diff --git a/android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index 9633e2b2bd..ba9826cfee 100644
--- a/android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/android/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@
             <intent-filter>
                 <action android:name="android.service.quicksettings.action.QS_TILE_PREFERENCES" />
             </intent-filter>
+            <meta-data
+                android:name="android.app.shortcuts"
+                android:resource="@xml/shortcuts" />
         </activity>
         <activity
             android:name="ShareActivity"
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/tailscale/ipn/MainActivity.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/tailscale/ipn/MainActivity.kt
index 7b7181e0d2..6ded7efcc1 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/tailscale/ipn/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/tailscale/ipn/MainActivity.kt
@@ -120,6 +120,8 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
   companion object {
     private const val TAG = "Main Activity"
     private const val START_AT_ROOT = "startAtRoot"
+    const val ACTION_SHORTCUT_CONNECT = "com.tailscale.ipn.SHORTCUT_CONNECT"
+    const val ACTION_SHORTCUT_DISCONNECT = "com.tailscale.ipn.SHORTCUT_DISCONNECT"
   }
 
   private fun Context.isLandscapeCapable(): Boolean {
@@ -138,6 +140,10 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
 
     // grab app to make sure it initializes
     App.get()
+
+    // Handle shortcut intents early — if triggered via shortcut, act and finish immediately
+    if (handleShortcutIntent(intent)) return
+
     appViewModel = (application as App).getAppScopedViewModel()
     viewModel =
         ViewModelProvider(this, MainViewModelFactory(appViewModel)).get(MainViewModel::class.java)
@@ -469,6 +475,7 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
 
   override fun onNewIntent(intent: Intent) {
     super.onNewIntent(intent)
+    if (handleShortcutIntent(intent)) return
     if (intent.getBooleanExtra(START_AT_ROOT, false)) {
       if (this::navController.isInitialized) {
         val previousEntry = navController.previousBackStackEntry
@@ -489,6 +496,31 @@ class MainActivity : ComponentActivity() {
     }
   }
 
+  /**
+   * Handles shortcut intents for connect/disconnect actions.
+   * Returns true if the intent was a shortcut action (caller should return early).
+   */
+  private fun handleShortcutIntent(intent: Intent): Boolean {
+    val action = intent.action
+    val shortcutAction = intent.getStringExtra("shortcut_action")
+
+    return when {
+      action == ACTION_SHORTCUT_CONNECT || shortcutAction == "connect" -> {
+        TSLog.d(TAG, "Shortcut: Connect VPN triggered")
+        App.get().startVPN()
+        finish()
+        true
+      }
+      action == ACTION_SHORTCUT_DISCONNECT || shortcutAction == "disconnect" -> {
+        TSLog.d(TAG, "Shortcut: Disconnect VPN triggered")
+        App.get().stopVPN()
+        finish()
+        true
+      }
+      else -> false
+    }
+  }
+
   private fun login(urlString: String) {
     // Launch coroutine to listen for state changes. When the user completes login, relaunch
     // MainActivity to bring the app back to focus.
diff --git a/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_connect.xml b/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_connect.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..23e8b183c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_connect.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<vector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:width="24dp"
+    android:height="24dp"
+    android:viewportWidth="24"
+    android:viewportHeight="24"
+    android:tint="?attr/colorControlNormal">
+  <!-- Power plug / connected icon -->
+  <path
+      android:fillColor="#FFFFFF"
+      android:pathData="M12,2C6.48,2 2,6.48 2,12s4.48,10 10,10 10,-4.48 10,-10S17.52,2 12,2zM13,17h-2v-2h2v2zM13,13h-2L11,7h2v6z"/>
+</vector>
diff --git a/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_disconnect.xml b/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_disconnect.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..71015e64ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/res/drawable/ic_shortcut_disconnect.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+<vector xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    android:width="24dp"
+    android:height="24dp"
+    android:viewportWidth="24"
+    android:viewportHeight="24"
+    android:tint="?attr/colorControlNormal">
+  <!-- Power off icon -->
+  <path
+      android:fillColor="#FFFFFF"
+      android:pathData="M13,3h-2v10h2V3zM17.83,5.17l-1.42,1.42C17.99,7.86 19,9.81 19,12c0,3.87 -3.13,7 -7,7s-7,-3.13 -7,-7c0,-2.19 1.01,-4.14 2.58,-5.42L6.17,5.17C4.23,6.82 3,9.26 3,12c0,4.97 4.03,9 9,9s9,-4.03 9,-9c0,-2.74 -1.23,-5.18 -3.17,-6.83z"/>
+</vector>
diff --git a/android/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/android/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index 608f1f2a2e..aabe0a0a8c 100644
--- a/android/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/android/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@
     <string name="none">None</string>
     <string name="connect">Connect</string>
     <string name="disconnect">Disconnect</string>
+    <string name="shortcut_connect_long">Connect to Tailscale</string>
+    <string name="shortcut_disconnect_long">Disconnect from Tailscale</string>
+    <string name="shortcut_disabled">Tailscale shortcut is not available</string>
     <string name="unknown_user">Unknown user</string>
     <string name="connected">Connected</string>
     <string name="using_exit_node">Using exit node (%s)</string>
diff --git a/android/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml b/android/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cd710cbb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/res/xml/shortcuts.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
+<shortcuts xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android">
+
+    <shortcut
+        android:shortcutId="connect_vpn"
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_shortcut_connect"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/connect"
+        android:shortcutLongLabel="@string/shortcut_connect_long"
+        android:shortcutDisabledMessage="@string/shortcut_disabled">
+        <intent
+            android:action="com.tailscale.ipn.SHORTCUT_CONNECT"
+            android:targetPackage="com.tailscale.ipn"
+            android:targetClass="com.tailscale.ipn.MainActivity" />
+    </shortcut>
+
+    <shortcut
+        android:shortcutId="disconnect_vpn"
+        android:enabled="true"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_shortcut_disconnect"
+        android:shortcutShortLabel="@string/disconnect"
+        android:shortcutLongLabel="@string/shortcut_disconnect_long"
+        android:shortcutDisabledMessage="@string/shortcut_disabled">
+        <intent
+            android:action="com.tailscale.ipn.SHORTCUT_DISCONNECT"
+            android:targetPackage="com.tailscale.ipn"
+            android:targetClass="com.tailscale.ipn.MainActivity" />
+    </shortcut>
+
+</shortcuts>