diff --git a/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart b/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
index 5fdd772..146b1a9 100644
--- a/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/channel_chat_screen.dart
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import '../services/app_settings_service.dart';
 import '../services/chat_text_scale_service.dart';
 import '../services/translation_service.dart';
 import '../utils/emoji_utils.dart';
-import '../widgets/byte_count_input.dart';
+import '../widgets/mention_autocomplete.dart';
 import '../widgets/chat_zoom_wrapper.dart';
 import '../widgets/emoji_picker.dart';
 import '../widgets/gif_message.dart';
@@ -1243,10 +1243,11 @@ class _ChannelChatScreenState extends State<ChannelChatScreen> {
                         ),
                       );
                     }
-                    return ByteCountedTextField(
+                    return MentionAutocompleteField(
                       maxBytes: maxBytes,
                       controller: _textController,
                       focusNode: _textFieldFocusNode,
+                      candidates: _buildMentionCandidates(connector),
                       hintText: context.l10n.chat_typeMessage,
                       onSubmitted: (_) => _sendMessage(),
                       encoder:
@@ -1293,6 +1294,36 @@ class _ChannelChatScreenState extends State<ChannelChatScreen> {
     );
   }
 
+  List<MentionCandidate> _buildMentionCandidates(MeshCoreConnector connector) {
+    final candidates = <MentionCandidate>[];
+    final seen = <String>{};
+
+    // Recent senders in this channel, keyed to their most recent timestamp.
+    final recentTime = <String, DateTime>{};
+    for (final message in connector.getChannelMessages(widget.channel)) {
+      if (message.isOutgoing) continue;
+      final name = message.senderName.trim();
+      if (name.isEmpty || name == 'Unknown') continue;
+      final existing = recentTime[name];
+      if (existing == null || message.timestamp.isAfter(existing)) {
+        recentTime[name] = message.timestamp;
+      }
+    }
+    recentTime.forEach((name, time) {
+      candidates.add(MentionCandidate(name: name, recent: true, lastSeen: time));
+      seen.add(name.toLowerCase());
+    });
+
+    // Known contacts not already present as a recent sender.
+    for (final contact in connector.allContacts) {
+      final name = contact.name.trim();
+      if (name.isEmpty) continue;
+      if (!seen.add(name.toLowerCase())) continue;
+      candidates.add(MentionCandidate(name: name, recent: false));
+    }
+    return candidates;
+  }
+
   Future<void> _showTranslationOptions() async {
     final settingsService = context.read<AppSettingsService>();
     final settings = settingsService.settings;
diff --git a/lib/widgets/mention_autocomplete.dart b/lib/widgets/mention_autocomplete.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ecca57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/widgets/mention_autocomplete.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,362 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
+
+import 'byte_count_input.dart';
+
+/// A candidate name for `@`-mention autocomplete.
+class MentionCandidate {
+  final String name;
+
+  /// True when this name is a recent sender in the current channel.
+  final bool recent;
+
+  /// Most-recent time this name was seen (recent candidates only).
+  final DateTime? lastSeen;
+
+  const MentionCandidate({
+    required this.name,
+    required this.recent,
+    this.lastSeen,
+  });
+}
+
+/// Wraps [ByteCountedTextField] with an `@`-mention autocomplete dropdown.
+///
+/// Typing `@` at the start of a word opens a dropdown above the field listing
+/// matching [candidates]. Recent channel senders sit at the bottom (most recent
+/// closest to the input and auto-highlighted); other contacts stack above in
+/// alpha order with A nearest the input. Up/Down move the highlight, Tab or
+/// click selects, Esc dismisses, Enter sends. Selecting replaces the `@query`
+/// with `@[ExactName] ` at the cursor.
+class MentionAutocompleteField extends StatefulWidget {
+  final int maxBytes;
+  final TextEditingController controller;
+  final FocusNode focusNode;
+  final List<MentionCandidate> candidates;
+  final String? hintText;
+  final ValueChanged<String>? onSubmitted;
+  final String Function(String)? encoder;
+  final InputDecoration? decoration;
+
+  const MentionAutocompleteField({
+    super.key,
+    required this.maxBytes,
+    required this.controller,
+    required this.focusNode,
+    required this.candidates,
+    this.hintText,
+    this.onSubmitted,
+    this.encoder,
+    this.decoration,
+  });
+
+  @override
+  State<MentionAutocompleteField> createState() =>
+      _MentionAutocompleteFieldState();
+}
+
+class _MentionAutocompleteFieldState extends State<MentionAutocompleteField> {
+  final LayerLink _link = LayerLink();
+  OverlayEntry? _overlay;
+
+  /// Match list ordered top-to-bottom: contacts (Z..A) then recent (old..new).
+  List<MentionCandidate> _matches = const [];
+
+  /// Index in [_matches] where the recent section begins.
+  int _recentStart = 0;
+
+  /// Currently highlighted index (bottom-most by default).
+  int _highlighted = -1;
+
+  /// Index of the triggering `@` in the controller text.
+  int _atIndex = -1;
+
+  @override
+  void initState() {
+    super.initState();
+    widget.controller.addListener(_onChanged);
+    widget.focusNode.addListener(_onFocusChanged);
+    widget.focusNode.onKeyEvent = _onKey;
+  }
+
+  @override
+  void dispose() {
+    widget.controller.removeListener(_onChanged);
+    widget.focusNode.removeListener(_onFocusChanged);
+    if (widget.focusNode.onKeyEvent == _onKey) {
+      widget.focusNode.onKeyEvent = null;
+    }
+    _remove();
+    super.dispose();
+  }
+
+  void _onFocusChanged() {
+    if (!widget.focusNode.hasFocus) _close();
+  }
+
+  void _onChanged() {
+    final value = widget.controller.value;
+    final sel = value.selection;
+    final text = value.text;
+    if (!sel.isValid || !sel.isCollapsed) {
+      _close();
+      return;
+    }
+    final caret = sel.baseOffset;
+    if (caret < 0 || caret > text.length) {
+      _close();
+      return;
+    }
+    // Walk back from the caret to an `@` that begins a word, with no
+    // whitespace (or a `]`, which would break the bracket form) in between.
+    int i = caret - 1;
+    while (i >= 0) {
+      final ch = text[i];
+      if (ch == '@') break;
+      if (ch == ' ' || ch == '\n' || ch == '\t' || ch == ']') {
+        _close();
+        return;
+      }
+      i--;
+    }
+    if (i < 0 || text[i] != '@') {
+      _close();
+      return;
+    }
+    // `@` must begin a word: preceded by start-of-text or whitespace.
+    if (i > 0) {
+      final prev = text[i - 1];
+      if (prev != ' ' && prev != '\n' && prev != '\t') {
+        _close();
+        return;
+      }
+    }
+    _atIndex = i;
+    _filter(text.substring(i + 1, caret));
+  }
+
+  void _filter(String query) {
+    final q = query.toLowerCase();
+    final matched = widget.candidates.where(
+      (c) => c.name.toLowerCase().startsWith(q),
+    );
+
+    final recentByName = <String, MentionCandidate>{};
+    final contacts = <MentionCandidate>[];
+    for (final c in matched) {
+      if (c.recent) recentByName[c.name.toLowerCase()] = c;
+    }
+    for (final c in matched) {
+      if (!c.recent && !recentByName.containsKey(c.name.toLowerCase())) {
+        contacts.add(c);
+      }
+    }
+    final recent = recentByName.values.toList();
+
+    // Contacts: alpha with Z at top, A at bottom (descending).
+    contacts.sort(
+      (a, b) => b.name.toLowerCase().compareTo(a.name.toLowerCase()),
+    );
+    // Recent: oldest at top, most recent at bottom.
+    recent.sort((a, b) {
+      final ta = a.lastSeen;
+      final tb = b.lastSeen;
+      if (ta == null && tb == null) {
+        return b.name.toLowerCase().compareTo(a.name.toLowerCase());
+      }
+      if (ta == null) return -1;
+      if (tb == null) return 1;
+      return ta.compareTo(tb);
+    });
+
+    final combined = [...contacts, ...recent];
+    if (combined.isEmpty) {
+      _close();
+      return;
+    }
+    _matches = combined;
+    _recentStart = contacts.length;
+    _highlighted = combined.length - 1;
+    _show();
+  }
+
+  void _show() {
+    if (_overlay == null) {
+      _overlay = OverlayEntry(builder: _buildDropdown);
+      Overlay.of(context).insert(_overlay!);
+    } else {
+      _overlay!.markNeedsBuild();
+    }
+  }
+
+  void _remove() {
+    _overlay?.remove();
+    _overlay = null;
+  }
+
+  void _close() {
+    if (_overlay != null || _matches.isNotEmpty) {
+      _remove();
+      _matches = const [];
+      _highlighted = -1;
+      _atIndex = -1;
+    }
+  }
+
+  KeyEventResult _onKey(FocusNode node, KeyEvent event) {
+    if (_overlay == null || _matches.isEmpty) return KeyEventResult.ignored;
+    if (event is KeyUpEvent) return KeyEventResult.ignored;
+    final key = event.logicalKey;
+    if (key == LogicalKeyboardKey.arrowUp) {
+      if (_highlighted > 0) _highlighted--;
+      _overlay!.markNeedsBuild();
+      return KeyEventResult.handled;
+    }
+    if (key == LogicalKeyboardKey.arrowDown) {
+      if (_highlighted < _matches.length - 1) _highlighted++;
+      _overlay!.markNeedsBuild();
+      return KeyEventResult.handled;
+    }
+    if (key == LogicalKeyboardKey.tab) {
+      _select(_matches[_highlighted]);
+      return KeyEventResult.handled;
+    }
+    if (key == LogicalKeyboardKey.escape) {
+      _close();
+      return KeyEventResult.handled;
+    }
+    if (key == LogicalKeyboardKey.enter ||
+        key == LogicalKeyboardKey.numpadEnter) {
+      final text = widget.controller.text;
+      _close();
+      widget.onSubmitted?.call(text);
+      return KeyEventResult.handled;
+    }
+    return KeyEventResult.ignored;
+  }
+
+  void _select(MentionCandidate c) {
+    final text = widget.controller.text;
+    final caret = widget.controller.selection.baseOffset;
+    if (_atIndex < 0 || caret < _atIndex || caret > text.length) {
+      _close();
+      return;
+    }
+    final insertion = '@[${c.name}] ';
+    final newText =
+        text.substring(0, _atIndex) + insertion + text.substring(caret);
+    final cursor = _atIndex + insertion.length;
+    widget.controller.value = TextEditingValue(
+      text: newText,
+      selection: TextSelection.collapsed(offset: cursor),
+    );
+    _close();
+    widget.focusNode.requestFocus();
+  }
+
+  Widget _buildDropdown(BuildContext overlayContext) {
+    final box = context.findRenderObject() as RenderBox?;
+    final width = box?.size.width ?? 260.0;
+    final theme = Theme.of(overlayContext);
+
+    final children = <Widget>[];
+    for (var i = 0; i < _matches.length; i++) {
+      if (i == _recentStart && _recentStart > 0 && _recentStart < _matches.length) {
+        children.add(_recentDivider(theme));
+      }
+      final c = _matches[i];
+      final selected = i == _highlighted;
+      children.add(
+        InkWell(
+          onTap: () => _select(c),
+          child: Container(
+            width: double.infinity,
+            color: selected
+                ? theme.colorScheme.primary.withValues(alpha: 0.14)
+                : null,
+            padding: const EdgeInsets.symmetric(horizontal: 12, vertical: 8),
+            child: Row(
+              children: [
+                Icon(
+                  c.recent ? Icons.history : Icons.person_outline,
+                  size: 15,
+                  color: theme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+                ),
+                const SizedBox(width: 8),
+                Expanded(
+                  child: Text(
+                    c.name,
+                    maxLines: 1,
+                    overflow: TextOverflow.ellipsis,
+                    style: TextStyle(
+                      fontSize: 13,
+                      fontWeight:
+                          selected ? FontWeight.w600 : FontWeight.normal,
+                    ),
+                  ),
+                ),
+              ],
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      );
+    }
+
+    return Positioned(
+      width: width,
+      child: CompositedTransformFollower(
+        link: _link,
+        showWhenUnlinked: false,
+        targetAnchor: Alignment.topLeft,
+        followerAnchor: Alignment.bottomLeft,
+        offset: const Offset(0, -4),
+        child: TextFieldTapRegion(
+          child: Material(
+            elevation: 4,
+            borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(8),
+            clipBehavior: Clip.antiAlias,
+            child: ConstrainedBox(
+              constraints: const BoxConstraints(maxHeight: 220),
+              child: SingleChildScrollView(
+                reverse: true,
+                child: Column(mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min, children: children),
+              ),
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  Widget _recentDivider(ThemeData theme) {
+    return Container(
+      width: double.infinity,
+      padding: const EdgeInsets.fromLTRB(12, 6, 12, 2),
+      color: theme.colorScheme.surfaceContainerHighest,
+      child: Text(
+        'Recent',
+        style: TextStyle(
+          fontSize: 10,
+          fontWeight: FontWeight.w600,
+          color: theme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    return CompositedTransformTarget(
+      link: _link,
+      child: ByteCountedTextField(
+        maxBytes: widget.maxBytes,
+        controller: widget.controller,
+        focusNode: widget.focusNode,
+        hintText: widget.hintText,
+        onSubmitted: widget.onSubmitted,
+        encoder: widget.encoder,
+        decoration: widget.decoration,
+      ),
+    );
+  }
+}