diff --git a/src/components/LeftSidebar.tsx b/src/components/LeftSidebar.tsx
index f039220b..b057836c 100644
--- a/src/components/LeftSidebar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/LeftSidebar.tsx
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import { useLoggedInAccounts, type Account } from '@/hooks/useLoggedInAccounts';
 import { useLoginActions } from '@/hooks/useLoginActions';
 import { useTheme } from '@/hooks/useTheme';
 import { useFeedSettings } from '@/hooks/useFeedSettings';
+import { useNotifications } from '@/hooks/useNotifications';
 import { EXTRA_KINDS } from '@/lib/extraKinds';
 import { genUserName } from '@/lib/genUserName';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
@@ -25,19 +26,23 @@ interface NavItemProps {
   icon: React.ReactNode;
   label: string;
   active?: boolean;
+  showIndicator?: boolean;
 }
 
-function NavItem({ to, icon, label, active }: NavItemProps) {
+function NavItem({ to, icon, label, active, showIndicator }: NavItemProps) {
   return (
     <Link
       to={to}
       className={cn(
-        'flex items-center gap-4 px-4 py-3 rounded-full transition-colors text-lg hover:bg-secondary/60',
+        'flex items-center gap-4 px-4 py-3 rounded-full transition-colors text-lg hover:bg-secondary/60 relative',
         active ? 'font-bold' : 'font-normal text-muted-foreground',
       )}
     >
       {icon}
       <span>{label}</span>
+      {showIndicator && (
+        <span className="absolute right-4 size-2 bg-primary rounded-full" />
+      )}
     </Link>
   );
 }
@@ -50,6 +55,7 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
   const { logout } = useLoginActions();
   const { theme, setTheme } = useTheme();
   const { feedSettings } = useFeedSettings();
+  const { hasUnread } = useNotifications();
   const [loginDialogOpen, setLoginDialogOpen] = useState(false);
   const [signupDialogOpen, setSignupDialogOpen] = useState(false);
   const [accountPopoverOpen, setAccountPopoverOpen] = useState(false);
@@ -138,6 +144,7 @@ export function LeftSidebar() {
             icon={item.icon}
             label={item.label}
             active={location.pathname === item.to}
+            showIndicator={item.to === '/notifications' && hasUnread}
           />
         ))}
 
diff --git a/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx b/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
index b010b4f5..2d0ce3b3 100644
--- a/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
+++ b/src/components/MobileBottomNav.tsx
@@ -1,31 +1,37 @@
 import { Link, useLocation } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { Home, Bell, Search } from 'lucide-react';
 import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';
+import { useNotifications } from '@/hooks/useNotifications';
 
 interface NavTabProps {
   to: string;
   icon: React.ReactNode;
   label: string;
   active: boolean;
+  showIndicator?: boolean;
 }
 
-function NavTab({ to, icon, label, active }: NavTabProps) {
+function NavTab({ to, icon, label, active, showIndicator }: NavTabProps) {
   return (
     <Link
       to={to}
       className={cn(
-        'flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-0.5 flex-1 py-2 transition-colors',
+        'flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-0.5 flex-1 py-2 transition-colors relative',
         active ? 'text-foreground' : 'text-muted-foreground',
       )}
     >
       {icon}
       <span className="text-[10px] font-medium">{label}</span>
+      {showIndicator && (
+        <span className="absolute top-1.5 left-1/2 translate-x-1 size-2 bg-primary rounded-full" />
+      )}
     </Link>
   );
 }
 
 export function MobileBottomNav() {
   const location = useLocation();
+  const { hasUnread } = useNotifications();
 
   return (
     <nav className="fixed bottom-0 left-0 right-0 z-20 flex items-center bg-background/95 backdrop-blur-md border-t border-border sidebar:hidden safe-area-bottom">
@@ -40,6 +46,7 @@ export function MobileBottomNav() {
         icon={<Bell className="size-5" />}
         label="Notifications"
         active={location.pathname === '/notifications'}
+        showIndicator={hasUnread}
       />
       <NavTab
         to="/search"
diff --git a/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts b/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
index 9ab77f4a..dd4815ed 100644
--- a/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
+++ b/src/hooks/useEncryptedSettings.ts
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ export interface EncryptedSettings {
   feedSettings?: FeedSettings;
   /** Advanced content filters */
   contentFilters?: ContentFilter[];
+  /** Timestamp of last viewed notification (Unix timestamp in seconds) */
+  notificationsCursor?: number;
   /** Last sync timestamp */
   lastSync?: number;
 }
diff --git a/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts b/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..49e2fef7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useNotifications.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
+import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import type { NostrEvent } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
+
+import { useCurrentUser } from './useCurrentUser';
+import { useEncryptedSettings } from './useEncryptedSettings';
+
+export interface NotificationData {
+  /** All notifications */
+  notifications: NostrEvent[];
+  /** Notifications newer than cursor (unread) */
+  newNotifications: NostrEvent[];
+  /** Whether there are any unread notifications */
+  hasUnread: boolean;
+  /** Mark all current notifications as read */
+  markAsRead: () => Promise<void>;
+  /** Loading state */
+  isLoading: boolean;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hook to query notifications and track unread status
+ * Uses encrypted settings to persist the last-viewed timestamp
+ */
+export function useNotifications(): NotificationData {
+  const { nostr } = useNostr();
+  const { user } = useCurrentUser();
+  const { settings, updateSettings } = useEncryptedSettings();
+
+  const { data: notifications = [], isLoading } = useQuery<NostrEvent[]>({
+    queryKey: ['notifications', user?.pubkey ?? ''],
+    queryFn: async ({ signal }) => {
+      if (!user) return [];
+      const events = await nostr.query(
+        [{ kinds: [1, 6, 7, 9735], '#p': [user.pubkey], limit: 50 }],
+        { signal: AbortSignal.any([signal, AbortSignal.timeout(5000)]) },
+      );
+      return events
+        .filter((e) => e.pubkey !== user.pubkey)
+        .sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at);
+    },
+    enabled: !!user,
+    refetchInterval: 60_000, // Refetch every minute for new notifications
+  });
+
+  // Get cursor from encrypted settings (defaults to 0 if not set)
+  const notificationsCursor = settings?.notificationsCursor ?? 0;
+
+  // Determine which notifications are new (created after cursor)
+  const newNotifications = notifications.filter(
+    (event) => event.created_at > notificationsCursor
+  );
+
+  const hasUnread = newNotifications.length > 0;
+
+  // Mark all current notifications as read by updating the cursor
+  const markAsRead = async () => {
+    if (!user || notifications.length === 0) return;
+
+    // Set cursor to the timestamp of the newest notification
+    const newestTimestamp = Math.max(...notifications.map((e) => e.created_at));
+
+    try {
+      await updateSettings.mutateAsync({
+        notificationsCursor: newestTimestamp,
+      });
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error('Failed to mark notifications as read:', error);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return {
+    notifications,
+    newNotifications,
+    hasUnread,
+    markAsRead,
+    isLoading,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/pages/NotificationsPage.tsx b/src/pages/NotificationsPage.tsx
index ee120873..260deb0d 100644
--- a/src/pages/NotificationsPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/NotificationsPage.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
-import { useState, useMemo, useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useState, useMemo, useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { useSeoMeta } from '@unhead/react';
 import { Repeat2, Zap, AtSign, MessageCircle, MoreHorizontal } from 'lucide-react';
 import { Link, useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
-import { useNostr } from '@nostrify/react';
-import { useQuery } from '@tanstack/react-query';
 import { nip19 } from 'nostr-tools';
 import type { NostrEvent } from '@nostrify/nostrify';
 
@@ -21,6 +19,7 @@ import { useCurrentUser } from '@/hooks/useCurrentUser';
 import { useAuthor } from '@/hooks/useAuthor';
 import { useEvent } from '@/hooks/useEvent';
 import { useEventStats } from '@/hooks/useTrending';
+import { useNotifications } from '@/hooks/useNotifications';
 import { genUserName } from '@/lib/genUserName';
 import { canZap } from '@/lib/canZap';
 import { timeAgo } from '@/lib/timeAgo';
@@ -36,31 +35,33 @@ export function NotificationsPage() {
 
   const [activeTab, setActiveTab] = useState<NotificationTab>('all');
   const { user } = useCurrentUser();
-  const { nostr } = useNostr();
+  const { notifications, newNotifications, isLoading, markAsRead } = useNotifications();
 
-  const { data: notifications, isLoading } = useQuery<NostrEvent[]>({
-    queryKey: ['notifications', user?.pubkey ?? ''],
-    queryFn: async ({ signal }) => {
-      if (!user) return [];
-      const events = await nostr.query(
-        [{ kinds: [1, 6, 7, 9735], '#p': [user.pubkey], limit: 50 }],
-        { signal: AbortSignal.any([signal, AbortSignal.timeout(5000)]) },
-      );
-      return events
-        .filter((e) => e.pubkey !== user.pubkey)
-        .sort((a, b) => b.created_at - a.created_at);
-    },
-    enabled: !!user,
-  });
+  // Mark notifications as read when user visits the page
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!user || notifications.length === 0) return;
+
+    // Mark as read after a short delay to ensure user actually sees them
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      markAsRead();
+    }, 1000);
+
+    return () => clearTimeout(timer);
+  }, [user, notifications.length, markAsRead]);
 
   const filteredNotifications = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!notifications) return [];
     if (activeTab === 'mentions') {
       return notifications.filter((e) => e.kind === 1);
     }
     return notifications;
   }, [notifications, activeTab]);
 
+  // Create a set of new notification IDs for quick lookup
+  const newNotificationIds = useMemo(
+    () => new Set(newNotifications.map((e) => e.id)),
+    [newNotifications]
+  );
+
   const tabs: { key: NotificationTab; label: string }[] = [
     { key: 'all', label: 'All' },
     { key: 'mentions', label: 'Mentions' },
@@ -102,7 +103,11 @@ export function NotificationsPage() {
         ) : filteredNotifications.length > 0 ? (
           <div className="divide-y divide-border">
             {filteredNotifications.map((event) => (
-              <NotificationItem key={event.id} event={event} />
+              <NotificationItem
+                key={event.id}
+                event={event}
+                isNew={newNotificationIds.has(event.id)}
+              />
             ))}
           </div>
         ) : (
@@ -116,16 +121,16 @@ export function NotificationsPage() {
 }
 
 /** Determines the type of notification and renders accordingly. */
-function NotificationItem({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
+function NotificationItem({ event, isNew }: { event: NostrEvent; isNew: boolean }) {
   switch (event.kind) {
     case 7:
-      return <LikeNotification event={event} />;
+      return <LikeNotification event={event} isNew={isNew} />;
     case 6:
-      return <RepostNotification event={event} />;
+      return <RepostNotification event={event} isNew={isNew} />;
     case 9735:
-      return <ZapNotification event={event} />;
+      return <ZapNotification event={event} isNew={isNew} />;
     case 1:
-      return <MentionNotification event={event} />;
+      return <MentionNotification event={event} isNew={isNew} />;
     default:
       return null;
   }
@@ -155,7 +160,7 @@ function formatSats(sats: number): string {
 // Like Notification: "{emoji} {name} reacted to your post"
 // Shows the original post being reacted to
 // ──────────────────────────────────────
-function LikeNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
+function LikeNotification({ event, isNew }: { event: NostrEvent; isNew: boolean }) {
   const referencedEventId = getReferencedEventId(event);
   const { data: referencedEvent } = useEvent(referencedEventId);
 
@@ -165,7 +170,10 @@ function LikeNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
   const emoji = content === '+' || content === '' ? '👍' : content;
 
   return (
-    <div className="px-4 pt-3 pb-1">
+    <div className={cn('px-4 pt-3 pb-1 relative', isNew && 'bg-primary/5')}>
+      {isNew && (
+        <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 bottom-0 w-1 bg-primary" />
+      )}
       <NotificationHeader
         actorPubkey={event.pubkey}
         icon={<span className="text-base leading-none size-4 flex items-center justify-center">{emoji}</span>}
@@ -182,12 +190,15 @@ function LikeNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
 // Repost Notification: "🔁 {name} reposted your note"
 // Shows the original post being reposted
 // ──────────────────────────────────────
-function RepostNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
+function RepostNotification({ event, isNew }: { event: NostrEvent; isNew: boolean }) {
   const referencedEventId = getReferencedEventId(event);
   const { data: referencedEvent } = useEvent(referencedEventId);
 
   return (
-    <div className="px-4 pt-3 pb-1">
+    <div className={cn('px-4 pt-3 pb-1 relative', isNew && 'bg-primary/5')}>
+      {isNew && (
+        <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 bottom-0 w-1 bg-primary" />
+      )}
       <NotificationHeader
         actorPubkey={event.pubkey}
         icon={<Repeat2 className="size-4 text-green-500" />}
@@ -204,7 +215,7 @@ function RepostNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
 // Zap Notification: "⚡ {name} zapped you"
 // Shows the original post being zapped
 // ──────────────────────────────────────
-function ZapNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
+function ZapNotification({ event, isNew }: { event: NostrEvent; isNew: boolean }) {
   const referencedEventId = getReferencedEventId(event);
   const { data: referencedEvent } = useEvent(referencedEventId);
 
@@ -246,7 +257,10 @@ function ZapNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
   const amountLabel = zapAmount > 0 ? ` ${formatSats(zapAmount)} sats` : '';
 
   return (
-    <div className="px-4 pt-3 pb-1">
+    <div className={cn('px-4 pt-3 pb-1 relative', isNew && 'bg-primary/5')}>
+      {isNew && (
+        <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 bottom-0 w-1 bg-primary" />
+      )}
       <NotificationHeader
         actorPubkey={senderPubkey}
         icon={<Zap className="size-4 text-amber-500 fill-amber-500" />}
@@ -263,9 +277,12 @@ function ZapNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
 // Mention Notification: "@ {name} mentioned you"
 // Shows the full mention post with action buttons
 // ──────────────────────────────────────
-function MentionNotification({ event }: { event: NostrEvent }) {
+function MentionNotification({ event, isNew }: { event: NostrEvent; isNew: boolean }) {
   return (
-    <div className="px-4 pt-3 pb-1">
+    <div className={cn('px-4 pt-3 pb-1 relative', isNew && 'bg-primary/5')}>
+      {isNew && (
+        <div className="absolute left-0 top-0 bottom-0 w-1 bg-primary" />
+      )}
       <NotificationHeader
         actorPubkey={event.pubkey}
         icon={<AtSign className="size-4 text-primary" />}