Quieter Sasquatch bubble: no perpetual pulse, hideable, map-aware

Addresses "the floating Sasquatch flashing is annoying":

- Pulse is now state-driven: the animate-ping halo shows only when there's an
  unread tip (message), never perpetually; the unread dot matches.
- Honors prefers-reduced-motion (motion-reduce:hidden).
- Map-aware: Layout passes isFullBleed, so on the map the bubble runs compact
  (smaller, no glow, no pulse) instead of competing with map controls.
- Hideable: a ✕ on the FAB hides it (useSasquatchHidden, localStorage
  sasquatch-hidden, same-tab synced via an event), with a "Show Sasquatch
  assistant" toggle in Settings → Appearance to bring it back.

AGENTS.md

@@ -574,6 +574,14 @@ session with **no other memory of this project**. So:
     calls are suppressed so partial JSON never renders. Pollinations' `mistral`
     slug is dead (404); only `openai` (gpt-oss-20b) is live. `findCoaches` +
     `getCommunityStats` cover **all** Lab roles (kinds 35001–35014).
+    **Bubble visibility (2026-10-04):** the floating Sasquatch FAB no longer
+    pulses forever — the `animate-ping` halo shows **only when an unread tip
+    exists**, is `motion-reduce:hidden`, and is suppressed on **full-bleed routes**
+    (`isFullBleed` passed from `Layout`), where the bubble also runs **compact**
+    (smaller, no glow) so it stops competing with the map. A ✕ on the FAB hides
+    it (`useSasquatchHidden`, localStorage `sasquatch-hidden`, same-tab synced via
+    a `sasquatch:hiddenchange` event), and **Settings → Appearance** has a "Show
+    Sasquatch assistant" toggle to bring it back.
   - **ContextVM (CVM) server** (`cvm-server/`, Bun): standalone MCP-over-Nostr
     endpoint for *external* agents. Runs on this machine as a **system** service
     (`/etc/systemd/system/skatespots-cvm.service`, `sudo systemctl restart

src/components/Layout.tsx

@@ -1136,6 +1136,7 @@ export function Layout({ children, noPadding }: LayoutProps) {
         <LazySasquatchGuide
           message={currentMessage}
           onDismiss={dismissCurrentMessage}
+          isFullBleed={isFullBleed}
         />
       </Suspense>
 

src/components/SasquatchGuide.tsx

@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import { Input } from '@/components/ui/input';
 import { ScrollArea } from '@/components/ui/scroll-area';
 import { X, Minimize2, HelpCircle, Send, Loader2, Wifi, WifiOff } from 'lucide-react';
 import { useLocalStorage } from '@/hooks/useLocalStorage';
+import { useSasquatchHidden } from '@/hooks/useSasquatchHidden';
 import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
 import { useCVMClient, type SpotResult } from '@/hooks/useCVMClient';
 import { usePersonalContext } from '@/hooks/usePersonalContext';
@@ -116,6 +117,8 @@ export interface GuideMessage {
 interface SasquatchGuideProps {
   message?: GuideMessage;
   onDismiss?: () => void;
+  /** True on full-bleed routes (the map) — the bubble runs compact/no-pulse. */
+  isFullBleed?: boolean;
 }
 
 interface ChatMessage {
@@ -658,7 +661,7 @@ function ChatText({ text }: { text: string }) {
 
 // ─── Main component ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-export function SasquatchGuide({ message, onDismiss }: SasquatchGuideProps) {
+export function SasquatchGuide({ message, onDismiss, isFullBleed }: SasquatchGuideProps) {
   const { user } = useCurrentUser();
   const { t, language } = useTranslation();
   const cvm = useCVMClient();
@@ -675,6 +678,7 @@ export function SasquatchGuide({ message, onDismiss }: SasquatchGuideProps) {
   const [proDialogOpen, setProDialogOpen] = useState(false);
 
   const [isMinimized, setIsMinimized] = useLocalStorage('sasquatch-minimized', false);
+  const [hidden, setHidden] = useSasquatchHidden();
   const [isVisible, setIsVisible] = useState(false);
   // Fetched only while the panel is open (owner-only).
   const aiStatus = useSasquatchAiStatus({ enabled: isOwner && isVisible && !isMinimized });
@@ -1545,6 +1549,11 @@ Instructions:
   // opt-in auto-show message (e.g. onboarding) — never automatically on / or /lab.
   const shouldShowPanel = isVisible;
 
+  // A proactive tip is waiting (drives the pulse/dot), and the map route runs
+  // the bubble in a quieter, compact form.
+  const hasUnread = !!message;
+  const compact = !!isFullBleed;
+
   // Notify the rest of the app (e.g. MapPage FAB) when the panel opens or closes
   useEffect(() => {
     const panelOpen = shouldShowPanel && !isMinimized;
@@ -1574,10 +1583,12 @@ Instructions:
     enableChat: true,
   };
 
+  if (hidden) return null;
+
   return (
     <>
-      {/* ── Minimized bubble — always visible, draggable ── */}
-      {(!shouldShowPanel || isMinimized) && (
+      {/* ── Minimized bubble — visible unless the user hid the assistant ── */}
+      {!hidden && (!shouldShowPanel || isMinimized) && (
         <div
           ref={dragRef}
           className={cn(
@@ -1596,22 +1607,40 @@ Instructions:
         >
           <div
             className={cn(
-              'relative group flex items-center justify-center w-12 h-12 md:w-14 md:h-14 rounded-full shadow-2xl border-2 border-[#ccff00]/60 transition-all duration-200',
+              'relative group flex items-center justify-center rounded-full shadow-2xl border-2 border-[#ccff00]/60 transition-all duration-200',
+              compact ? 'w-9 h-9' : 'w-12 h-12 md:w-14 md:h-14',
               isDragging ? 'scale-110 border-[#ccff00] cursor-grabbing' : 'hover:border-[#ccff00] hover:scale-110 active:scale-95 cursor-grab',
             )}
             style={{
               background: 'radial-gradient(circle at 40% 35%, #2d4a1e 0%, #1a2e0f 50%, #0d1a07 100%)',
-              boxShadow: '0 0 20px rgba(204,255,0,0.2), 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.8)',
+              boxShadow: compact
+                ? '0 2px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.8)'
+                : '0 0 20px rgba(204,255,0,0.2), 0 4px 20px rgba(0,0,0,0.8)',
             }}
             aria-label={t('sasquatchUi.openGuideAria')}
           >
             <img
               src="/images/sasquatch-guide.webp"
               alt="The Sasquatch"
-              className="w-8 h-8 md:w-9 md:h-9 rounded-full object-cover pointer-events-none"
+              className={cn('rounded-full object-cover pointer-events-none', compact ? 'w-6 h-6' : 'w-8 h-8 md:w-9 md:h-9')}
             />
-            <span className="absolute inset-0 rounded-full animate-ping opacity-20 border-2 border-[#ccff00]" />
-            <span className="absolute top-0 right-0 w-3 h-3 bg-[#ccff00] rounded-full border-2 border-black shadow-[0_0_6px_#ccff00]" />
+            {/* Pulse only when there's an unread tip, never on the map, and never
+                under prefers-reduced-motion (the mount animation is the nuisance). */}
+            {hasUnread && !compact && (
+              <span className="absolute inset-0 rounded-full animate-ping opacity-20 border-2 border-[#ccff00] motion-reduce:hidden" />
+            )}
+            {hasUnread && (
+              <span className="absolute -top-0.5 -right-0.5 w-3 h-3 bg-[#ccff00] rounded-full border-2 border-black shadow-[0_0_6px_#ccff00]" />
+            )}
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              aria-label={t('sasquatchUi.hideAria')}
+              onPointerDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+              onClick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); setHidden(true); }}
+              className="absolute -top-1.5 -left-1.5 z-10 flex h-5 w-5 items-center justify-center rounded-full border border-white/20 bg-black/80 text-gray-400 opacity-100 transition-opacity hover:text-white md:opacity-0 md:group-hover:opacity-100"
+            >
+              <X className="h-3 w-3" />
+            </button>
           </div>
         </div>
       )}

src/hooks/useSasquatchHidden.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
+import { useLocalStorage } from '@/hooks/useLocalStorage';
+
+const KEY = 'sasquatch-hidden';
+const EVENT = 'sasquatch:hiddenchange';
+
+/**
+ * Whether the floating Sasquatch assistant is hidden. Device-local (like the
+ * other visibility prefs) and synced **within the same tab** via a custom event
+ * — `useLocalStorage` only syncs across tabs, so the Settings toggle and the
+ * guide itself need this bridge to stay in step.
+ */
+export function useSasquatchHidden(): [boolean, (value: boolean) => void] {
+  const [hidden, setHiddenRaw] = useLocalStorage(KEY, false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handler = (e: Event) => setHiddenRaw(!!(e as CustomEvent<boolean>).detail);
+    window.addEventListener(EVENT, handler);
+    return () => window.removeEventListener(EVENT, handler);
+  }, [setHiddenRaw]);
+
+  const setHidden = useCallback(
+    (value: boolean) => {
+      setHiddenRaw(value);
+      window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent(EVENT, { detail: value }));
+    },
+    [setHiddenRaw],
+  );
+
+  return [hidden, setHidden];
+}

src/i18n/batch3/sasquatchUi.ts

@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ const sasquatchUi = {
     // ── Bubble + header ──
     bubbleTitle: 'Press and drag to move · Tap to open',
     openGuideAria: 'Open Sasquatch guide',
+    hideAria: 'Hide the Sasquatch assistant',
     activeUntil: 'Active until {{date}}',
     platformOwner: 'Platform owner',
     upgradeTitle: 'Upgrade to Sasquatch Pro',
@@ -160,6 +161,7 @@ const sasquatchUi = {
     // ── Bubble + header ──
     bubbleTitle: 'Pulsa y arrastra para mover · Toca para abrir',
     openGuideAria: 'Abrir la guía del Sasquatch',
+    hideAria: 'Ocultar el asistente Sasquatch',
     activeUntil: 'Activo hasta el {{date}}',
     platformOwner: 'Propietario de la plataforma',
     upgradeTitle: 'Mejora a Sasquatch Pro',

src/i18n/en.ts

@@ -5072,6 +5072,9 @@ settingsUi: {
       myStashSub: 'Private gear inventory',
       relaysSub: 'Nostr relay connections',
       appearanceSub: 'Language and theme',
+      assistant: 'Assistant',
+      showSasquatch: 'Show Sasquatch assistant',
+      showSasquatchDesc: 'Show the floating Sasquatch button on the map and other screens.',
       notifications: 'Notifications',
       notificationsSub: 'Alerts for DMs, crews and zaps',
       coordinator: 'Coordinator',

src/i18n/es.ts

@@ -5072,6 +5072,9 @@ settingsUi: {
       myStashSub: 'Inventario privado de material',
       relaysSub: 'Conexiones a relays de Nostr',
       appearanceSub: 'Idioma y tema',
+      assistant: 'Asistente',
+      showSasquatch: 'Mostrar el asistente Sasquatch',
+      showSasquatchDesc: 'Muestra el botón flotante del Sasquatch en el mapa y otras pantallas.',
       notifications: 'Notificaciones',
       notificationsSub: 'Avisos de MD, crews y zaps',
       coordinator: 'Coordinador',

src/pages/SettingsPage.tsx

@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 import { useSeoMeta } from '@unhead/react';
 import { Link, useSearchParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { EditProfileForm } from '@/components/EditProfileForm';
+import { Switch } from '@/components/ui/switch';
+import { useSasquatchHidden } from '@/hooks/useSasquatchHidden';
 import { SkaterDirectoryCard } from '@/components/SkaterDirectoryCard';
 import { ProfilePreviewCard } from '@/components/ProfilePreviewCard';
 import { RelayListManager } from '@/components/RelayListManager';
@@ -609,6 +611,7 @@ function RelaysScreen({ onBack }: { onBack: () => void }) {
 
 function AppearanceScreen({ onBack }: { onBack: () => void }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const [sasquatchHidden, setSasquatchHidden] = useSasquatchHidden();
   return (
     <div>
       <BackHeader title={t('settingsUi.settingsPage.appearance')} onBack={onBack} />
@@ -619,6 +622,20 @@ function AppearanceScreen({ onBack }: { onBack: () => void }) {
             <LanguageSelector />
           </div>
         </div>
+
+        {/* Sasquatch assistant — the floating map bubble can be distracting;
+            let people turn it off and back on. Device-local. */}
+        <div>
+          <p className="text-[10px] font-black uppercase tracking-widest text-muted-foreground/50 mb-2">{t('settingsUi.settingsPage.assistant')}</p>
+          <div className="rounded-2xl border border-white/8 p-4 bg-white/2 flex items-center justify-between gap-3">
+            <div className="min-w-0">
+              <p className="text-sm font-bold text-white">{t('settingsUi.settingsPage.showSasquatch')}</p>
+              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{t('settingsUi.settingsPage.showSasquatchDesc')}</p>
+            </div>
+            <Switch checked={!sasquatchHidden} onCheckedChange={(v) => setSasquatchHidden(!v)} aria-label={t('settingsUi.settingsPage.showSasquatch')} />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+
         <div className="rounded-2xl border border-white/8 p-5 bg-white/2 text-center">
           <div className="text-3xl mb-3">🌙</div>
           <p className="font-black text-white uppercase tracking-wide text-sm mb-2">{t('settingsUi.settingsPage.darkModeOnly')}</p>