diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9f58f49ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+/**
+ * @license
+ * Copyright 2025 Qwen Team
+ * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+ */
+
+import { render } from 'ink-testing-library';
+import { describe, it, expect } from 'vitest';
+import { AutoAcceptIndicator } from './AutoAcceptIndicator.js';
+import { ApprovalMode } from '@qwen-code/qwen-code-core';
+
+describe('<AutoAcceptIndicator />', () => {
+  it('renders DEFAULT mode with pause badge and Ask permissions text', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={ApprovalMode.DEFAULT} />,
+    );
+    const frame = lastFrame()!;
+    expect(frame).toContain('⏸');
+    expect(frame).toContain('Ask permissions');
+  });
+
+  it('renders PLAN mode indicator', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={ApprovalMode.PLAN} />,
+    );
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('plan mode');
+  });
+
+  it('renders AUTO_EDIT mode indicator', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={ApprovalMode.AUTO_EDIT} />,
+    );
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('auto-accept edits');
+  });
+
+  it('renders AUTO mode indicator', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={ApprovalMode.AUTO} />,
+    );
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('auto mode (classifier-evaluated)');
+  });
+
+  it('renders YOLO mode indicator', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = render(
+      <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={ApprovalMode.YOLO} />,
+    );
+    expect(lastFrame()).toContain('YOLO mode');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.tsx
index 60ffd126a9..caa9234c17 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/AutoAcceptIndicator.tsx
@@ -45,6 +45,9 @@ export const AutoAcceptIndicator: React.FC<AutoAcceptIndicatorProps> = ({
       subText = cycleText;
       break;
     case ApprovalMode.DEFAULT:
+      textContent = `⏸ ${t('Ask permissions')}`;
+      subText = cycleText;
+      break;
     default:
       break;
   }
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
index ba71e4527a..66321a80e3 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.test.tsx
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { render } from 'ink-testing-library';
 import { act } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { describe, it, expect, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest';
 import { Footer } from './Footer.js';
+import { ApprovalMode } from '@qwen-code/qwen-code-core';
 import * as useTerminalSize from '../hooks/useTerminalSize.js';
 import * as useStatusLineModule from '../hooks/useStatusLine.js';
 import { type UIState, UIStateContext } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
@@ -233,6 +234,19 @@ describe('<Footer />', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  it('shows the default approval mode badge when in DEFAULT mode', () => {
+    const { lastFrame } = renderWithWidth(
+      120,
+      createMockUIState({
+        showAutoAcceptIndicator: ApprovalMode.DEFAULT,
+      }),
+    );
+    const frame = lastFrame()!;
+    expect(frame).toContain('⏸');
+    expect(frame).toContain('Ask permissions');
+    expect(frame).not.toContain('? for shortcuts');
+  });
+
   it('does not display the working directory or branch name', () => {
     const { lastFrame } = renderWithWidth(120, createMockUIState());
     expect(lastFrame()).not.toMatch(/\(.*\*\)/);
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
index a0843c3fb9..85f55e5497 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/Footer.tsx
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ import { useUIState } from '../contexts/UIStateContext.js';
 import { useConfig } from '../contexts/ConfigContext.js';
 import { useSettings } from '../contexts/SettingsContext.js';
 import { useVimModeState } from '../contexts/VimModeContext.js';
-import { ApprovalMode } from '@qwen-code/qwen-code-core';
 import { GeminiSpinner } from './GeminiRespondingSpinner.js';
 import { GoalPill, useFooterGoalState } from './GoalPill.js';
 import { CronPill, useFooterCronTaskCount } from './CronPill.js';
@@ -107,8 +106,7 @@ export const Footer: React.FC = () => {
         message: uiState.startupIdeConnectionStatus.message,
       })}
     </Text>
-  ) : showAutoAcceptIndicator !== undefined &&
-    showAutoAcceptIndicator !== ApprovalMode.DEFAULT ? (
+  ) : showAutoAcceptIndicator !== undefined ? (
     <AutoAcceptIndicator approvalMode={showAutoAcceptIndicator} />
   ) : suppressHint ? null : (
     <Text color={theme.text.secondary}>{t('? for shortcuts')}</Text>
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/agent-view/AgentFooter.tsx b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/agent-view/AgentFooter.tsx
index 7b05e4e478..0f40c4ad77 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/agent-view/AgentFooter.tsx
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/agent-view/AgentFooter.tsx
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 
 import type React from 'react';
 import { Box, Text } from 'ink';
-import { ApprovalMode } from '@qwen-code/qwen-code-core';
+import type { ApprovalMode } from '@qwen-code/qwen-code-core';
 import { AutoAcceptIndicator } from '../AutoAcceptIndicator.js';
 import { ContextUsageDisplay } from '../ContextUsageDisplay.js';
 import { theme } from '../../semantic-colors.js';
@@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ export const AgentFooter: React.FC<AgentFooterProps> = ({
   contextWindowSize,
   terminalWidth,
 }) => {
-  const showApproval =
-    approvalMode !== undefined && approvalMode !== ApprovalMode.DEFAULT;
+  const showApproval = approvalMode !== undefined;
   const showContext = promptTokenCount > 0 && contextWindowSize !== undefined;
 
   if (!showApproval && !showContext) {
diff --git a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/approvalModeVisuals.ts b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/approvalModeVisuals.ts
index 9a432871f4..46d8ad4d7d 100644
--- a/packages/cli/src/ui/components/approvalModeVisuals.ts
+++ b/packages/cli/src/ui/components/approvalModeVisuals.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export function getApprovalModeIndicatorColor(
     case ApprovalMode.YOLO:
       return theme.status.error;
     case ApprovalMode.DEFAULT:
+      return theme.text.secondary;
     default:
       return undefined;
   }