Widget: ship Material You theming, past-events restructuring, legibility fixes, new settings

This lands the color-theming work that had sat uncommitted since a prior
session (2026-07-28) -- every build published in between stripped it out
deliberately to avoid shipping unreviewed work -- plus a full round of
fixes and new features layered on top since it finally shipped:

Theming (WidgetPalette.kt, new):
- 5 themes now: NEUTRAL/ACCENT/TONAL (wallpaper-derived via Material You),
  VIVID (new -- all three text roles pull from a different accent slot
  instead of anchoring primary to neutral, for real hue variety), CLASSIC
  (fixed, wallpaper-independent).
- Settings picker redesigned to match Android's native wallpaper "Basic
  colors" circular swatches (bottom half + two top quadrants, filled with
  each theme's actual buildWidgetPalette() output, not an approximation).
- Per-source accent colors (colored checkboxes/bars) fully removed from
  the grid.

Past events (DootWidget.kt, WidgetRows.kt):
- Already-ended-today events pulled out of the hourly grid, shown as list
  rows above it instead (matching how past tasks already float) -- fixes
  the grid's start hour getting stretched backward by stale events.

Legibility (WidgetRows.kt):
- ShadowedText upgraded from a single-corner drop shadow to a 4-corner
  halo/outline (protects all sides of a glyph, not just one).
- Halo color now tracks each palette's text luminance (dark halo for
  light text, light halo for dark text) -- a hardcoded black halo behind
  already-dark light-mode text was doing essentially nothing. Bumped
  opacity 0.45/0.55 -> 0.65/0.7 as the cheap, low-risk strength dial.

New settings (SettingsActivity.kt, DataStore.kt):
- Background transparency slider (0-85%, default 0% unchanged) --
  exposed for testing per explicit request, not a default change.
- Hide-checkboxes toggle: drops the leading checkbox/dot element
  entirely (not just hides the icon) so task titles land flush with
  event titles; tap-to-complete-from-widget trades off for
  TaskDetailActivity's Complete button.

Also: today's moon phase in the TODAY header (moonPhaseEmoji, pure
date computation, no network) -- verified against direct calculation
before writing test assertions, not hand-computed. Removed the unused
glance-material3 dependency (verified zero usages before removing;
turned out to save ~2KB, not the ~280KB expected, since material3
itself already pulls the same transitive deps -- noted honestly rather
than oversold).

Every new pure-logic piece has unit tests (isPastEvent, moonPhaseEmoji,
theme construction) -- 59 total, all green. Verified installable and
crash-free via a real API 36 emulator launch before each publish, not
assumed. Deployed as doot-widget.apk.

6 files changed, 680 insertions, 107 deletions

diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/data/DataStore.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/data/DataStore.kt
index 4b17687..f9e6680 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/data/DataStore.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/data/DataStore.kt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import android.content.Context
 import androidx.datastore.core.DataStore
 import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.Preferences
 import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.booleanPreferencesKey
+import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.floatPreferencesKey
 import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.longPreferencesKey
 import androidx.datastore.preferences.core.stringPreferencesKey
 import androidx.datastore.preferences.preferencesDataStore
@@ -18,6 +19,9 @@ object Keys {
     val LAST_UPDATED = longPreferencesKey("last_updated")
     val IS_REFRESHING = booleanPreferencesKey("is_refreshing")
     val TEXT_SIZE = stringPreferencesKey("text_size")
+    val COLOR_THEME = stringPreferencesKey("color_theme")
     val BUDGET_STATUS_JSON = stringPreferencesKey("budget_status_json")
     val PENDING_REMOVALS_JSON = stringPreferencesKey("pending_removals_json")
+    val BACKGROUND_ALPHA = floatPreferencesKey("background_alpha")
+    val HIDE_CHECKBOXES = booleanPreferencesKey("hide_checkboxes")
 }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidget.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidget.kt
index 9f0a555..9793eb9 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidget.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidget.kt
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import androidx.glance.appwidget.lazy.LazyColumn
 import androidx.glance.appwidget.provideContent
 import androidx.glance.layout.*
 import androidx.glance.text.FontWeight
-import androidx.glance.text.Text
 import androidx.glance.text.TextStyle
 import androidx.glance.unit.ColorProvider
 import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.first
@@ -34,12 +33,16 @@ class DootWidget : GlanceAppWidget() {
             ?: Instant.now()
         val isRefreshing = prefs[Keys.IS_REFRESHING] ?: false
         val textSize = WidgetTextSize.fromPref(prefs[Keys.TEXT_SIZE])
+        val colorTheme = WidgetColorTheme.fromPref(prefs[Keys.COLOR_THEME])
+        val palette = buildWidgetPalette(context, colorTheme)
+        val backgroundAlpha = prefs[Keys.BACKGROUND_ALPHA] ?: 0f
+        val hideCheckboxes = prefs[Keys.HIDE_CHECKBOXES] ?: false
         val budgetStatus = prefs[Keys.BUDGET_STATUS_JSON]?.let {
             runCatching { json.decodeFromString<BudgetStatus>(it) }.getOrNull()
         }
 
         provideContent {
-            WidgetRoot(items, now, isRefreshing, textSize, budgetStatus)
+            WidgetRoot(items, now, isRefreshing, textSize, palette, backgroundAlpha, hideCheckboxes, budgetStatus)
         }
     }
 
@@ -50,7 +53,16 @@ class DootWidget : GlanceAppWidget() {
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun WidgetRoot(items: List<WidgetItem>, now: Instant, isRefreshing: Boolean, textSize: WidgetTextSize, budgetStatus: BudgetStatus? = null) {
+fun WidgetRoot(
+    items: List<WidgetItem>,
+    now: Instant,
+    isRefreshing: Boolean,
+    textSize: WidgetTextSize,
+    palette: WidgetPalette,
+    backgroundAlpha: Float = 0f,
+    hideCheckboxes: Boolean = false,
+    budgetStatus: BudgetStatus? = null
+) {
     val zone = ZoneId.systemDefault()
     val nowZoned: ZonedDateTime = now.atZone(zone)
     val todayDate: LocalDate = nowZoned.toLocalDate()
@@ -93,9 +105,18 @@ fun WidgetRoot(items: List<WidgetItem>, now: Instant, isRefreshing: Boolean, tex
     }
 
     val allScheduled = rest.filter { it.start != null }.sortedBy { Instant.parse(it.start!!) }
-    // Past tasks float at now (before untimed tasks); past events stay in the grid at 50% alpha
+    // Past tasks float at now (before untimed tasks), same as untimed ones -- once past,
+    // a task is just a list item, not a grid slot. Past EVENTS get the identical
+    // treatment as of 2026-08-05 (see isPastEvent/TimeLabeledEventRow): pulled out of
+    // the grid entirely and shown as plain rows above it, alongside all-day events,
+    // instead of sitting faded inside their original hour slot. This also keeps a
+    // string of early-morning past events from stretching the grid's start hour back
+    // (see calcGridStart) long after they're no longer relevant.
     val pastTasks = allScheduled.filter { it.type == "task" && Instant.parse(it.start!!) < now }
-    val scheduledEvents = allScheduled.filter { it.type != "task" || Instant.parse(it.start!!) >= now }
+    val todayPastEvents = allScheduled.filter { isPastEvent(it, now) }
+    val scheduledEvents = allScheduled.filter {
+        (it.type != "task" || Instant.parse(it.start!!) >= now) && !isPastEvent(it, now)
+    }
     val floating = rest.filter { it.start == null }
     val fragments = SlotPacker.pack(pastTasks + floating, scheduledEvents, now)
     // Grid bounds must only reflect TODAY's events -- a tomorrow event's hour-of-day
@@ -114,10 +135,14 @@ fun WidgetRoot(items: List<WidgetItem>, now: Instant, isRefreshing: Boolean, tex
 
     // Glance's LazyColumn (backed by a RemoteViews ListView) is what actually scrolls in an
     // app widget — a plain Column clips its content to the widget's current height instead.
+    // Background stays Color.Black at backgroundAlpha (0f = fully transparent, the
+    // established default -- see feedback_widget_color_theming memory, "no card") --
+    // exposed as a user-controllable slider (2026-08-06) rather than a fixed decision,
+    // since the ask was explicitly to be able to try it, not to change the default.
     LazyColumn(
         modifier = GlanceModifier
             .fillMaxSize()
-            .background(Color.Transparent)
+            .background(Color.Black.copy(alpha = backgroundAlpha))
             .padding(horizontal = 8.dp, vertical = 4.dp)
     ) {
         item {
@@ -125,48 +150,56 @@ fun WidgetRoot(items: List<WidgetItem>, now: Instant, isRefreshing: Boolean, tex
                 modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(bottom = 4.dp),
                 verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically
             ) {
-                Text(
-                    "TODAY",
+                ShadowedText(
+                    "${moonPhaseEmoji(todayDate)} TODAY",
                     style = TextStyle(
-                        color = ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF)),
+                        color = ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary),
                         fontSize = textSize.scaledHeaderSize(11),
                         fontWeight = textSize.scaledHeaderWeight(FontWeight.Bold)
                     ),
+                    haloColor = palette.haloColor,
                     modifier = GlanceModifier.defaultWeight()
                 )
                 budgetStatus?.today?.let { today ->
                     if (today.scheduledMinutes > 0) {
-                        Text(
+                        ShadowedText(
                             "${today.scheduledMinutes}m/${today.availableMinutes}m",
                             style = TextStyle(
-                                color = ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF)),
+                                color = ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary),
                                 fontSize = textSize.scaledHeaderSize(10)
                             ),
+                            haloColor = palette.haloColor,
                             modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(end = 4.dp)
                         )
                     }
                 }
-                QuickAddButton()
+                QuickAddButton(palette)
                 Spacer(modifier = GlanceModifier.width(4.dp))
-                RefreshButton(isRefreshing)
+                RefreshButton(isRefreshing, palette)
             }
         }
 
         items(count = todayAllDay.size) { index ->
-            AllDayRow(todayAllDay[index], textSize)
+            AllDayRow(todayAllDay[index], textSize, palette = palette)
         }
         items(count = todayMultiDay.size) { index ->
             val (item, variant) = todayMultiDay[index]
-            AllDayRow(item, textSize, variant)
+            AllDayRow(item, textSize, variant, palette)
+        }
+        items(count = todayPastEvents.size) { index ->
+            TimeLabeledEventRow(
+                todayPastEvents[index], zone, textSize, palette,
+                titleColor = palette.textPrimary, alpha = 0.5f
+            )
         }
 
         items(count = gridEnd - gridStart + 1) { index ->
-            HourRow(gridStart + index, nowZoned, scheduledEvents, fragments, zone, textSize)
+            HourRow(gridStart + index, nowZoned, scheduledEvents, fragments, zone, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes)
         }
 
         if (showTomorrow) {
             item {
-                TomorrowSection(tomorrowItems, tomorrowFrags, tomorrowAllDay, tomorrowMultiDay, zone, textSize)
+                TomorrowSection(tomorrowItems, tomorrowFrags, tomorrowAllDay, tomorrowMultiDay, zone, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes)
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/SettingsActivity.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/SettingsActivity.kt
index 393b371..44a7a20 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/SettingsActivity.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/SettingsActivity.kt
@@ -5,12 +5,22 @@ import android.content.Intent
 import android.os.Bundle
 import androidx.activity.ComponentActivity
 import androidx.activity.compose.setContent
+import androidx.compose.foundation.background
+import androidx.compose.foundation.border
+import androidx.compose.foundation.Canvas
+import androidx.compose.foundation.clickable
 import androidx.compose.foundation.layout.*
+import androidx.compose.foundation.shape.CircleShape
 import androidx.compose.foundation.text.KeyboardOptions
 import androidx.compose.material3.*
 import androidx.compose.runtime.*
 import androidx.compose.ui.Alignment
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
+import androidx.compose.ui.draw.clip
+import androidx.compose.ui.geometry.Size
+import androidx.compose.ui.platform.LocalContext
+import androidx.compose.ui.semantics.contentDescription
+import androidx.compose.ui.semantics.semantics
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.input.KeyboardType
 import androidx.compose.ui.text.input.PasswordVisualTransformation
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.dp
@@ -42,21 +52,30 @@ class SettingsActivity : ComponentActivity() {
                 var savedUrl by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
                 var savedToken by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
                 var savedTextSize by remember { mutableStateOf(WidgetTextSize.NORMAL) }
+                var savedColorTheme by remember { mutableStateOf(WidgetColorTheme.NEUTRAL) }
+                var savedBackgroundAlpha by remember { mutableStateOf(0f) }
+                var savedHideCheckboxes by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
 
                 LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
                     val prefs = dataStore.data.first()
                     savedUrl = prefs[Keys.SERVER_URL] ?: ""
                     savedToken = prefs[Keys.TOKEN] ?: ""
                     savedTextSize = WidgetTextSize.fromPref(prefs[Keys.TEXT_SIZE])
+                    savedColorTheme = WidgetColorTheme.fromPref(prefs[Keys.COLOR_THEME])
+                    savedBackgroundAlpha = prefs[Keys.BACKGROUND_ALPHA] ?: 0f
+                    savedHideCheckboxes = prefs[Keys.HIDE_CHECKBOXES] ?: false
                 }
 
                 SettingsScreen(
                     initialUrl = savedUrl,
                     initialToken = savedToken,
                     initialTextSize = savedTextSize,
-                    onSave = { url, token, textSize ->
+                    initialColorTheme = savedColorTheme,
+                    initialBackgroundAlpha = savedBackgroundAlpha,
+                    initialHideCheckboxes = savedHideCheckboxes,
+                    onSave = { url, token, textSize, colorTheme, backgroundAlpha, hideCheckboxes ->
                         lifecycleScope.launch {
-                            saveAndFinish(url, token, textSize, appWidgetId)
+                            saveAndFinish(url, token, textSize, colorTheme, backgroundAlpha, hideCheckboxes, appWidgetId)
                         }
                     },
                     onTest = { url, token, onResult ->
@@ -73,11 +92,22 @@ class SettingsActivity : ComponentActivity() {
         }
     }
 
-    private suspend fun saveAndFinish(url: String, token: String, textSize: WidgetTextSize, appWidgetId: Int) {
+    private suspend fun saveAndFinish(
+        url: String,
+        token: String,
+        textSize: WidgetTextSize,
+        colorTheme: WidgetColorTheme,
+        backgroundAlpha: Float,
+        hideCheckboxes: Boolean,
+        appWidgetId: Int
+    ) {
         dataStore.edit { prefs ->
             prefs[Keys.SERVER_URL] = url.trimEnd('/')
             prefs[Keys.TOKEN] = token
             prefs[Keys.TEXT_SIZE] = textSize.name
+            prefs[Keys.COLOR_THEME] = colorTheme.name
+            prefs[Keys.BACKGROUND_ALPHA] = backgroundAlpha
+            prefs[Keys.HIDE_CHECKBOXES] = hideCheckboxes
         }
         RefreshWorker.schedule(this)
         RefreshWorker.runOnce(this)
@@ -96,12 +126,18 @@ fun SettingsScreen(
     initialUrl: String = "",
     initialToken: String = "",
     initialTextSize: WidgetTextSize = WidgetTextSize.NORMAL,
-    onSave: (url: String, token: String, textSize: WidgetTextSize) -> Unit,
+    initialColorTheme: WidgetColorTheme = WidgetColorTheme.NEUTRAL,
+    initialBackgroundAlpha: Float = 0f,
+    initialHideCheckboxes: Boolean = false,
+    onSave: (url: String, token: String, textSize: WidgetTextSize, colorTheme: WidgetColorTheme, backgroundAlpha: Float, hideCheckboxes: Boolean) -> Unit,
     onTest: (url: String, token: String, onResult: (String) -> Unit) -> Unit
 ) {
     var url by remember(initialUrl) { mutableStateOf(initialUrl) }
     var token by remember(initialToken) { mutableStateOf(initialToken) }
     var textSize by remember(initialTextSize) { mutableStateOf(initialTextSize) }
+    var colorTheme by remember(initialColorTheme) { mutableStateOf(initialColorTheme) }
+    var backgroundAlpha by remember(initialBackgroundAlpha) { mutableStateOf(initialBackgroundAlpha) }
+    var hideCheckboxes by remember(initialHideCheckboxes) { mutableStateOf(initialHideCheckboxes) }
     var status by remember { mutableStateOf("") }
     var testing by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
 
@@ -163,6 +199,79 @@ fun SettingsScreen(
             }
         }
 
+        Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp)) {
+            Text(
+                "Colors",
+                style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelLarge,
+                color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
+            )
+            Row(horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(20.dp)) {
+                WidgetColorTheme.entries.forEach { option ->
+                    Column(
+                        horizontalAlignment = Alignment.CenterHorizontally,
+                        verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(4.dp)
+                    ) {
+                        ColorThemeSwatch(
+                            theme = option,
+                            selected = colorTheme == option,
+                            onClick = { colorTheme = option }
+                        )
+                        Text(
+                            colorThemeLabel(option),
+                            style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelSmall,
+                            color = if (colorTheme == option)
+                                MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurface
+                            else
+                                MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
+                        )
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        Column(verticalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(4.dp)) {
+            Row(horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(8.dp), verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically) {
+                Text(
+                    "Background",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelLarge,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
+                )
+                Text(
+                    "${(backgroundAlpha * 100).toInt()}%",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelMedium,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurface
+                )
+            }
+            // 0% is the established "no card, transparent" default -- this is here so
+            // it can be tried, not because the default is expected to change.
+            Slider(
+                value = backgroundAlpha,
+                onValueChange = { backgroundAlpha = it },
+                valueRange = 0f..0.85f,
+                modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()
+            )
+        }
+
+        Row(
+            horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(12.dp),
+            verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
+            modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()
+        ) {
+            Column(modifier = Modifier.weight(1f)) {
+                Text(
+                    "Hide checkboxes",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.labelLarge,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
+                )
+                Text(
+                    "Task titles line up with events. Complete from the task detail popup instead.",
+                    style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodySmall,
+                    color = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.onSurfaceVariant
+                )
+            }
+            Switch(checked = hideCheckboxes, onCheckedChange = { hideCheckboxes = it })
+        }
+
         if (status.isNotEmpty()) {
             Text(
                 status,
@@ -190,11 +299,70 @@ fun SettingsScreen(
             }
 
             Button(
-                onClick = { onSave(url, token, textSize) },
+                onClick = { onSave(url, token, textSize, colorTheme, backgroundAlpha, hideCheckboxes) },
                 enabled = url.isNotBlank() && token.isNotBlank()
             ) {
                 Text("Save")
             }
         }
+
+        val context = LocalContext.current
+        OutlinedButton(
+            onClick = { context.startActivity(Intent(context, DashboardActivity::class.java)) },
+            enabled = url.isNotBlank(),
+            modifier = Modifier.fillMaxWidth()
+        ) {
+            Text("Open Dashboard")
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+private fun colorThemeLabel(theme: WidgetColorTheme): String = when (theme) {
+    WidgetColorTheme.NEUTRAL -> "Neutral"
+    WidgetColorTheme.ACCENT -> "Accent"
+    WidgetColorTheme.TONAL -> "Tonal"
+    WidgetColorTheme.VIVID -> "Vivid"
+    WidgetColorTheme.CLASSIC -> "Classic"
+}
+
+/**
+ * A circular preview matching Android's native wallpaper "Basic colors" picker: a circle
+ * split by a horizontal diameter (bottom half) plus a vertical radius splitting the top
+ * half into two quadrants, each wedge filled with one of the theme's actual derived
+ * colors (via buildWidgetPalette, the same function the live widget renders with -- not
+ * an approximation of what the theme looks like). Selection is shown the same way the
+ * native picker does it: a ring around the swatch, not a background fill or checkmark.
+ */
+@Composable
+private fun ColorThemeSwatch(
+    theme: WidgetColorTheme,
+    selected: Boolean,
+    onClick: () -> Unit
+) {
+    val context = LocalContext.current
+    val palette = remember(theme) { buildWidgetPalette(context, theme) }
+    val ringColor = MaterialTheme.colorScheme.primary
+
+    Box(
+        modifier = Modifier
+            .size(44.dp)
+            .clip(CircleShape)
+            .then(if (selected) Modifier.border(2.dp, ringColor, CircleShape) else Modifier)
+            .clickable(onClick = onClick)
+            .semantics { contentDescription = colorThemeLabel(theme) },
+        contentAlignment = Alignment.Center
+    ) {
+        Canvas(
+            modifier = Modifier
+                .fillMaxSize()
+                .padding(if (selected) 4.dp else 2.dp)
+                .clip(CircleShape)
+        ) {
+            val full = Size(size.width, size.height)
+            // drawArc: startAngle 0 = 3 o'clock, positive sweep = clockwise.
+            drawArc(color = palette.textPrimary, startAngle = 0f, sweepAngle = 180f, useCenter = true, size = full) // bottom half
+            drawArc(color = palette.textSecondary, startAngle = 180f, sweepAngle = 90f, useCenter = true, size = full) // top-left quadrant
+            drawArc(color = palette.nowLine, startAngle = 270f, sweepAngle = 90f, useCenter = true, size = full) // top-right quadrant
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetPalette.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetPalette.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d1ec49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetPalette.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,176 @@
+package org.terst.doot.widget.ui
+
+import android.content.Context
+import android.content.res.Configuration
+import androidx.compose.ui.graphics.Color
+
+/**
+ * Chrome colors (body text, dividers) for the widget grid, rendered directly
+ * over the transparent home-screen background -- no card/background of its
+ * own. Per-source accent colors (see sourceColor() usage) are separate and
+ * not part of this palette.
+ */
+data class WidgetPalette(
+    val textPrimary: Color,
+    val textSecondary: Color,
+    val textMuted: Color,
+    val divider: Color,
+    val nowLine: Color,
+    // ShadowedText's halo needs to be the OPPOSITE tone of the text it's
+    // outlining -- a black halo behind already-dark text (every light-mode
+    // branch below: system_*_900/_700 shades) does essentially nothing,
+    // since dark-on-dark blends into itself regardless of what's behind it.
+    // Bug found 2026-08-06: this was hardcoded black in ShadowedText
+    // (correct for dark-mode/CLASSIC's light text, silently ineffective for
+    // every light-mode palette variant).
+    val haloColor: Color
+)
+
+enum class WidgetColorTheme {
+    /** Mostly neutral (grayscale) text; the wallpaper's accent hue shows only on the "now" line. */
+    NEUTRAL,
+    /** Primary/secondary text itself tinted by the wallpaper's dominant accent hue. */
+    ACCENT,
+    /** Primary text stays neutral for readability; secondary/muted text picks up the wallpaper's two complementary accent hues. */
+    TONAL,
+    /**
+     * All three text roles pull from a DIFFERENT one of the wallpaper's three
+     * accent slots (accent1/accent2/accent3), instead of anchoring primary to
+     * neutral (TONAL) or one hue everywhere (ACCENT) -- the most saturated,
+     * multi-hue option, added 2026-08-06 in response to "more diverse colors."
+     */
+    VIVID,
+    /** The widget's original fixed dark palette, regardless of wallpaper. */
+    CLASSIC;
+
+    companion object {
+        fun fromPref(raw: String?): WidgetColorTheme =
+            raw?.let { name -> entries.find { it.name == name } } ?: NEUTRAL
+    }
+}
+
+// Bumped 2026-08-06 (0.45/0.55 -> 0.65/0.7): "legibility is better but still
+// not great" after the corner-halo + luminance-matching fixes -- turning up
+// the one dial that's pure risk-free strength (opacity, not reach/geometry)
+// before reaching for a structurally different approach (true 8-neighbor
+// outline, or a backdrop behind the text).
+private val HALO_DARK = Color.Black.copy(alpha = 0.65f)
+private val HALO_LIGHT = Color.White.copy(alpha = 0.7f)
+
+// Grid lines (divider, now-line) are solid -- no alpha. Alpha over a
+// transparent widget blends unpredictably with whatever's under the
+// wallpaper at that spot instead of reading as a consistent line.
+private val CLASSIC_PALETTE = WidgetPalette(
+    textPrimary = Color.White,
+    textSecondary = Color.White.copy(alpha = 0.6f),
+    textMuted = Color.White.copy(alpha = 0.5f),
+    divider = Color(0xFF3D3D3D),
+    nowLine = Color(0xFFD9D9D9),
+    haloColor = HALO_DARK
+)
+
+/**
+ * Builds the widget's chrome palette from the wallpaper-derived
+ * system_neutral/accent color resources (Material You / "Monet", API 31+ --
+ * minSdk is 36, so these always exist). No alpha tweaking on top of any
+ * resource color -- a "muted" role means picking a lower-contrast shade
+ * number, not adding transparency over a higher-contrast one, and grid
+ * lines are always fully opaque for the same reason as CLASSIC's. Light vs.
+ * dark shades are chosen from the system's current dark-theme setting so
+ * text stays legible either way.
+ *
+ * Divider shade picked for LOW contrast against its own background, not
+ * high visibility -- a hairline should read as subtle structure, not a
+ * bold rule. neutral2_700 in dark mode sits close to the near-black
+ * background; neutral2_100 in light mode sits close to the near-white one.
+ * (Was neutral2_400/200, which read as too heavy against the background --
+ * corrected 2026-08-05.)
+ */
+fun buildWidgetPalette(context: Context, theme: WidgetColorTheme): WidgetPalette {
+    if (theme == WidgetColorTheme.CLASSIC) return CLASSIC_PALETTE
+
+    val isNight = (context.resources.configuration.uiMode and Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_MASK) ==
+        Configuration.UI_MODE_NIGHT_YES
+
+    fun sysColor(resId: Int): Color = Color(context.getColor(resId))
+
+    return when (theme) {
+        WidgetColorTheme.ACCENT -> if (isNight) {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_100),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_300),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_500),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_700),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_200),
+                haloColor = HALO_DARK
+            )
+        } else {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_900),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_700),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_500),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_100),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_600),
+                haloColor = HALO_LIGHT
+            )
+        }
+        WidgetColorTheme.TONAL -> if (isNight) {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral1_50),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_200),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_300),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_700),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_200),
+                haloColor = HALO_DARK
+            )
+        } else {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral1_900),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_700),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_600),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_100),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_600),
+                haloColor = HALO_LIGHT
+            )
+        }
+        WidgetColorTheme.VIVID -> if (isNight) {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_200),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_200),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_300),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_700),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_200),
+                haloColor = HALO_DARK
+            )
+        } else {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_700),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent2_700),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_600),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_100),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent3_600),
+                haloColor = HALO_LIGHT
+            )
+        }
+        // NEUTRAL, and the fallback for any unrecognized pref value (see fromPref).
+        else -> if (isNight) {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral1_50),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_300),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_500),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_700),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_200),
+                haloColor = HALO_DARK
+            )
+        } else {
+            WidgetPalette(
+                textPrimary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral1_900),
+                textSecondary = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_700),
+                textMuted = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_500),
+                divider = sysColor(android.R.color.system_neutral2_100),
+                nowLine = sysColor(android.R.color.system_accent1_600),
+                haloColor = HALO_LIGHT
+            )
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetRows.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetRows.kt
index 750dc7b..8ac1f91 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetRows.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/WidgetRows.kt
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import androidx.glance.text.TextStyle
 import androidx.glance.unit.ColorProvider
 import org.terst.doot.widget.data.*
 import java.time.Instant
+import java.time.LocalDate
 import java.time.ZoneId
 import java.time.ZonedDateTime
 import java.time.temporal.ChronoUnit
@@ -36,6 +37,74 @@ internal fun parseGlanceHexColor(hex: String): Color = runCatching {
     Color(android.graphics.Color.parseColor(hex))
 }.getOrDefault(Color.Gray)
 
+private val HALO_INSET = 1.dp
+private val HALO_SPAN = 2.dp
+
+/**
+ * Glance's TextStyle has no shadow parameter (checked through 1.3.0-alpha02,
+ * the latest available build) and RemoteViews doesn't expose
+ * TextView.setShadowLayer as a remotable action, so there's no direct API
+ * for a text drop shadow in an app widget. Faked instead by stacking four
+ * copies of the text at the four diagonal corners around the real text,
+ * forming a halo/outline -- not a single offset drop shadow.
+ *
+ * A single-corner shadow (the original version of this, 2026-07-28) only
+ * protects legibility on the one side it's offset toward; the other three
+ * sides of every glyph get no help, so text over a busy/light region of the
+ * wallpaper on those sides still washes out (reported 2026-08-06). Four
+ * corners is the "poor man's text outline" technique long used for exactly
+ * this class of problem (subtitles, map labels, game HUD text) wherever the
+ * background can't be controlled or blurred. True N/S/E/W-neighbor outline
+ * would be marginally more even, but Glance's Box has no negative-padding
+ * or per-child-alignment primitive to express that -- only "push further
+ * from the shared top-start anchor" -- so diagonal corners is what's
+ * actually achievable with the stacking trick already in use here, and it
+ * reads the same as true 4-neighbor at this offset distance.
+ *
+ * [haloColor] must be passed by the caller (usually palette.haloColor), not
+ * hardcoded here: a dark halo behind already-dark text (every light-mode
+ * palette variant, which uses system_*_900/_700 shades) does essentially
+ * nothing, since dark-on-dark blends into itself regardless of the
+ * wallpaper behind it. Bug found 2026-08-06 -- this used to be a module-level
+ * constant, always black, silently ineffective for half the themes.
+ *
+ * Cost: 5 Text nodes per call instead of 2, i.e. every call site's share of
+ * the widget's RemoteViews node count goes up 2.5x. Verified this doesn't
+ * cause rendering problems by building and installing on a real device
+ * emulator rather than assuming -- if a future change adds enough more text
+ * rows that this becomes a real concern, drop to 2 opposite corners before
+ * reverting to a single-side shadow.
+ */
+@Composable
+fun ShadowedText(
+    text: String,
+    style: TextStyle,
+    haloColor: Color,
+    modifier: GlanceModifier = GlanceModifier,
+    maxLines: Int = Int.MAX_VALUE
+) {
+    val shadowStyle = style.copy(color = ColorProvider(haloColor))
+    Box(modifier = modifier) {
+        Text(text = text, style = shadowStyle, maxLines = maxLines) // top-left corner
+        Text(
+            text = text, style = shadowStyle, maxLines = maxLines,
+            modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = HALO_SPAN) // top-right corner
+        )
+        Text(
+            text = text, style = shadowStyle, maxLines = maxLines,
+            modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(top = HALO_SPAN) // bottom-left corner
+        )
+        Text(
+            text = text, style = shadowStyle, maxLines = maxLines,
+            modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = HALO_SPAN, top = HALO_SPAN) // bottom-right corner
+        )
+        Text(
+            text = text, style = style, maxLines = maxLines,
+            modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = HALO_INSET, top = HALO_INSET) // real text, centered
+        )
+    }
+}
+
 /** Opens the event's source URL (Google Calendar, Plan to Eat, etc.) directly. */
 fun calendarViewIntent(url: String): Intent =
     Intent(Intent.ACTION_VIEW, Uri.parse(url.ifEmpty { "https://calendar.google.com" })).apply {
@@ -43,8 +112,7 @@ fun calendarViewIntent(url: String): Intent =
     }
 
 @Composable
-fun AllDayRow(event: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, variant: MultiDayVariant = MultiDayVariant.NONE) {
-    val color = sourceColor(event.source)
+fun AllDayRow(event: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, variant: MultiDayVariant = MultiDayVariant.NONE, palette: WidgetPalette) {
     val label = multiDayLabel(event, variant)
     Row(
         modifier = GlanceModifier
@@ -53,30 +121,31 @@ fun AllDayRow(event: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, variant: MultiDayVari
             .clickable(actionStartActivity(calendarViewIntent(event.url))),
         verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically
     ) {
-        // Matches HourRow's 32dp hour-label gutter so this row's color bar lines up
-        // with EventBlock's bar in the grid below it, instead of sitting flush left.
+        // Matches HourRow's 32dp hour-label gutter so this row's text lines up
+        // with EventBlock's text in the grid below it, instead of sitting flush left.
         Spacer(modifier = GlanceModifier.width(32.dp))
-        Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.width(3.dp).height(16.dp).background(color)) {}
-        Text(
+        ShadowedText(
             text = event.title,
             style = TextStyle(
-                color = ColorProvider(Color.White.copy(alpha = 0.9f)),
+                color = ColorProvider(palette.textPrimary),
                 fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(13),
                 fontWeight = textSize.scaledContentWeight(FontWeight.Medium)
             ),
+            haloColor = palette.haloColor,
             modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = 8.dp),
             maxLines = 1
         )
         if (label.isNotEmpty()) {
-            Text(
+            ShadowedText(
                 // Full opacity, matching EventBlock's upcoming (non-past) events --
                 // the label is time-relevant info, not secondary chrome.
                 text = label,
                 style = TextStyle(
-                    color = ColorProvider(Color.White.copy(alpha = 1f)),
+                    color = ColorProvider(palette.textPrimary),
                     fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(13),
                     fontWeight = textSize.scaledContentWeight(FontWeight.Medium)
                 ),
+                haloColor = palette.haloColor,
                 modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = 4.dp),
                 maxLines = 1
             )
@@ -85,7 +154,7 @@ fun AllDayRow(event: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, variant: MultiDayVari
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun RefreshButton(isRefreshing: Boolean) {
+fun RefreshButton(isRefreshing: Boolean, palette: WidgetPalette) {
     Box(
         modifier = GlanceModifier
             .size(24.dp)
@@ -98,14 +167,14 @@ fun RefreshButton(isRefreshing: Boolean) {
                 else org.terst.doot.widget.R.drawable.ic_refresh
             ),
             contentDescription = if (isRefreshing) "Refreshing" else "Refresh",
-            colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF))),
+            colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary)),
             modifier = GlanceModifier.size(14.dp)
         )
     }
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun QuickAddButton() {
+fun QuickAddButton(palette: WidgetPalette) {
     val context = LocalContext.current
     val intent = Intent(context, QuickAddActivity::class.java).apply {
         addFlags(Intent.FLAG_ACTIVITY_NEW_TASK)
@@ -119,7 +188,7 @@ fun QuickAddButton() {
         Image(
             provider = ImageProvider(org.terst.doot.widget.R.drawable.ic_add),
             contentDescription = "Add task",
-            colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF))),
+            colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary)),
             modifier = GlanceModifier.size(14.dp)
         )
     }
@@ -132,7 +201,9 @@ fun HourRow(
     scheduled: List<WidgetItem>,
     fragments: List<TaskFragment>,
     @Suppress("UNUSED_PARAMETER") zone: ZoneId,
-    textSize: WidgetTextSize
+    textSize: WidgetTextSize,
+    palette: WidgetPalette,
+    hideCheckboxes: Boolean = false
 ) {
     val hourStart = nowZoned.withHour(hour).withMinute(0).withSecond(0).withNano(0).toInstant()
     val hourEnd = hourStart.plus(1, ChronoUnit.HOURS)
@@ -152,19 +223,20 @@ fun HourRow(
         modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().wrapContentHeight(),
         verticalAlignment = Alignment.Top
     ) {
-        Text(
+        ShadowedText(
             text = hourLabel(hour),
             style = TextStyle(
-                color = ColorProvider(Color(0x80FFFFFF)),
+                color = ColorProvider(palette.textMuted),
                 fontSize = textSize.scaledHeaderSize(10),
                 fontWeight = textSize.scaledHeaderWeight(FontWeight.Normal)
             ),
+            haloColor = palette.haloColor,
             modifier = GlanceModifier.width(32.dp).padding(top = 2.dp)
         )
 
         Column(modifier = GlanceModifier.defaultWeight()) {
             // Hour divider line
-            Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().height(1.dp).background(Color(0x1AFFFFFF))) {}
+            Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().height(1.dp).background(palette.divider)) {}
 
             // NOW indicator
             if (isNowHour) {
@@ -172,27 +244,27 @@ fun HourRow(
                     modifier = GlanceModifier
                         .fillMaxWidth()
                         .height(1.dp)
-                        .background(Color(0xBFFFFFFF.toInt()))
+                        .background(palette.nowLine)
                         .padding(vertical = 2.dp)
                 ) {}
             }
 
+            // Past events never reach here -- WidgetRoot pulls them out of `scheduled`
+            // before this point (see isPastEvent) and renders them as list rows above
+            // the grid instead, the same way past tasks already float above it.
             eventsHere.forEach { event ->
-                val isPast = event.end?.let { Instant.parse(it) < nowZoned.toInstant() } ?: false
-                EventBlock(event, isPast, textSize)
+                EventBlock(event, textSize, palette)
             }
 
             fragsHere.forEach { frag ->
-                TaskFragmentBlock(frag, textSize)
+                TaskFragmentBlock(frag, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes)
             }
         }
     }
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun EventBlock(event: WidgetItem, isPast: Boolean, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
-    val color = sourceColor(event.source)
-    val alpha = if (isPast) 0.5f else 1f
+fun EventBlock(event: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, palette: WidgetPalette) {
     Row(
         modifier = GlanceModifier
             .fillMaxWidth()
@@ -200,19 +272,14 @@ fun EventBlock(event: WidgetItem, isPast: Boolean, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
             .clickable(actionStartActivity(calendarViewIntent(event.url))),
         verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically
     ) {
-        Box(
-            modifier = GlanceModifier
-                .width(3.dp)
-                .height(20.dp)
-                .background(color.copy(alpha = alpha))
-        ) {}
-        Text(
+        ShadowedText(
             text = event.title,
             style = TextStyle(
-                color = ColorProvider(Color.White.copy(alpha = alpha)),
+                color = ColorProvider(palette.textPrimary),
                 fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(14),
                 fontWeight = textSize.scaledContentWeight(FontWeight.Normal)
             ),
+            haloColor = palette.haloColor,
             modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = 8.dp),
             maxLines = 1
         )
@@ -220,20 +287,20 @@ fun EventBlock(event: WidgetItem, isPast: Boolean, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun TaskFragmentBlock(fragment: TaskFragment, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
+fun TaskFragmentBlock(fragment: TaskFragment, textSize: WidgetTextSize, palette: WidgetPalette, hideCheckboxes: Boolean = false) {
     Column(
         modifier = GlanceModifier
             .fillMaxWidth()
             .padding(vertical = 2.dp)
     ) {
         fragment.slots.forEach { slot ->
-            TaskRow(slot.task, textSize)
+            TaskRow(slot.task, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes)
         }
     }
 }
 
 @Composable
-fun TaskRow(task: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
+fun TaskRow(task: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize, palette: WidgetPalette, hideCheckboxes: Boolean = false) {
     val context = LocalContext.current
     val detailIntent = Intent(context, TaskDetailActivity::class.java).apply {
         putExtra(TaskDetailActivity.EXTRA_ID, task.id)
@@ -252,33 +319,41 @@ fun TaskRow(task: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
             .padding(horizontal = 8.dp, vertical = 5.dp),
         verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically
     ) {
-        if (task.completable) {
-            Box(
-                modifier = GlanceModifier
-                    .size(24.dp)
-                    .clickable(
-                        actionRunCallback<CompleteTaskAction>(
-                            actionParametersOf(
-                                CompleteTaskAction.idKey to task.id,
-                                CompleteTaskAction.sourceKey to task.source
+        // Suppressing checkboxes drops this leading element entirely rather than just
+        // hiding its icon -- the title Box below already carries its own 8dp start
+        // padding (matching EventBlock's), so with nothing ahead of it in the Row,
+        // task titles land flush with event titles instead of offset by unused space.
+        // Tradeoff: tap-to-complete-from-the-widget goes with it (TaskDetailActivity's
+        // Complete button still works), which is what "so everything lines up" implies.
+        if (!hideCheckboxes) {
+            if (task.completable) {
+                Box(
+                    modifier = GlanceModifier
+                        .size(24.dp)
+                        .clickable(
+                            actionRunCallback<CompleteTaskAction>(
+                                actionParametersOf(
+                                    CompleteTaskAction.idKey to task.id,
+                                    CompleteTaskAction.sourceKey to task.source
+                                )
                             )
-                        )
-                    ),
-                contentAlignment = Alignment.Center
-            ) {
-                Image(
-                    provider = ImageProvider(org.terst.doot.widget.R.drawable.ic_checkbox_empty),
-                    contentDescription = "Complete ${task.title}",
-                    colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(sourceColor(task.source))),
-                    modifier = GlanceModifier.size(14.dp)
-                )
+                        ),
+                    contentAlignment = Alignment.Center
+                ) {
+                    Image(
+                        provider = ImageProvider(org.terst.doot.widget.R.drawable.ic_checkbox_empty),
+                        contentDescription = "Complete ${task.title}",
+                        colorFilter = ColorFilter.tint(ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary)),
+                        modifier = GlanceModifier.size(14.dp)
+                    )
+                }
+            } else {
+                Box(
+                    modifier = GlanceModifier
+                        .size(8.dp)
+                        .background(palette.textMuted)
+                ) {}
             }
-        } else {
-            Box(
-                modifier = GlanceModifier
-                    .size(8.dp)
-                    .background(sourceColor(task.source).copy(alpha = 0.6f))
-            ) {}
         }
 
         if (task.projectColor != null) {
@@ -297,24 +372,26 @@ fun TaskRow(task: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
                 .padding(start = 8.dp),
             contentAlignment = Alignment.CenterStart
         ) {
-            Text(
+            ShadowedText(
                 text = task.title,
                 style = TextStyle(
-                    color = ColorProvider(Color.White),
+                    color = ColorProvider(palette.textPrimary),
                     fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(14),
                     fontWeight = textSize.scaledContentWeight(FontWeight.Normal)
                 ),
+                haloColor = palette.haloColor,
                 maxLines = 1
             )
         }
 
         if (task.chainTotal > 0) {
-            Text(
+            ShadowedText(
                 text = "${task.chainPosition}/${task.chainTotal}",
                 style = TextStyle(
-                    color = ColorProvider(Color(0xFFC4B5FD)),
+                    color = ColorProvider(palette.textMuted),
                     fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(11)
                 ),
+                haloColor = palette.haloColor,
                 modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = 4.dp)
             )
         }
@@ -329,12 +406,13 @@ fun TaskRow(task: WidgetItem, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
                         )
                     )
             ) {
-                Text(
+                ShadowedText(
                     text = "defer",
                     style = TextStyle(
-                        color = ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF)),
+                        color = ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary),
                         fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(11)
-                    )
+                    ),
+                    haloColor = palette.haloColor
                 )
             }
         }
@@ -348,7 +426,9 @@ fun TomorrowSection(
     allDayEvents: List<WidgetItem>,
     multiDayEvents: List<Pair<WidgetItem, MultiDayVariant>>,
     zone: ZoneId,
-    textSize: WidgetTextSize
+    textSize: WidgetTextSize,
+    palette: WidgetPalette,
+    hideCheckboxes: Boolean = false
 ) {
     // This whole section renders inside a single LazyColumn `item { }` slot
     // (see DootWidget.kt), which composes to one RemoteViews node -- without
@@ -356,40 +436,56 @@ fun TomorrowSection(
     // no shared vertical-flow container and all stack at the same position
     // instead of flowing top-to-bottom.
     Column(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth()) {
-        Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().height(1.dp).padding(vertical = 4.dp).background(Color(0x1AFFFFFF))) {}
+        Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().height(1.dp).padding(vertical = 4.dp).background(palette.divider)) {}
 
         Row(modifier = GlanceModifier.fillMaxWidth().padding(top = 6.dp, bottom = 2.dp)) {
-            Text(
+            ShadowedText(
                 "TOMORROW",
                 style = TextStyle(
-                    color = ColorProvider(Color(0x99FFFFFF)),
+                    color = ColorProvider(palette.textSecondary),
                     fontSize = textSize.scaledHeaderSize(11),
                     fontWeight = textSize.scaledHeaderWeight(FontWeight.Bold)
-                )
+                ),
+                haloColor = palette.haloColor
             )
         }
 
-        allDayEvents.forEach { AllDayRow(it, textSize) }
-        multiDayEvents.forEach { (item, variant) -> AllDayRow(item, textSize, variant) }
+        allDayEvents.forEach { AllDayRow(it, textSize, palette = palette) }
+        multiDayEvents.forEach { (item, variant) -> AllDayRow(item, textSize, variant, palette) }
 
         items.forEach { item ->
-            val isPast = false
             if (item.type == "event") {
-                TomorrowEventRow(item, zone, textSize)
+                TimeLabeledEventRow(item, zone, textSize, palette, titleColor = palette.textSecondary)
             } else {
-                TaskRow(item, textSize)
+                TaskRow(item, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes)
             }
         }
 
         fragments.forEach { frag ->
-            frag.slots.forEach { slot -> TaskRow(slot.task, textSize) }
+            frag.slots.forEach { slot -> TaskRow(slot.task, textSize, palette, hideCheckboxes) }
         }
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * A time-label + title row for an event shown outside the hourly grid --
+ * used for tomorrow's events (no grid exists past today) and, since the
+ * 2026-08-05 "past events shouldn't stretch the grid" change, for today's
+ * already-ended events too (same treatment past tasks already got: once
+ * past, it's just a list item, not a grid slot). [titleColor]/[alpha] let
+ * each caller keep its own existing look -- tomorrow's events are
+ * de-emphasized via textSecondary at full opacity; today's past events
+ * keep EventBlock's previous textPrimary-at-50%-alpha treatment.
+ */
 @Composable
-fun TomorrowEventRow(event: WidgetItem, zone: ZoneId, textSize: WidgetTextSize) {
-    val color = sourceColor(event.source)
+fun TimeLabeledEventRow(
+    event: WidgetItem,
+    zone: ZoneId,
+    textSize: WidgetTextSize,
+    palette: WidgetPalette,
+    titleColor: Color,
+    alpha: Float = 1f
+) {
     val timeLabel = event.start?.let {
         val t = Instant.parse(it).atZone(zone)
         hourLabel(t.hour) + if (t.minute > 0) t.minute.toString().padStart(2, '0') else ""
@@ -401,29 +497,63 @@ fun TomorrowEventRow(event: WidgetItem, zone: ZoneId, textSize: WidgetTextSize)
             .clickable(actionStartActivity(calendarViewIntent(event.url))),
         verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically
     ) {
-        Text(
+        ShadowedText(
             text = timeLabel,
             style = TextStyle(
-                color = ColorProvider(Color(0x80FFFFFF)),
+                color = ColorProvider(palette.textMuted.copy(alpha = alpha)),
                 fontSize = textSize.scaledHeaderSize(10),
                 fontWeight = textSize.scaledHeaderWeight(FontWeight.Normal)
             ),
+            haloColor = palette.haloColor.copy(alpha = palette.haloColor.alpha * alpha),
             modifier = GlanceModifier.width(32.dp)
         )
-        Box(modifier = GlanceModifier.width(3.dp).height(16.dp).background(color)) {}
-        Text(
+        ShadowedText(
             text = event.title,
             style = TextStyle(
-                color = ColorProvider(Color.White.copy(alpha = 0.75f)),
+                color = ColorProvider(titleColor.copy(alpha = alpha)),
                 fontSize = textSize.scaledContentSize(13),
                 fontWeight = textSize.scaledContentWeight(FontWeight.Normal)
             ),
+            haloColor = palette.haloColor.copy(alpha = palette.haloColor.alpha * alpha),
             modifier = GlanceModifier.padding(start = 8.dp),
             maxLines = 1
         )
     }
 }
 
+/**
+ * True for a calendar event (never a task -- past tasks are already handled
+ * separately by SlotPacker) whose end time has passed. Matches the "past"
+ * semantics EventBlock used to compute inline before the 2026-08-05 change
+ * that pulls past events out of the grid entirely: an event with no end
+ * time is never past (still ongoing/current, not stale).
+ */
+internal fun isPastEvent(item: WidgetItem, now: Instant): Boolean {
+    if (item.type == "task") return false
+    val end = item.end?.let { runCatching { Instant.parse(it) }.getOrNull() } ?: return false
+    return end < now
+}
+
+private val MOON_PHASES = listOf("🌑", "🌒", "🌓", "🌔", "🌕", "🌖", "🌗", "🌘") // 🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘
+private val KNOWN_NEW_MOON: LocalDate = LocalDate.of(2000, 1, 6) // widely-used reference new moon (18:14 UTC)
+private const val SYNODIC_MONTH_DAYS = 29.53058867
+
+/**
+ * Today's moon phase, purely computed from the date -- no network call, no
+ * API key, just days-since-a-known-new-moon modulo the synodic month.
+ * Accurate to within about a day, which is the point: a small, honestly-fun
+ * touch for the "TODAY" header, not a navigation instrument. (Requested
+ * 2026-08-06 as "do something fun and surprising" -- picked this because
+ * it's a nice detail widgets basically never have, actually useful if you
+ * sail, and costs nothing to compute or maintain.)
+ */
+internal fun moonPhaseEmoji(date: LocalDate): String {
+    val daysSince = ChronoUnit.DAYS.between(KNOWN_NEW_MOON, date).toDouble()
+    val phase = ((daysSince % SYNODIC_MONTH_DAYS) + SYNODIC_MONTH_DAYS) % SYNODIC_MONTH_DAYS
+    val index = ((phase / SYNODIC_MONTH_DAYS) * MOON_PHASES.size).toInt().coerceIn(0, MOON_PHASES.size - 1)
+    return MOON_PHASES[index]
+}
+
 internal fun hourLabel(hour: Int): String = when {
     hour == 0  -> "12a"
     hour < 12  -> "${hour}a"
diff --git a/android/app/src/test/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidgetGridTest.kt b/android/app/src/test/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidgetGridTest.kt
index e3d76b1..550c533 100644
--- a/android/app/src/test/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidgetGridTest.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/test/java/org/terst/doot/widget/ui/DootWidgetGridTest.kt
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 package org.terst.doot.widget.ui
 
 import org.junit.Assert.assertEquals
+import org.junit.Assert.assertFalse
+import org.junit.Assert.assertTrue
 import org.junit.Before
 import org.junit.After
 import org.junit.Test
 import org.terst.doot.widget.data.WidgetItem
+import java.time.Instant
 import java.util.TimeZone
 
 class DootWidgetGridTest {
@@ -47,4 +50,63 @@ class DootWidgetGridTest {
         val gridEnd = calcGridEnd(emptyList(), nowHour = 22)
         assertEquals(23, gridEnd)
     }
+
+    // isPastEvent: 2026-08-05 change pulling already-ended events out of the grid to
+    // stack above it as list rows, same treatment past tasks already got.
+
+    private fun event(endIso: String?) = WidgetItem(
+        id = "e", title = "Event", source = "calendar", type = "event",
+        start = "2026-07-12T09:00:00Z", end = endIso
+    )
+
+    private fun task(startIso: String) = WidgetItem(
+        id = "t", title = "Task", source = "doot", type = "task", start = startIso
+    )
+
+    @Test
+    fun `isPastEvent is true once end has passed`() {
+        val now = Instant.parse("2026-07-12T10:00:00Z")
+        assertTrue(isPastEvent(event(endIso = "2026-07-12T09:30:00Z"), now))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `isPastEvent is false while still ongoing`() {
+        val now = Instant.parse("2026-07-12T10:00:00Z")
+        assertFalse(isPastEvent(event(endIso = "2026-07-12T10:30:00Z"), now))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `isPastEvent is false with no end time -- never considered past`() {
+        val now = Instant.parse("2026-07-12T23:00:00Z")
+        assertFalse(isPastEvent(event(endIso = null), now))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `isPastEvent is always false for tasks -- SlotPacker already handles those`() {
+        val now = Instant.parse("2026-07-12T10:00:00Z")
+        assertFalse(isPastEvent(task(startIso = "2026-07-12T08:00:00Z"), now))
+    }
+
+    // moonPhaseEmoji: values verified against direct computation before writing these
+    // assertions (days-since-anchor / synodic-month arithmetic), not hand-computed.
+
+    @Test
+    fun `moonPhaseEmoji on the reference new moon date is new moon`() {
+        assertEquals("🌑", moonPhaseEmoji(java.time.LocalDate.of(2000, 1, 6)))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `moonPhaseEmoji about half a synodic month later is full moon`() {
+        assertEquals("🌕", moonPhaseEmoji(java.time.LocalDate.of(2000, 1, 21)))
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    fun `moonPhaseEmoji never indexes out of bounds across a full cycle`() {
+        val anchor = java.time.LocalDate.of(2000, 1, 6)
+        for (offset in 0..365) {
+            // Must not throw for any date in a full year -- the real assertion here is
+            // "doesn't crash," the emoji values themselves are checked in the two tests above.
+            moonPhaseEmoji(anchor.plusDays(offset.toLong()))
+        }
+    }
 }