diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/__tests__/strip-emoji.test.ts b/src/lib/notifications/__tests__/strip-emoji.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..22e064285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/__tests__/strip-emoji.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+
+import {
+  stripDecorativeEmoji,
+  shouldStripEmoji,
+  plainPushText,
+} from "@/lib/notifications/strip-emoji";
+
+describe("stripDecorativeEmoji", () => {
+  it("removes the colour-coded reminder phase markers and tidies whitespace", () => {
+    expect(stripDecorativeEmoji("🟢 Reminder: Ramipril")).toBe(
+      "Reminder: Ramipril",
+    );
+    expect(stripDecorativeEmoji("🔴 Missed: Metformin")).toBe(
+      "Missed: Metformin",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("strips clock / skip / check emoji and regional indicators", () => {
+    expect(stripDecorativeEmoji("🕐 1h ⏭ Skip ✅")).toBe("1h Skip");
+  });
+
+  it("leaves plain text untouched", () => {
+    expect(stripDecorativeEmoji("Due soon: Vitamin D (1 tablet)")).toBe(
+      "Due soon: Vitamin D (1 tablet)",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("spares ™ © ® so brand names survive", () => {
+    expect(stripDecorativeEmoji("Tylenol® reminder")).toBe("Tylenol® reminder");
+  });
+});
+
+describe("shouldStripEmoji / plainPushText", () => {
+  it("strips for routine reminder events", () => {
+    expect(shouldStripEmoji("MEDICATION_REMINDER")).toBe(true);
+    expect(shouldStripEmoji("MOOD_REMINDER")).toBe(true);
+    expect(plainPushText("🟢 Take Ramipril", "MEDICATION_REMINDER")).toBe(
+      "Take Ramipril",
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("keeps emoji for system / failure alerts", () => {
+    expect(shouldStripEmoji("SYSTEM_ALERT")).toBe(false);
+    expect(plainPushText("⚠️ Sync failed", "SYSTEM_ALERT")).toBe(
+      "⚠️ Sync failed",
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/senders/apns.ts b/src/lib/notifications/senders/apns.ts
index 70f1f5ad5..28ac3b196 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/senders/apns.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/senders/apns.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ import { prisma } from "@/lib/db";
 import { getEvent } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import type { SendOutcome } from "@/lib/notifications/retry-policy";
 import { recordPushAttempt } from "@/lib/notifications/senders/push-attempt-record";
+import { plainPushText } from "@/lib/notifications/strip-emoji";
 
 export interface ApnsPayload {
   /** APNs `aps.alert.title` + `aps.alert.body`. */
@@ -615,7 +616,10 @@ export async function sendViaApns(
         deviceToken: device.apnsToken,
         environment: attemptEnv,
         payload: {
-          alert: { title: payload.title, body: stripHtml(payload.message) },
+          alert: {
+            title: plainPushText(payload.title, payload.eventType),
+            body: plainPushText(stripHtml(payload.message), payload.eventType),
+          },
           data: {
             eventType: routingEvent,
             // In discreet mode also drop cycle-semantic metadata (e.g. `phase`)
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/senders/ntfy.ts b/src/lib/notifications/senders/ntfy.ts
index a71a05cd1..7878c8c92 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/senders/ntfy.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/senders/ntfy.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { classifyHttpStatus } from "@/lib/notifications/retry-policy";
 import { getEvent } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import { recordPushAttempt } from "@/lib/notifications/senders/push-attempt-record";
 import { safeFetch } from "@/lib/safe-fetch";
+import { plainPushText } from "@/lib/notifications/strip-emoji";
 
 /**
  * Send notification via ntfy (simple HTTP POST).
@@ -26,7 +27,7 @@ export async function sendViaNtfy(
     const url = `${config.serverUrl.replace(/\/$/, "")}/${encodeURIComponent(config.topic)}`;
 
     const headers: Record<string, string> = {
-      Title: payload.title,
+      Title: plainPushText(payload.title, payload.eventType),
       Priority:
         payload.eventType === "MEDICATION_REMINDER" ? "high" : "default",
       // Discreet mode (cycle privacy): the X-Tags header is visible on the
@@ -41,8 +42,11 @@ export async function sendViaNtfy(
       headers["Authorization"] = `Bearer ${config.authToken}`;
     }
 
-    // Strip HTML tags for ntfy (plain text only)
-    const body = payload.message.replace(/<[^>]*>/g, "");
+    // Strip HTML tags for ntfy (plain text only) + emoji on routine reminders
+    const body = plainPushText(
+      payload.message.replace(/<[^>]*>/g, ""),
+      payload.eventType,
+    );
 
     // requirePublicHost adds the DNS-rebinding pin (issue #217) on top
     // of the input-time isPublicUrl guard already enforced when the
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/senders/web-push.ts b/src/lib/notifications/senders/web-push.ts
index c0dba549c..973078649 100644
--- a/src/lib/notifications/senders/web-push.ts
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/senders/web-push.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { getVapidConfig } from "@/lib/notifications/vapid-config";
 import { getEvent } from "@/lib/logging/context";
 import { recordPushAttempt } from "@/lib/notifications/senders/push-attempt-record";
 import { isPublicUrl } from "@/lib/validations/notifications";
+import { plainPushText } from "@/lib/notifications/strip-emoji";
 
 /**
  * Send Web Push notification to all subscribed devices of a user.
@@ -78,8 +79,11 @@ export async function sendViaWebPush(
     }
 
     const pushPayload = JSON.stringify({
-      title: payload.title,
-      body: payload.message.replace(/<[^>]*>/g, ""),
+      title: plainPushText(payload.title, payload.eventType),
+      body: plainPushText(
+        payload.message.replace(/<[^>]*>/g, ""),
+        payload.eventType,
+      ),
       // Discreet mode (cycle privacy): the coalescing `tag` must not name the
       // event. Web-Push payloads are VAPID-encrypted (only the SW sees this),
       // but the discreet contract still requires no event name on the wire —
diff --git a/src/lib/notifications/strip-emoji.ts b/src/lib/notifications/strip-emoji.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..475b4f79e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/notifications/strip-emoji.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+/**
+ * Strip decorative emoji from push notification content.
+ *
+ * Operator + iOS contract (2026-06): routine reminder pushes
+ * (medication-due, mood-nudge, daily-briefing, cycle reminders) must be
+ * plain text — no emoji, no decorative bubbles. iOS renders the APNs
+ * `title`/`body` verbatim, so the colour-coded phase markers (🟢🟡🟠🔴) the
+ * reminder strings carry for the Telegram channel leak onto the lock
+ * screen. Emoji stay acceptable only for system / failure alerts
+ * (`SYSTEM_ALERT`), where they flag severity.
+ *
+ * The push senders (APNs, Web Push, ntfy) run reminder content through
+ * this; Telegram keeps the emoji (idiomatic there, and its inline keyboard
+ * relies on glyph-labelled action buttons). `shouldStripEmoji` keeps the
+ * SYSTEM_ALERT carve-out in one place.
+ *
+ * The range set targets the actual emoji blocks (supplementary
+ * pictographs, misc symbols, dingbats, geometric/arrow emoji, regional
+ * indicators, variation selectors, keycap) and deliberately spares the
+ * BMP punctuation that doubles as text — ™ © ® and the like — so a brand
+ * name in a medication title is not mangled.
+ */
+const EMOJI_RE =
+  /[\u{1F300}-\u{1FAFF}\u{2600}-\u{27BF}\u{2B00}-\u{2BFF}\u{FE00}-\u{FE0F}\u{1F1E6}-\u{1F1FF}\u{20E3}\u{231A}\u{231B}\u{23E9}-\u{23FA}]/gu;
+
+/** Remove decorative emoji and collapse the whitespace they leave behind. */
+export function stripDecorativeEmoji(text: string): string {
+  return text.replace(EMOJI_RE, "").replace(/\s+/g, " ").trim();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Whether a push channel should strip emoji for this event. Everything
+ * except `SYSTEM_ALERT` is a routine notification and goes plain. Accepts a
+ * bare string so it composes with senders that carry `eventType` widened to
+ * `string` on the wire payload.
+ */
+export function shouldStripEmoji(eventType: string): boolean {
+  return eventType !== "SYSTEM_ALERT";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Apply the reminder plain-text rule to a single push field: strip emoji
+ * unless the event is a system / failure alert.
+ */
+export function plainPushText(text: string, eventType: string): string {
+  return shouldStripEmoji(eventType) ? stripDecorativeEmoji(text) : text;
+}