diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/left-sidebar.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/left-sidebar.tsx
index f054668347..943c1edd27 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/left-sidebar.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/left-sidebar.tsx
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import { HostPicker } from "@/components/hosts/host-picker";
 import { SidebarDisplayPreferencesMenu } from "@/components/sidebar/display-preferences/menu";
 import { SidebarSeparator } from "@/components/sidebar/sidebar-separator";
 import { SidebarNavRows } from "@/components/sidebar/sidebar-nav-rows";
+import { SidebarFooterIconHighlight } from "@/components/sidebar/sidebar-footer-icon-highlight";
 import { SidebarHelpMenu } from "@/components/sidebar/sidebar-help-menu";
 import { SidebarResizeHandle } from "@/components/sidebar-resize-handle";
 import { DensityIcon } from "@/components/ui/density-icon";
@@ -317,13 +318,16 @@ function FooterIconButton({
           accessibilityRole="button"
           onPress={onPress}
         >
-          {({ hovered }) => (
-            <DensityIcon
-              icon={icon}
-              size="md"
-              sizeAdjustment={iconSizeAdjustment}
-              color={hovered ? "foreground" : "foregroundMuted"}
-            />
+          {({ hovered, pressed }) => (
+            <>
+              <SidebarFooterIconHighlight visible={pressed} />
+              <DensityIcon
+                icon={icon}
+                size="md"
+                sizeAdjustment={iconSizeAdjustment}
+                color={hovered ? "foreground" : "foregroundMuted"}
+              />
+            </>
           )}
         </Pressable>
       </TooltipTrigger>
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-footer-icon-highlight.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-footer-icon-highlight.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7b901693fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-footer-icon-highlight.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { View } from "react-native";
+import { StyleSheet } from "react-native-unistyles";
+
+/**
+ * The round highlight behind a sidebar footer icon. It is a layer inside the button rather than a
+ * radius on it: web hit-testing follows `border-radius`, so a round button would stop taking taps
+ * near the corners of its square finger-sized target.
+ */
+export function SidebarFooterIconHighlight({ visible }: { visible: boolean }) {
+  return <View pointerEvents="none" style={[styles.highlight, visible && styles.visible]} />;
+}
+
+const styles = StyleSheet.create((theme) => ({
+  highlight: {
+    position: "absolute",
+    top: 0,
+    right: 0,
+    bottom: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    borderRadius: theme.borderRadius.full,
+  },
+  visible: {
+    backgroundColor: theme.colors.interactionHighlight,
+  },
+}));
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-header-row.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-header-row.tsx
index 2eeded947d..f38d27c65c 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-header-row.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-header-row.tsx
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ export function SidebarHeaderRow({
   const [isHovered, setIsHovered] = useState(false);
   const handlePointerEnter = useCallback(() => setIsHovered(true), []);
   const handlePointerLeave = useCallback(() => setIsHovered(false), []);
+  // The button and its trailing slot are siblings, so the row owns the pressed fill for both.
+  const [isPressed, setIsPressed] = useState(false);
+  const handlePressIn = useCallback(() => setIsPressed(true), []);
+  const handlePressOut = useCallback(() => setIsPressed(false), []);
   const isHighlighted = isHovered || isActive;
   const iconSize = variant === "header" ? "md" : "sm";
 
@@ -65,12 +69,14 @@ export function SidebarHeaderRow({
   return (
     <View ref={rowRef} collapsable={false} style={getContainerStyle(variant)}>
       <View
-        style={[styles.row, isHighlighted && styles.rowHighlighted]}
+        style={[styles.row, isHighlighted && styles.rowHighlighted, isPressed && styles.rowPressed]}
         onPointerEnter={handlePointerEnter}
         onPointerLeave={handlePointerLeave}
       >
         <Pressable
           onPress={onPress}
+          onPressIn={handlePressIn}
+          onPressOut={handlePressOut}
           testID={testID}
           nativeID={nativeID}
           accessible
@@ -92,7 +98,14 @@ export function SidebarHeaderRow({
           <Text style={[styles.label, isHighlighted && styles.labelHighlighted]}>{label}</Text>
         </Pressable>
         {right === null ? null : (
-          <Pressable onPress={onPress} accessible={false} focusable={false} style={styles.trailing}>
+          <Pressable
+            onPress={onPress}
+            onPressIn={handlePressIn}
+            onPressOut={handlePressOut}
+            accessible={false}
+            focusable={false}
+            style={styles.trailing}
+          >
             {right}
           </Pressable>
         )}
@@ -136,6 +149,10 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create((theme) => ({
   rowHighlighted: {
     backgroundColor: theme.colors.surfaceSidebarHover,
   },
+  // The workspace rows' pressed fill.
+  rowPressed: {
+    backgroundColor: theme.colors.surface2,
+  },
   button: {
     flex: 1,
     minWidth: 0,
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-help-menu.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-help-menu.tsx
index 97ff3d2772..0eefa77468 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-help-menu.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/sidebar/sidebar-help-menu.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import {
   DropdownMenuTrigger,
 } from "@/components/ui/dropdown-menu";
 import { DensityIcon } from "@/components/ui/density-icon";
+import { SidebarFooterIconHighlight } from "./sidebar-footer-icon-highlight";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tooltip";
 import { useAppDiagnosticStore } from "@/diagnostics/store";
 import { useKeyboardShortcutsAvailable } from "@/keyboard/availability";
@@ -108,12 +109,15 @@ export function SidebarHelpMenu() {
               accessibilityRole="button"
               accessibilityLabel={t("sidebar.help.trigger")}
             >
-              {({ hovered }) => (
-                <DensityIcon
-                  icon={CircleHelp}
-                  size="md"
-                  color={hovered ? "foreground" : "foregroundMuted"}
-                />
+              {({ hovered, pressed, open: menuOpen }) => (
+                <>
+                  <SidebarFooterIconHighlight visible={pressed || menuOpen} />
+                  <DensityIcon
+                    icon={CircleHelp}
+                    size="md"
+                    color={hovered ? "foreground" : "foregroundMuted"}
+                  />
+                </>
               )}
             </DropdownMenuTrigger>
           </View>
diff --git a/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx b/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
index 3950c0778e..31f5058940 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/screens/settings-screen.tsx
@@ -275,15 +275,26 @@ function renderHostSettingsContent(
 // Trigger + sidebar style helpers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-function sidebarItemStyle({ hovered }: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) {
-  return [sidebarStyles.item, Boolean(hovered) && sidebarStyles.itemHovered];
+function sidebarItemStyle({
+  hovered,
+  pressed,
+}: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) {
+  return [
+    sidebarStyles.item,
+    Boolean(hovered) && sidebarStyles.itemHovered,
+    pressed && sidebarStyles.itemPressed,
+  ];
 }
 
-function selectedSidebarItemStyle({ hovered }: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) {
+function selectedSidebarItemStyle({
+  hovered,
+  pressed,
+}: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) {
   return [
     sidebarStyles.item,
     Boolean(hovered) && sidebarStyles.itemHovered,
     sidebarStyles.itemSelected,
+    pressed && sidebarStyles.itemPressed,
   ];
 }
 
@@ -865,9 +876,10 @@ function HostPicker({
     [],
   );
   const triggerStyle = useCallback(
-    ({ hovered = false }: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) => [
+    ({ hovered = false, pressed }: PressableStateCallbackType & { hovered?: boolean }) => [
       sidebarStyles.pickerTrigger,
       hovered && sidebarStyles.pickerTriggerHovered,
+      pressed && sidebarStyles.itemPressed,
     ],
     [],
   );
@@ -1615,6 +1627,10 @@ const sidebarStyles = StyleSheet.create((theme) => ({
   itemSelected: {
     backgroundColor: theme.colors.surfaceSidebarHover,
   },
+  // The workspace rows' pressed fill.
+  itemPressed: {
+    backgroundColor: theme.colors.surface2,
+  },
   label: {
     fontSize: { xs: theme.fontSize.lg, md: theme.fontSize.base },
     color: theme.colors.foregroundMuted,