diff --git a/carry-your-live/src/components/CategoryFilter.tsx b/carry-your-live/src/components/CategoryFilter.tsx
index b642828..0263a02 100644
--- a/carry-your-live/src/components/CategoryFilter.tsx
+++ b/carry-your-live/src/components/CategoryFilter.tsx
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ function AnimatedCategoryButton({ category, selected, onPress, theme }: Animated
       toValue: selected ? 1.05 : 1,
       duration: 150,
       easing: Easing.out(Easing.cubic),
-      useNativeDriver: true,
+      useNativeDriver: false,
     }).start();
 
     Animated.timing(borderWidthAnim, {
diff --git a/carry-your-live/src/database/sync.ts b/carry-your-live/src/database/sync.ts
index 9a86ec9..d4fa0c0 100644
--- a/carry-your-live/src/database/sync.ts
+++ b/carry-your-live/src/database/sync.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { AppState, AppStateStatus } from 'react-native';
 import { database, collections } from './index';
 import AsyncStorage from '@react-native-async-storage/async-storage';
 import { apiFetch, getAuthToken } from '@/services/auth';
@@ -473,3 +474,74 @@ async function upsertFriendship(row: ServerRow, force: boolean): Promise<boolean
   });
   return true;
 }
+
+export const DEFAULT_WATCH_INTERVAL_MS = 60_000;
+
+export interface UpdateWatcher {
+  stop: () => void;
+  isRunning: () => boolean;
+}
+
+let watcherStop: (() => void) | null = null;
+let watcherActive = false;
+let appInForeground = true;
+let syncInFlight = false;
+
+export function watchForUpdates(intervalMs: number = DEFAULT_WATCH_INTERVAL_MS): UpdateWatcher {
+  if (watcherStop) {
+    return {
+      stop: () => stopWatchingForUpdates(),
+      isRunning: () => watcherActive,
+    };
+  }
+
+  appInForeground = AppState.currentState === 'active';
+
+  const appStateSubscription = AppState.addEventListener('change', (state: AppStateStatus) => {
+    const next = state === 'active';
+    const wentForeground = next && !appInForeground;
+    appInForeground = next;
+    if (wentForeground) {
+      maybeSyncOnce().catch(() => {});
+    }
+  });
+
+  const timer = setInterval(() => {
+    if (appInForeground && !syncInFlight) {
+      maybeSyncOnce().catch(() => {});
+    }
+  }, intervalMs);
+
+  watcherActive = true;
+  watcherStop = () => {
+    clearInterval(timer);
+    appStateSubscription.remove();
+    watcherStop = null;
+    watcherActive = false;
+  };
+
+  return {
+    stop: () => stopWatchingForUpdates(),
+    isRunning: () => watcherActive,
+  };
+}
+
+async function maybeSyncOnce(): Promise<void> {
+  if (syncInFlight) return;
+  const token = await getAuthToken();
+  if (!token) return;
+  syncInFlight = true;
+  try {
+    await runSync();
+  } finally {
+    syncInFlight = false;
+  }
+}
+
+export function stopWatchingForUpdates(): void {
+  watcherStop?.();
+}
+
+export function isWatchingForUpdates(): boolean {
+  return watcherActive;
+}
diff --git a/carry-your-live/src/hooks/useDatabase.tsx b/carry-your-live/src/hooks/useDatabase.tsx
index 3d572db..0d4bc8a 100644
--- a/carry-your-live/src/hooks/useDatabase.tsx
+++ b/carry-your-live/src/hooks/useDatabase.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import React, { createContext, useContext, useEffect, useState, ReactNode } from 'react';
 import { map } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import { database, collections } from '../database';
-import { runSync } from '../database/sync';
+import { runSync, watchForUpdates, stopWatchingForUpdates } from '../database/sync';
 import { getAuthToken } from '../services/auth';
 import { DEFAULT_CATEGORIES } from '../constants';
 import Category from '../models/Category';
@@ -41,7 +41,13 @@ export function DatabaseProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
 
       const token = await getAuthToken();
       if (token) {
-        runSync().catch(() => {});
+        runSync()
+          .catch(() => {})
+          .finally(() => {
+            watchForUpdates();
+          });
+      } else {
+        stopWatchingForUpdates();
       }
     } catch (error) {
       console.error('Failed to initialize database:', error);
@@ -51,6 +57,9 @@ export function DatabaseProvider({ children }: { children: ReactNode }) {
 
   useEffect(() => {
     initializeDatabase();
+    return () => {
+      stopWatchingForUpdates();
+    };
   }, []);
 
   return (