diff --git a/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx b/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
index 49a39cd..6334ca2 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/app/reminders/page.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import { describeRecurrence, specFromRrule } from "@/lib/recurrence";
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Types
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-type FilterValue = "all" | "active" | "ended" | "failed";
+type FilterValue = "all" | "active" | "ended" | "paused";
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 // Helpers
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ const FILTER_TABS: { value: FilterValue; label: string }[] = [
   { value: "all", label: "All" },
   { value: "active", label: "Active" },
   { value: "ended", label: "Ended" },
-  { value: "failed", label: "Failed" },
+  { value: "paused", label: "Paused" },
 ];
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ interface PageProps {
 export default async function RemindersPage({ searchParams }: PageProps) {
   const { filter: rawFilter } = await searchParams;
   const filter: FilterValue =
-    rawFilter === "active" || rawFilter === "ended" || rawFilter === "failed"
+    rawFilter === "active" || rawFilter === "ended" || rawFilter === "paused"
       ? rawFilter
       : "all";
 
diff --git a/apps/web/src/components/pair-live.tsx b/apps/web/src/components/pair-live.tsx
index 97ba945..2f65cb0 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/components/pair-live.tsx
+++ b/apps/web/src/components/pair-live.tsx
@@ -22,11 +22,13 @@ interface PairLiveProps {
 
 function CountdownBar({ seconds, total }: { seconds: number; total: number }) {
   const { pct, danger, expired } = countdownRender(seconds, total);
+  const mm = Math.floor(seconds / 60);
+  const ss = String(seconds % 60).padStart(2, "0");
   return (
     <div className="flex w-full max-w-64 flex-col gap-1">
       <div className="flex items-center justify-between text-xs">
         <span className="text-muted-foreground">
-          {expired ? "QR expired — waiting for refresh" : "QR expires in"}
+          {expired ? "Pairing window expired" : "Pairing expires in"}
         </span>
         {!expired && (
           <span
@@ -34,7 +36,7 @@ function CountdownBar({ seconds, total }: { seconds: number; total: number }) {
               danger ? "text-destructive" : "text-foreground"
             }`}
           >
-            {seconds}s
+            {mm}:{ss}
           </span>
         )}
       </div>
@@ -51,18 +53,27 @@ function CountdownBar({ seconds, total }: { seconds: number; total: number }) {
   );
 }
 
-const COUNTDOWN_TOTAL = 30;
+// Match the bot's PAIR_TIMEOUT_MS — 5 minutes — so the pairing-window
+// timer is the single source of truth for "you have to scan by then".
+// Individual QR rotations (~5 s each from Baileys) refresh the displayed
+// QR but do NOT reset this timer — that would punish the user with a
+// constantly-resetting countdown.
+const PAIRING_WINDOW_SEC = 5 * 60;
 
 export function PairLive({ accountId, label }: PairLiveProps) {
   const router = useRouter();
   const [pairingState, setPairingState] = useState<PairingState>({ phase: "waiting" });
-  const [countdown, setCountdown] = useState(COUNTDOWN_TOTAL);
+  const [countdown, setCountdown] = useState(PAIRING_WINDOW_SEC);
   const timerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setInterval> | null>(null);
+  const startedRef = useRef(false);
 
-  // Reset and start countdown when QR arrives
+  /** Start the pairing-window countdown once. Subsequent QR refreshes do
+   *  not restart this — only mount/connect/timeout/unmount touches it. */
   const startCountdown = () => {
+    if (startedRef.current) return;
+    startedRef.current = true;
     if (timerRef.current) clearInterval(timerRef.current);
-    setCountdown(COUNTDOWN_TOTAL);
+    setCountdown(PAIRING_WINDOW_SEC);
     timerRef.current = setInterval(() => {
       setCountdown((c) => {
         if (c <= 1) {
@@ -79,6 +90,8 @@ export function PairLive({ accountId, label }: PairLiveProps) {
       if (data.accountId !== accountId) return;
       // Bust the URL with the timestamp so the browser refetches each time.
       setPairingState({ phase: "qr", qrUrl: `/api/qr/${accountId}?t=${data.ts}` });
+      // Idempotent — only the first QR starts the global pairing-window
+      // timer; later QR rotations leave it ticking.
       startCountdown();
     },
     "session.connected": (data) => {
@@ -130,8 +143,10 @@ export function PairLive({ accountId, label }: PairLiveProps) {
 
       {pairingState.phase === "qr" && (
         <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-4">
-          {/* Countdown — separate from the QR so it doesn't obstruct scanning */}
-          <CountdownBar seconds={countdown} total={COUNTDOWN_TOTAL} />
+          {/* Pairing-window countdown — single source of truth.
+              The QR image rotates every ~5 s but this timer keeps ticking
+              against the bot's PAIR_TIMEOUT (5 min). */}
+          <CountdownBar seconds={countdown} total={PAIRING_WINDOW_SEC} />
 
           {/* QR image */}
           {/* eslint-disable-next-line @next/next/no-img-element */}
@@ -148,6 +163,9 @@ export function PairLive({ accountId, label }: PairLiveProps) {
             <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">
               Open WhatsApp → tap ⋮ → Linked Devices → Link a device
             </p>
+            <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground/80 italic">
+              The QR rotates automatically every few seconds — scan whichever one is showing.
+            </p>
             <Button asChild variant="outline" size="sm" className="mt-1">
               <a
                 href={pairingState.qrUrl}
diff --git a/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.test.ts b/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.test.ts
index 5735d81..1ec68aa 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.test.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.test.ts
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ describe("makeQrDedupe", () => {
   });
 });
 
-describe("countdownRender — QR expired timer", () => {
+describe("countdownRender — short window (per-QR / ≤ 60 s)", () => {
   it("at full window: 100% width, not danger, not expired", () => {
     expect(countdownRender(30, 30)).toEqual({ pct: 100, danger: false, expired: false });
   });
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ describe("countdownRender — QR expired timer", () => {
     expect(countdownRender(1, 30).danger).toBe(true);
   });
 
-  it("> 10 s is not in danger", () => {
+  it("> 10 s is not in danger for short windows", () => {
     expect(countdownRender(11, 30).danger).toBe(false);
   });
 
@@ -89,3 +89,28 @@ describe("countdownRender — QR expired timer", () => {
     expect(r.pct).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(0);
   });
 });
+
+describe("countdownRender — pairing-window (5 min) scaling", () => {
+  const TOTAL = 5 * 60;
+
+  it("full pairing window: 100%, not danger", () => {
+    expect(countdownRender(TOTAL, TOTAL)).toEqual({ pct: 100, danger: false, expired: false });
+  });
+
+  it("4 minutes left: ~80%, not danger", () => {
+    const r = countdownRender(4 * 60, TOTAL);
+    expect(r.pct).toBe(80);
+    expect(r.danger).toBe(false);
+    expect(r.expired).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("danger threshold scales up to 30 s for long windows", () => {
+    expect(countdownRender(31, TOTAL).danger).toBe(false);
+    expect(countdownRender(30, TOTAL).danger).toBe(true);
+    expect(countdownRender(15, TOTAL).danger).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it("expired pairing window", () => {
+    expect(countdownRender(0, TOTAL).expired).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.ts b/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.ts
index beaf2bd..5d9f0ec 100644
--- a/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.ts
+++ b/apps/web/src/lib/qr-dedupe.ts
@@ -35,21 +35,24 @@ export function makeQrDedupe() {
 export interface CountdownRender {
   /** Width % for the progress bar [0..100]. */
   pct: number;
-  /** True when ≤ 10 s remain — UI uses this to switch to destructive colours. */
+  /** True when the remaining time crosses the danger threshold — UI flips
+   *  to destructive colours. Threshold scales with `total`: 10 s for short
+   *  per-QR timers, 30 s for the multi-minute pairing window. */
   danger: boolean;
-  /** True when the QR has expired (≤ 0). The page will be waiting for a refresh. */
+  /** True when the QR has expired (≤ 0). */
   expired: boolean;
 }
 
-const DANGER_THRESHOLD_SEC = 10;
-
 export function countdownRender(seconds: number, total: number): CountdownRender {
   const safeTotal = total > 0 ? total : 1;
   const clamped = Math.max(0, Math.min(seconds, safeTotal));
   const pct = Math.round((clamped / safeTotal) * 100);
+  // Short windows (≤60 s) use a 10 s warning; longer ones (the 5-minute
+  // pairing window) use 30 s so it shows up while still actionable.
+  const dangerThreshold = safeTotal <= 60 ? 10 : 30;
   return {
     pct,
-    danger: clamped > 0 && clamped <= DANGER_THRESHOLD_SEC,
+    danger: clamped > 0 && clamped <= dangerThreshold,
     expired: clamped <= 0,
   };
 }