diff --git a/AGENTS.md b/AGENTS.md
index dd4fa72..767e096 100644
--- a/AGENTS.md
+++ b/AGENTS.md
@@ -13,7 +13,13 @@ clicking an item copies it back to the clipboard.
   `NSStatusItem Preferred Position Prompt`). Left click toggles the panel,
   right click shows the menu (accessibility state, launch at login, open data
   folder, quit). Contains the single-instance guard and `LoginItem`
-  (`SMAppService`).
+  (`SMAppService`). Also sets `NSApp.mainMenu` with Hide Panel (Cmd+W) and Quit
+  (Cmd+Q) — an accessory app shows no menu bar, but the main menu still
+  services key equivalents, which is the only way to quit from the keyboard
+  while the panel has focus. `applicationShouldHandleReopen` shows the panel so
+  launching an already-running app does something. Supports `--sync-check` and
+  `--diag` (writes the status item's frame and permission state to
+  `/tmp/prompt-diag.txt`, then exits).
 - `Sources/Prompt/Store.swift` — `@MainActor` `ObservableObject` singleton.
   Data model: `Section` → `[PromptItem]`, item content is
   `.text(String)` or `.image(String)` (filename). Persists to
@@ -167,7 +173,10 @@ brew upgrade --cask prompt
   the main thread (the hotkey handler already dispatches to a global queue).
 - The double-Shift tap needs Accessibility; without it the event tap silently
   fails and only the Carbon fallbacks work. The panel banner and the status
-  menu both surface the permission state.
+  menu both surface the permission state, and `AppDelegate` shows a launch
+  alert when it is missing — otherwise a user who hides the panel is locked out
+  (no hotkey, no Dock icon) and reports it as "the app won't come back". Check
+  with `Prompt --diag` (`accessibility: false` is the tell).
 - `Info.plist` sets `NSAllowsArbitraryLoads` because the sync server URL is
   user-supplied and is often plain HTTP (LAN address, self-hosted box). ATS
   would otherwise block it with a confusing error.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de3e0a9..72c82d0 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -32,10 +32,11 @@ to your work. Click anything to copy it back to your clipboard.
 | Close panel | Esc |
 
 Double-Shift gestures require **Accessibility access** (Prompt reads the
-selection by simulating Cmd+C, then restores your clipboard untouched). The
-Cmd+Shift fallbacks work without it. Bare keys like Space and Cmd+C are
-deliberately not bound inside the panel so they never conflict with typing in
-the composer.
+selection by simulating Cmd+C, then restores your clipboard untouched). Until
+it is granted, use Cmd+Shift+Space and Cmd+Shift+C, or click the menu bar icon
+— and launching the app again always brings the panel back. Bare keys like
+Space and Cmd+C are deliberately not bound inside the panel so they never
+conflict with typing in the composer.
 
 ## Install
 
diff --git a/Sources/Prompt/App.swift b/Sources/Prompt/App.swift
index 415a934..5dd83b0 100644
--- a/Sources/Prompt/App.swift
+++ b/Sources/Prompt/App.swift
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
             return
         }
 
+        // --diag reports where the status item landed. On a notched Mac a
+        // brand-new item can be placed under the notch and be unclickable,
+        // which locks the user out once the panel is hidden.
+        if CommandLine.arguments.contains("--diag") {
+            setupStatusItem()
+            DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 1.0) {
+                self.writeDiagnostics()
+                NSApp.terminate(nil)
+            }
+            return
+        }
+
         // Single instance: stale copies keep their hotkeys alive after an
         // update and eat the events meant for the new instance.
         let myPid = ProcessInfo.processInfo.processIdentifier
@@ -48,6 +60,7 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
 
         setupStatusItem()
         setupMainMenu()
+        promptForAccessibilityIfNeeded()
 
         // Show the panel on launch so the app is discoverable (it has no Dock
         // icon and the menu bar icon can be hard to spot on a full bar).
@@ -57,6 +70,28 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
         }
     }
 
+    /// Without Accessibility the Shift-Shift gestures fail silently, so the
+    /// panel can be hidden with no obvious way back. Say so on launch and
+    /// point at the shortcut that works without the permission.
+    private func promptForAccessibilityIfNeeded() {
+        guard !AXIsProcessTrusted() else { return }
+        let alert = NSAlert()
+        alert.messageText = "Prompt needs Accessibility access"
+        alert.informativeText = """
+        Capturing with Shift-Shift (and showing the panel with right Shift twice) \
+        only works with Accessibility access.
+
+        Until it is granted, use Cmd+Shift+Space to show or hide the panel and \
+        Cmd+Shift+C to capture, or click the menu bar icon.
+        """
+        alert.addButton(withTitle: "Open Settings")
+        alert.addButton(withTitle: "Later")
+        if alert.runModal() == .alertFirstButtonReturn {
+            let options = [kAXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt.takeUnretainedValue(): true] as CFDictionary
+            _ = AXIsProcessTrustedWithOptions(options)
+        }
+    }
+
     /// A launched-again app must reveal itself. Without this, `open` (or
     /// clicking it in Finder/Spotlight) hits the running instance, which does
     /// nothing, so the app looks like it never started.
@@ -103,6 +138,26 @@ final class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate {
         PanelController.shared.hide()
     }
 
+    @MainActor
+    private func writeDiagnostics() {
+        var lines = ["Prompt diagnostics", "accessibility: \(AXIsProcessTrusted())"]
+        if let window = statusItem?.button?.window {
+            lines.append("status item frame: \(window.frame)")
+            if let screen = window.screen ?? NSScreen.main {
+                lines.append("screen: \(screen.frame) visible: \(screen.visibleFrame)")
+                lines.append("notch inset: \(screen.safeAreaInsets)")
+                let underNotch = window.frame.maxX > screen.frame.maxX - screen.safeAreaInsets.right
+                lines.append("under the notch: \(underNotch)")
+            }
+        } else {
+            lines.append("status item has no window (not in the menu bar)")
+        }
+        lines.append("preferred position: \(UserDefaults.standard.object(forKey: "NSStatusItem Preferred Position Prompt") ?? "unset")")
+        try? lines.joined(separator: "\n").write(
+            to: URL(fileURLWithPath: "/tmp/prompt-diag.txt"), atomically: true, encoding: .utf8
+        )
+    }
+
     private func setupStatusItem() {
         let item = NSStatusBar.system.statusItem(withLength: NSStatusItem.squareLength)
         item.autosaveName = "Prompt"
diff --git a/Sources/Prompt/PanelView.swift b/Sources/Prompt/PanelView.swift
index dde0ee1..eb146b0 100644
--- a/Sources/Prompt/PanelView.swift
+++ b/Sources/Prompt/PanelView.swift
@@ -87,8 +87,13 @@ struct PanelView: View {
         HStack(spacing: 8) {
             Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.triangle.fill")
                 .foregroundStyle(.yellow)
-            Text("Shift-tap capture needs Accessibility access.")
-                .font(.caption)
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 2) {
+                Text("Shift-tap capture needs Accessibility access.")
+                    .font(.caption)
+                Text("Meanwhile: Cmd+Shift+Space toggles this panel.")
+                    .font(.caption2)
+                    .foregroundStyle(.secondary)
+            }
             Spacer()
             Button("Grant…") {
                 let options = [kAXTrustedCheckOptionPrompt.takeUnretainedValue(): true] as CFDictionary