diff --git a/.github/APPROVED_CONTRIBUTORS b/.github/APPROVED_CONTRIBUTORS
index 9d5c06318c..8a67ae5a72 100644
--- a/.github/APPROVED_CONTRIBUTORS
+++ b/.github/APPROVED_CONTRIBUTORS
@@ -67,3 +67,4 @@ MattJColes
 brabli
 aneym
 1jehuang
+abhishekvtangod
diff --git a/docs/next/website/src/content/docs/configuration.mdx b/docs/next/website/src/content/docs/configuration.mdx
index ce4db4e2be..02af1bc254 100644
--- a/docs/next/website/src/content/docs/configuration.mdx
+++ b/docs/next/website/src/content/docs/configuration.mdx
@@ -261,14 +261,14 @@ The sidebar is the main Herdr dashboard. Search `ui.` in the [Config reference](
 
 Set `tab_bar_position = "bottom"` under `[ui]` to place the desktop tab row below the terminal panes. Prefix, Navigate, Copy, and Resize mode bars temporarily replace the bottom tab row while active. The default is `"top"`.
 
-Agent status uses compact colored dots by default. To distinguish blocked, working, done, idle, and unknown states by shape as well as color, choose **distinct symbols** in Settings or configure:
+Agent status uses distinct static symbols by default so blocked, working, done, idle, and unknown states differ by shape as well as color. To keep the compact color-only dots, choose **color dots** in Settings or configure:
 
 ```toml
 [ui]
-status_indicators = "symbols"
+status_indicators = "dots"
 ```
 
-The symbols are static, so this option does not enable spinner animation.
+Symbols remain static, so the default still does not enable spinner animation.
 
 ### Sidebar row layouts
 
diff --git a/docs/next/website/src/data/config-reference.json b/docs/next/website/src/data/config-reference.json
index e7a0539b38..fe4e7746cd 100644
--- a/docs/next/website/src/data/config-reference.json
+++ b/docs/next/website/src/data/config-reference.json
@@ -705,7 +705,7 @@
         {
           "key": "ui.status_indicators",
           "type": "enum",
-          "default": "\"dots\"",
+          "default": "\"symbols\"",
           "description": "Choose compact color dots or distinct static symbols for agent states.",
           "values": [
             "dots",
diff --git a/src/app/input/settings.rs b/src/app/input/settings.rs
index fb1a7d757c..23fe2e0460 100644
--- a/src/app/input/settings.rs
+++ b/src/app/input/settings.rs
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ mod tests {
     fn settings_indicator_choice_returns_save_action() {
         let mut state = state_with_workspaces(&["test"]);
         open_settings_at(&mut state, SettingsSection::Indicators);
-        state.settings.list.selected = 1;
+        state.settings.list.selected = 0;
 
         let action = update_settings_state(
             &mut state,
@@ -530,10 +530,10 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(
             action,
             Some(SettingsAction::SaveStatusIndicators(
-                StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols
+                StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots
             ))
         );
-        assert_eq!(state.status_indicators, StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots);
+        assert_eq!(state.status_indicators, StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols);
         assert_eq!(state.mode, Mode::Settings);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/app/mod.rs b/src/app/mod.rs
index 5e3c86de0f..0856f39652 100644
--- a/src/app/mod.rs
+++ b/src/app/mod.rs
@@ -3460,17 +3460,17 @@ mod tests {
         let mut app = test_app();
         assert_eq!(
             app.state.status_indicators,
-            crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots
+            crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols
         );
 
-        app.save_status_indicators(crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols);
+        app.save_status_indicators(crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots);
 
         assert_eq!(
             app.state.status_indicators,
-            crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols
+            crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots
         );
         let content = std::fs::read_to_string(&path).unwrap();
-        assert!(content.contains("status_indicators = \"symbols\""));
+        assert!(content.contains("status_indicators = \"dots\""));
         assert!(app.state.config_diagnostic.is_none());
 
         std::env::remove_var(crate::config::CONFIG_PATH_ENV_VAR);
diff --git a/src/app/state.rs b/src/app/state.rs
index 0e1a8439af..16c3c978d5 100644
--- a/src/app/state.rs
+++ b/src/app/state.rs
@@ -1874,7 +1874,7 @@ impl AppState {
             sidebar_collapsed_mode: crate::config::SidebarCollapsedModeConfig::Compact,
             sidebar_section_split: 0.5,
             agent_panel_sort: AgentPanelSort::Spaces,
-            status_indicators: crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots,
+            status_indicators: crate::config::StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols,
             agent_view_override: None,
             sidebar_agents: crate::config::AgentsSidebarConfig::default(),
             sidebar_spaces: crate::config::SpacesSidebarConfig::default(),
diff --git a/src/config/model.rs b/src/config/model.rs
index 5cbafaec9b..0a31e164cf 100644
--- a/src/config/model.rs
+++ b/src/config/model.rs
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ enum LegacyAgentPanelScopeConfig {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq, Deserialize, Serialize, Default)]
 #[serde(rename_all = "lowercase")]
 pub enum StatusIndicatorStyle {
-    #[default]
     Dots,
+    #[default]
     Symbols,
 }
 
@@ -1059,7 +1059,7 @@ impl Default for UiConfig {
             tab_bar_position: TabBarPositionConfig::Top,
             agent_panel_sort: AgentPanelSortConfig::Spaces,
             _legacy_agent_panel_scope: None,
-            status_indicators: StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots,
+            status_indicators: StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols,
             sidebar: SidebarConfig::default(),
             accent: "cyan".into(),
             toast: ToastConfig::default(),
@@ -1284,20 +1284,20 @@ agent_panel_scope = "current"
     }
 
     #[test]
-    fn status_indicator_style_defaults_to_dots_and_parses_symbols() {
+    fn status_indicator_style_defaults_to_symbols_and_parses_dots() {
         assert_eq!(
             Config::default().ui.status_indicators,
-            StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots
+            StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols
         );
 
         let config: Config = toml::from_str(
             r#"
 [ui]
-status_indicators = "symbols"
+status_indicators = "dots"
 "#,
         )
         .unwrap();
-        assert_eq!(config.ui.status_indicators, StatusIndicatorStyle::Symbols);
+        assert_eq!(config.ui.status_indicators, StatusIndicatorStyle::Dots);
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 85ff264b7a..da74984605 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -326,9 +326,9 @@ const DEFAULT_CONFIG: &str = r##"# herdr configuration
 # "workspaces" is accepted as an alias for "spaces".
 # agent_panel_sort = "spaces"
 
-# Agent status indicators: "dots" preserves the compact color marks; "symbols" uses
-# distinct static glyphs for blocked, working, done, idle, and unknown states.
-# status_indicators = "dots"
+# Agent status indicators: "symbols" (default) uses distinct static glyphs for blocked,
+# working, done, idle, and unknown states. "dots" preserves the compact color marks.
+# status_indicators = "symbols"
 
 # Expanded agent rows. Built-ins are state_icon, state_text, workspace, tab, pane, agent,
 # terminal_title, and terminal_title_stripped.
diff --git a/tests/cross_area.rs b/tests/cross_area.rs
index 6f1ab82b22..0be99c6ad2 100644
--- a/tests/cross_area.rs
+++ b/tests/cross_area.rs
@@ -845,7 +845,7 @@ fn cross_area_agent_process_survives_detach_and_reattach() {
     client_handshake(&mut client_b, CURRENT_PROTOCOL, 80, 24);
     let saw_working_on_client =
         wait_for_frame_matching(&mut client_b, Duration::from_secs(5), |frame| {
-            frame_contains_colored_symbol(frame, "●", (249, 226, 175))
+            frame_contains_colored_symbol(frame, "◐", (249, 226, 175))
         })
         .expect("frame decoding should succeed");
     assert!(
@@ -864,7 +864,7 @@ fn cross_area_agent_process_survives_detach_and_reattach() {
 
     let saw_blocked_on_client =
         wait_for_frame_matching(&mut client_b, Duration::from_secs(5), |frame| {
-            frame_contains_colored_symbol(frame, "●", (243, 139, 168))
+            frame_contains_colored_symbol(frame, "×", (243, 139, 168))
         })
         .expect("frame decoding should succeed");
     assert!(