diff --git a/lib/screens/contacts_screen.dart b/lib/screens/contacts_screen.dart
index 37bdcc9..87fc7e4 100644
--- a/lib/screens/contacts_screen.dart
+++ b/lib/screens/contacts_screen.dart
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import '../widgets/list_filter_widget.dart';
 import '../widgets/empty_state.dart';
 import '../widgets/blocked_badge.dart';
 import '../widgets/app_shell.dart';
+import '../widgets/contact_filter_rail.dart';
 import '../widgets/path_selection_dialog.dart';
 import '../widgets/repeater_login_dialog.dart';
 import '../widgets/room_login_dialog.dart';
@@ -324,6 +325,7 @@ class _ContactsScreenState extends State<ContactsScreen>
         onDestinationSelected: (index) => _handleQuickSwitch(index, context),
         contactsUnreadCount: connector.getTotalContactsUnreadCount(),
         channelsUnreadCount: connector.getTotalChannelsUnreadCount(),
+        drawerContent: const ContactFilterRail(),
         appBar: AppBar(
           title: AppBarTitle(context.l10n.contacts_title),
           bottom: const SyncProgressAppBarBottom(),
diff --git a/lib/widgets/contact_filter_rail.dart b/lib/widgets/contact_filter_rail.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b10b093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/widgets/contact_filter_rail.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,177 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
+
+import '../connector/meshcore_connector.dart';
+import '../connector/meshcore_protocol.dart';
+import '../l10n/l10n.dart';
+import '../models/contact.dart';
+import '../services/ui_view_state_service.dart';
+import '../utils/contact_filter_types.dart';
+
+/// Repeaters never accumulate unread: [MeshCoreConnector] refuses to track it
+/// for them, so pairing Unread Only with Repeaters could only ever produce an
+/// empty list. Every other type can, so the toggle stays available there.
+bool typeSupportsUnread(ContactTypeFilter filter) =>
+    filter != ContactTypeFilter.repeaters;
+
+/// Prebuilt contact filters for the nav panel, replacing an empty rail on the
+/// Contacts view.
+///
+/// Unread Only is a toggle rather than a row of its own, because it composes
+/// with the type filter: Users plus Unread Only means unread DMs.
+class ContactFilterRail extends StatelessWidget {
+  const ContactFilterRail({super.key});
+
+  static const _entries = <ContactTypeFilter>[
+    ContactTypeFilter.all,
+    ContactTypeFilter.favorites,
+    ContactTypeFilter.users,
+    ContactTypeFilter.repeaters,
+    ContactTypeFilter.rooms,
+    ContactTypeFilter.sensors,
+  ];
+
+  String _label(BuildContext context, ContactTypeFilter filter) {
+    final l10n = context.l10n;
+    switch (filter) {
+      case ContactTypeFilter.all:
+        return l10n.listFilter_all;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.favorites:
+        return l10n.listFilter_favorites;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.users:
+        return l10n.listFilter_users;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.repeaters:
+        return l10n.listFilter_repeaters;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.rooms:
+        return l10n.listFilter_roomServers;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.sensors:
+        return l10n.listFilter_sensors;
+    }
+  }
+
+  IconData _icon(ContactTypeFilter filter) {
+    switch (filter) {
+      case ContactTypeFilter.all:
+        return Icons.people_outline;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.favorites:
+        return Icons.star_outline;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.users:
+        return Icons.person_outline;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.repeaters:
+        return Icons.cell_tower;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.rooms:
+        return Icons.meeting_room_outlined;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.sensors:
+        return Icons.sensors;
+    }
+  }
+
+  bool _matches(Contact contact, ContactTypeFilter filter) {
+    switch (filter) {
+      case ContactTypeFilter.all:
+        return true;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.favorites:
+        return contact.isFavorite;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.users:
+        return contact.type == advTypeChat;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.repeaters:
+        return contact.type == advTypeRepeater;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.rooms:
+        return contact.type == advTypeRoom;
+      case ContactTypeFilter.sensors:
+        return contact.type == advTypeSensor;
+    }
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final connector = context.watch<MeshCoreConnector>();
+    final viewState = context.watch<UiViewStateService>();
+    final selected = viewState.contactsTypeFilter;
+    final unreadOnly = viewState.contactsShowUnreadOnly;
+    final contacts = connector.contacts;
+
+    return ListView(
+      padding: EdgeInsets.zero,
+      children: [
+        for (final filter in _entries)
+          _RailTile(
+            icon: _icon(filter),
+            label: _label(context, filter),
+            selected: filter == selected,
+            // Count what the user would actually land on, so the number never
+            // disagrees with the list after tapping.
+            count: contacts.where((c) {
+              if (!_matches(c, filter)) return false;
+              if (unreadOnly && typeSupportsUnread(filter)) {
+                return connector.getUnreadCountForContact(c) > 0;
+              }
+              return true;
+            }).length,
+            onTap: () {
+              final scaffold = Scaffold.maybeOf(context);
+              if (scaffold?.isDrawerOpen ?? false) {
+                scaffold!.closeDrawer();
+              }
+              viewState.setContactsTypeFilter(filter);
+            },
+          ),
+        const Divider(height: 1),
+        SwitchListTile(
+          dense: true,
+          secondary: const Icon(Icons.mark_email_unread_outlined),
+          title: Text(context.l10n.listFilter_unreadOnly),
+          value: unreadOnly,
+          // Disabled on Repeaters, where it could only ever yield nothing.
+          onChanged: typeSupportsUnread(selected)
+              ? viewState.setContactsShowUnreadOnly
+              : null,
+        ),
+      ],
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+class _RailTile extends StatelessWidget {
+  final IconData icon;
+  final String label;
+  final bool selected;
+  final int count;
+  final VoidCallback onTap;
+
+  const _RailTile({
+    required this.icon,
+    required this.label,
+    required this.selected,
+    required this.count,
+    required this.onTap,
+  });
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    final theme = Theme.of(context);
+    return ListTile(
+      dense: true,
+      selected: selected,
+      selectedTileColor: theme.colorScheme.secondaryContainer,
+      leading: Icon(icon, size: 20),
+      title: Text(
+        label,
+        maxLines: 1,
+        overflow: TextOverflow.ellipsis,
+        style: TextStyle(
+          fontWeight: selected ? FontWeight.w700 : FontWeight.w500,
+        ),
+      ),
+      // Deliberately not UnreadBadge: this is a total for the filter, not an
+      // unread count, and the badge styling would imply unread.
+      trailing: Text(
+        '$count',
+        style: theme.textTheme.labelMedium?.copyWith(
+          color: theme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant,
+        ),
+      ),
+      onTap: onTap,
+    );
+  }
+}