diff --git a/.changeset/fix-dev-suri-cosmetic-phone-msg.md b/.changeset/fix-dev-suri-cosmetic-phone-msg.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9cb264e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/fix-dev-suri-cosmetic-phone-msg.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"playground-cli": patch
+---
+
+Fixed misleading "📱 Approve on your phone" log line during `dot deploy --signer dev --suri X --playground`. The session-key funding step now signs directly with the dev keypair instead of wrapping it in the phone-mode signing-event proxy. Phone-session deploys are unchanged.
diff --git a/src/utils/deploy/run.test.ts b/src/utils/deploy/run.test.ts
index b4ebce1f..fdd9dc9c 100644
--- a/src/utils/deploy/run.test.ts
+++ b/src/utils/deploy/run.test.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,17 @@ const fakeUserSigner: ResolvedSigner = {
     destroy: vi.fn(),
 };
 
+const fakeDevSigner: ResolvedSigner = {
+    signer: {
+        publicKey: new Uint8Array(32).fill(1),
+        signTx: vi.fn(),
+        signBytes: vi.fn(),
+    },
+    address: "5Dev",
+    source: "dev",
+    destroy: vi.fn(),
+};
+
 function collectEvents(): { events: DeployEvent[]; push: (e: DeployEvent) => void } {
     const events: DeployEvent[] = [];
     return { events, push: (e) => events.push(e) };
@@ -625,6 +636,42 @@ describe("runDeploy — contracts phase", () => {
         expect(pickFunderMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
 
+    it("ensureSessionFunded: underfunded + dev signer (source='dev') → uses signer directly, no phone events", async () => {
+        detectContractsTypeMock.mockReturnValue("foundry");
+        const { client, transferFactory } = makeFakeClient();
+        getConnectionMock.mockResolvedValue(client);
+        checkBalanceMock.mockResolvedValue({ free: 0n, sufficient: false });
+
+        const { events, push } = collectEvents();
+        await runDeploy({
+            projectDir: "/tmp/proj",
+            buildDir: "/tmp/proj/dist",
+            skipBuild: true,
+            domain: "my-app",
+            mode: "dev",
+            publishToPlayground: false,
+            userSigner: fakeDevSigner,
+            deployContracts: true,
+            onEvent: push,
+        });
+
+        // Transfer was submitted — the dev signer funded the session key.
+        const transferArg = transferFactory.mock.calls[0][0] as { value: bigint };
+        expect(transferArg.value).toBe(50_000_000_000n);
+
+        // The signer passed to submitAndWatch must be the raw dev signer — NOT
+        // a wrapSignerWithEvents proxy. Assert exact object identity.
+        const [, usedFunder] = submitAndWatchMock.mock.calls[0];
+        expect(usedFunder).toBe(fakeDevSigner.signer);
+
+        // No phone-tap lifecycle events should have been emitted.
+        const signingEvents = events.filter((e) => e.kind === "signing");
+        expect(signingEvents).toHaveLength(0);
+
+        // Funder-chain lookup must NOT have been consulted.
+        expect(pickFunderMock).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
     it("ensureSessionFunded: underfunded + pure dev mode → picks a funder from the chain", async () => {
         detectContractsTypeMock.mockReturnValue("foundry");
         const { client } = makeFakeClient();
diff --git a/src/utils/deploy/run.ts b/src/utils/deploy/run.ts
index 64915f5a..53a4af0d 100644
--- a/src/utils/deploy/run.ts
+++ b/src/utils/deploy/run.ts
@@ -317,18 +317,33 @@ async function ensureSessionFunded(opts: {
 
     emitInfo(`funding session key ${opts.sessionAddress}…`);
 
-    // Phone signer: user pays, with a lifecycle event so the TUI numbers the
-    // tap. Pure dev mode: pick the first funder in the chain that has enough
-    // PAS to cover the top-up. If every dev funder is drained, tell the user
-    // to switch to a mobile signer rather than silently falling back to
-    // anything that might race the drainer.
+    // Three-way branch based on who's funding the session key top-up:
+    //
+    //   source === "session"  Phone signer: user pays on-device. Wrap with
+    //                         lifecycle events so the TUI can number the tap
+    //                         and show "📱 Approve on your phone".
+    //
+    //   source === "dev"      Dev-with-SURI: a local keypair (--suri //Alice
+    //                         or a BIP-39 mnemonic) pretending to be the user.
+    //                         Signs immediately in-process — no human in the
+    //                         loop — so wrapping with phone-tap events would
+    //                         be misleading. Sign directly.
+    //
+    //   null                  Pure dev mode (no --suri, no session): pick the
+    //                         first funder in the chain that has enough PAS.
+    //                         If every dev funder is drained, tell the user to
+    //                         switch to a mobile signer rather than silently
+    //                         falling back to anything that might race the drainer.
     let funder: PolkadotSigner;
-    if (opts.userSigner) {
+    if (opts.userSigner?.source === "session") {
         funder = wrapSignerWithEvents(opts.userSigner.signer, {
             label: "Fund contract deploy session key",
             counter: opts.counter,
             onEvent: (event) => opts.onEvent({ kind: "signing", event }),
         });
+    } else if (opts.userSigner) {
+        // Dev-with-SURI: sign directly, no lifecycle events.
+        funder = opts.userSigner.signer;
     } else {
         const picked = await pickFunder(opts.client, SESSION_FUND_AMOUNT + FUNDER_FEE_BUFFER);
         if (!picked) {