diff --git a/manifest.firefox.json b/manifest.firefox.json
index 31e9417..b20038a 100644
--- a/manifest.firefox.json
+++ b/manifest.firefox.json
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@
   "permissions": [
     "storage",
     "activeTab",
-    "scripting"
+    "scripting",
+    "notifications"
   ],
   "host_permissions": [
     "https://claude.ai/*",
diff --git a/manifest.json b/manifest.json
index f16e63c..d73335f 100644
--- a/manifest.json
+++ b/manifest.json
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@
   "permissions": [
     "storage",
     "activeTab",
-    "scripting"
+    "scripting",
+    "notifications"
   ],
   "host_permissions": [
     "https://claude.ai/*",
diff --git a/src/background/service-worker.js b/src/background/service-worker.js
index 7f04898..a93cb58 100644
--- a/src/background/service-worker.js
+++ b/src/background/service-worker.js
@@ -146,6 +146,13 @@ const messageHandlers = {
     sendResponse({ count: tabCounts.get(tabId) || 0 });
   },
 
+  async 'sync:notification-seen'() {
+    // Options page opened — clear the sync badge and pending notification flag
+    await api.storage.local.remove('ss_sync_notification');
+    api.action.setBadgeText({ text: '' });
+    api.action.setBadgeBackgroundColor({ color: '#6b7280' });
+  },
+
   async 'update:settings'(message) {
     await Storage.saveSettings(message.settings);
 
@@ -309,6 +316,33 @@ api.storage.onChanged.addListener(async (changes, areaName) => {
     }
   }
 
+  // When a sync operation applied new data, show badge + notification
+  if (areaName === 'local' && changes.ss_sync_notification?.newValue) {
+    const notif = changes.ss_sync_notification.newValue;
+    const sourceLabel = {
+      'file': 'sync folder',
+      'browser-sync': 'browser account sync',
+      'code': 'sync code import',
+    }[notif.source] || 'sync';
+
+    // Purple badge — persists until Options is opened
+    api.action.setBadgeText({ text: 'SYN' });
+    api.action.setBadgeBackgroundColor({ color: '#7c3aed' });
+
+    // Desktop notification
+    try {
+      api.notifications.create('ss-sync-applied', {
+        type: 'basic',
+        iconUrl: 'icons/icon48.svg',
+        title: 'Silent Send — Settings Synced',
+        message: `Settings updated via ${sourceLabel}. Open Options to review.`,
+        priority: 1,
+      });
+    } catch (e) {
+      // Notifications permission not granted — badge is still visible
+    }
+  }
+
   // When sync storage changes (another device pushed new data), pull it into local
   if (areaName === 'sync' && (changes.ss_sync_meta || Object.keys(changes).some(k => k.startsWith('ss_sync_chunk_')))) {
     const settings = await Storage.getSettings();
@@ -318,6 +352,14 @@ api.storage.onChanged.addListener(async (changes, areaName) => {
   }
 });
 
+// Clicking a sync notification opens the Options page
+api.notifications.onClicked.addListener((notificationId) => {
+  if (notificationId === 'ss-sync-applied') {
+    api.runtime.openOptionsPage();
+    api.notifications.clear(notificationId);
+  }
+});
+
 // --- Set initial state ---
 api.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(async () => {
   api.action.setBadgeBackgroundColor({ color: '#6b7280' });
@@ -329,6 +371,14 @@ api.runtime.onInstalled.addListener(async () => {
 (async () => {
   const settings = await Storage.getSettings();
   await updateIcon(settings);
+
+  // Restore the SYN badge if the user hasn't opened Options since the last sync
+  const stored = await api.storage.local.get('ss_sync_notification');
+  if (stored.ss_sync_notification) {
+    api.action.setBadgeText({ text: 'SYN' });
+    api.action.setBadgeBackgroundColor({ color: '#7c3aed' });
+  }
+
   if (settings.browserSync) {
     await SilentSendSync.pullFromSyncStorage();
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/sync.js b/src/lib/sync.js
index e2a1540..6a6cfd6 100644
--- a/src/lib/sync.js
+++ b/src/lib/sync.js
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ const SilentSendSync = {
         }
       }
 
-      await this._applyData(data);
+      await this._applyData(data, 'code');
       return { success: true, importTime: new Date(data.lastModified).toLocaleString() };
     } catch (e) {
       return { success: false, reason: e.message };
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ const SilentSendSync = {
       const json = chunkKeys.map(k => chunkResult[k] || '').join('');
       const data = JSON.parse(json);
 
-      await this._applyData(data);
+      await this._applyData(data, 'browser-sync');
       return { imported: true, time: new Date(data.lastModified).toLocaleString() };
     } catch (e) {
       console.warn('[Silent Send] pullFromSyncStorage failed:', e);
@@ -154,8 +154,12 @@ const SilentSendSync = {
     };
   },
 
-  async _applyData(data) {
-    const toSet = { ss_lastModified: data.lastModified };
+  async _applyData(data, source = 'unknown') {
+    const toSet = {
+      ss_lastModified: data.lastModified,
+      // Signal the service worker to show a badge/notification
+      ss_sync_notification: { source, time: Date.now() },
+    };
     if (data.identity !== undefined) toSet.ss_identity = data.identity;
     if (data.mappings !== undefined) toSet.ss_mappings = data.mappings;
     if (data.settings !== undefined) toSet.ss_settings = data.settings;
diff --git a/src/options/options.html b/src/options/options.html
index e283434..0634b24 100644
--- a/src/options/options.html
+++ b/src/options/options.html
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@
           Pick the same folder in each browser once. Changes are written to
           <code>silent-send-sync.json</code> automatically whenever settings change,
           and read back whenever this page is opened or regains focus.
-          Use a shared folder (Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud Drive, or any network share)
-          for cross-computer sync too.
+          Works with <strong>any cloud storage that has a desktop sync client</strong> —
+          Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, iCloud Drive, Box, pCloud, Nextcloud,
+          Synology Drive, or any network share. Just pick the cloud-synced folder.
         </p>
         <div class="bulk-actions" style="align-items:center">
           <button class="btn btn-primary" id="btnPickSyncFolder">Choose Sync Folder</button>
diff --git a/src/options/options.js b/src/options/options.js
index 4e29c99..20d5646 100644
--- a/src/options/options.js
+++ b/src/options/options.js
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', async () => {
   });
 
   // --- File-based auto-sync ---
+  // Tell the service worker the user has seen any pending sync notification
+  api.runtime.sendMessage({ type: 'sync:notification-seen' }).catch(() => {});
+  await api.storage.local.remove('ss_sync_notification');
+
   await initFileSync();
 
   $('#btnPickSyncFolder').addEventListener('click', pickSyncFolder);
@@ -559,7 +563,7 @@ async function checkFileSyncUpdate() {
 
     const local = await SilentSendSync._getAllData();
     if (data.lastModified > (local.lastModified || 0)) {
-      await SilentSendSync._applyData(data);
+      await SilentSendSync._applyData(data, 'file');
       mappings = await Storage.getMappings();
       settings = await Storage.getSettings();
       $('#browserSync').checked = settings.browserSync === true;