diff --git a/src/tui/tui.test.ts b/src/tui/tui.test.ts
index 1f90313499df..1d728a1047eb 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.test.ts
+++ b/src/tui/tui.test.ts
@@ -346,11 +346,24 @@ describe("resolveInitialTuiAgentId", () => {
 });
 
 describe("resolveGatewayDisconnectState", () => {
-  it("returns pairing recovery guidance when disconnect reason requires pairing", () => {
+  it("returns scope-upgrade recovery guidance when disconnect reason requires pairing", () => {
     const state = resolveGatewayDisconnectState("gateway closed (1008): pairing required");
     expect(state.connectionStatus).toContain("pairing required");
-    expect(state.activityStatus).toBe("pairing required: run openclaw devices list");
-    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("openclaw devices list");
+    expect(state.activityStatus).toBe("device approval needed: preview latest request");
+    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("openclaw devices approve --latest");
+    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("openclaw devices approve <requestId>");
+    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("--token");
+    // Must steer users to `devices`, not the unrelated chat-DM `pairing` command.
+    expect(state.pairingHint).not.toContain("openclaw pairing");
+  });
+
+  it("returns the same guidance when the gateway reports a pending scope upgrade", () => {
+    const state = resolveGatewayDisconnectState(
+      "gateway closed (1008): scope upgrade pending approval",
+    );
+    expect(state.activityStatus).toBe("device approval needed: preview latest request");
+    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("openclaw devices approve --latest");
+    expect(state.pairingHint).toContain("openclaw devices approve <requestId>");
   });
 
   it("falls back to idle for generic disconnect reasons", () => {
diff --git a/src/tui/tui.ts b/src/tui/tui.ts
index 0effaa3507ff..369636c5db17 100644
--- a/src/tui/tui.ts
+++ b/src/tui/tui.ts
@@ -230,12 +230,15 @@ export function resolveGatewayDisconnectState(reason?: string): {
   pairingHint?: string;
 } {
   const reasonLabel = reason?.trim() ? reason.trim() : "closed";
-  if (/pairing required/i.test(reasonLabel)) {
+  // Covers both "pairing required" and a pending "scope upgrade" for a paired device.
+  if (/pairing required|scope upgrade/i.test(reasonLabel)) {
     return {
       connectionStatus: `gateway disconnected: ${reasonLabel}`,
-      activityStatus: "pairing required: run openclaw devices list",
+      activityStatus: "device approval needed: preview latest request",
       pairingHint:
-        "Pairing required. Run `openclaw devices list`, approve your request ID, then reconnect.",
+        "Device approval needed. Run `openclaw devices approve --latest` to preview the pending request, " +
+        "then rerun the printed `openclaw devices approve <requestId>` command " +
+        "(reuse `--token` or other auth flags if needed), then reconnect.",
     };
   }
   return {