diff --git a/src/lib/i18n/index.ts b/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
index 0901fbf..236ece7 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
+++ b/src/lib/i18n/index.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,11 @@ import { type Language, languages, resources } from './resources';
  * cycle `utils.LOCAL` is still undefined, so `getString(undefined)` throws and
  * every route that imports `translate` fails to evaluate (expo-router then
  * reports "missing default export" for all routes). Read storage directly here.
+ *
+ * This initialLanguage() is the single place that maps a device locale to an
+ * app language — utils.getDefaultLanguage() just reads the resulting
+ * i18n.language, so the rendered language and the highlighted pill cannot
+ * disagree.
  */
 function isLanguage(value: string | null | undefined): value is Language {
   return !!value && (languages as readonly string[]).includes(value);
@@ -18,8 +23,19 @@ function isLanguage(value: string | null | undefined): value is Language {
 function initialLanguage(): Language {
   const stored = storage.getString('language');
   if (isLanguage(stored)) return stored;
-  const code = getLocales()[0]?.languageCode;
-  return isLanguage(code) ? code : 'en';
+
+  const loc = getLocales()[0];
+  if (!loc) return 'en';
+  // Chinese needs script/region disambiguation — languageCode is 'zh' for
+  // EVERY Chinese locale, which used to load Traditional on zh-Hans devices.
+  // Hans script or CN/SG/MY region → Simplified, otherwise Traditional.
+  const tag = (loc.languageTag ?? '').toLowerCase();
+  if (tag.startsWith('zh')) {
+    return tag.includes('hans') || tag.includes('cn') || tag.includes('sg') || tag.includes('my')
+      ? 'zh-CN'
+      : 'zh';
+  }
+  return isLanguage(loc.languageCode) ? loc.languageCode : 'en';
 }
 
 void i18n.use(initReactI18next).init({
diff --git a/src/lib/i18n/utils.ts b/src/lib/i18n/utils.ts
index 6b3b2d4..5d1de25 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n/utils.ts
+++ b/src/lib/i18n/utils.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 import { storage } from '@/lib/storage';
-import { getLocales } from 'expo-localization';
 import { useCallback } from 'react';
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next';
 import { useMMKVString } from 'react-native-mmkv';
@@ -13,19 +12,14 @@ export function isLanguage(value: string | null | undefined): value is Language
   return !!value && (languages as readonly string[]).includes(value);
 }
 
+/**
+ * The default language — what applies when the user hasn't picked one.
+ * Reads the i18n instance instead of re-deriving from the device locale, so
+ * the selector highlights exactly what is rendered (the locale mapping lives
+ * only in ./index's initialLanguage).
+ */
 export function getDefaultLanguage(): Language {
-  const loc = getLocales()[0];
-  if (!loc) return 'en';
-  // Chinese needs script/region disambiguation (languageCode is just 'zh'):
-  // Hans script or CN/SG/MY region → Simplified, otherwise Traditional.
-  const tag = (loc.languageTag ?? '').toLowerCase();
-  if (tag.startsWith('zh')) {
-    return tag.includes('hans') || tag.includes('cn') || tag.includes('sg') || tag.includes('my')
-      ? 'zh-CN'
-      : 'zh';
-  }
-  const code = loc.languageCode;
-  return isLanguage(code) ? code : 'en';
+  return isLanguage(i18n.language) ? i18n.language : 'en';
 }
 
 /** Read the selected language synchronously (safe at i18n init time). */