diff --git a/internal/telegram/bot.go b/internal/telegram/bot.go
index 2309db2..02a43d0 100644
--- a/internal/telegram/bot.go
+++ b/internal/telegram/bot.go
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ import (
 const (
 	telegramDownloadLimit              = 20 * 1024 * 1024
 	resumeThreadPageSize               = 8
+	assistantStreamEditInterval        = 1200 * time.Millisecond
+	assistantStreamInitialRunes        = 24
 	telegramPhotoDirectiveStart        = "<!-- telegram-photo "
 	telegramThreadRenameDirectiveStart = "<!-- codex-thread-rename "
 	telegramThreadCWDDirectiveStart    = "<!-- codex-thread-cwd "
@@ -76,12 +78,19 @@ type outputState struct {
 	assistant           strings.Builder
 	sentAny             bool
 	pictureRequest      bool
+	assistantStream     assistantStreamState
 	tools               map[string]toolMessageState
 	sentImages          map[string]bool
 	generatedImages     []generatedImageOutput
 	workingIndicatorOff context.CancelFunc
 }
 
+type assistantStreamState struct {
+	draftID int64
+	text    string
+	sentAt  time.Time
+}
+
 type generatedImageOutput struct {
 	Path string
 }
@@ -1246,6 +1255,9 @@ func (b *Bot) handleApprovalCallback(ctx context.Context, callback *CallbackQuer
 	if err := b.store.ResolvePendingApproval(ctx, callback.From.ID, approval.ID, decision); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	if decisionApproves(decision) {
+		b.resumeWorkingIndicator(approval.CodexThreadID)
+	}
 	if err := b.tg.AnswerCallbackQuery(ctx, callback.ID, "Sent to Codex."); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
@@ -1254,6 +1266,18 @@ func (b *Bot) handleApprovalCallback(ctx context.Context, callback *CallbackQuer
 	return ignoreTelegramMessageNotModified(err)
 }
 
+func decisionApproves(decision string) bool {
+	if strings.HasPrefix(decision, "networkPolicy") {
+		return true
+	}
+	switch decision {
+	case "accept", "acceptForSession", "acceptWithExecpolicyAmendment":
+		return true
+	default:
+		return false
+	}
+}
+
 func (b *Bot) handleCodexEvents(ctx context.Context) {
 	for {
 		select {
@@ -1935,6 +1959,7 @@ func (b *Bot) handleCodexServerRequest(ctx context.Context, event codexapp.Event
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
+	b.pauseWorkingIndicator(threadID)
 	b.logger.Printf("codex approval telegram sent: request=%s approval_id=%d chat=%d message=%d", event.ID.Key(), approval.ID, msg.Chat.ID, msg.MessageID)
 	return b.store.UpdatePendingApprovalMessage(ctx, approval.ID, msg.Chat.ID, msg.MessageID)
 }
@@ -2029,42 +2054,48 @@ func (b *Bot) clearOutput(threadID string) {
 	}
 }
 
+func (b *Bot) pauseWorkingIndicator(threadID string) {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	state := b.outputs[threadID]
+	if state == nil || state.workingIndicatorOff == nil {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
+	cancel := state.workingIndicatorOff
+	state.workingIndicatorOff = nil
+	b.mu.Unlock()
+	cancel()
+}
+
+func (b *Bot) resumeWorkingIndicator(threadID string) {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	state := b.outputs[threadID]
+	if state == nil || state.workingIndicatorOff != nil {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
+	state.workingIndicatorOff = b.startWorkingIndicator(state.chatID)
+	b.mu.Unlock()
+}
+
 func (b *Bot) startWorkingIndicator(chatID int64) context.CancelFunc {
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithCancel(context.Background())
-	draftID := time.Now().UnixNano()
 	go func() {
-		useDraft := true
-		sendDraft := func() bool {
-			return b.tg.SendMessageDraft(ctx, chatID, draftID, "") == nil
-		}
 		sendTyping := func() {
 			if err := b.tg.SendChatAction(ctx, chatID, "typing"); err != nil && ctx.Err() == nil {
 				b.logger.Printf("send typing action: %v", err)
 			}
 		}
 
-		if !sendDraft() {
-			useDraft = false
-			sendTyping()
-		}
-
-		draftTicker := time.NewTicker(25 * time.Second)
+		sendTyping()
 		typingTicker := time.NewTicker(4 * time.Second)
-		defer draftTicker.Stop()
 		defer typingTicker.Stop()
 		for {
 			select {
 			case <-ctx.Done():
 				return
-			case <-draftTicker.C:
-				if useDraft && !sendDraft() {
-					useDraft = false
-					sendTyping()
-				}
 			case <-typingTicker.C:
-				if !useDraft {
-					sendTyping()
-				}
+				sendTyping()
 			}
 		}
 	}()
@@ -2723,6 +2754,100 @@ func truncateTelegramPhotoCaption(caption string) string {
 	return string(runes[:telegramPhotoCaptionLimit-3]) + "..."
 }
 
+func assistantStreamPreview(text string) string {
+	var visible strings.Builder
+	for _, line := range strings.SplitAfter(text, "\n") {
+		body := strings.TrimSuffix(strings.TrimSuffix(line, "\n"), "\r")
+		trimmed := strings.TrimSpace(body)
+		if isAssistantDirectiveStart(trimmed) {
+			continue
+		}
+		visible.WriteString(line)
+	}
+	return visible.String()
+}
+
+func isAssistantDirectiveStart(line string) bool {
+	return strings.HasPrefix(line, telegramPhotoDirectiveStart) ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(line, strings.TrimSpace(telegramPhotoDirectiveStart)) ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(line, telegramThreadRenameDirectiveStart) ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(line, strings.TrimSpace(telegramThreadRenameDirectiveStart)) ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(line, telegramThreadCWDDirectiveStart) ||
+		strings.HasPrefix(line, strings.TrimSpace(telegramThreadCWDDirectiveStart))
+}
+
+func assistantStreamText(preview string) string {
+	preview = strings.TrimSpace(preview)
+	if preview == "" {
+		return ""
+	}
+	const suffix = "\n..."
+	runes := []rune(preview)
+	if len(runes) <= TelegramMessageLimit {
+		return preview
+	}
+	limit := TelegramMessageLimit - len([]rune(suffix))
+	if limit < 0 {
+		limit = TelegramMessageLimit
+	}
+	return strings.TrimRight(string(runes[:limit]), "\n") + suffix
+}
+
+func assistantStreamReady(preview string) bool {
+	if strings.Contains(preview, "\n") {
+		return true
+	}
+	return len([]rune(strings.TrimSpace(preview))) >= assistantStreamInitialRunes
+}
+
+func (b *Bot) updateAssistantStream(ctx context.Context, threadID string, force bool) error {
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	state := b.outputs[threadID]
+	if state == nil || state.pictureRequest || state.assistant.Len() == 0 {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
+	preview := assistantStreamPreview(state.assistant.String())
+	if strings.TrimSpace(preview) == "" {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
+	if state.assistantStream.draftID == 0 && !force && !assistantStreamReady(preview) {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
+	draftText := assistantStreamText(preview)
+	if draftText == "" || draftText == state.assistantStream.text {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
+	stream := state.assistantStream
+	chatID := state.chatID
+	now := time.Now()
+	if stream.draftID != 0 && !force && now.Sub(stream.sentAt) < assistantStreamEditInterval {
+		b.mu.Unlock()
+		return nil
+	}
+	if stream.draftID == 0 {
+		stream.draftID = now.UnixNano()
+		if stream.draftID == 0 {
+			stream.draftID = 1
+		}
+	}
+	b.mu.Unlock()
+
+	if err := b.tg.SendMessageDraft(ctx, chatID, stream.draftID, draftText); err != nil {
+		b.logger.Printf("send assistant draft: %v", err)
+		return nil
+	}
+	b.mu.Lock()
+	if state := b.outputs[threadID]; state != nil && (state.assistantStream.draftID == 0 || state.assistantStream.draftID == stream.draftID) {
+		state.assistantStream = assistantStreamState{draftID: stream.draftID, text: draftText, sentAt: now}
+	}
+	b.mu.Unlock()
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (b *Bot) appendAssistantDelta(ctx context.Context, threadID, delta string) error {
 	if delta == "" {
 		return nil
@@ -2736,7 +2861,7 @@ func (b *Bot) appendAssistantDelta(ctx context.Context, threadID, delta string)
 		_, _ = state.assistant.WriteString(delta)
 	}
 	b.mu.Unlock()
-	return nil
+	return b.updateAssistantStream(ctx, threadID, false)
 }
 
 func (b *Bot) flushAssistantMessage(ctx context.Context, threadID string) error {
@@ -2749,12 +2874,19 @@ func (b *Bot) flushAssistantMessage(ctx context.Context, threadID string) error
 	chatID := state.chatID
 	text := state.assistant.String()
 	pictureRequest := state.pictureRequest
+	stream := state.assistantStream
 	state.assistant.Reset()
+	state.assistantStream = assistantStreamState{}
 	b.mu.Unlock()
 
 	if pictureRequest {
 		return nil
 	}
+	if stream.draftID != 0 {
+		if err := b.tg.SendMessageDraft(ctx, chatID, stream.draftID, ""); err != nil {
+			b.logger.Printf("clear assistant draft: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
 	if err := b.sendAssistantText(ctx, threadID, chatID, text); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/telegram/render_test.go b/internal/telegram/render_test.go
index c94a5b6..67a4bb0 100644
--- a/internal/telegram/render_test.go
+++ b/internal/telegram/render_test.go
@@ -260,6 +260,29 @@ func TestInvalidPhotoDirectiveStaysVisible(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestAssistantStreamPreviewHidesDirectives(t *testing.T) {
+	text := "before\n<!-- telegram-photo {\"path\":\"/workspace/photo.jpg\"} -->\nafter\n<!-- codex-thread-rename "
+	got := assistantStreamPreview(text)
+	want := "before\nafter\n"
+	if got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("assistantStreamPreview() = %q, want %q", got, want)
+	}
+}
+
+func TestAssistantStreamTextFitsLimit(t *testing.T) {
+	text := strings.Repeat("<>&", TelegramMessageLimit)
+	got := assistantStreamText(text)
+	if got == "" {
+		t.Fatal("assistantStreamText returned empty text")
+	}
+	if len([]rune(got)) > TelegramMessageLimit {
+		t.Fatalf("stream text length = %d, want <= %d", len([]rune(got)), TelegramMessageLimit)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(got, "&lt;") {
+		t.Fatalf("draft stream should use plain text, got %q", got[:20])
+	}
+}
+
 func TestSplitAssistantMessageSegmentsWithThreadDirectives(t *testing.T) {
 	cwd := filepath.Join(string(filepath.Separator), "workspace", "project")
 	text := fmt.Sprintf("<!-- codex-thread-rename {\"title\":\"  A Better Thread Title  \"} -->\n<!-- codex-thread-cwd {\"cwd\":%q} -->", cwd)