diff --git a/.changeset/feat-background-pagination.md b/.changeset/feat-background-pagination.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b93320ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/feat-background-pagination.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+default: minor
+---
+
+Add adaptive background pagination for improved message history availability.
diff --git a/src/app/features/room/Room.tsx b/src/app/features/room/Room.tsx
index b7aef9107..1abfd9399 100644
--- a/src/app/features/room/Room.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/room/Room.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
-import { useCallback } from 'react';
+import { useCallback, useEffect } from 'react';
 import { Box, Line } from 'folds';
 import { useParams } from 'react-router-dom';
 import { isKeyHotkey } from 'is-hotkey';
 import { useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
+import { Direction } from '$types/matrix-sdk';
 import { ScreenSize, useScreenSizeContext } from '$hooks/useScreenSize';
 import { useSetting } from '$state/hooks/settings';
 import { settingsAtom } from '$state/settings';
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ import { useRoomMembers } from '$hooks/useRoomMembers';
 import { CallView } from '$features/call/CallView';
 import { WidgetsDrawer } from '$features/widgets/WidgetsDrawer';
 import { callChatAtom } from '$state/callEmbed';
+import { getBackgroundPaginationConfig } from '$utils/device-capabilities';
 import { RoomViewHeader } from './RoomViewHeader';
 import { MembersDrawer } from './MembersDrawer';
 import { RoomView } from './RoomView';
@@ -45,6 +47,34 @@ export function Room() {
     )
   );
 
+  // Background pagination to load additional message history
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const config = getBackgroundPaginationConfig();
+    if (!config.enabled) return undefined;
+
+    let cancelled = false;
+    const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+      if (cancelled) return;
+
+      const timeline = room.getLiveTimeline();
+      const token = timeline.getPaginationToken(Direction.Backward);
+
+      if (token) {
+        mx.paginateEventTimeline(timeline, {
+          backwards: true,
+          limit: config.limit,
+        }).catch((err) => {
+          console.warn('Background pagination failed:', err);
+        });
+      }
+    }, config.delayMs);
+
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+      clearTimeout(timer);
+    };
+  }, [room, mx]);
+
   const callView = room.isCallRoom();
 
   return (
diff --git a/src/app/utils/device-capabilities.ts b/src/app/utils/device-capabilities.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4f0dbc35d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/device-capabilities.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+/**
+ * Device performance tier for adaptive features
+ */
+export type DevicePerformanceTier = 'low' | 'medium' | 'high';
+
+/**
+ * Configuration for background pagination based on device capabilities
+ */
+export interface BackgroundPaginationConfig {
+  enabled: boolean;
+  delayMs: number;
+  limit: number;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Adaptive signals from browser APIs for device/network capability detection.
+ * Shared by sliding sync and background pagination for consistent behavior.
+ */
+export type AdaptiveSignals = {
+  saveData: boolean;
+  effectiveType: string | null;
+  deviceMemoryGb: number | null;
+  mobile: boolean;
+  missingSignals: number;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Read adaptive signals from browser APIs.
+ * Single source of truth for device capability detection across the app.
+ */
+export function readAdaptiveSignals(): AdaptiveSignals {
+  const navigatorLike = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' ? navigator : undefined;
+  const connection = (navigatorLike as any)?.connection;
+  const effectiveType = connection?.effectiveType;
+  const deviceMemory = (navigatorLike as any)?.deviceMemory;
+  const uaMobile = (navigatorLike as any)?.userAgentData?.mobile;
+  const fallbackMobileUA = navigatorLike?.userAgent ?? '';
+  const mobileByUA =
+    typeof uaMobile === 'boolean'
+      ? uaMobile
+      : /Mobi|Android|iPhone|iPad|iPod|IEMobile|Opera Mini/i.test(fallbackMobileUA);
+  const saveData = connection?.saveData === true;
+  const normalizedEffectiveType = typeof effectiveType === 'string' ? effectiveType : null;
+  const normalizedDeviceMemory = typeof deviceMemory === 'number' ? deviceMemory : null;
+  const missingSignals =
+    Number(normalizedEffectiveType === null) + Number(normalizedDeviceMemory === null);
+
+  return {
+    saveData,
+    effectiveType: normalizedEffectiveType,
+    deviceMemoryGb: normalizedDeviceMemory,
+    mobile: mobileByUA,
+    missingSignals,
+  };
+}
+
+/**
+ * Detect device performance tier based on hardware capabilities
+ * Uses the same logic as sliding sync for consistency
+ */
+export function getDevicePerformanceTier(): DevicePerformanceTier {
+  const signals = readAdaptiveSignals();
+
+  // Low-end: save data enabled or very slow connection
+  if (signals.saveData || signals.effectiveType === 'slow-2g' || signals.effectiveType === '2g') {
+    return 'low';
+  }
+
+  // Medium: 3g connection or low memory device
+  if (
+    signals.effectiveType === '3g' ||
+    (signals.deviceMemoryGb !== null && signals.deviceMemoryGb <= 4)
+  ) {
+    return 'medium';
+  }
+
+  // Medium fallback: mobile with missing signal data
+  if (signals.mobile && signals.missingSignals > 0) {
+    return 'medium';
+  }
+
+  // High-end: everything else (4g+, desktop, or high memory)
+  return 'high';
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get background pagination configuration based on device capabilities
+ * Uses the same adaptive detection logic as sliding sync for consistency
+ */
+export function getBackgroundPaginationConfig(): BackgroundPaginationConfig {
+  const tier = getDevicePerformanceTier();
+
+  switch (tier) {
+    case 'high':
+      return {
+        enabled: true,
+        delayMs: 1000, // 1 second delay
+        limit: 500, // Load 500 messages
+      };
+    case 'medium':
+      return {
+        enabled: true,
+        delayMs: 2000, // 2 second delay
+        limit: 250, // Load 250 messages
+      };
+    case 'low':
+      return {
+        enabled: true,
+        delayMs: 3000, // 3 second delay
+        limit: 100, // Load 100 messages
+      };
+    default:
+      return {
+        enabled: false,
+        delayMs: 0,
+        limit: 0,
+      };
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/client/slidingSync.ts b/src/client/slidingSync.ts
index f2c9257dc..c927eb559 100644
--- a/src/client/slidingSync.ts
+++ b/src/client/slidingSync.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import {
   User,
 } from '$types/matrix-sdk';
 import { createLogger } from '$utils/debug';
+import { readAdaptiveSignals, type AdaptiveSignals } from '../app/utils/device-capabilities';
 
 const log = createLogger('slidingSync');
 
@@ -86,39 +87,6 @@ const clampPositive = (value: number | undefined, fallback: number): number => {
   return Math.round(value);
 };
 
-type AdaptiveSignals = {
-  saveData: boolean;
-  effectiveType: string | null;
-  deviceMemoryGb: number | null;
-  mobile: boolean;
-  missingSignals: number;
-};
-
-const readAdaptiveSignals = (): AdaptiveSignals => {
-  const navigatorLike = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' ? navigator : undefined;
-  const connection = (navigatorLike as any)?.connection;
-  const effectiveType = connection?.effectiveType;
-  const deviceMemory = (navigatorLike as any)?.deviceMemory;
-  const uaMobile = (navigatorLike as any)?.userAgentData?.mobile;
-  const fallbackMobileUA = navigatorLike?.userAgent ?? '';
-  const mobileByUA =
-    typeof uaMobile === 'boolean'
-      ? uaMobile
-      : /Mobi|Android|iPhone|iPad|iPod|IEMobile|Opera Mini/i.test(fallbackMobileUA);
-  const saveData = connection?.saveData === true;
-  const normalizedEffectiveType = typeof effectiveType === 'string' ? effectiveType : null;
-  const normalizedDeviceMemory = typeof deviceMemory === 'number' ? deviceMemory : null;
-  const missingSignals =
-    Number(normalizedEffectiveType === null) + Number(normalizedDeviceMemory === null);
-  return {
-    saveData,
-    effectiveType: normalizedEffectiveType,
-    deviceMemoryGb: normalizedDeviceMemory,
-    mobile: mobileByUA,
-    missingSignals,
-  };
-};
-
 // Resolve the timeline limit for the active-room subscription based on device/network.
 // The list subscription always uses LIST_TIMELINE_LIMIT=1 regardless of conditions.
 const resolveAdaptiveRoomTimelineLimit = (