ -1088,6 +1088,12 @@ void MyMesh::handleCmdFrame(size_t len) {
       bool success = getChannel(channel_idx, channel);
       if (success && sendGroupMessage(msg_timestamp, channel.channel, _prefs.node_name, text, len - i)) {
         writeOKFrame();
+#ifdef DISPLAY_CLASS
+        // Show BLE-app-sent message on device channel screen
+        if (_ui) {
+          _ui->addSentChannelMessage(channel_idx, _prefs.node_name, text);
+        }
+#endif
       } else {
         writeErrFrame(ERR_CODE_NOT_FOUND); // bad channel_idx
       }
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp b/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
index 84ab040..48c53dd 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/main.cpp
@@ -546,7 +546,7 @@ void handleKeyboardInput() {
       return;
     }
     
-    // $ key opens emoji picker (Sym+$ types literal '$')
+    // '$' key (without Sym) opens emoji picker
     if (key == KB_KEY_EMOJI) {
       emojiPicker.reset();
       emojiPickerMode = true;
@@ -855,10 +855,10 @@ void sendComposedMessage() {
     if (the_mesh.sendGroupMessage(timestamp, channel.channel, 
                                    the_mesh.getNodePrefs()->node_name, 
                                    utf8Buf, utf8Len)) {
-      // Add escape-byte version to local display (renders as sprites)
+      // Add to local display (UTF-8 gets sanitized to escape bytes by addMessage)
       ui_task.addSentChannelMessage(composeChannelIdx, 
                                      the_mesh.getNodePrefs()->node_name, 
-                                     composeBuffer);
+                                     utf8Buf);
       
       // Queue UTF-8 version for BLE app sync (so companion app shows real emoji)
       the_mesh.queueSentChannelMessage(composeChannelIdx, timestamp,
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/ChannelScreen.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/ChannelScreen.h
index 5137cb0..323d25e 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/ChannelScreen.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/ChannelScreen.h
@@ -149,9 +149,19 @@ public:
         }
       }
       
-      // Display messages from scroll position
+      // Reverse to chronological order (oldest first, newest last at bottom)
+      for (int l = 0, r = numChannelMsgs - 1; l < r; l++, r--) {
+        int tmp = channelMsgs[l]; channelMsgs[l] = channelMsgs[r]; channelMsgs[r] = tmp;
+      }
+      
+      // Calculate start index so newest messages appear at the bottom
+      // scrollPos=0 shows the most recent messages, scrollPos++ scrolls up to older
+      int startIdx = numChannelMsgs - _msgsPerPage - _scrollPos;
+      if (startIdx < 0) startIdx = 0;
+      
+      // Display messages oldest-to-newest (top to bottom)
       int msgsDrawn = 0;
-      for (int i = _scrollPos; i < numChannelMsgs && y + lineHeight <= maxY; i++) {
+      for (int i = startIdx; i < numChannelMsgs && y + lineHeight <= maxY; i++) {
         int idx = channelMsgs[i];
         ChannelMessage* msg = &_messages[idx];
         
diff --git a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
index 9fc7340..5241cda 100644
--- a/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
+++ b/examples/companion_radio/ui-new/UITask.h
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public:
   void injectKey(char c);
   
   // Add a sent message to the channel screen history
-  void addSentChannelMessage(uint8_t channel_idx, const char* sender, const char* text);
+  void addSentChannelMessage(uint8_t channel_idx, const char* sender, const char* text) override;
   
   // Get current screen for checking state
   UIScreen* getCurrentScreen() const { return curr; }
diff --git a/variants/lilygo_tdeck_pro/Tca8418keyboard.h b/variants/lilygo_tdeck_pro/Tca8418keyboard.h
index a70cb2f..b2242bd 100644
--- a/variants/lilygo_tdeck_pro/Tca8418keyboard.h
+++ b/variants/lilygo_tdeck_pro/Tca8418keyboard.h
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@
 #define KB_KEY_BACKSPACE '\b'
 #define KB_KEY_ENTER     '\r'
 #define KB_KEY_SPACE     ' '
-#define KB_KEY_EMOJI     0x01  // Internal code: bare $ key (emoji picker trigger)
+#define KB_KEY_EMOJI     0x01   // Non-printable code for $ key (emoji picker)
 
 class TCA8418Keyboard {
 private:
@@ -226,15 +226,15 @@ public:
       return 0;
     }
     
-    // Handle $ key (key code 22, next to M)
-    // Bare press -> emoji picker trigger, Sym+$ -> literal '$' character
+    // Handle dedicated $ key (key code 22, next to M)
+    // Bare press = emoji picker, Sym+$ = literal '$'
     if (keyCode == 22) {
       if (_symActive) {
         _symActive = false;
         Serial.println("KB: Sym+$ -> '$'");
         return '$';
       }
-      Serial.println("KB: $ key -> emoji trigger");
+      Serial.println("KB: $ key -> emoji");
       return KB_KEY_EMOJI;
     }