diff --git a/apps/ios/Tests/Logic/WatchChatStatusLocalizationTests.swift b/apps/ios/Tests/Logic/WatchChatStatusLocalizationTests.swift
index d72fb61876f6..f82c6b5bf043 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Tests/Logic/WatchChatStatusLocalizationTests.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Tests/Logic/WatchChatStatusLocalizationTests.swift
@@ -71,6 +71,18 @@ struct WatchChatStatusLocalizationTests {
         #expect(status.command == .sendChat)
     }
 
+    @Test func `legacy approval outcomes recover semantic localization`() throws {
+        let allowed = try #require(
+            WatchExecApprovalOutcome.decodeLegacyLocalizedText("Approval allowed once."))
+        let custom = try #require(
+            WatchExecApprovalOutcome.decodeLegacyLocalizedText("Gateway custom outcome"))
+
+        #expect(allowed.code == .allowedOnce)
+        #expect(allowed.verbatim == nil)
+        #expect(custom.code == .verbatim)
+        #expect(custom.verbatim == "Gateway custom outcome")
+    }
+
     @Test func `gateway presentation localizes key and keeps backend override verbatim`() {
         let localized = OpenClawWatchAppStatus(
             code: .gatewayProblem,
diff --git a/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxMessages.swift b/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxMessages.swift
index 8fd3aaf755eb..3308dcc85266 100644
--- a/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxMessages.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxMessages.swift
@@ -377,7 +377,28 @@ struct WatchExecApprovalOutcome: Codable, Equatable {
 
     static func decodeLegacyLocalizedText(_ text: String) -> Self? {
         guard !text.isEmpty else { return nil }
-        return Self(code: .verbatim, verbatim: text)
+        return switch text {
+        case "Allowed once", "Approval allowed once.", "This approval was already allowed once.":
+            Self(code: .allowedOnce)
+        case "Approval set to Always Allow.", "This approval was already set to Always Allow.":
+            Self(code: .allowedAlways)
+        case "Denied", "Approval denied.", "This approval was already denied.":
+            Self(code: .denied)
+        case "Approval resolved":
+            Self(code: .resolved)
+        case "Approval expired":
+            Self(code: .expired)
+        case "Approval no longer available":
+            Self(code: .notFound)
+        case "Approval resolved elsewhere", "This approval was already resolved elsewhere.":
+            Self(code: .resolvedElsewhere)
+        case "Approval replaced":
+            Self(code: .replaced)
+        case "Approval unavailable":
+            Self(code: .unavailable)
+        default:
+            Self(code: .verbatim, verbatim: text)
+        }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxStore.swift b/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxStore.swift
index c540f56c90de..545529846720 100644
--- a/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxStore.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/WatchApp/Sources/WatchInboxStore.swift
@@ -743,7 +743,8 @@ extension WatchInboxStore {
             .trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines)
             .prefix(160)
         let outcome = if let normalizedOutcomeText, !normalizedOutcomeText.isEmpty {
-            WatchExecApprovalOutcome(code: .verbatim, verbatim: String(normalizedOutcomeText))
+            WatchExecApprovalOutcome.decodeLegacyLocalizedText(String(normalizedOutcomeText))
+                ?? WatchExecApprovalOutcome(code: .unavailable)
         } else if message.source == "another-reviewer" {
             WatchExecApprovalOutcome(code: .resolvedElsewhere)
         } else {