diff --git a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
index c771678..ef39b66 100644
--- a/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
+++ b/server/src/Hokm.Server/Game/GameManager.cs
@@ -67,9 +67,10 @@ public sealed partial class GameManager
             if (_waiting.Any(w => w.player.UserId == p.UserId)) return;
             var timer = new Timer(_ => FlushTicket(p.UserId), null, QueueWaitMs, Timeout.Infinite);
             _waiting.Add((p, timer, DateTime.UtcNow));
-            _ = _hub.Clients.User(p.UserId).SendAsync("matchmaking",
-                new MatchmakingStateDto("searching", _waiting.Count, null));
             if (_waiting.Count >= 4) FormGroupLocked(4);
+            // Tell EVERYONE still waiting the new count (so friends queuing together
+            // see each other join), not just the player who just joined.
+            BroadcastQueueLocked();
         }
     }
 
@@ -78,10 +79,24 @@ public sealed partial class GameManager
         lock (_mmLock)
         {
             var idx = _waiting.FindIndex(w => w.player.UserId == userId);
-            if (idx >= 0) { _waiting[idx].timer.Dispose(); _waiting.RemoveAt(idx); }
+            if (idx >= 0)
+            {
+                _waiting[idx].timer.Dispose();
+                _waiting.RemoveAt(idx);
+                BroadcastQueueLocked();
+            }
         }
     }
 
+    /// <summary>Push the current queue size to every waiting player (call inside _mmLock).</summary>
+    private void BroadcastQueueLocked()
+    {
+        int n = _waiting.Count;
+        foreach (var w in _waiting)
+            _ = _hub.Clients.User(w.player.UserId).SendAsync("matchmaking",
+                new MatchmakingStateDto("searching", n, null));
+    }
+
     /// <summary>Client safety net: re-send the current game state to a player who
     /// may have missed the initial broadcast (green-felt freeze guard).</summary>
     public void Resync(string userId)
diff --git a/src/components/screens/MatchmakingScreen.tsx b/src/components/screens/MatchmakingScreen.tsx
index 29752f9..6342595 100644
--- a/src/components/screens/MatchmakingScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/components/screens/MatchmakingScreen.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { AnimatePresence, motion } from "framer-motion";
-import { Crown, Loader2 } from "lucide-react";
+import { Crown, Loader2, Users } from "lucide-react";
 import { useEffect, useState } from "react";
 import { ScreenShell } from "@/components/online/ScreenHeader";
 import { Avatar } from "@/components/online/Avatar";
@@ -140,6 +140,16 @@ export function MatchmakingScreen() {
         {searching && (
           <>
             <div className="mt-2 text-3xl font-black gold-text tabular-nums">{elapsed}s</div>
+            {(mm.waiting ?? 0) >= 2 && (
+              <motion.div
+                initial={{ scale: 0.8, opacity: 0 }}
+                animate={{ scale: 1, opacity: 1 }}
+                className="mt-2 inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 rounded-full glass gold-border px-3 py-1 text-xs font-bold text-teal-300"
+              >
+                <Users className="size-3.5" />
+                {t("mm.inQueue", { n: mm.waiting! })}
+              </motion.div>
+            )}
             {elapsed >= 40 ? (
               <p className="text-rose-300 text-xs mt-2 max-w-[18rem]">{t("mm.stuck")}</p>
             ) : (
diff --git a/src/lib/i18n.tsx b/src/lib/i18n.tsx
index 834f50b..0a7b0c4 100644
--- a/src/lib/i18n.tsx
+++ b/src/lib/i18n.tsx
@@ -256,6 +256,7 @@ const fa: Dict = {
   "mm.found": "بازیکنان پیدا شدند!",
   "mm.ready": "آماده شروع",
   "mm.fillHint": "منتظر پیوستن یک بازیکن آنلاین هستیم… می‌توانی همین حالا با ربات شروع کنی",
+  "mm.inQueue": "{n} بازیکن در صف",
   "mm.stuck": "اتصال به سرور طول کشید. لطفاً «لغو» را بزنید و دوباره تلاش کنید.",
   "intro.found": "بازیکنان آماده‌اند!",
   "intro.getReady": "بازی در حال شروع است…",
@@ -644,6 +645,7 @@ const en: Dict = {
   "mm.found": "Players found!",
   "mm.ready": "Ready to start",
   "mm.fillHint": "Waiting for an online player to join… or start now with bots",
+  "mm.inQueue": "{n} players in queue",
   "mm.stuck": "Connecting to the server is taking too long. Tap Cancel and try again.",
   "mm.cancel": "Cancel",
   "mm.start": "Enter game",
diff --git a/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts b/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
index c61ab0a..663f649 100644
--- a/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
+++ b/src/lib/online/signalr-service.ts
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ export class SignalrService implements OnlineService {
       .build();
 
     conn.on("matchmaking", (s: { phase: string; players: number; queuePosition: number | null }) =>
-      this.emitMM(s.phase, s.queuePosition ?? undefined));
+      this.emitMM(s.phase, s.queuePosition ?? undefined, s.players));
     conn.on("matchFound", () => {
       this.emitMM("ready");
       // Safety net: if the initial state never lands (dropped/raced), ask the
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ export class SignalrService implements OnlineService {
     }
   }
 
-  private emitMM(phase: string, queuePosition?: number) {
+  private emitMM(phase: string, queuePosition?: number, waiting?: number) {
     const state: MatchmakingState = {
       phase: phase as MatchmakingState["phase"],
       players: [],
@@ -234,6 +234,7 @@ export class SignalrService implements OnlineService {
       ranked: this.mmRanked,
       stake: this.mmStake,
       queuePosition,
+      waiting,
     };
     this.mmCbs.forEach((cb) => cb(state));
   }
diff --git a/src/lib/online/types.ts b/src/lib/online/types.ts
index cb3c813..060dee9 100644
--- a/src/lib/online/types.ts
+++ b/src/lib/online/types.ts
@@ -390,6 +390,8 @@ export interface MatchmakingState {
   elapsedMs: number;
   ranked: boolean;
   stake: number;
+  /** live count of real humans waiting in the matchmaking queue (incl. you). */
+  waiting?: number;
   /** position in the queue when phase === "queued" */
   queuePosition?: number;
 }