diff --git a/frontend/src/App.css b/frontend/src/App.css
index 6073fbb..ef08ab3 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.css
+++ b/frontend/src/App.css
@@ -485,6 +485,51 @@ button:disabled {
   word-break: break-word;
 }
 
+.sync-modal-content {
+  width: min(420px, 90vw);
+}
+
+.sync-modal-body {
+  padding: 1.5rem 1rem;
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 0.75rem;
+  text-align: center;
+}
+
+.sync-modal-progress {
+  width: 100%;
+  height: 0.6rem;
+}
+
+.sync-modal-label {
+  margin: 0;
+  color: #9aa0ab;
+  font-size: 0.9rem;
+}
+
+.sync-modal-spinner {
+  width: 2rem;
+  height: 2rem;
+  border: 3px solid #2a2d35;
+  border-top-color: #3b82f6;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  animation: sync-modal-spin 0.8s linear infinite;
+}
+
+@keyframes sync-modal-spin {
+  to {
+    transform: rotate(360deg);
+  }
+}
+
+.sync-modal-actions {
+  justify-content: flex-end;
+  padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
+  border-top: 1px solid #2a2d35;
+}
+
 .json-toggle {
   display: inline-block;
   width: 1rem;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SyncModal.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SyncModal.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2926347
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SyncModal.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { api } from "../api/client";
+import type { SyncStatus } from "../types/api";
+
+function phaseDisplay(status: SyncStatus): { label: string; bar: { done: number; total: number } | null } {
+  const { Phase, Done, Total } = status.progress;
+  switch (Phase) {
+    case "discovering":
+      return { label: "Discovering activities…", bar: null };
+    case "activities":
+      return { label: `Activities: ${Done}/${Total}`, bar: { done: Done, total: Total } };
+    case "workouts":
+      return { label: `Workouts: ${Done}/${Total}`, bar: { done: Done, total: Total } };
+    default:
+      return { label: "Starting…", bar: null };
+  }
+}
+
+// Blocking overlay shown while "Sync now" is running -- the only place sync
+// progress/results are shown (see docs/superpowers/specs/2026-07-26-improve-synchronization-design.md).
+// Never auto-closes, even on success: the user decides when to dismiss it,
+// so a sync error can't be missed by looking away for a moment.
+export function SyncModal({ onClose }: { onClose: () => void }) {
+  const [status, setStatus] = useState<SyncStatus | null>(null);
+  const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const stoppedRef = useRef(false);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    stoppedRef.current = false;
+    let timeout: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>;
+    const tick = () => {
+      api
+        .syncStatus()
+        .then((s) => {
+          setStatus(s);
+          setError(null);
+        })
+        .catch((e) => setError(String(e)))
+        .finally(() => {
+          if (!stoppedRef.current) timeout = setTimeout(tick, 1500);
+        });
+    };
+    tick();
+    return () => {
+      stoppedRef.current = true;
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
+    };
+  }, []);
+
+  const inProgress = status?.in_progress ?? true;
+  const { label, bar } = status ? phaseDisplay(status) : { label: "Starting…", bar: null };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="modal-backdrop">
+      <div className="modal-content sync-modal-content">
+        <div className="modal-header">
+          <span>Synchronizing</span>
+        </div>
+        <div className="sync-modal-body">
+          {inProgress ? (
+            bar ? (
+              <>
+                <progress className="sync-modal-progress" value={bar.done} max={Math.max(bar.total, 1)} />
+                <p className="sync-modal-label">{label}</p>
+              </>
+            ) : (
+              <>
+                <div className="sync-modal-spinner" />
+                <p className="sync-modal-label">{label}</p>
+              </>
+            )
+          ) : (
+            <>
+              {status?.last_run && (
+                <p className={status.last_run.Status === "error" ? "error" : "sync-modal-label"}>
+                  {status.last_run.Status === "error"
+                    ? `Sync failed: ${status.last_run.ErrorMessage}`
+                    : `Sync complete: ${status.last_run.ActivitiesFetched} new activities`}
+                </p>
+              )}
+              {status && status.activities_pending_details > 0 && (
+                <p className="sync-modal-label">
+                  {status.activities_pending_details} more activities pending — click Sync now again
+                </p>
+              )}
+              {status && status.workouts_pending > 0 && (
+                <p className="sync-modal-label">
+                  {status.workouts_pending} more workouts pending — click Sync now again
+                </p>
+              )}
+            </>
+          )}
+          {error && <p className="error">{error}</p>}
+        </div>
+        <div className="modal-header-actions sync-modal-actions">
+          <button type="button" onClick={onClose}>
+            Close
+          </button>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}