diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
index 0add3347ba..895891838e 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/AppDelegate.swift
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ class AppDelegate: NSObject, UIApplicationDelegate {
                 }
             } else if let checkMessages = ntfData["checkMessages"] as? Bool, checkMessages {
                 logger.debug("AppDelegate: didReceiveRemoteNotification: checkMessages")
-                if isAppInactive() {
+                if appStateGroupDefault.get().inactive {
                     receiveMessages(completionHandler)
                 } else {
                     completionHandler(.noData)
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
index 6468d3b08a..d7267ff8b8 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/BGManager.swift
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class BGManager {
     private func handleRefresh(_ task: BGAppRefreshTask) {
         logger.debug("BGManager.handleRefresh")
         schedule()
-        if isAppInactive() {
+        if appStateGroupDefault.get().inactive {
             let completeRefresh = completionHandler {
                 task.setTaskCompleted(success: true)
             }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
index 2292a60c94..cc0731f2ad 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
@@ -102,9 +102,15 @@ final class ChatModel: ObservableObject {
         }
     }
 
-    func replaceChats(with newChats: [Chat]) {
-        for chat in newChats {
-            replaceChat(chat.id, chat)
+    func updateChats(with newChats: [ChatData]) {
+        for c in newChats {
+            if let chat = getChat(c.id) {
+                chat.chatInfo = c.chatInfo
+                chat.chatItems = c.chatItems
+                chat.chatStats = c.chatStats
+            } else {
+                addChat(Chat(c))
+            }
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index e2f9ecd016..af3ac5d5aa 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -179,9 +179,9 @@ func apiDeleteStorage() async throws {
     try await sendCommandOkResp(.apiDeleteStorage)
 }
 
-func apiGetChats() throws -> [Chat] {
+func apiGetChats() throws -> [ChatData] {
     let r = chatSendCmdSync(.apiGetChats)
-    if case let .apiChats(chats) = r { return chats.map { Chat.init($0) } }
+    if case let .apiChats(chats) = r { return chats }
     throw r
 }
 
@@ -191,6 +191,18 @@ func apiGetChat(type: ChatType, id: Int64) throws -> Chat {
     throw r
 }
 
+func loadChat(chat: Chat) {
+    do {
+        let cInfo = chat.chatInfo
+        let chat = try apiGetChat(type: cInfo.chatType, id: cInfo.apiId)
+        let m = ChatModel.shared
+        m.updateChatInfo(chat.chatInfo)
+        m.chatItems = chat.chatItems
+    } catch let error {
+        logger.error("loadChat error: \(responseError(error))")
+    }
+}
+
 func apiSendMessage(type: ChatType, id: Int64, file: String?, quotedItemId: Int64?, msg: MsgContent) async throws -> ChatItem {
     let chatModel = ChatModel.shared
     let cmd: ChatCommand = .apiSendMessage(type: type, id: id, file: file, quotedItemId: quotedItemId, msg: msg)
@@ -524,7 +536,8 @@ func startChat() throws {
     if justStarted {
         m.userAddress = try apiGetUserAddress()
         m.userSMPServers = try getUserSMPServers()
-        m.chats = try apiGetChats()
+        let chats = try apiGetChats()
+        m.chats = chats.map { Chat.init($0) }
         (m.savedToken, m.tokenStatus, m.notificationMode) = try apiGetNtfToken()
         if let token = m.deviceToken {
             registerToken(token: token)
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
index e2bd313e6b..e19eb64f45 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SuspendChat.swift
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ func suspendBgRefresh() {
 }
 
 func chatSuspended() {
-    logger.debug("chatSuspended")
     suspendLockQueue.sync {
         if case .suspending = appStateGroupDefault.get() {
+            logger.debug("chatSuspended")
             appStateGroupDefault.set(.suspended)
             if ChatModel.shared.chatRunning == true {
                 ChatReceiver.shared.stop()
@@ -55,7 +55,3 @@ func activateChat(appState: AppState = .active) {
         apiActivateChat()
     }
 }
-
-func isAppInactive() -> Bool {
-    UIApplication.shared.applicationState != .active && appStateGroupDefault.get().inactive
-}
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
index 398bb70d81..587e9762b6 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/SimpleXApp.swift
@@ -63,12 +63,7 @@ struct SimpleXApp: App {
                         let appState = appStateGroupDefault.get()
                         activateChat()
                         if appState.inactive && chatModel.chatRunning == true {
-                            do {
-                                let chats = try apiGetChats()
-                                chatModel.replaceChats(with: chats)
-                            } catch let error {
-                                logger.error("apiGetChats: cannot update chats \(responseError(error))")
-                            }
+                            updateChats()
                         }
                         doAuthenticate = authenticationExpired()
                     default:
@@ -107,4 +102,22 @@ struct SimpleXApp: App {
             return true
         }
     }
+
+    private func updateChats() {
+        do {
+            let chats = try apiGetChats()
+            chatModel.updateChats(with: chats)
+            if let id = chatModel.chatId,
+               let chat = chatModel.getChat(id) {
+                loadChat(chat: chat)
+                DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1) {
+                    if chatModel.chatId == chat.id {
+                        Task { await markChatRead(chat) }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        } catch let error {
+            logger.error("apiGetChats: cannot update chats \(responseError(error))")
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
index 79b30ebf27..6c5bd9109a 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
@@ -225,7 +225,7 @@ struct ChatView: View {
     }
 
     func markAllRead() {
-        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.75) {
+        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1) {
             if chatModel.chatId == chat.id {
                 Task { await markChatRead(chat) }
             }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListNavLink.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListNavLink.swift
index bce1f0a662..eedf579a10 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListNavLink.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListNavLink.swift
@@ -30,16 +30,7 @@ struct ChatListNavLink: View {
 
     private func chatView() -> some View {
         ChatView(chat: chat, showChatInfo: $showChatInfo)
-        .onAppear {
-            do {
-                let cInfo = chat.chatInfo
-                let chat = try apiGetChat(type: cInfo.chatType, id: cInfo.apiId)
-                chatModel.updateChatInfo(chat.chatInfo)
-                chatModel.chatItems = chat.chatItems
-            } catch {
-                logger.error("ChatListNavLink.chatView apiGetChatItems error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
-            }
-        }
+            .onAppear { loadChat(chat: chat) }
     }
 
     @ViewBuilder private func contactNavLink(_ contact: Contact) -> some View {