diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/ContentView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/ContentView.swift
index fd9a70e0e..b9e7fb066 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/ContentView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/ContentView.swift
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ final class AlertManager: ObservableObject {
 
     func showAlert(_ alert: Alert) {
         logger.debug("AlertManager.showAlert")
-        DispatchQueue.main.async {
+        DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.2) {
             self.alertView = alert
             self.presentAlert = true
         }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index 2182bc13c..68f38e423 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ enum ChatResponse: Decodable, Error {
     case invitation(connReqInvitation: String)
     case sentConfirmation
     case sentInvitation
+    case contactAlreadyExists(contact: Contact)
     case contactDeleted(contact: Contact)
     case userProfileNoChange
     case userProfileUpdated(fromProfile: Profile, toProfile: Profile)
@@ -161,6 +162,7 @@ enum ChatResponse: Decodable, Error {
             case .invitation: return "invitation"
             case .sentConfirmation: return "sentConfirmation"
             case .sentInvitation: return "sentInvitation"
+            case .contactAlreadyExists: return "contactAlreadyExists"
             case .contactDeleted: return "contactDeleted"
             case .userProfileNoChange: return "userProfileNoChange"
             case .userProfileUpdated: return "userProfileUpdated"
@@ -204,6 +206,7 @@ enum ChatResponse: Decodable, Error {
             case let .invitation(connReqInvitation): return connReqInvitation
             case .sentConfirmation: return noDetails
             case .sentInvitation: return noDetails
+            case let .contactAlreadyExists(contact): return String(describing: contact)
             case let .contactDeleted(contact): return String(describing: contact)
             case .userProfileNoChange: return noDetails
             case let .userProfileUpdated(_, toProfile): return String(describing: toProfile)
@@ -435,11 +438,36 @@ func apiAddContact() throws -> String {
     throw r
 }
 
-func apiConnect(connReq: String) async throws {
+func apiConnect(connReq: String) async throws -> Bool {
     let r = await chatSendCmd(.connect(connReq: connReq))
+    let am = AlertManager.shared
     switch r {
-    case .sentConfirmation: return
-    case .sentInvitation: return
+    case .sentConfirmation: return true
+    case .sentInvitation: return true
+    case let .contactAlreadyExists(contact):
+        am.showAlertMsg(
+            title: "Contact already exists",
+            message: "You are already connected to \(contact.displayName) via this link."
+        )
+        return false
+    case .chatCmdError(.error(.invalidConnReq)):
+        am.showAlertMsg(
+            title: "Invalid connection link",
+            message: "Please check that you used the correct link or ask your contact to send you another one."
+        )
+        return false
+    case .chatCmdError(.errorAgent(.BROKER(.TIMEOUT))):
+        am.showAlertMsg(
+            title: "Connection timeout",
+            message: "Please check your network connection and try again"
+        )
+        return false
+    case .chatCmdError(.errorAgent(.BROKER(.NETWORK))):
+        am.showAlertMsg(
+            title: "Connection error",
+            message: "Please check your network connection and try again"
+        )
+        return false
     default: throw r
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListView.swift
index 766784b0e..f74e94a95 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListView.swift
@@ -89,8 +89,10 @@ struct ChatListView: View {
                     DispatchQueue.main.async {
                         Task {
                             do {
-                                try await apiConnect(connReq: link)
-                                connectionReqSentAlert(action == "contact" ? .contact : .invitation)
+                                let ok = try await apiConnect(connReq: link)
+                                if ok {
+                                    connectionReqSentAlert(action == "contact" ? .contact : .invitation)
+                                }
                             } catch {
                                 let err = error.localizedDescription
                                 AlertManager.shared.showAlertMsg(title: "Connection error", message: err)
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/ConnectContactView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/ConnectContactView.swift
index 5b2faa1a6..2513801fc 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/ConnectContactView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/ConnectContactView.swift
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import SwiftUI
 import CodeScanner
 
 struct ConnectContactView: View {
-    var completed: ((Error?) -> Void)
+    var completed: ((Result<Bool, Error>) -> Void)
 
     var body: some View {
         VStack {
@@ -35,16 +35,16 @@ struct ConnectContactView: View {
         case let .success(r):
             Task {
                 do {
-                    try await apiConnect(connReq: r.string)
-                    completed(nil)
+                    let ok = try await apiConnect(connReq: r.string)
+                    completed(.success(ok))
                 } catch {
                     logger.error("ConnectContactView.processQRCode apiConnect error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
-                    completed(error)
+                    completed(.failure(error))
                 }
             }
         case let .failure(e):
             logger.error("ConnectContactView.processQRCode QR code error: \(e.localizedDescription)")
-            completed(e)
+            completed(.failure(e))
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/NewChatButton.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/NewChatButton.swift
index d984ddd0d..0fff56bf3 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/NewChatButton.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/NewChat/NewChatButton.swift
@@ -54,10 +54,11 @@ struct NewChatButton: View {
         ConnectContactView(completed: { err in
             connectContact = false
             DispatchQueue.global().async {
-                if let error = err {
+                switch (err) {
+                case let .success(ok):
+                    if ok { connectionReqSentAlert(.invitation) }
+                case let .failure(error):
                     connectionErrorAlert(error)
-                } else {
-                    connectionReqSentAlert(.invitation)
                 }
             }
         })