diff --git a/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.test.ts b/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.test.ts
index 9e1ffd09cf..b35482f971 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.test.ts
+++ b/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.test.ts
@@ -22,16 +22,17 @@ describe('planUpdates', () => {
     { tag: 'v0.13.0', channel: 'stable' },
     { tag: '0.13.0', channel: 'stable' },
     { tag: 'v0.13.0+build.7', channel: 'stable' },
-    { tag: 'v0.13.0-beta.1', channel: 'beta' },
-    { tag: 'v0.13.0-alpha.36', channel: 'alpha' },
-    { tag: 'v0.13.0-Nightly.20261026', channel: 'nightly' },
+    { tag: 'v0.13.0-beta.1', channel: 'canary' },
+    { tag: 'v0.13.0-alpha.36', channel: 'canary' },
+    { tag: 'v0.13.0-rc.1', channel: 'canary' },
+    { tag: 'v0.13.0-1', channel: 'canary' },
     { tag: 'v0.13.0-canary1', channel: 'canary' },
   ])('publishes the release $tag to $channel with the version of package.json', ({ tag, channel }) => {
     expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'release', tag })).toEqual({ ...planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'push' }), channel, version: '0.13.0' })
   })
 
-  // A prerelease that names no channel must never fall back to stable, or stable installs would take it.
-  it.each(['v0.13.0-rc.1', 'v0.13.0-1', 'v0.13.0.1', 'release-2026', 'v0.13'])('publishes nothing for the tag %s', (tag) => {
+  // A tag that is not a version must never fall back to stable, or stable installs would take it.
+  it.each(['v0.13.0.1', 'release-2026', 'v0.13'])('publishes nothing for the tag %s', (tag) => {
     const plan = planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'release', tag })
 
     expect(plan.channel).toBeUndefined()
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ describe('planUpdates', () => {
   })
 
   it('publishes a manual release run with a tag, and nothing for other manual runs', () => {
-    expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'workflow_dispatch', tag: 'v0.13.0-beta.2' }).channel).toBe('beta')
+    expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'workflow_dispatch', tag: 'v0.13.0-beta.2' }).channel).toBe('canary')
     expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'workflow_dispatch' })).toMatchObject({ skipReason: 'This run is not a release.' })
     expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'workflow_dispatch' }).channel).toBeUndefined()
     expect(planUpdates({ ...base, event: 'workflow_dispatch', tag: 'v0.13.0', buildOnly: true }).channel).toBeUndefined()
diff --git a/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.ts b/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.ts
index 947e7167b8..655cff986d 100644
--- a/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.ts
+++ b/.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.ts
@@ -3,9 +3,6 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 import { appendFile, readFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { pathToFileURL } from 'node:url'
 
-/** The update channels that a release tag can name with its prerelease, as `ergo.config.ts` derives them. */
-const PRERELEASE_CHANNELS = ['alpha', 'beta', 'nightly', 'canary'] as const
-
 export interface PlanInput {
   /** `github.event_name`. */
   event: string
@@ -40,9 +37,9 @@ export interface UpdatePlan {
  *
  * - A push to main publishes to `dev`, and a scheduled run to `nightly`. Their versions name the build, for example
  *   `0.12.0+dev.45.1bf946f`. Semver ignores the part after `+`, so the about page does not take them for a downgrade.
- * - A release, or a manual release run with a tag, publishes to the lane of the tag: `v0.13.0-beta.1` to `beta`, and
- *   `v0.13.0` to `stable`. A prerelease of another name, for example `v0.13.0-rc.1`, publishes nothing, so it never
- *   reaches stable.
+ * - A release, or a manual release run with a tag, publishes a prerelease such as `v0.13.0-rc.1` or `v0.13.0-beta.1`
+ *   to `canary`, and `v0.13.0` to `stable`. `channelOfVersion` of `apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.ts`
+ *   gives the same channel for the version, so an install follows the channel that gets its next release.
  * - Other manual runs publish nothing.
  */
 export function planUpdates(input: PlanInput): UpdatePlan {
@@ -66,15 +63,7 @@ export function planUpdates(input: PlanInput): UpdatePlan {
   const match = /^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-([0-9a-z.-]+))?(?:\+[0-9a-z.-]+)?$/i.exec(input.tag)
   if (!match)
     return { ...ids, skipReason: `The tag ${input.tag} is not a version.`, version }
-  if (match[1] === undefined)
-    return { ...ids, channel: 'stable', version }
-
-  // The name of the prerelease: `beta` of `beta.1`, and of `beta1`.
-  const prerelease = /^[a-z]+/i.exec(match[1])?.[0].toLowerCase()
-  if (prerelease !== undefined && (PRERELEASE_CHANNELS as readonly string[]).includes(prerelease))
-    return { ...ids, channel: prerelease, version }
-
-  return { ...ids, skipReason: `The tag ${input.tag} names no update channel.`, version }
+  return { ...ids, channel: match[1] === undefined ? 'stable' : 'canary', version }
 }
 
 async function main() {
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/ergo.config.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/ergo.config.ts
index eef5327849..0b29aa34c2 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/ergo.config.ts
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/ergo.config.ts
@@ -3,19 +3,17 @@ import { env } from 'node:process'
 
 import { defineConfig } from '@ergosphere-it/electron/config'
 
-const { version } = JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL('./package.json', import.meta.url), 'utf8')) as { version: string }
+// Node loads this file with type stripping, which resolves only full file names.
+// eslint-disable-next-line no-restricted-syntax
+import { channelOfVersion } from './src/shared/update-channels.ts'
 
-/**
- * The channel of a build: the prerelease name of the version, for example `beta` for `0.9.0-beta.4`, or `stable`.
- * The app can switch to another lane at run time, see `src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts`.
- */
-function laneOf(version: string) {
-  const prerelease = /^\d+\.\d+\.\d+-([a-z]+)/i.exec(version)?.[1]?.toLowerCase()
-  return prerelease && ['alpha', 'beta', 'nightly', 'canary'].includes(prerelease) ? prerelease : 'stable'
-}
+// CI names each build in `ERGOSPHERE_IT_VERSION`, for example `0.13.0+nightly.12.13eef81`. The build uses the same name.
+const version = env.ERGOSPHERE_IT_VERSION
+  || (JSON.parse(readFileSync(new URL('./package.json', import.meta.url), 'utf8')) as { version: string }).version
 
 export default defineConfig({
-  channel: env.AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL || laneOf(version),
+  // The app can switch to another channel at run time, see `src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts`.
+  channel: env.AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL || channelOfVersion(version),
   // Steam updates the Steam build. Flatpak and Nix are known only at runtime, see src/launcher/index.ts.
   disabled: env.VITE_DISTRIBUTION === 'steam',
   // A test build can point at another feed and key, for example a local S3.
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.test.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..69c458f95c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+import { parse } from 'valibot'
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { globalAppConfigSchema } from './global'
+
+describe('globalAppConfigSchema', () => {
+  it.each([
+    { stored: 'stable', expected: 'stable' },
+    { stored: 'dev', expected: 'dev' },
+    { stored: 'latest', expected: undefined },
+    { stored: 'alpha', expected: 'canary' },
+    { stored: 'beta', expected: 'canary' },
+  ])('reads the stored update channel $stored as $expected', ({ stored, expected }) => {
+    expect(parse(globalAppConfigSchema, { updateChannel: stored }).updateChannel).toBe(expected)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.ts
index 42a79eb06f..03d52c9e1c 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.ts
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/configs/global.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
-import { array, boolean, object, optional, picklist, string } from 'valibot'
+import type { UpdateChannel } from '../../shared/update-channels'
+
+import { array, boolean, object, optional, picklist, pipe, string, transform } from 'valibot'
 
 import { createConfig } from '../libs/electron/persistence'
 
@@ -7,11 +9,30 @@ const shortcutAcceleratorSchema = object({
   key: string(),
 })
 
+// NOTICE:
+// Releases up to v0.13.0 let the user choose `latest`, `alpha`, and `beta`, which the store never had.
+// `latest` becomes auto. `alpha` and `beta` become `canary`, which gets every prerelease.
+// Remove the old names after the next stable release.
+const storedUpdateChannels = {
+  stable: 'stable',
+  canary: 'canary',
+  nightly: 'nightly',
+  dev: 'dev',
+  latest: undefined,
+  alpha: 'canary',
+  beta: 'canary',
+} as const satisfies Record<UpdateChannel | 'latest' | 'alpha' | 'beta', UpdateChannel | undefined>
+
+const updateChannelSchema = pipe(
+  picklist(['stable', 'canary', 'nightly', 'dev', 'latest', 'alpha', 'beta']),
+  transform(channel => storedUpdateChannels[channel]),
+)
+
 export const globalAppConfigSchema = object({
   hideAppIcon: optional(boolean()),
   language: optional(string()),
   spotlightShortcutAccelerator: optional(shortcutAcceleratorSchema),
-  updateChannel: optional(picklist(['latest', 'stable', 'alpha', 'beta', 'nightly', 'canary', 'dev'])),
+  updateChannel: optional(updateChannelSchema),
 })
 
 export function createGlobalAppConfig() {
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.test.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.test.ts
index 8ef595d08b..c762b2da68 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.test.ts
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.test.ts
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ describe('setupAutoUpdater', () => {
 
   it.each([
     { name: 'the lane that the user chose', stored: 'nightly', env: undefined, expected: 'nightly' },
-    { name: 'AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL', stored: 'nightly', env: 'alpha', expected: 'alpha' },
+    { name: 'AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL', stored: 'nightly', env: 'dev', expected: 'dev' },
   ] as const)('follows $name', async ({ stored, env, expected }) => {
     if (env)
       vi.stubEnv('AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL', env)
@@ -159,6 +159,20 @@ describe('setupAutoUpdater', () => {
     expect(fake.updater.channel).toBe('ota-test')
   })
 
+  it.each([
+    { saved: 'latest', version: '0.13.0+dev.821.13eef81', expected: 'dev' },
+    { saved: 'beta', version: '0.14.0-rc.1', expected: 'canary' },
+  ])('leaves the removed channel $saved that the launcher saved, for the channel of $version', async ({ saved, version, expected }) => {
+    bundleState.version = version
+    const fake = createFakeUpdater()
+    fake.updater.channel = saved
+    const { setupAutoUpdater } = await import('./auto-updater')
+
+    setupAutoUpdater({ updater: fake.updater })
+
+    expect(fake.updater.channel).toBe(expected)
+  })
+
   it('switches the channel, saves the choice, and checks again when the user picks a lane', async () => {
     const fake = createFakeUpdater()
     const setStoredUpdateLane = vi.fn()
@@ -173,14 +187,21 @@ describe('setupAutoUpdater', () => {
     expect(service.getPreferredUpdateLane()).toBe('nightly')
   })
 
-  it('goes back to the lane of the build when the user picks auto', async () => {
+  it.each([
+    { version: '0.9.0-beta.4', expected: 'canary' },
+    { version: '0.13.0+nightly.12.13eef81', expected: 'nightly' },
+    { version: '0.13.0+dev.821.13eef81', expected: 'dev' },
+    { version: '0.13.0', expected: 'stable' },
+  ])('goes back to the channel of $version when the user picks auto', async ({ version, expected }) => {
+    bundleState.version = version
     const fake = createFakeUpdater()
+    fake.updater.channel = 'canary'
     const { setupAutoUpdater } = await import('./auto-updater')
-    const service = setupAutoUpdater({ updater: fake.updater, getStoredUpdateLane: () => 'nightly' })
+    const service = setupAutoUpdater({ updater: fake.updater, getStoredUpdateLane: () => 'dev' })
 
     await service.setPreferredUpdateLane(undefined)
 
-    expect(fake.updater.channel).toBe('beta')
+    expect(fake.updater.channel).toBe(expected)
   })
 
   it('applies a ready update once while two clicks arrive at once', async () => {
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts
index 17dfc10ae7..88d26e9669 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/main/services/electron/auto-updater.ts
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ import process from 'node:process'
 import { appendFile, mkdir } from 'node:fs/promises'
 import { dirname, join, normalize } from 'node:path'
 
-import semver from 'semver'
-
 import { activeBundle, updater as ergosphereUpdater } from '@ergosphere-it/electron/main'
 import { useLogg } from '@guiiai/logg'
 import { defineInvokeHandler } from '@moeru/eventa'
@@ -26,6 +24,7 @@ import {
   electronGetUpdaterPreferences,
   electronSetUpdaterPreferences,
 } from '../../../shared/eventa'
+import { channelOfVersion, updateChannels } from '../../../shared/update-channels'
 
 const UPDATE_CHANNEL_ENV_KEY = 'AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL'
 
@@ -48,35 +47,15 @@ async function logToFile(level: 'INFO' | 'WARN' | 'ERROR', message: string) {
 export type UpdateLane = ElectronUpdaterChannel
 
 function normalizeLane(value: string | undefined): UpdateLane | undefined {
-  if (!value)
-    return undefined
-
-  switch (value.toLowerCase()) {
-    case 'stable':
-    case 'latest':
-    case 'alpha':
-    case 'beta':
-    case 'nightly':
-    case 'canary':
-    case 'dev':
-      return value.toLowerCase() as UpdateLane
-    default:
-      return undefined
-  }
-}
-
-function laneFromVersion(version: string): UpdateLane {
-  const prerelease = semver.prerelease(version)?.[0]?.toString().toLowerCase()
-  return normalizeLane(prerelease) ?? 'stable'
+  const lane = value?.toLowerCase()
+  return updateChannels.find(channel => channel === lane)
 }
 
 /**
  * The lane that the user or the environment chose: `AIRI_UPDATE_CHANNEL`, then the channel that the user chose.
- * Without one, the app follows the channel of its build, which `ergo.config.ts` derives from the version, so a beta
- * build follows `beta`.
+ * Without one, the app follows the channel of its version, see `channelOfVersion`, so a nightly build follows `nightly`.
  *
- * Each lane is a channel of the ergosphere-it release store with the same name. `latest` is the channel that every
- * release is promoted to. `dev` gets the bundle of each push to main, from `.github/workflows/release-tamagotchi.yml`.
+ * Each lane is a channel of the ergosphere-it release store with the same name.
  */
 export function getChosenUpdateLane(storedLane: UpdateLane | undefined): UpdateLane | undefined {
   return normalizeLane(process.env[UPDATE_CHANNEL_ENV_KEY]?.trim()) ?? storedLane
@@ -304,9 +283,16 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(options: AutoUpdaterOptions = {}): AutoUpdater
     log.withError(error).error(reason)
   }
 
-  const chosenLane = getChosenUpdateLane(storedPreferredLane)
-  if (updater.status.status !== 'disabled' && chosenLane)
-    follow(chosenLane)
+  if (updater.status.status !== 'disabled') {
+    // NOTICE:
+    // Up to v0.13.0, the launcher saved `latest`, `alpha`, or `beta`, which the store never had. Each check got a 404.
+    // `src/main/configs/global.ts` maps the choice of the user. This maps the channel that the launcher saved.
+    // Remove it after the next stable release, with the mapping in `global.ts`.
+    const savedRemovedChannel = ['latest', 'alpha', 'beta'].includes(updater.channel)
+    const lane = getChosenUpdateLane(storedPreferredLane) ?? (savedRemovedChannel ? channelOfVersion(activeBundle.version) : undefined)
+    if (lane)
+      follow(lane)
+  }
 
   updater.onEvent((event: LauncherEvent) => {
     // A download reports progress many times a second. Its start and its end are statuses of their own.
@@ -334,8 +320,8 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(options: AutoUpdaterOptions = {}): AutoUpdater
   let applying: Promise<void> | undefined
 
   // The launcher keeps a new bundle only when it reports healthy, and rolls it back otherwise. The bundle works when
-  // main started every module and the main window mounted its page. A page-only update reloads the windows in place,
-  // so its page reports again after the reload.
+  // main started every module and the main window finished loading its stage. After a page-only update, the reloaded
+  // page reports again.
   let mainReady = false
   let pageMounted = false
   function reportHealthWhenReady() {
@@ -384,8 +370,7 @@ export function setupAutoUpdater(options: AutoUpdaterOptions = {}): AutoUpdater
 
       storedPreferredLane = lane
       options.setStoredUpdateLane?.(lane)
-      // Auto goes back to the lane of the running version, as `ergo.config.ts` derives the channel of a build.
-      const next = getChosenUpdateLane(lane) ?? laneFromVersion(activeBundle.version)
+      const next = getChosenUpdateLane(lane) ?? channelOfVersion(activeBundle.version)
       if (updater.status.status !== 'disabled' && follow(next))
         await updater.checkForUpdates().catch(error => broadcastUpdaterError(error, 'checkForUpdates() failed'))
     },
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/about.vue b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/about.vue
index 96888b6686..0719ecfd57 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/about.vue
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/about.vue
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { computed, onMounted, ref, watch } from 'vue'
 import { useI18n } from 'vue-i18n'
 
 import { electronAppGetVersion, electronGetUpdaterPreferences, electronSetUpdaterPreferences } from '../../shared/eventa'
+import { updateChannels } from '../../shared/update-channels'
 
 const buildInfo = useBuildInfo()
 // The main process owns the app version. Packaging can change it after the renderer build, so `buildInfo.version`
@@ -64,12 +65,10 @@ const updaterErrorMessage = computed(() => {
 const showChangelog = ref(false)
 const showBugReportDialog = ref(false)
 const { isDesktop } = useBreakpoints()
-const updateChannelOptions = ['auto', 'latest', 'stable', 'alpha', 'beta', 'nightly', 'canary', 'dev'] as const
+const updateChannelOptions = ['auto', ...updateChannels] as const
 type UpdateChannelOption = typeof updateChannelOptions[number]
 const updateChannelSelectOptions = computed(() => updateChannelOptions.map(channel => ({
-  label: channel === 'latest'
-    ? 'Latest (any release)'
-    : t(`tamagotchi.stage.about.update.channels.${channel}`),
+  label: t(`tamagotchi.stage.about.update.channels.${channel}`),
   value: channel,
 })))
 const selectedUpdateChannel = ref<UpdateChannelOption>('auto')
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/index.vue b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/index.vue
index 47f3fd350e..235aa396d2 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/index.vue
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/renderer/pages/index.vue
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ import { useFeatureFlagsStore } from '@proj-airi/stage-ui/stores/feature-flags'
 import { useOnboardingStore } from '@proj-airi/stage-ui/stores/onboarding'
 import { useSettings } from '@proj-airi/stage-ui/stores/settings'
 import { useVoiceStore } from '@proj-airi/stage-ui/stores/voice'
-import { refDebounced } from '@vueuse/core'
+import { refDebounced, until } from '@vueuse/core'
 import { storeToRefs } from 'pinia'
 import { computed, nextTick, onMounted, onScopeDispose, ref, shallowRef, toRef, watch } from 'vue'
 import { useRouter } from 'vue-router'
@@ -199,9 +199,10 @@ useElectronEventaInvoke(electronAppIsWayland)()
   .then(value => isWayland.value = value)
   .catch(error => console.warn('[Main Page] Failed to detect Wayland; the controls Island stays shown:', errorMessageFrom(error)))
 
-// The update launcher keeps a new bundle only when it reports healthy. The main window mounting this page is part of it.
+// The update launcher keeps a new bundle only when it reports healthy, and rolls it back otherwise. This page reports
+// when the stage stops loading, with the model or with the error surface. A page stuck on loading never reports.
 const reportPageMounted = useElectronEventaInvoke(electronMainPageMounted)
-onMounted(() => void reportPageMounted())
+until(isLoading).toBe(false).then(() => reportPageMounted())
 
 const cursorAwayFromWindow = computed(() => !isWayland.value && isOutsideWindow.value && !isAroundWindowBorder.value)
 
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/eventa/index.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/eventa/index.ts
index 0f9d39e3de..999625a1ff 100644
--- a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/eventa/index.ts
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/eventa/index.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import type {
 import type { ChatHistoryReplyPayload } from '@proj-airi/stage-ui/components/scenarios/chat'
 import type { Rectangle } from 'electron'
 
+import type { UpdateChannel } from '../update-channels'
+
 import { defineEventa, defineInvokeEventa } from '@moeru/eventa'
 
 export const electronStartDraggingWindow = defineInvokeEventa('eventa:invoke:electron:start-dragging-window')
@@ -332,7 +334,7 @@ export const electronGetServerChannelConfig = defineInvokeEventa<ElectronServerC
 export const electronApplyServerChannelConfig = defineInvokeEventa<ElectronServerChannelConfig, Partial<ElectronServerChannelConfig>>('eventa:invoke:electron:server-channel:apply-config')
 export const electronGetServerChannelQrPayload = defineInvokeEventa<ServerChannelQrPayload>('eventa:invoke:electron:server-channel:get-qr-payload')
 
-export type ElectronUpdaterChannel = 'latest' | 'stable' | 'alpha' | 'beta' | 'nightly' | 'canary' | 'dev'
+export type ElectronUpdaterChannel = UpdateChannel
 
 export interface ElectronUpdaterPreferences {
   channel?: ElectronUpdaterChannel
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.test.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f301c79c38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+
+import { channelOfVersion } from './update-channels'
+
+describe('channelOfVersion', () => {
+  it.each([
+    { version: '0.13.0+dev.821.13eef81', expected: 'dev' },
+    { version: '0.13.0+nightly.12.13eef81', expected: 'nightly' },
+    { version: '0.14.0-rc.1+dev.3.13eef81', expected: 'dev' },
+    { version: '0.14.0-rc.1', expected: 'canary' },
+    { version: '0.14.0-beta.2', expected: 'canary' },
+    { version: 'v0.14.0-alpha.1', expected: 'canary' },
+    { version: '0.13.0', expected: 'stable' },
+    { version: '0.13.0+build.7', expected: 'stable' },
+  ])('maps $version to $expected', ({ version, expected }) => {
+    expect(channelOfVersion(version)).toBe(expected)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.ts b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..0cdf2a3c99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/stage-tamagotchi/src/shared/update-channels.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/**
+ * The update channels of the ergosphere-it release store, as `.github/scripts/plan-tamagotchi-updates.ts` publishes
+ * them.
+ *
+ * - `stable`: releases.
+ * - `canary`: prereleases, before they become releases.
+ * - `nightly`: the build of each day.
+ * - `dev`: the build of each push to main.
+ */
+export const updateChannels = ['stable', 'canary', 'nightly', 'dev'] as const
+
+export type UpdateChannel = typeof updateChannels[number]
+
+/**
+ * Returns the channel that a version comes from. With no channel that the user chose, the app follows this channel, and
+ * `ergo.config.ts` builds it in.
+ *
+ * Build metadata names a build of main, and a prerelease names a release candidate.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * channelOfVersion('0.13.0+dev.821.13eef81') // 'dev'
+ * channelOfVersion('0.13.0+nightly.12.13eef81') // 'nightly'
+ * channelOfVersion('0.14.0-rc.1') // 'canary'
+ * channelOfVersion('0.13.0') // 'stable'
+ */
+export function channelOfVersion(version: string): UpdateChannel {
+  const match = /^v?\d+\.\d+\.\d+(?:-([0-9a-z.-]+))?(?:\+([0-9a-z.-]+))?$/i.exec(version)
+  const build = match?.[2]?.split('.')[0]?.toLowerCase()
+  if (build === 'dev' || build === 'nightly')
+    return build
+  if (match?.[1] !== undefined)
+    return 'canary'
+
+  return 'stable'
+}
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/en/tamagotchi/stage.yaml b/packages/i18n/src/locales/en/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
index ec910ee234..2bc6d0eb0f 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/en/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/en/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
@@ -127,9 +127,9 @@ about:
       stable: Stable
       alpha: Alpha
       beta: Beta
-      nightly: Nightly
       canary: Canary
-      dev: Dev (every change on main)
+      nightly: Nightly
+      dev: Dev
     status:
       downloading: Downloading update...
       error-prefix: Error
diff --git a/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh-Hans/tamagotchi/stage.yaml b/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh-Hans/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
index c3f937b2ca..b083acee2e 100644
--- a/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh-Hans/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
+++ b/packages/i18n/src/locales/zh-Hans/tamagotchi/stage.yaml
@@ -120,8 +120,9 @@ about:
       stable: 稳定版
       alpha: Alpha 测试版
       beta: Beta 测试版
-      nightly: 每夜构建
       canary: 尝鲜版
+      nightly: 每日更新版
+      dev: 开发版
     status:
       downloading: 正在下载更新......
       error-prefix: 错误