diff --git a/src/lib/__tests__/query-keys.test.ts b/src/lib/__tests__/query-keys.test.ts
index b9bfbf88a..7ea7298e7 100644
--- a/src/lib/__tests__/query-keys.test.ts
+++ b/src/lib/__tests__/query-keys.test.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,16 @@ describe("dependent-key bundles", () => {
     expect(keyStrings).toContain(JSON.stringify(["chart-data"]));
   });
 
+  // v1.18.9 (#38) — the dashboard snapshot must ride the measurement
+  // bundle too. The hero band / score ring / tile strip read ONE snapshot
+  // query with refetch-on-mount/focus options that otherwise leave an
+  // in-app-added reading invisible on the Startseite until the 120 s poll
+  // or a hard reload. Mirror the v1.16.11 medication-bundle fix.
+  it("measurementDependentKeys bundles the dashboard snapshot (v1.18.9)", () => {
+    const keyStrings = measurementDependentKeys.map((k) => JSON.stringify(k));
+    expect(keyStrings).toContain(JSON.stringify(["dashboard", "snapshot"]));
+  });
+
   it("moodDependentKeys bundle covers mood + analytics + targets", () => {
     const keyStrings = moodDependentKeys.map((k) => JSON.stringify(k));
     expect(keyStrings).toContain(JSON.stringify(["mood-entries"]));
diff --git a/src/lib/queries/__tests__/use-dashboard-snapshot.test.tsx b/src/lib/queries/__tests__/use-dashboard-snapshot.test.tsx
index 99d811821..582dcbccb 100644
--- a/src/lib/queries/__tests__/use-dashboard-snapshot.test.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/queries/__tests__/use-dashboard-snapshot.test.tsx
@@ -7,10 +7,12 @@
  * backgrounded (`refetchIntervalInBackground: false`). The poll rides
  * the warm 60 s server cache and never touches the LLM surfaces.
  *
- * The hook keeps its existing warm-cache options (`staleTime: 60_000`,
- * `refetchOnMount: false`, `refetchOnWindowFocus: false`) so a
- * return-to-dashboard within a minute stays a free cache hit, and the
- * queryKey stays the centralised factory entry.
+ * The hook keeps its warm-cache options (`staleTime: 60_000`,
+ * `refetchOnMount: false`) so a return-to-dashboard within a minute
+ * stays a free cache hit, and the queryKey stays the centralised factory
+ * entry. v1.18.9 (#38) flips `refetchOnWindowFocus` to `true` so a
+ * background sync — which fires no client mutation event — surfaces on
+ * return-to-tab; the `staleTime` gate keeps rapid focus toggles free.
  */
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, afterEach } from "vitest";
 
@@ -70,7 +72,12 @@ describe("useDashboardSnapshot — auto-refresh on an open page", () => {
     const opts = lastOpts();
     expect(opts.staleTime).toBe(60_000);
     expect(opts.refetchOnMount).toBe(false);
-    expect(opts.refetchOnWindowFocus).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("refetches on window focus so a background sync surfaces on return", () => {
+    useDashboardSnapshot();
+    const opts = lastOpts();
+    expect(opts.refetchOnWindowFocus).toBe(true);
   });
 
   it("routes the queryKey through the centralised factory", () => {
diff --git a/src/lib/queries/use-dashboard-snapshot.ts b/src/lib/queries/use-dashboard-snapshot.ts
index eaacdbb38..77c8e093d 100644
--- a/src/lib/queries/use-dashboard-snapshot.ts
+++ b/src/lib/queries/use-dashboard-snapshot.ts
@@ -14,9 +14,17 @@
  *     already passed the auth / onboarding redirect. Firing un-gated
  *     removes the `/api/auth/me` round-trip from the cold critical path
  *     (R-firstpaint §1a — the single biggest first-byte win).
- *   - `staleTime: 60_000` + `refetchOnMount: false` +
- *     `refetchOnWindowFocus: false` mirror `DASHBOARD_QUERY_OPTS` so a
- *     return-to-dashboard within a minute is a free cache hit.
+ *   - `staleTime: 60_000` + `refetchOnMount: false` keep a
+ *     return-to-dashboard within a minute a free cache hit.
+ *   - `refetchOnWindowFocus: true` (v1.18.9) closes the background-sync
+ *     freshness gap behind #38: a Withings / Apple-Health / iOS batch
+ *     sync writes the user's data with NO client-side mutation event, so
+ *     the snapshot keys are never invalidated and the dashboard only
+ *     updated on the 120 s poll or a hard reload. Refetch-on-focus means
+ *     returning to the tab after a sync surfaces the new readings within
+ *     a frame. The `staleTime: 60_000` gate makes rapid focus toggles
+ *     cheap (a refetch fires only once the slot is stale), and the warm
+ *     60 s server SWR cache keeps the focus refetch sub-cost.
  *   - `refetchInterval: 120_000` + `refetchIntervalInBackground: false`
  *     keep an open dashboard live: an idle tab polls the snapshot every
  *     two minutes so freshly-synced Withings / HealthKit readings appear
@@ -162,7 +170,11 @@ export function useDashboardSnapshot(enabled = true) {
     enabled,
     staleTime: 60_000,
     refetchOnMount: false,
-    refetchOnWindowFocus: false,
+    // v1.18.9 (#38) — refetch on focus so a background sync (Withings /
+    // Apple Health / iOS batch), which produces no client mutation event,
+    // surfaces on return-to-tab. Gated by the 60 s `staleTime` above so a
+    // rapid focus toggle within the window is still a free cache hit.
+    refetchOnWindowFocus: true,
     refetchInterval: DASHBOARD_REFETCH_INTERVAL_MS,
     refetchIntervalInBackground: false,
     // v1.16.8 — one retry on network errors / 5xx (never 401/403). A
diff --git a/src/lib/query-keys/index.ts b/src/lib/query-keys/index.ts
index 10b64db30..d84854923 100644
--- a/src/lib/query-keys/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/query-keys/index.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,16 @@ export const queryKeys = {
  * TanStack's hierarchical-prefix semantics — adding a measurement now
  * refreshes the tile strip *and* the chart row in lockstep instead of
  * leaving the chart row 60 s stale (audit C2).
+ *
+ * v1.18.9 — `dashboardSnapshot` joins the bundle, mirroring the
+ * v1.16.11 medication fix. The dashboard hero band, score ring, and
+ * tile strip all read ONE snapshot query configured with
+ * refetchOnMount/WindowFocus off and a 120 s poll; without the key here
+ * a blood-pressure (or any) reading added in-app stayed invisible on the
+ * Startseite until the poll ticked or a hard reload — the reported #38
+ * stale-read. The manual create / update / delete routes already
+ * hard-evict the server snapshot bucket (`{ evict: true }`), so the
+ * refetch this invalidation triggers returns post-write data at once.
  */
 export const measurementDependentKeys = [
   queryKeys.measurements(),
@@ -65,6 +75,7 @@ export const measurementDependentKeys = [
   queryKeys.insightsRoot(),
   queryKeys.insightsTargets(),
   queryKeys.gamificationAchievements(),
+  queryKeys.dashboardSnapshot(),
   ["chart-data"] as const,
   // v1.8.5 — re-run the diversity-nudge clustering when readings change.
   ["measurement-diversity"] as const,