diff --git a/lib/entities/demo_mode.dart b/lib/entities/demo_mode.dart
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6cb59abaa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/entities/demo_mode.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+import 'package:cw_core/wallet_type.dart';
+import 'package:cw_core/utils/print_verbose.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/foundation.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/core/auth_service.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/core/execution_state.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/core/new_wallet_arguments.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/di.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/load_current_wallet.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/preferences_key.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/seed_type.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/store/authentication_store.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/view_model/wallet_new_vm.dart';
+import 'package:shared_preferences/shared_preferences.dart';
+
+/// Whether this build was launched in capture/demo mode.
+///
+/// Compile-time const AND gated on [kDebugMode], so in a release build both
+/// halves fold to false and every demo path below is tree-shaken out. It is
+/// impossible to enable DEMO_MODE in a store binary.
+///
+/// Enable for a local capture build with:
+///   flutter run --dart-define=DEMO_MODE=true
+const bool _demoModeDefine = bool.fromEnvironment('DEMO_MODE');
+bool get isDemoMode => kDebugMode && _demoModeDefine;
+
+/// PIN the demo build "unlocks" with.
+const String _demoPin = String.fromEnvironment('DEMO_PIN', defaultValue: '0801');
+
+/// Name of the throwaway wallet the demo build creates on first launch.
+const String _demoWalletName = 'Demo Wallet';
+
+/// Bring the app up straight into a usable, unlocked wallet so the capture
+/// harness never has to drive onboarding or the PIN pad (whose synthetic taps
+/// are unreliable under the headless emulator).
+///
+/// First launch: create a fresh Wownero wallet through the real new-wallet
+/// view model — so walletInfo, derivation, paths, persistence and
+/// changeCurrentWallet all happen exactly as they do in the UI flow, just
+/// without the screens. No seed import, no network sync: instant, deterministic,
+/// zero balance. Later launches: reuse the wallet already on disk.
+///
+/// This is a THROWAWAY wallet. Never fund it. To shoot balances/history, point
+/// a demo build at a funded wallet instead (out of scope here).
+Future<void> maybeSetupDemoWallet() async {
+  if (!isDemoMode) return;
+
+  try {
+    final authStore = getIt.get<AuthenticationStore>();
+    final authService = getIt.get<AuthService>();
+    final prefs = getIt.get<SharedPreferences>();
+
+    await authService.setPassword(_demoPin);
+
+    final existing = prefs.getString(PreferencesKey.currentWalletName);
+    if (existing != null) {
+      // A demo wallet already exists from a prior run — just load it.
+      await loadCurrentWallet();
+      authStore.allowed();
+      printV('[demo] loaded existing wallet "$existing"');
+      return;
+    }
+
+    // Fresh Wownero wallet via the real create flow. WalletNewVM.create builds
+    // the WalletInfo, derivation, and paths, creates + saves the wallet, calls
+    // AppStore.changeCurrentWallet (persisting currentWalletName/type) and
+    // AuthenticationStore.allowedCreate() on success.
+    final vm = getIt.get<WalletNewVM>(
+        param1: NewWalletArguments(type: WalletType.wownero));
+    vm.name = _demoWalletName;
+    await vm.create(options: <dynamic>['English', MoneroSeedType.polyseed]);
+
+    if (vm.state is! ExecutedSuccessfullyState) {
+      throw Exception('wallet create did not finish (${vm.state.runtimeType})');
+    }
+    printV('[demo] created fresh Wownero wallet "$_demoWalletName"');
+  } catch (e, s) {
+    // Never let a demo-only path crash the app; fall back to normal onboarding
+    // so the failure is visible rather than fatal.
+    printV('[demo] setup failed, falling back to onboarding: $e\n$s');
+  }
+}
diff --git a/lib/main.dart b/lib/main.dart
index 383317c76..9b9c96e37 100644
--- a/lib/main.dart
+++ b/lib/main.dart
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import 'package:hash_wallet/core/trade_monitor.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/di.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/contact.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/default_settings_migration.dart';
+import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/demo_mode.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/get_encryption_key.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/language_service.dart';
 import 'package:hash_wallet/entities/template.dart';
@@ -162,6 +163,11 @@ Future<void> runAppWithZone({Key? topLevelKey}) async {
       ProxyWrapper.logger = MemoryProxyLogger();
     }
 
+    // Capture/demo builds only (kDebugMode + --dart-define=DEMO_MODE): come up
+    // straight into an unlocked wallet so screenshots/video never depend on the
+    // onboarding/PIN flow. No-op in release.
+    await maybeSetupDemoWallet();
+
     // Basically when we're running a test
     if (topLevelKey != null) {
       runApp(
@@ -376,11 +382,13 @@ class AppState extends State<App> with SingleTickerProviderStateMixin {
         final settingsStore = appStore.settingsStore;
         final statusBarColor = Colors.transparent;
         final authenticationStore = getIt.get<AuthenticationStore>();
-        final initialRoute = authenticationStore.state == AuthenticationState.uninitialized
-            ? Routes.welcome
-            : settingsStore.currentBuiltinTor
-                ? Routes.startTor
-                : Routes.login;
+        final initialRoute = isDemoMode
+            ? Routes.dashboard
+            : authenticationStore.state == AuthenticationState.uninitialized
+                ? Routes.welcome
+                : settingsStore.currentBuiltinTor
+                    ? Routes.startTor
+                    : Routes.login;
         final currentTheme = appStore.themeStore.currentTheme;
         final statusBarBrightness =
             currentTheme.type == currentTheme.isDark ? Brightness.light : Brightness.dark;
diff --git a/tools/demo/build-apk.sh b/tools/demo/build-apk.sh
index bb8500331..e8fbe281d 100755
--- a/tools/demo/build-apk.sh
+++ b/tools/demo/build-apk.sh
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ docker run --rm \
   -e SKIP_DEPS="$SKIP_DEPS" \
   -e BUILD_MODE="$BUILD_MODE" \
   -e TARGET_PLATFORM="$TARGET_PLATFORM" \
+  -e DEMO="${DEMO:-0}" \
+  -e DEMO_PIN="${DEMO_PIN:-0801}" \
   -e HOST_UID="$HOST_UID" \
   -e HOST_GID="$HOST_GID" \
   "$IMAGE" bash -c '
@@ -214,7 +216,15 @@ step "compile svg assets"
 step "build apk ($BUILD_MODE / ${TARGET_PLATFORM:-universal})"
 EXTRA=""
 [[ -n "$TARGET_PLATFORM" ]] && EXTRA="--target-platform=$TARGET_PLATFORM"
-flutter build apk --dart-define-from-file=env.json --$BUILD_MODE $EXTRA
+# DEMO=1 bakes in DEMO_MODE so the app boots straight to an unlocked demo
+# wallet (kDebugMode-gated, impossible in release). Lets capture skip the
+# onboarding/PIN flow entirely.
+DEMO_DEFINES=""
+if [[ "${DEMO:-0}" == "1" ]]; then
+  DEMO_DEFINES="--dart-define=DEMO_MODE=true --dart-define=DEMO_PIN=${DEMO_PIN:-0801}"
+  echo "DEMO_MODE baked in"
+fi
+flutter build apk --dart-define-from-file=env.json --$BUILD_MODE $EXTRA $DEMO_DEFINES
 
 echo
 echo "==> artifacts:"
diff --git a/tools/demo/capture.sh b/tools/demo/capture.sh
index 6d31b79b2..fcc890320 100755
--- a/tools/demo/capture.sh
+++ b/tools/demo/capture.sh
@@ -272,6 +272,8 @@ cmd_record() {
         --target=integration_test/demo/scenarios/'"$scenario"'.dart \
         -d "$SERIAL" \
         --dart-define-from-file=env.json \
+        --dart-define=DEMO_MODE=true \
+        --dart-define=DEMO_PIN='"${DEMO_PIN:-0801}"' \
         --dart-define=DEMO_WALLET_SEED="$DEMO_SEED" \
         --dart-define=DEMO_SEND_ADDRESS="$DEMO_SEND_ADDR"
     ' 2>&1 | tee "$RAW_DIR/$scenario.drive.log"