diff --git a/components/home/Home.tsx b/components/home/Home.tsx
index 1da3b358..047bfe7e 100644
--- a/components/home/Home.tsx
+++ b/components/home/Home.tsx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ import { MediaListSection } from "@/components/medialists/MediaListSection";
 import { Colors } from "@/constants/Colors";
 import useRouter from "@/hooks/useAppRouter";
 import { useNetworkStatus } from "@/hooks/useNetworkStatus";
+import { useRefetchHomeOnForeground } from "@/hooks/useRefetchHomeOnForeground";
 import { useInvalidatePlaybackProgressCache } from "@/hooks/useRevalidatePlaybackProgressCache";
 import { useDownload } from "@/providers/DownloadProvider";
 import { useIntroSheet } from "@/providers/IntroSheetProvider";
@@ -107,6 +108,9 @@ export const Home = () => {
     prevIsConnected.current = isConnected;
   }, [isConnected, invalidateCache]);
 
+  // Refresh home data on mount (cold start) and when app returns to foreground
+  useRefetchHomeOnForeground();
+
   const hasDownloads = useMemo(() => {
     if (Platform.isTV) return false;
     return downloadedItems.length > 0;
diff --git a/components/home/HomeWithCarousel.tsx b/components/home/HomeWithCarousel.tsx
index c513294f..802107f7 100644
--- a/components/home/HomeWithCarousel.tsx
+++ b/components/home/HomeWithCarousel.tsx
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ import { MediaListSection } from "@/components/medialists/MediaListSection";
 import { Colors } from "@/constants/Colors";
 import useRouter from "@/hooks/useAppRouter";
 import { useNetworkStatus } from "@/hooks/useNetworkStatus";
+import { useRefetchHomeOnForeground } from "@/hooks/useRefetchHomeOnForeground";
 import { useInvalidatePlaybackProgressCache } from "@/hooks/useRevalidatePlaybackProgressCache";
 import { useDownload } from "@/providers/DownloadProvider";
 import { apiAtom, userAtom } from "@/providers/JellyfinProvider";
@@ -67,8 +68,7 @@ export const HomeWithCarousel = () => {
   const api = useAtomValue(apiAtom);
   const user = useAtomValue(userAtom);
   const insets = useSafeAreaInsets();
-  const [_loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
-  const { settings, refreshStreamyfinPluginSettings } = useSettings();
+  const { settings } = useSettings();
   const headerOverlayOffset = Platform.isTV ? 0 : 60;
   const navigation = useNavigation();
   const animatedScrollRef = useAnimatedRef<Animated.ScrollView>();
@@ -91,6 +91,9 @@ export const HomeWithCarousel = () => {
     prevIsConnected.current = isConnected;
   }, [isConnected, invalidateCache]);
 
+  // Refresh home data on mount (cold start) and when app returns to foreground
+  useRefetchHomeOnForeground();
+
   const hasDownloads = useMemo(() => {
     if (Platform.isTV) return false;
     return downloadedItems.length > 0;
@@ -178,13 +181,6 @@ export const HomeWithCarousel = () => {
     );
   }, [userViews]);
 
-  const _refetch = async () => {
-    setLoading(true);
-    await refreshStreamyfinPluginSettings();
-    await invalidateCache();
-    setLoading(false);
-  };
-
   const createCollectionConfig = useCallback(
     (
       title: string,
diff --git a/hooks/useRefetchHomeOnForeground.ts b/hooks/useRefetchHomeOnForeground.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4f9b3e89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/useRefetchHomeOnForeground.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { useEffect } from "react";
+import { AppState } from "react-native";
+
+/**
+ * Refetches active home queries on mount (cold start) and whenever
+ * the app returns to the foreground from background.
+ */
+export function useRefetchHomeOnForeground() {
+  const queryClient = useQueryClient();
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    // On mount (cold start), use cancelRefetch: false so we don't cancel
+    // an in-flight initial fetch that React Query already started.
+    queryClient.refetchQueries(
+      { queryKey: ["home"], type: "active" },
+      { cancelRefetch: false },
+    );
+
+    const subscription = AppState.addEventListener("change", (state) => {
+      if (state === "active") {
+        // On foreground return, force a fresh refetch
+        queryClient.refetchQueries(
+          { queryKey: ["home"], type: "active" },
+          { cancelRefetch: true },
+        );
+      }
+    });
+
+    return () => subscription.remove();
+  }, [queryClient]);
+}