diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9c13186..3d7d8f6 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -57,7 +57,24 @@ read the receipts. No browser, no terminal.
   value); the scoreboard shows observed routing outcomes, not promises. The
   read-only training card reports the local run as it is.
 
-## Run it
+## Install it
+
+Flywheel ships as a Windows installer: the app and the engine arrive
+together, no Python, no PATH setup. Download the latest
+`Flywheel-Setup-<version>-x64.exe` from the
+[releases page](https://github.com/HarperZ9/flywheel-desktop/releases);
+every release is built from its version tag by a public pipeline and ships
+with a `SHA256SUMS.txt` receipt. Verify the copy you downloaded:
+
+```
+Get-FileHash Flywheel-Setup-0.2.1-x64.exe -Algorithm SHA256
+```
+
+The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen will warn on
+first run; the hash is the substitute, proving the file you hold is the file
+the pipeline built.
+
+## Run it from source
 
 Install the engine and start it once:
 
@@ -72,7 +89,9 @@ Then run the app:
 flutter run -d windows --release
 ```
 
-If the engine is offline the app says so and can start it for you.
+If the engine is offline the app says so and can start it for you. An
+installed app launches its own bundled engine by absolute path; a dev
+checkout falls back to `flywheel` on PATH.
 
 ## Design
 
diff --git a/lib/version.dart b/lib/version.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c809a41
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/version.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+// version.dart — the app's release identity, surfaced in the UI.
+//
+// One constant, no plugin. The truth lives in pubspec.yaml; a drift gate
+// (test/version_truth_test.dart) fails the suite the moment the two
+// disagree, so this can never silently lie about what is running.
+
+const String appVersion = '0.2.1';
+const String appPublisher = 'ZentropyLabs';
+const String appReleases = 'github.com/HarperZ9/flywheel-desktop/releases';
diff --git a/lib/widgets/appearance_panel.dart b/lib/widgets/appearance_panel.dart
index 3236faf..da53361 100644
--- a/lib/widgets/appearance_panel.dart
+++ b/lib/widgets/appearance_panel.dart
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
 import '../services/settings.dart';
 import '../theme/flywheel_theme.dart';
+import '../version.dart';
 import 'fw.dart';
 
 const kTextChoices = <String?>[
@@ -121,6 +122,20 @@ class _AppearanceFormState extends State<_AppearanceForm> {
             ),
           ],
         ),
+        const SizedBox(height: FwLayout.s4),
+        Divider(height: 1, color: t.hairline),
+        const SizedBox(height: FwLayout.s3),
+        // The app's release identity. The version constant is drift-gated
+        // against pubspec by the test suite, so this line cannot lie.
+        Text('Flywheel v$appVersion · $appPublisher',
+            style: fwMono(t, size: 11.5, color: t.inkMuted)),
+        const SizedBox(height: 3),
+        SelectableText(appReleases, style: fwMono(t, size: 10.5, color: t.inkFaint)),
+        const SizedBox(height: 3),
+        Text(
+            'Every release ships with a SHA-256 receipt beside the installer; '
+            'verify your download against it.',
+            style: TextStyle(fontSize: 11, color: t.inkFaint, height: 1.4)),
       ],
     );
   }
diff --git a/test/version_truth_test.dart b/test/version_truth_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..67db5ff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/version_truth_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// The drift gate for lib/version.dart: the constant the UI shows must be
+// the version pubspec ships. The moment a release bump touches one and not
+// the other, this fails, so the About surface can never lie.
+import 'dart:io';
+
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+
+import 'package:flywheel_desktop/version.dart';
+
+void main() {
+  test('appVersion matches pubspec.yaml', () {
+    final line = File('pubspec.yaml')
+        .readAsLinesSync()
+        .firstWhere((l) => l.startsWith('version:'));
+    final pubspec = line.split(':')[1].trim().split('+')[0];
+    expect(appVersion, pubspec,
+        reason: 'bump lib/version.dart together with pubspec.yaml');
+  });
+}