diff --git a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/sketch.js b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/sketch.js
index 10b31b5..9099a96 100644
--- a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/sketch.js
+++ b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/sketch.js
@@ -26,19 +26,16 @@ var sketch_size_update_timer = null; // reference to size update interval
 function chat_openSketch() {
     closeOverlay()
     // Create a canvas element
-    let canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
-    canvas.id = 'sketchCanvas';
-    canvas.style.position = 'fixed';
-    canvas.style.top = '0';
-    canvas.style.left = '0';
-    canvas.width = window.innerWidth; // Full screen width
-    canvas.height = window.innerHeight; // Full screen height
-    /* on API 26, the canvas is not showing. Perhaps
-      https://stackoverflow.com/questions/24586530/android-canvas-drawing-not-visible#24586531
-    canvas.drawARGB(0, 225, 225, 255);
-    */
-    canvas.style.backgroundColor = '#ffffff';
-    document.body.appendChild(canvas);
+
+    sketch.canvas = document.getElementById("sketchCanvas")
+    sketch.canvas.width  = window.screen.width;
+    sketch.canvas.height = window.screen.height;
+    sketch.canvas.style.display = 'initial';
+    sketch.canvas.style.backgroundColor = '#ffffff';
+    sketch.ctx = sketch.canvas.getContext('2d');
+    sketch.ctx.globalCompositeOperation = "source-over";
+    sketch.ctx.fillStyle = "white";
+    sketch.ctx.fillRect(0 , 0, sketch.canvas.width, sketch.canvas.height);
 
     let sizeDiv = document.createElement('div')
     sizeDiv.id = 'div:sketch_size'
@@ -212,10 +209,7 @@ function chat_openSketch() {
     eraserSign.onclick = toggleEraser;
     document.body.appendChild(eraserSign);
 
-    //get the context of the canvas and set initial drawing settings
-    sketch.ctx = canvas.getContext('2d');
-    sketch.ctx.fillStyle = "white";
-    sketch.ctx.fillRect(0 , 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
+    // set initial drawing settings
     sketch.currSize = 0;
     sketch.currentWidNdx = 0;
     sketch.strokeColor = '#000000';
@@ -225,12 +219,12 @@ function chat_openSketch() {
     sketch.lastY = 0;
     sketch.colChoice = true;
     sketch.currentColNdx = 0;
-    sketch.svg = [1,['s',canvas.width,canvas.height]]
+    sketch.svg = [1,['s',sketch.canvas.width,sketch.canvas.height]]
 
-    canvas.addEventListener('touchstart', startDrawing);
-    canvas.addEventListener('touchmove', draw);
-    canvas.addEventListener('touchend', endDrawing);
-    canvas.addEventListener('touchcancel', endDrawing);
+    sketch.canvas.addEventListener('touchstart', startDrawing);
+    sketch.canvas.addEventListener('touchmove', draw);
+    sketch.canvas.addEventListener('touchend', endDrawing);
+    sketch.canvas.addEventListener('touchcancel', endDrawing);
 
     //Drawing function when user starts drawing (on touchstart)
     function startDrawing(e) {
@@ -353,8 +347,9 @@ function chat_closeSketch() {
   }
 
   // Remove the canvas element
-  let canvas = document.getElementById('sketchCanvas');
-  canvas.parentNode.removeChild(canvas);
+  // let canvas = document.getElementById('sketchCanvas');
+  // canvas.parentNode.removeChild(canvas);
+  sketch.canvas.style.display = 'none';
 
   let sizeDiv = document.getElementById('div:sketch_size')
   sizeDiv.parentNode.removeChild(sizeDiv)
diff --git a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/tremola.html b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/tremola.html
index 0a07c9e..bcf7443 100644
--- a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/tremola.html
+++ b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/assets/web/tremola.html
@@ -561,8 +561,11 @@
     <button class="flat passive buttontext" style="background-image: url('img/checked.svg'); width: 100%; height: 30px; margin: 3px;" onclick="members_confirmed();">&nbsp;</button>
   </div>
 
+</div>
 
+<canvas id="sketchCanvas" style="display: none; position: fixed; top: 0; left: 0; margin: 0px;">
+  canvas is here
+</canvas>
 
-</div>
 </body>
 </html>
diff --git a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/MainActivity.kt b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/MainActivity.kt
index 94f5ac6..227eb83 100644
--- a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/MainActivity.kt
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import android.net.wifi.WifiManager
 import android.os.Bundle
 import android.os.Handler
 import android.util.Log
+import android.view.View
 import android.view.Window
 import android.webkit.WebStorage
 import android.webkit.WebView
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@ class MainActivity : Activity() {
         Log.d("IDENTITY", "is ${idStore.identity.toRef()} (${idStore.identity.verifyKey})")
 
         val webView = findViewById<WebView>(R.id.webView)
+        webView.setLayerType(View.LAYER_TYPE_SOFTWARE,null); // disable acceleration, needed for older WebViews
         wai = WebAppInterface(this, webView)
         // upgrades repo filesystem if necessary
         tinyRepo.upgrade_repo()
@@ -425,9 +427,6 @@ class MainActivity : Activity() {
         }
         */
     }
-    fun isWaiInitialized(): Boolean {
-        return this::wai.isInitialized;
-    }
 
     fun rmSockets() {
         try { mc_socket?.leaveGroup(mc_group); mc_socket?.close() } catch (e: Exception) {}
diff --git a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/tssb/Repo.kt b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/tssb/Repo.kt
index c4a0f0a..6e7ef7e 100644
--- a/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/tssb/Repo.kt
+++ b/android/tinySSB/app/src/main/java/nz/scuttlebutt/tremolavossbol/tssb/Repo.kt
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ class Repo(val context: MainActivity) {
             chnk_offs = Random.nextInt(0, context.tinyGoset.keys.size - 1)
         }
 
-        if(context.isWaiInitialized())
+        if(context.wai.frontend_ready) // was: isWaiInitialized()
             context.wai.eval("b2f_new_contact(\"@${fid.toBase64()}.ed25519\")") // notify frontend
 
         want_is_valid = false