src/components/App.tsx

@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import { loadSession, type Person } from "@/lib/auth-client";
 import { SignInForm } from "./SignInForm";
 import { AppShell } from "./AppShell";
 import { Feed } from "./Feed";
-import { DiscoverRails } from "./DiscoverRails";
+import { DiscoverRailsView, useDiscover } from "./DiscoverRails";
 import { ExpertSearch } from "./ExpertSearch";
 
 type State = { kind: "loading" } | { kind: "out" } | { kind: "in"; person: Person };
@@ -39,12 +39,18 @@ export function App() {
       });
     }} />;
   }
+  return <SignedInHome person={state.person} onSignedOut={() => setState({ kind: "out" })} />;
+}
+
+/** The signed-in shell. Discover loads once and feeds both the right rail and the phone feed. */
+function SignedInHome({ person, onSignedOut }: { person: Person; onSignedOut: () => void }) {
+  const discover = useDiscover();
   return (
     <AppShell
-      person={state.person}
+      person={person}
       search={<ExpertSearch />}
-      feed={<Feed feedUserId={state.person.feedUserId} person={state.person} onSignedOut={() => setState({ kind: "out" })} />}
+      feed={<Feed feedUserId={person.feedUserId} person={person} onSignedOut={onSignedOut} featuredExperts={discover?.featuredExperts} />}
-      discover={<DiscoverRails />}
+      discover={<DiscoverRailsView data={discover} />}
     />
   );
 }

src/components/DiscoverRails.tsx

@@ -16,13 +16,17 @@ export function DiscoverRailsView({ data }: { data: DiscoverData | null }) {
   );
 }
 
-/** Loads /api/discover once. Failure hides the rails; the feed is unaffected. */
+/** Loads /api/discover once. Failure leaves it null; the feed is unaffected. */
-export function DiscoverRails() {
+export function useDiscover(): DiscoverData | null {
   const [data, setData] = useState<DiscoverData | null>(null);
   useEffect(() => {
     let live = true;
     fetchDiscover().then((d) => { if (live) setData(d); }, () => {});
     return () => { live = false; };
   }, []);
-  return <DiscoverRailsView data={data} />;
+  return data;
+}
+
+export function DiscoverRails() {
+  return <DiscoverRailsView data={useDiscover()} />;
 }

src/components/FeaturedCarousel.tsx

@@ -46,9 +46,11 @@ export interface FeaturedCarouselProps {
   experts: DiscoverExpert[];
   /** Width of the center photo in px: 96 on desktop, 150 to 156 on mobile. */
   size?: number;
+  /** "slide": no tile or heading, for the phone featured slide that brings its own title. */
+  variant?: "panel" | "slide";
 }
 
-export function FeaturedCarousel({ experts, size = 96 }: FeaturedCarouselProps) {
+export function FeaturedCarousel({ experts, size = 96, variant = "panel" }: FeaturedCarouselProps) {
   const count = experts.length;
   const [index, setIndex] = useState(0);
   const reduced = useReducedMotion();
@@ -79,23 +81,27 @@ export function FeaturedCarousel({ experts, size = 96 }: FeaturedCarouselProps)
   const current = index % count;
   const cap = experts[current];
   const style = { "--cfw": `${size}px` } as CSSProperties;
+  const bare = variant === "slide";
 
   return (
     <section
-      className="tile panel rail rail-featured featured"
+      className={bare ? "featured featured-bare" : "tile panel rail rail-featured featured"}
-      aria-labelledby="featured-title"
+      aria-labelledby={bare ? undefined : "featured-title"}
+      aria-label={bare ? "Featured experts" : undefined}
       onMouseEnter={() => setHovered(true)}
       onMouseLeave={() => setHovered(false)}
       onFocus={() => setFocused(true)}
       onBlur={(e) => { if (!e.currentTarget.contains(e.relatedTarget as Node | null)) setFocused(false); }}
       data-paused={paused ? "true" : undefined}
     >
+      {bare ? null : (
         <div className="panel-head">
           <h2 id="featured-title" className="type-title type-title-strong featured-title">
             <Star />Featured experts
           </h2>
           <span className="type-eyebrow featured-count" data-testid="featured-count">{`${current + 1} / ${count}`}</span>
         </div>
+      )}
       <div className="featured-cf" style={style} aria-live={featuredLiveMode({ rotating, paused })} data-index={current}>
         {experts.map((e, i) => {
           const slot = featuredSlot(i, current, count);

src/components/Feed.tsx

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import { applyLikeOutcome, LikeError, sendLike } from "@/lib/like-client";
 import { firstLoadFailure, mergePosts, toCardPosts, upgradeVideos, type CardPost } from "@/lib/feed-model";
 import { PostError, publishAndConfirm } from "@/lib/post-client";
 import { DeleteError, sendDelete } from "@/lib/delete-client";
+import type { DiscoverExpert } from "@/lib/discover";
 import type { ComposerProps } from "./Composer";
 import { FeedView, type FeedStatus } from "./FeedView";
 import { useCompactLayout } from "./layout-context";
@@ -16,11 +17,14 @@ export function Feed({
   onSignedOut,
   feedUserId,
   person,
+  featuredExperts,
 }: {
   onSignedOut: () => void;
   feedUserId?: string | null;
   /** The signed-in person, shown beside the composer. */
   person?: ComposerProps["person"];
+  /** Shown as a slide after the second post on phones. */
+  featuredExperts?: DiscoverExpert[];
 }) {
   const [posts, setPosts] = useState<CardPost[]>([]);
   const [status, setStatus] = useState<FeedStatus>("loading");
@@ -280,6 +284,7 @@ export function Feed({
       deleteErrors={deleteErrors}
       onSignedOut={onSignedOut}
       composer={{ value: draft, busy: posting, error: postFailed, file, onChange: changeDraft, onFile: changeFile, onSubmit: () => void publish(), person }}
+      featuredExperts={featuredExperts}
       hasMore={!!nextCursor}
       sentinelRef={sentinel}
       listRef={list}

src/components/FeedView.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 import type { ReactNode, Ref } from "react";
 import { canDelete, type CardPost } from "@/lib/feed-model";
+import type { DiscoverExpert } from "@/lib/discover";
 import { Composer, type ComposerProps } from "./Composer";
 import { GrowButton, IconButton } from "./Buttons";
 import { PostCard } from "./PostCard";
@@ -40,6 +41,8 @@ export interface FeedViewProps {
   /** Another page can load; the phone feed ends with a loading slide. */
   hasMore?: boolean;
   /** Phone layout only: the slide on screen changed (for the dock). */
+  /** Phone layout only: experts for the featured slide after the second post. */
+  featuredExperts?: DiscoverExpert[];
   onCurrentChange?: (slide: CurrentSlide) => void;
 }
 

src/components/MobileFeed.tsx

@@ -1,19 +1,47 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useEffect, useRef, useState, type Ref } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState, type MouseEvent, type Ref } from "react";
 import { canDelete, formatDuration, isPlayableVideo, relativeTime, type CardMedia, type CardPost } from "@/lib/feed-model";
 import { GrowButton } from "./Buttons";
 import { HexAvatar } from "./HexAvatar";
 import { PlayIcon, PostMenu } from "./PostCard";
 import { VideoPlayer } from "./VideoPlayer";
+import { FeaturedCarousel } from "./FeaturedCarousel";
+import type { DiscoverExpert } from "@/lib/discover";
 import type { FeedViewProps } from "./FeedView";
 
 /** The slide on screen: its index in the reel and its post (null on the loading slide). */
 export interface CurrentSlide {
   index: number;
+  /** "post" is a real post; "featured" and "load" are not posts (the dock disables like and comment on them). */
+  kind: "post" | "featured" | "load";
   post: CardPost | null;
 }
 
+/** The featured experts slide comes after this many posts. */
+export const FEATURED_AFTER = 2;
+/** Two taps this close together (ms) make a double-tap. */
+export const DOUBLE_TAP_MS = 300;
+/** How long the heart burst stays on screen (ms). */
+export const BURST_MS = 950;
+
+/** True when a tap at `now` follows a tap at `last` closely enough to be a double-tap. */
+export function isDoubleTap(last: number | null, now: number, windowMs = DOUBLE_TAP_MS): boolean {
+  return last !== null && now - last >= 0 && now - last <= windowMs;
+}
+
+/** Taps on controls (buttons, links, video, menus, fields) never count toward a double-tap. */
+export function isTapTarget(target: EventTarget | null): boolean {
+  const el = target as Element | null;
+  if (!el || typeof el.closest !== "function") return true;
+  return !el.closest("button, a, video, input, textarea, select, [role='menu'], [role='menuitem']");
+}
+
+/** Index of the featured experts slide among `postCount` posts, or -1 when it is not shown. */
+export function featuredSlideIndex(postCount: number, expertCount: number): number {
+  return expertCount > 0 && postCount >= FEATURED_AFTER ? FEATURED_AFTER : -1;
+}
+
 /** Share of a slide that must be on screen before it counts as the current one. */
 const CURRENT_RATIO = 0.6;
 
@@ -122,11 +150,29 @@ function PostSlide({ post, index, current, p }: { post: CardPost; index: number;
   // While a video plays, the author and text step aside so the native controls stay clear.
   const [playing, setPlaying] = useState(false);
   const cls = `slide ${media ? "slide-on-media" : "slide-on-text"}${current ? " is-cur" : ""}${playing ? " slide-playing" : ""}`;
+  const lastTap = useRef<number | null>(null);
+  const [burst, setBurst] = useState(0);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!burst) return;
+    const t = window.setTimeout(() => setBurst(0), BURST_MS);
+    return () => window.clearTimeout(t);
+  }, [burst]);
+  // Double-tap likes (never unlikes) and plays the burst. A tap that scrolls or swipes never reaches click.
+  const onTap = (e: MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
+    if (!isTapTarget(e.target)) { lastTap.current = null; return; }
+    const now = performance.now();
+    if (!isDoubleTap(lastTap.current, now)) { lastTap.current = now; return; }
+    lastTap.current = null;
+    if (!post.isLiked && post.id && p.onToggleLike && !p.likeBusy?.has(post.key)) p.onToggleLike(post);
+    if (!window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches) setBurst((n) => n + 1);
+  };
   return (
     <section
       className={cls}
       data-index={index}
       data-testid="feed-slide"
+      data-liked={post.isLiked ? "true" : "false"}
+      onClick={onTap}
       aria-label={`Post by ${post.authorName}`}
       onPlayCapture={() => setPlaying(true)}
       onPauseCapture={() => setPlaying(false)}
@@ -143,6 +189,11 @@ function PostSlide({ post, index, current, p }: { post: CardPost; index: number;
           <p className="slide-quote">{post.text}</p>
         </div>
       )}
+      {burst ? (
+        <svg className="slide-burst" data-testid="like-burst" viewBox="0 0 24 24" aria-hidden="true">
+          <path d="M12 20.5s-7.5-4.4-9.4-9.1C1.3 8 3.1 4.5 6.6 4.5c2 0 3.5 1.1 4.3 2.4.5.7 1.7.7 2.2 0 .8-1.3 2.3-2.4 4.3-2.4 3.5 0 5.3 3.5 4 6.9-1.9 4.7-9.4 9.1-9.4 9.1z" fill="currentColor" />
+        </svg>
+      ) : null}
       {own ? (
         <PostMenu post={post} onDelete={p.onDelete} deleteBusy={p.deleteBusy?.has(post.key)} className="slide-menu" buttonClassName="slide-menu-btn" />
       ) : null}
@@ -164,6 +215,37 @@ function PostSlide({ post, index, current, p }: { post: CardPost; index: number;
   );
 }
 
+function ChevronDown() {
+  return (
+    <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" strokeWidth="2" strokeLinecap="round" strokeLinejoin="round" aria-hidden="true">
+      <path d="m6 9 6 6 6-6" />
+    </svg>
+  );
+}
+
+/** Not a post: the dock disables like and comment here (data-slide-kind="featured"). */
+function FeaturedSlide({ index, current, experts }: { index: number; current: boolean; experts: DiscoverExpert[] }) {
+  return (
+    <section
+      className={`slide slide-featured${current ? " is-cur" : ""}`}
+      data-index={index}
+      data-slide-kind="featured"
+      data-testid="feed-slide-featured"
+      aria-label="Featured experts"
+    >
+      <span className="type-eyebrow slide-feat-eyebrow">Featured experts</span>
+      <h2 className="type-title type-title-strong slide-feat-title">Ask the people everyone is talking about</h2>
+      <div className="slide-feat-cf">
+        <FeaturedCarousel experts={experts} size={156} variant="slide" />
+      </div>
+      <span className="slide-hint">
+        <ChevronDown />
+        Keep scrolling
+      </span>
+    </section>
+  );
+}
+
 function LoadSlide({ index, current, sentinelRef }: { index: number; current: boolean; sentinelRef?: Ref<HTMLDivElement> }) {
   return (
     <section className={`slide slide-load${current ? " is-cur" : ""}`} data-index={index} data-testid="feed-slide-load" aria-label="Loading more posts">
@@ -197,7 +279,13 @@ export function MobileFeed(p: FeedViewProps) {
   const [current, setCurrent] = useState(0);
   const onCurrentChange = p.onCurrentChange;
   const showLoad = p.status === "loading" || (p.status === "ready" && !p.loadMoreFailed && (p.loadingMore || !!p.hasMore));
-  const slideCount = (p.status === "ready" ? p.posts.length : 0) + (showLoad ? 1 : 0);
+  const experts = p.featuredExperts ?? [];
+  const postCount = p.status === "ready" ? p.posts.length : 0;
+  const featuredAt = p.status === "ready" ? featuredSlideIndex(postCount, experts.length) : -1;
+  const slideCount = postCount + (featuredAt >= 0 ? 1 : 0) + (showLoad ? 1 : 0);
+  /** Slide index of post `i`: posts after the featured slide shift down by one. */
+  const slideOf = (i: number) => (featuredAt >= 0 && i >= featuredAt ? i + 1 : i);
+  const postAt = (slide: number) => (featuredAt >= 0 && slide === featuredAt ? -1 : featuredAt >= 0 && slide > featuredAt ? slide - 1 : slide);
 
   // Track the slide on screen. A fresh observer per change picks up new slides.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -263,11 +351,13 @@ export function MobileFeed(p: FeedViewProps) {
 
   // Keep the index inside the list when posts are removed.
   const index = Math.min(current, Math.max(0, slideCount - 1));
-  const currentPost = p.status === "ready" ? p.posts[index] ?? null : null;
+  const currentPostIndex = postAt(index);
+  const currentPost = p.status === "ready" && currentPostIndex >= 0 ? p.posts[currentPostIndex] ?? null : null;
+  const kind: CurrentSlide["kind"] = currentPost ? "post" : featuredAt >= 0 && index === featuredAt ? "featured" : "load";
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    onCurrentChange?.({ index, post: currentPost });
+    onCurrentChange?.({ index, kind, post: currentPost });
-  }, [index, currentPost, onCurrentChange]);
+  }, [index, kind, currentPost, onCurrentChange]);
 
   // A video keeps playing only while its slide is on screen.
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -304,18 +394,23 @@ export function MobileFeed(p: FeedViewProps) {
           </section>
         ) : null}
         {p.status === "ready"
-          ? p.posts.map((post, i) => <PostSlide key={post.key} post={post} index={i} current={i === index} p={p} />)
+          ? p.posts.flatMap((post, i) => {
+              const node = <PostSlide key={post.key} post={post} index={slideOf(i)} current={slideOf(i) === index} p={p} />;
+              return i === featuredAt - 1
+                ? [node, <FeaturedSlide key="featured" index={featuredAt} current={index === featuredAt} experts={experts} />]
+                : [node];
+            })
           : null}
         {p.status === "ready" && p.loadMoreFailed ? (
-          <section className="slide slide-message" data-index={p.posts.length} role="alert">
+          <section className="slide slide-message" data-index={slideCount} role="alert">
             <p>The feed did not load.</p>
             <button type="button" onClick={p.onRetry}>Try again</button>
           </section>
         ) : null}
         {showLoad ? (
           <LoadSlide
-            index={p.status === "ready" ? p.posts.length : 0}
+            index={slideCount - 1}
-            current={index === (p.status === "ready" ? p.posts.length : 0)}
+            current={index === slideCount - 1}
             sentinelRef={p.status === "ready" ? p.sentinelRef : undefined}
           />
         ) : null}

src/dev/FeedPreview.tsx

@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ export function FeedPreview() {
           status="ready"
           loadingMore={loadingMore || paging}
           hasMore={hasMore}
+          featuredExperts={FIXTURE_DISCOVER.featuredExperts}
           sentinelRef={sentinel}
           listRef={listRef}
           loadMoreFailed={false}

src/styles/mobile.css

@@ -203,6 +203,59 @@
 }
 .slide-menu .post-pop { min-width: 230px; }
 
+/* Double-tap heart burst over a post slide (mockup .burst), crimson accent. */
+@keyframes slide-burst {
+  0% { opacity: 0; transform: scale(.2); }
+  25% { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1.15); }
+  60% { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); }
+  100% { opacity: 0; transform: scale(1.25) translateY(-20px); }
+}
+.slide-burst {
+  position: absolute;
+  left: 50%;
+  top: 44%;
+  width: 120px;
+  height: 120px;
+  margin: -60px 0 0 -60px;
+  color: var(--accent);
+  z-index: 5;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  animation: slide-burst .95s cubic-bezier(.2, .9, .3, 1.3) both;
+  filter: drop-shadow(0 12px 30px color-mix(in oklab, var(--accent), transparent 45%));
+}
+
+/* Featured experts slide: not a post. Eyebrow, title, carousel at 156px, hint. */
+@keyframes slide-nudge { 0%, 100% { transform: translateY(0); } 50% { transform: translateY(4px); } }
+.slide-featured {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  padding: 70px 0 110px;
+  background: radial-gradient(90% 55% at 50% 46%, color-mix(in oklab, var(--accent), transparent 84%), transparent 70%), var(--bg);
+}
+.slide-feat-title {
+  margin: 10px 24px 0;
+  text-align: center;
+  font-size: 32px;
+  line-height: 1.1;
+  color: var(--ink);
+}
+.slide-feat-cf { width: 100%; margin-top: 26px; }
+.featured-bare { background: none; }
+.featured-bare .featured-cap { padding-top: 16px; }
+.slide-hint {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 6px;
+  margin-top: 14px;
+  font-size: 12px;
+  font-weight: 600;
+  letter-spacing: .04em;
+  color: var(--ink-3);
+}
+.slide-hint svg { width: 16px; height: 16px; animation: slide-nudge 1.6s ease-in-out infinite; }
+
 /* Loading slide: a skeleton card in the middle while the next page loads. */
 .slide-load { background: var(--bg); }
 .slide-load .sentinel { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; right: 0; }
@@ -271,6 +324,8 @@
   .is-cur .slide-meta,
   .is-cur .slide-quote-w,
   .slide-skel i,
+  .slide-burst,
+  .slide-hint svg,
   .reel-pill { animation: none !important; }
   .slide-art { transition: none !important; }
 }

tests/mobile-feed.test.ts

@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@ import { createElement } from "react";
 import { renderToStaticMarkup } from "react-dom/server";
 import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { FeedView, type FeedViewProps } from "@/components/FeedView";
-import { pickCurrent } from "@/components/MobileFeed";
+import { pickCurrent, isDoubleTap, isTapTarget, featuredSlideIndex } from "@/components/MobileFeed";
+import { FIXTURE_DISCOVER } from "@/dev/fixtures";
 import { CompactLayoutContext, isCompactWidth } from "@/components/layout-context";
 import { toCardPosts } from "@/lib/feed-model";
 
@@ -129,3 +130,44 @@ describe("video slide before play", () => {
     expect(html).toContain('class="post-play slide-play"');
   });
 });
+
+describe("double-tap detection", () => {
+  it("needs two taps within 300ms", () => {
+    expect(isDoubleTap(null, 100)).toBe(false);
+    expect(isDoubleTap(100, 250)).toBe(true);
+    expect(isDoubleTap(100, 400)).toBe(true);
+    expect(isDoubleTap(100, 401)).toBe(false);
+  });
+  it("ignores taps on controls", () => {
+    const el = (html: string) => {
+      const fake = (match: boolean) => ({ closest: () => (match ? {} : null) });
+      return html === "slide" ? fake(false) : fake(true);
+    };
+    expect(isTapTarget(el("slide") as unknown as EventTarget)).toBe(true);
+    expect(isTapTarget(el("button") as unknown as EventTarget)).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe("featured experts slide", () => {
+  it("sits after the second post and only with experts", () => {
+    expect(featuredSlideIndex(3, 5)).toBe(2);
+    expect(featuredSlideIndex(2, 5)).toBe(2);
+    expect(featuredSlideIndex(1, 5)).toBe(-1);
+    expect(featuredSlideIndex(3, 0)).toBe(-1);
+  });
+  it("renders the title, eyebrow, hint and a 156px carousel as a non-post slide", () => {
+    const out = render({ featuredExperts: FIXTURE_DISCOVER.featuredExperts });
+    expect(out).toContain('data-slide-kind="featured"');
+    expect(out).toContain("Featured experts");
+    expect(out).toContain("Ask the people everyone is talking about");
+    expect(out).toContain("--cfw:156px");
+    expect(out).toContain("Keep scrolling");
+    expect(out.match(/data-testid="feed-slide"/g)).toHaveLength(3);
+    // After the second post, before the third.
+    expect(out.indexOf("Author i1")).toBeLessThan(out.indexOf("feed-slide-featured"));
+    expect(out.indexOf("feed-slide-featured")).toBeLessThan(out.indexOf("Author v1"));
+  });
+  it("is absent without experts", () => {
+    expect(render({})).not.toContain("feed-slide-featured");
+  });
+});