diff --git a/messages/de.json b/messages/de.json
index da0e2d9ae..0e7bda121 100644
--- a/messages/de.json
+++ b/messages/de.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Ruhewerte von Herz-Kreislauf und Atmung im Vergleich zu deiner eigenen Baseline",
         "loadingLabel": "Vitalwerte werden geladen",
         "loadError": "Deine Vitalwerte konnten gerade nicht geladen werden.",
+        "infoLabel": "Wie wird das berechnet?",
         "building": "Typischer Bereich entsteht — {count} von {target} Tagen",
         "typicalRange": "Typisch für dich: {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Ausdauer wie ~{years} J. jünger",
diff --git a/messages/en.json b/messages/en.json
index 6d7047b16..c2195f3dc 100644
--- a/messages/en.json
+++ b/messages/en.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Resting cardiovascular and respiratory signals against your own baseline",
         "loadingLabel": "Loading your vitals",
         "loadError": "Could not load your vitals right now.",
+        "infoLabel": "How is this calculated?",
         "building": "Building your typical range — {count} of {target} days",
         "typicalRange": "Typical for you: {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Cardio fitness of someone ~{years} yr younger",
diff --git a/messages/es.json b/messages/es.json
index 79e7d5692..a29101256 100644
--- a/messages/es.json
+++ b/messages/es.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Señales cardiovasculares y respiratorias en reposo frente a tu propia línea base",
         "loadingLabel": "Cargando tus constantes",
         "loadError": "No se pudieron cargar tus constantes en este momento.",
+        "infoLabel": "¿Cómo se calcula esto?",
         "building": "Creando tu rango habitual — {count} de {target} días",
         "typicalRange": "Habitual para ti: {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Forma cardiovascular de alguien ~{years} años más joven",
diff --git a/messages/fr.json b/messages/fr.json
index 5d723b8ee..d3726d425 100644
--- a/messages/fr.json
+++ b/messages/fr.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Signaux cardiovasculaires et respiratoires au repos par rapport à ta propre référence",
         "loadingLabel": "Chargement de vos constantes",
         "loadError": "Impossible de charger vos constantes pour le moment.",
+        "infoLabel": "Comment ce résultat est-il calculé ?",
         "building": "Construction de votre plage habituelle — {count} sur {target} jours",
         "typicalRange": "Habituel pour vous : {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Forme cardio d'une personne ~{years} ans plus jeune",
diff --git a/messages/it.json b/messages/it.json
index 02336401e..b07a3cf88 100644
--- a/messages/it.json
+++ b/messages/it.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Segnali cardiovascolari e respiratori a riposo rispetto alla tua baseline personale",
         "loadingLabel": "Caricamento dei tuoi parametri vitali",
         "loadError": "Al momento non è stato possibile caricare i tuoi parametri vitali.",
+        "infoLabel": "Come viene calcolato questo dato?",
         "building": "Creazione del tuo intervallo abituale — {count} di {target} giorni",
         "typicalRange": "Abituale per te: {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Forma cardio di chi ha ~{years} anni in meno",
diff --git a/messages/pl.json b/messages/pl.json
index eddaff186..592f41484 100644
--- a/messages/pl.json
+++ b/messages/pl.json
@@ -3397,6 +3397,7 @@
         "sectionSubtitle": "Spoczynkowe sygnały sercowo-naczyniowe i oddechowe na tle Twojej własnej linii bazowej",
         "loadingLabel": "Wczytywanie parametrów życiowych",
         "loadError": "Nie udało się teraz wczytać Twoich parametrów życiowych.",
+        "infoLabel": "Jak to jest obliczane?",
         "building": "Budowanie Twojego typowego zakresu — {count} z {target} dni",
         "typicalRange": "Typowe dla Ciebie: {low}–{high}",
         "fitnessYounger": "Kondycja jak u osoby ~{years} lat młodszej",
diff --git a/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-dashboard.tsx b/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-dashboard.tsx
index 02c8dfe51..57aa57ddf 100644
--- a/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-dashboard.tsx
+++ b/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-dashboard.tsx
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import { SectionHeading } from "@/components/insights/section-heading";
 import { SparklineDeltaTile } from "./sparkline-delta-tile";
 import { LearnMoreLink } from "@/components/ui/learn-more-link";
 import { CoverageMeter } from "./coverage-meter";
-import { ProvenanceExplainer } from "./provenance-explainer";
+import { VitalsInfoTip } from "./vitals-info-tip";
 import { METRIC_PROVENANCE } from "./standards";
 import { type DerivedBatchRead } from "./use-derived-metric";
 import {
@@ -169,10 +169,16 @@ function tileOrder(layout: InsightsLayout | undefined, tileId: string): number {
   return resolveTileLayout(layout, tileId).order;
 }
 
-/** The provenance ⓘ explainer for one derived metric, wired from the map. */
+/**
+ * The (i) info-tip trigger for one derived metric, wired from the map.
+ * `provenance` (inputs / source / window / asOf) isn't rendered here —
+ * `VitalsInfoTip` carries only the method/caveat + cited standard, mirroring
+ * what `ProvenanceExplainer` itself renders today — but the param is kept so
+ * every call site (which already reads `data.provenance` off the derived
+ * batch) doesn't need touching if a future pass restores the detail.
+ */
 function MetricProvenance({
   metric,
-  provenance,
 }: {
   metric: keyof typeof METRIC_PROVENANCE;
   provenance: DerivedProvenance;
@@ -189,13 +195,7 @@ function MetricProvenance({
       {t(meta.methodKey)}
     </>
   );
-  return (
-    <ProvenanceExplainer
-      provenance={provenance}
-      method={method}
-      standard={meta.standard}
-    />
-  );
+  return <VitalsInfoTip method={method} standard={meta.standard} />;
 }
 
 interface TileProps {
@@ -288,14 +288,14 @@ function BaselineTile({
         framing={framing}
         directionSentiment={vitalSentiment(type)}
         provenance={
-          // v1.29.1 — the VITALS_BASELINE "typical range = median ± MAD" method
-          // caption is suppressed on its own tiles: it repeated across every
-          // vital baseline tile and read as out-of-place clutter at the top of
-          // the vitals surface. The dedicated bands (wrist-temp, stair speed,
-          // 6-min walk) keep their method copy — only VITALS_BASELINE is muted.
-          metric === "VITALS_BASELINE" ? undefined : (
-            <MetricProvenance metric={metric} provenance={data.provenance} />
-          )
+          // v1.29.1 muted this on VITALS_BASELINE tiles because the always-on
+          // "typical range = median ± MAD" caption repeated across every vital
+          // baseline tile and read as clutter. v1.29.2 restores the context —
+          // now behind the compact (i) trigger (`VitalsInfoTip`) instead of a
+          // full-width caption, so every baseline tile carries it again
+          // without the repetition or the header-row squeeze that clipped the
+          // cardio-fitness heading.
+          <MetricProvenance metric={metric} provenance={data.provenance} />
         }
         footer={<LearnMoreLink concept={tileId} />}
       />
diff --git a/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-info-tip.tsx b/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-info-tip.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..753ab3fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/insights/derived/vitals-info-tip.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useState } from "react";
+import { Info } from "lucide-react";
+
+import {
+  Popover,
+  PopoverContent,
+  PopoverTrigger,
+} from "@/components/ui/popover";
+import { useTranslations } from "@/lib/i18n/context";
+import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import type { ProvenanceStandard } from "./provenance-explainer";
+
+/**
+ * v1.29.2 QoL — the vitals-dashboard tile's (i) info affordance.
+ *
+ * v1.29.1 dropped the always-on "your personal normal range is the
+ * median…" method caption from every `VITALS_BASELINE` tile because it
+ * repeated verbatim across up to six tiles and read as clutter at the top
+ * of the vitals surface — and, on the narrower tiles, squeezed the heading
+ * itself (the VO₂max/cardio-fitness clip). Rather than reintroduce the
+ * caption at full length, the SAME method/caveat/standard content moves
+ * behind a small (i) trigger: a click-opened `Popover` (not a hover
+ * tooltip — the vitals grid sees most of its use on touch), so the context
+ * is one tap away instead of permanently occupying header space.
+ *
+ * This is a DELIBERATE, narrowly-scoped exception to the v1.22 "no
+ * icon-only disclosure" direction (`ProvenanceExplainer`'s own docstring):
+ * that decision targeted the always-visible-caption pattern on OTHER
+ * surfaces (coincident-deviation, the score-anatomy pages), which stay
+ * unchanged. The vitals grid is dense enough, and the caption repetitive
+ * enough, that the same content is better one tap away here.
+ */
+export interface VitalsInfoTipProps {
+  /** Plain-language method (+ optional caveat) description — text children only. */
+  method: React.ReactNode;
+  /** Optional cited standard, rendered as a plain external link. */
+  standard?: ProvenanceStandard;
+  className?: string;
+}
+
+export function VitalsInfoTip({
+  method,
+  standard,
+  className,
+}: VitalsInfoTipProps) {
+  const { t } = useTranslations();
+  const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
+
+  return (
+    <Popover open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>
+      <PopoverTrigger asChild>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          data-slot="vitals-info-trigger"
+          aria-label={t("insights.derived.vitals.infoLabel")}
+          aria-expanded={open}
+          className={cn(
+            "text-muted-foreground hover:text-foreground focus-visible:ring-ring/50",
+            "inline-flex min-h-11 min-w-11 shrink-0 items-center justify-center rounded-full",
+            "-mx-2 -my-3",
+            "transition-colors focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:outline-none",
+            className,
+          )}
+        >
+          <Info className="h-3.5 w-3.5" aria-hidden="true" />
+        </button>
+      </PopoverTrigger>
+      <PopoverContent
+        data-slot="vitals-info-body"
+        align="end"
+        sideOffset={6}
+        className="max-w-xs space-y-1.5"
+      >
+        <p className="text-muted-foreground text-xs leading-snug">{method}</p>
+        {standard ? (
+          <a
+            href={standard.url}
+            target="_blank"
+            rel="noopener noreferrer"
+            className="text-primary block text-xs leading-snug hover:underline"
+          >
+            {standard.name}
+          </a>
+        ) : null}
+      </PopoverContent>
+    </Popover>
+  );
+}