diff --git a/common.php b/common.php
index 671eca2..75916dd 100644
--- a/common.php
+++ b/common.php
@@ -1959,6 +1959,58 @@ function qdb_build_app_translations_map(PDO $pdo): array {
     return $result;
 }
 
+/**
+ * Keys safe to expose without auth (login screen + auth help only).
+ */
+function qdb_is_public_login_translation_key(string $key): bool {
+    if (str_starts_with($key, 'auth_') || str_starts_with($key, 'help_auth_')) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (str_starts_with($key, 'password_rule_')) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    if (preg_match('/^language_(german|english|de|en)$/i', $key) === 1) {
+        return true;
+    }
+    static $exact = [
+        'username_hint',
+        'password_hint',
+        'new_password_hint',
+        'confirm_password_hint',
+        'login_btn',
+        'save_password_btn',
+        'exit_btn',
+        'language',
+        'please_username_password',
+        'login_failed_with_reason',
+        'login_required',
+        'passwords_dont_match',
+        'password_needs_prefix',
+        'password_too_short',
+    ];
+    return in_array($key, $exact, true);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Public subset of app UI strings for the login screen (auth + help_auth).
+ * @return array<string, array<string, string>>
+ */
+function qdb_build_public_login_translations_map(PDO $pdo): array {
+    $full = qdb_build_app_translations_map($pdo);
+    $filtered = [];
+    foreach ($full as $lang => $strings) {
+        if (!is_array($strings)) {
+            continue;
+        }
+        foreach ($strings as $key => $text) {
+            if (qdb_is_public_login_translation_key((string)$key)) {
+                $filtered[$lang][(string)$key] = (string)$text;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return $filtered;
+}
+
 /**
  * Flat language -> stringKey -> text map for one questionnaire (questions, options, config strings).
  * Excludes keys from the global app UI catalog.
diff --git a/docs/android-questionnaire-api.md b/docs/android-questionnaire-api.md
index d7c5f04..eabcb1b 100644
--- a/docs/android-questionnaire-api.md
+++ b/docs/android-questionnaire-api.md
@@ -348,7 +348,11 @@ Common failures:
 
 `GET /api/app_questionnaires?translations=1`
 
-**Authentication:** not required. The Android app calls this on the login screen before the coach signs in. All other `app_questionnaires` routes still require `Authorization: Bearer <token>`.
+**Authentication:** required (`Authorization: Bearer <token>`). Fetched during post-login sync.
+
+`GET /api/app_questionnaires?loginTranslations=1`
+
+**Authentication:** not required. Returns only login-screen keys (`auth_*`, `help_auth_*`, password hints/rules, and related buttons). The app fetches this on the login screen; built-in DE/EN fallbacks still apply if offline.
 
 Success:
 
@@ -392,15 +396,16 @@ Android should apply this map while a questionnaire is open (overlay on top of a
 
 ## Recommended Android Sync Flow
 
-1. On app start (login screen), fetch app UI translations with `GET /api/app_questionnaires?translations=1` (no token) and cache locally.
+1. On the login screen, optionally fetch `GET /api/app_questionnaires?loginTranslations=1` (no token) and cache locally; built-in DE/EN strings cover offline.
 2. Login with `/api/auth/login` and store the returned token securely (EncryptedSharedPreferences on Android).
-3. Fetch the assigned client list with `GET /api/app_questionnaires?clients=1` (coach role only).
-4. Re-fetch app UI translations optionally after login (same public endpoint, or authenticated refresh).
+3. Fetch app UI translations with `GET /api/app_questionnaires?translations=1` (Bearer token required) and cache locally.
+4. Fetch the assigned client list with `GET /api/app_questionnaires?clients=1` (coach role only).
+5. Fetch the active questionnaire list with `GET /api/app_questionnaires`.
 6. For each list item, fetch details with `GET /api/app_questionnaires?id=<id>` (includes per-questionnaire `translations`).
 7. Cache the client list, app translations, the questionnaire list, and questionnaire details (with embedded translations) locally for offline use.
 8. When a questionnaire is completed, upload answers with `POST /api/app_questionnaires` using an **encrypted** JSON envelope (see above).
 
-There is currently no version or `updatedAt` field in the app fetch response, so the safest refresh strategy is to re-fetch translations, list, and details at login or app start when network is available.
+There is currently no version or `updatedAt` field in the app fetch response, so the safest refresh strategy is to re-fetch translations, list, and details when syncing with the server.
 
 ## Android local data security
 
diff --git a/handlers/app_questionnaires.php b/handlers/app_questionnaires.php
index 0dc6ee6..8595bfa 100644
--- a/handlers/app_questionnaires.php
+++ b/handlers/app_questionnaires.php
@@ -3,7 +3,8 @@
  * Android app API endpoint.
  * GET (no params)           -> ordered questionnaire list with conditions
  * GET ?id=<questionnaireID> -> single questionnaire in app JSON format
- * GET ?translations=1       -> global app UI strings only (not questionnaire content); **no auth** (login screen).
+ * GET ?translations=1       -> global app UI strings only (not questionnaire content); requires Bearer token
+ * GET ?loginTranslations=1  -> login + auth-help UI strings only; **no auth** (pre-login screen)
  * GET ?clients=1            -> list of clients assigned to the authenticated coach
  * GET ?clientCode=X&answers=1 -> all completed questionnaire answers for one client (encrypted)
  * GET ?answersBulk=1          -> all assigned clients' answers in one payload (coach, encrypted)
@@ -16,16 +17,22 @@
  *                             Sensitive POST/GET ?clients=1 bodies use encrypted payloads (HKDF from Bearer token).
  */
 
-// Public app UI catalog for the login screen (no token, no PII).
-if ($method === 'GET' && !empty($_GET['translations'])) {
+// Public login-screen catalog (auth + help_auth only; no PII).
+if ($method === 'GET' && !empty($_GET['loginTranslations'])) {
     $opened = qdb_open_read_or_fail();
     [$pdo, $tmpDb, $lockFp] = $opened;
-    json_success([
-        'translations'        => qdb_build_app_translations_map($pdo),
-        'availableLanguages'  => qdb_available_language_codes($pdo),
-    ]);
+    $payload = [
+        'translations'       => qdb_build_public_login_translations_map($pdo),
+        'availableLanguages' => array_values(array_intersect(
+            qdb_available_language_codes($pdo),
+            ['de', 'en'],
+        )),
+    ];
+    if ($payload['availableLanguages'] === []) {
+        $payload['availableLanguages'] = ['de', 'en'];
+    }
     qdb_discard($tmpDb, $lockFp);
-    return;
+    json_success($payload);
 }
 
 $tokenRec = require_valid_token();
@@ -393,6 +400,15 @@ $fetchScoringProfiles = $_GET['scoringProfiles'] ?? '';
 $fetchScoringReview = $_GET['scoringReview'] ?? '';
 $clientCode   = trim($_GET['clientCode'] ?? '');
 
+if ($translations) {
+    $payload = [
+        'translations'        => qdb_build_app_translations_map($pdo),
+        'availableLanguages'  => qdb_available_language_codes($pdo),
+    ];
+    qdb_discard($tmpDb, $lockFp);
+    json_success($payload);
+}
+
 if ($fetchScoringProfiles) {
     require_role(['coach'], $tokenRec);
     require_once __DIR__ . '/../lib/scoring.php';
diff --git a/tests/Integration/CatalogApiTest.php b/tests/Integration/CatalogApiTest.php
index 75ea251..f67d626 100644
--- a/tests/Integration/CatalogApiTest.php
+++ b/tests/Integration/CatalogApiTest.php
@@ -85,9 +85,55 @@ final class CatalogApiTest extends QdbTestCase
         $this->assertArrayHasKey('entries', $res['data']);
     }
 
-    public function testAppTranslationsPublicNoAuth(): void
+    public function testAppTranslationsRequiresAuth(): void
     {
         $res = $this->api()->request('GET', 'app_questionnaires', null, [], ['translations' => '1']);
+        $this->assertApiError($res, 'UNAUTHORIZED', 401);
+    }
+
+    public function testAppLoginTranslationsPublicNoAuth(): void
+    {
+        $res = $this->api()->request('GET', 'app_questionnaires', null, [], ['loginTranslations' => '1']);
+        $this->assertApiOk($res);
+        $this->assertArrayHasKey('translations', $res['data']);
+        $map = $res['data']['translations'];
+        $this->assertIsArray($map);
+        // Must include auth / help_auth keys and must not dump unrelated catalog keys.
+        $foundAuth = false;
+        $foundHelp = false;
+        $forbidden = false;
+        foreach ($map as $lang => $strings) {
+            $this->assertIsArray($strings);
+            foreach ($strings as $key => $text) {
+                $this->assertTrue(
+                    qdb_is_public_login_translation_key((string)$key),
+                    "Unexpected public key: {$key}"
+                );
+                if (str_starts_with((string)$key, 'auth_')) {
+                    $foundAuth = true;
+                }
+                if (str_starts_with((string)$key, 'help_auth_')) {
+                    $foundHelp = true;
+                }
+                if ((string)$key === 'client_code' || (string)$key === 'client_picker_title') {
+                    $forbidden = true;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        $this->assertTrue($foundAuth);
+        $this->assertTrue($foundHelp);
+        $this->assertFalse($forbidden);
+    }
+
+    public function testAppTranslationsWithToken(): void
+    {
+        $login = $this->api()->loginMobileAndGetToken(
+            DatabaseSeeder::COACH_USERNAME,
+            DatabaseSeeder::PASSWORD
+        );
+        $res = $this->api()->withMobileToken($login['token'], 'GET', 'app_questionnaires', null, [
+            'translations' => '1',
+        ]);
         $this->assertApiOk($res);
         $this->assertArrayHasKey('translations', $res['data']);
     }