diff --git a/src/components/direct-grid.ts b/src/components/direct-grid.ts
index 84ec3a4..be7e035 100644
--- a/src/components/direct-grid.ts
+++ b/src/components/direct-grid.ts
@@ -89,6 +89,31 @@ export class DirectGridRenderer {
     this.writeRaw(SHOW_CURSOR)
   }
 
+  pause() {
+    this.running = false
+    if (this.titleTimer) { clearInterval(this.titleTimer); this.titleTimer = null }
+    // Detach frame listeners (stops rendering) but keep captures alive
+    for (const p of this.panes) p.directPane.detach()
+  }
+
+  resume() {
+    this.running = true
+    this.writeRaw(HIDE_CURSOR + CLEAR)
+    // Reattach frame listeners and redraw
+    for (let i = 0; i < this.panes.length; i++) {
+      const p = this.panes[i]
+      const dp = p.directPane
+      const idx = i
+      dp.attach(p.session.name)
+      dp.onFrame = (lines) => {
+        if (!this.running) return
+        this.drawPane(idx, lines)
+      }
+    }
+    this.repositionAll()
+    this.titleTimer = setInterval(() => this.refreshTitles(), 1000)
+  }
+
   // ─── Getters ───────────────────────────────────────────
 
   get focusIndex() { return this._focusIndex }
diff --git a/src/grid/view-switch.ts b/src/grid/view-switch.ts
index 88024f1..85dd155 100644
--- a/src/grid/view-switch.ts
+++ b/src/grid/view-switch.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@ export function ensureGridView() {
 export function switchToGrid() {
   app.viewMode = "grid"
 
-  if (!app.directGrid) {
+  const isNew = !app.directGrid
+  if (isNew) {
     app.directGrid = new DirectGridRenderer(app.rawStdoutWrite)
   }
 
@@ -20,7 +21,12 @@ export function switchToGrid() {
   app.rawStdoutWrite("\x1b[?1049h")
   app.rawStdoutWrite("\x1b[?1000h")
   app.rawStdoutWrite("\x1b[?1006h")
-  app.directGrid.start()
+
+  if (isNew || app.directGrid.paneCount === 0) {
+    app.directGrid.start()
+  } else {
+    app.directGrid.resume()
+  }
 }
 
 export function resizeGridPanes() {
diff --git a/src/input/handlers.ts b/src/input/handlers.ts
index 40a1a2e..02cb383 100644
--- a/src/input/handlers.ts
+++ b/src/input/handlers.ts
@@ -345,7 +345,7 @@ export function switchToPicker() {
   app.viewMode = "picker"
   if (app.directGrid) {
     if (app.directGrid.selectMode) app.directGrid.exitSelectMode()
-    if (app.directGrid.paneCount > 0) app.directGrid.stop()
+    if (app.directGrid.paneCount > 0) app.directGrid.pause()
   }
   app.renderer.resume()
   process.stdin.removeAllListeners("data")
diff --git a/src/ui/panels.ts b/src/ui/panels.ts
index d412f66..c55d157 100644
--- a/src/ui/panels.ts
+++ b/src/ui/panels.ts
@@ -93,13 +93,14 @@ export function updateColumnHeaders() {
 }
 
 export function updateFooter() {
+  const gridHint = app.directGrid && app.directGrid.paneCount > 0 ? " │ t grid" : ""
   if (app.bottomPanelMode === "idle" && app.cachedIdleSessions.length > 0) {
     app.footerText.content = t`  ${dim(
-      "↑↓ nav │ tab/shift-tab idle select │ enter focus │ i preview │ space select │ a all │ n none │ s sort │ q quit"
+      "↑↓ nav │ tab/shift-tab idle select │ enter focus │ i preview │ space select │ a all │ n none │ s sort │ q quit" + gridHint
     )}`
   } else {
     app.footerText.content = t`  ${dim(
-      "↑↓ nav │ space select │ → expand │ ← collapse │ f folder │ g go to │ i idle │ a all │ n none │ s sort │ enter grid │ o external │ q quit"
+      "↑↓ nav │ space select │ → expand │ ← collapse │ f folder │ g go to │ i idle │ a all │ n none │ s sort │ enter grid │ o external │ q quit" + gridHint
     )}`
   }
 }