diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index e6c7a614a..49c0bc5b2 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ secrets/
 npm-debug.log*
 yarn-debug.log*
 yarn-error.log*
+firebase-debug.log
+firestore-debug.log
 
 # Misc
 .DS_Store
diff --git a/platforms/blabsy/api/src/scripts/seedEmulator.ts b/platforms/blabsy/api/src/scripts/seedEmulator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8d4d75a0c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platforms/blabsy/api/src/scripts/seedEmulator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,113 @@
+/**
+ * Seed the local Firebase emulators with two dev users + a chat between
+ * them (so the messaging UI is reachable), and mint a sign-in token for
+ * the first user — no QR / eID-wallet flow needed. Local-dev only.
+ *
+ * Prereqs: emulators running (auth :9099, firestore :8080).
+ * Run from platforms/blabsy/api:
+ *
+ *   FIRESTORE_EMULATOR_HOST=localhost:8080 \
+ *   FIREBASE_AUTH_EMULATOR_HOST=localhost:9099 \
+ *   GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=<repo>/secrets/w3ds-staging-firebase-adminsdk.json \
+ *   pnpm exec ts-node src/scripts/seedEmulator.ts
+ *
+ * Prints a Firebase custom token. Sign in via:
+ *   http://localhost:8079/dev-login?token=<token>
+ */
+import { initializeApp, cert, getApps } from "firebase-admin/app";
+import { getAuth, type Auth } from "firebase-admin/auth";
+import { getFirestore, Timestamp, type Firestore } from "firebase-admin/firestore";
+import * as fs from "fs";
+
+type SeedUser = { uid: string; username: string; displayName: string };
+
+const USERS: SeedUser[] = [
+    { uid: "devuser01", username: "devuser", displayName: "Dev User" },
+    { uid: "devuser02", username: "devuser2", displayName: "Dev User Two" }
+];
+const SIGN_IN_AS = "devuser01";
+const CHAT_ID = "devchat01";
+const CHAT_NAME = "New1";
+
+async function seedUser(auth: Auth, db: Firestore, { uid, username, displayName }: SeedUser): Promise<void> {
+    // Auth user (idempotent)
+    try {
+        await auth.createUser({ uid, email: `${username}@example.com`, displayName });
+        console.log(`Created auth user ${uid}`);
+    } catch (e: any) {
+        if (e.code === "auth/uid-already-exists" || e.code === "auth/email-already-exists") {
+            console.log(`Auth user ${uid} already exists`);
+        } else throw e;
+    }
+
+    // Firestore user doc — auth-context signs out any uid without one, and the
+    // chat header reads the participants' docs.
+    await db.collection("users").doc(uid).set({
+        id: uid,
+        bio: null,
+        name: displayName,
+        theme: null,
+        accent: null,
+        website: null,
+        location: null,
+        username,
+        photoURL: "/assets/twitter-avatar.jpg",
+        verified: false,
+        following: [],
+        followers: [],
+        createdAt: Timestamp.now(),
+        updatedAt: null,
+        totalTweets: 0,
+        totalPhotos: 0,
+        pinnedTweet: null,
+        coverPhotoURL: null
+    });
+    console.log(`Wrote users/${uid}`);
+}
+
+async function main(): Promise<void> {
+    if (!process.env.FIRESTORE_EMULATOR_HOST || !process.env.FIREBASE_AUTH_EMULATOR_HOST) {
+        throw new Error(
+            "Refusing to run: FIRESTORE_EMULATOR_HOST and FIREBASE_AUTH_EMULATOR_HOST must be set " +
+                "so this only ever touches the emulators, never staging/prod."
+        );
+    }
+
+    const credentialsPath = process.env.GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS;
+    if (!credentialsPath || !fs.existsSync(credentialsPath)) {
+        throw new Error("GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS must point to the service-account JSON (used only to sign the custom token).");
+    }
+    const serviceAccount = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(credentialsPath, "utf8"));
+
+    if (getApps().length === 0) {
+        initializeApp({ credential: cert(serviceAccount), projectId: serviceAccount.project_id });
+    }
+
+    const auth = getAuth();
+    const db = getFirestore();
+
+    for (const u of USERS) await seedUser(auth, db, u);
+
+    // Chat between the two users so the messaging screen (and its input box)
+    // is reachable. Idempotent via the fixed id. Left without messages to match
+    // the "No messages yet" state in the report.
+    const now = Timestamp.now();
+    await db.collection("chats").doc(CHAT_ID).set({
+        id: CHAT_ID,
+        participants: USERS.map((u) => u.uid),
+        name: CHAT_NAME,
+        admins: [],
+        createdAt: now,
+        updatedAt: now
+    });
+    console.log(`Wrote chats/${CHAT_ID} (${USERS.map((u) => u.uid).join(", ")})`);
+
+    const token = await auth.createCustomToken(SIGN_IN_AS);
+    console.log(`\nCustom token for ${SIGN_IN_AS} (sign in at http://localhost:8079/dev-login?token=<token>):\n`);
+    console.log(token);
+}
+
+main().then(() => process.exit(0)).catch((e) => {
+    console.error(e);
+    process.exit(1);
+});
diff --git a/platforms/blabsy/client/src/pages/dev-login.tsx b/platforms/blabsy/client/src/pages/dev-login.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1a9fb2475
--- /dev/null
+++ b/platforms/blabsy/client/src/pages/dev-login.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+'use client';
+
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { useRouter } from 'next/router';
+import { useAuth } from '@lib/context/auth-context';
+import { isUsingEmulator } from '@lib/env';
+
+/**
+ * Local-dev only sign-in: bypasses the QR / eID-wallet flow by accepting a
+ * Firebase custom token in the URL. Mint one with the api seedEmulator script.
+ *
+ *   /dev-login?token=<custom-token>
+ *
+ * Disabled unless running against the Firebase emulators.
+ */
+export default function DevLogin(): JSX.Element {
+    const { signInWithCustomToken, user } = useAuth();
+    const router = useRouter();
+    const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+    const attempted = useRef(false);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        // Attempt sign-in exactly once. signInWithCustomToken changes identity
+        // every render (and a failed attempt re-renders via setError), so the
+        // ref guard prevents an infinite retry loop while keeping the dep listed.
+        if (attempted.current) return;
+        attempted.current = true;
+
+        if (!isUsingEmulator) {
+            setError('dev-login is only available in emulator mode.');
+            return;
+        }
+        const token = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).get('token');
+        if (!token) {
+            setError('Missing ?token= parameter.');
+            return;
+        }
+        void signInWithCustomToken(token);
+    }, [signInWithCustomToken]);
+
+    useEffect(() => {
+        if (user) void router.push('/home');
+    }, [user, router]);
+
+    return (
+        <div className='flex h-screen items-center justify-center'>
+            {error ? (
+                <p className='text-red-600'>{error}</p>
+            ) : (
+                <p className='text-gray-600'>Signing in…</p>
+            )}
+        </div>
+    );
+}