diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/MainActivity.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/MainActivity.kt
index 884369a..93d00ac 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/MainActivity.kt
@@ -229,6 +229,7 @@ class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
                 }.sorted().joinToString("|")
                 val changed = assignmentSig != zoneManager?.lastAssignmentSig
 
+                com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.i("Player", "Layout: MULTI-ZONE (${layoutZones.length()} zones, layout=$layoutId), ${assignments.length()} assignments")
                 if (zoneManager?.hasZones() != true || layoutId != currentLayoutId) {
                     Log.i("MainActivity", "Multi-zone layout with ${layoutZones.length()} zones (layout=$layoutId, was=$currentLayoutId)")
                     handler.post {
@@ -252,6 +253,7 @@ class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
                 }
             } else {
                 // Single-zone mode - use PlaylistController (existing behavior)
+                com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.i("Player", "Layout: SINGLE/FULLSCREEN (${layoutZones?.length() ?: 0} zones), ${assignments.length()} assignments")
                 if (zoneManager?.hasZones() == true) handler.post { zoneManager?.cleanup() }
                 playlistController.updatePlaylist(assignments)
             }
@@ -420,6 +422,7 @@ class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
 
     private fun playItem(item: PlaylistItem) {
         hideStatus()
+        com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.i("Player", "playItem: ${item.filename} mime=${item.mimeType} widget=${item.widgetId ?: "-"} zone=fullscreen")
 
         // Widget content - render fullscreen in a WebView (single-zone / fullscreen
         // layouts; multi-zone widgets go through ZoneManager). Previously unhandled,
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/player/ZoneManager.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/player/ZoneManager.kt
index 73ddb35..c98892c 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/player/ZoneManager.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/player/ZoneManager.kt
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ class ZoneManager(
             val widgetConfig = if (firstAssignment.isNull("widget_config")) null else firstAssignment.optString("widget_config", null)
             val contentId = if (firstAssignment.isNull("content_id")) null else firstAssignment.optString("content_id", null)
             val filepath = firstAssignment.optString("filepath", "")
+            com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.i("Zone", "Zone '${zone.name}' (${zone.widthPercent.toInt()}x${zone.heightPercent.toInt()}%) -> ${widgetType?.let { "widget:$it" } ?: mimeType.ifEmpty { "empty" }}")
             val isMuted = firstAssignment.optInt("muted", 0) == 1
 
             when {
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/service/WebSocketService.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/service/WebSocketService.kt
index 1574556..225116f 100644
--- a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/service/WebSocketService.kt
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/service/WebSocketService.kt
@@ -269,6 +269,21 @@ class WebSocketService : Service() {
                         "screen_on" -> {
                             Thread { try { Runtime.getRuntime().exec(arrayOf("input", "keyevent", "224")).waitFor() } catch (_: Exception) {} }.start()
                         }
+                        "set_debug" -> {
+                            val on = payload?.optBoolean("enabled", false) ?: false
+                            // Point the sink at this socket, then flip the flag. When on,
+                            // DebugLog.* mirrors player/zone lines to the dashboard.
+                            com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.sink = { tag, level, msg ->
+                                try {
+                                    socket?.emit("device:log", JSONObject().apply {
+                                        put("tag", tag); put("level", level); put("message", msg)
+                                    })
+                                } catch (_: Throwable) {}
+                            }
+                            com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.enabled = on
+                            Log.i("WebSocketService", "Remote debug logging ${if (on) "ENABLED" else "disabled"}")
+                            com.remotedisplay.player.util.DebugLog.i("Debug", "Remote debug logging ${if (on) "ON" else "OFF"}")
+                        }
                         else -> handler.post { try { onCommand?.invoke(type, payload) } catch (e: Throwable) { Log.e("WebSocketService", "onCommand cb: ${e.message}") } }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/util/DebugLog.kt b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/util/DebugLog.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b105af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/app/src/main/java/com/remotedisplay/player/util/DebugLog.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+package com.remotedisplay.player.util
+
+import android.util.Log
+
+/**
+ * Lightweight player debug logger. Always writes to logcat; when remote debug is
+ * enabled (toggled from the dashboard device-detail screen via a `set_debug`
+ * command), it ALSO streams the line to the server over the device socket so it
+ * can be watched live without adb. Off by default; no network when disabled.
+ */
+object DebugLog {
+    @Volatile var enabled = false
+    // Set by WebSocketService: (tag, level, message) -> emit over the device socket.
+    @Volatile var sink: ((String, String, String) -> Unit)? = null
+
+    fun d(tag: String, msg: String) { Log.d(tag, msg); send(tag, "d", msg) }
+    fun i(tag: String, msg: String) { Log.i(tag, msg); send(tag, "i", msg) }
+    fun w(tag: String, msg: String) { Log.w(tag, msg); send(tag, "w", msg) }
+    fun e(tag: String, msg: String) { Log.e(tag, msg); send(tag, "e", msg) }
+
+    private fun send(tag: String, level: String, msg: String) {
+        if (!enabled) return
+        try { sink?.invoke(tag, level, msg) } catch (_: Throwable) {}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/frontend/js/i18n/en.js b/frontend/js/i18n/en.js
index 9c0cb00..9e665b2 100644
--- a/frontend/js/i18n/en.js
+++ b/frontend/js/i18n/en.js
@@ -286,6 +286,8 @@ export default {
   'device.form.default_content_none': 'None (show "Waiting...")',
   'device.form.notes_label': 'Notes',
   'device.form.notes_placeholder': 'Location, setup details, etc.',
+  'device.debug.toggle': 'Debug logging (live)',
+  'device.debug.hint': 'Streams player/zone logs from this device in real time. Turns off on its own when the device reconnects.',
   'device.form.save_settings': 'Save Settings',
   // Control buttons
   'device.ctl.reboot_device': 'Reboot Device',
diff --git a/frontend/js/socket.js b/frontend/js/socket.js
index f961bd4..c1a2163 100644
--- a/frontend/js/socket.js
+++ b/frontend/js/socket.js
@@ -52,6 +52,12 @@ export function connectSocket() {
     emit('playback-state', data);
   });
 
+  // Live device debug log line (device-detail screen streams these when the
+  // per-device "Debug logging" checkbox is on).
+  dashboardSocket.on('dashboard:device-log', (data) => {
+    emit('device-log', data);
+  });
+
   // Playback progress (play_start with duration — drives device-card progress bars)
   dashboardSocket.on('dashboard:playback-progress', (data) => {
     emit('playback-progress', data);
diff --git a/frontend/js/views/device-detail.js b/frontend/js/views/device-detail.js
index 07d4436..b79a93c 100644
--- a/frontend/js/views/device-detail.js
+++ b/frontend/js/views/device-detail.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ let currentDevice = null;
 let statusHandler = null;
 let screenshotHandler = null;
 let playbackHandler = null;
+let logHandler = null;
 let screenshotInterval = null;
 let remoteActive = false;
 
@@ -99,9 +100,24 @@ export function render(container, deviceId) {
     }
   };
 
+  // Live debug log lines streamed from the device (when the Debug logging
+  // checkbox is on). Appended via textContent — no HTML injection.
+  logHandler = (data) => {
+    if (data.device_id !== deviceId) return;
+    const panel = document.getElementById('debugLogPanel');
+    if (!panel) return;
+    const line = document.createElement('div');
+    const time = new Date(data.ts || Date.now()).toLocaleTimeString();
+    line.textContent = `${time} [${data.tag || ''}] ${data.message || ''}`;
+    panel.appendChild(line);
+    while (panel.childElementCount > 500) panel.removeChild(panel.firstChild);
+    panel.scrollTop = panel.scrollHeight;
+  };
+
   on('device-status', statusHandler);
   on('screenshot-ready', screenshotHandler);
   on('playback-state', playbackHandler);
+  on('device-log', logHandler);
 }
 
 async function loadDevice(deviceId, activeTab = null) {
@@ -324,6 +340,15 @@ async function loadDevice(deviceId, activeTab = null) {
           </div>
           <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm" id="saveNotesBtn">${t('device.form.save_settings')}</button>
         </div>
+
+        <div style="margin-top:20px">
+          <label style="display:flex;align-items:center;gap:8px;cursor:pointer;font-size:13px">
+            <input type="checkbox" id="debugLogToggle"> ${t('device.debug.toggle')}
+          </label>
+          <div style="font-size:11px;color:var(--text-muted);margin:4px 0 0 24px">${t('device.debug.hint')}</div>
+          <div id="debugLogPanel" style="display:none;margin-top:8px;background:#0b0f1a;border:1px solid var(--border);border-radius:6px;padding:8px;height:220px;overflow-y:auto;font-family:monospace;font-size:11px;line-height:1.45;color:#cbd5e1"></div>
+        </div>
+
         <div style="margin-top:20px;display:flex;gap:8px;flex-wrap:wrap">
           <button class="btn btn-secondary btn-sm" id="rebootBtn">
             <svg width="14" height="14" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2">
@@ -571,6 +596,15 @@ async function setupActions(device) {
   } catch {}
 
   // Save settings (notes + orientation + default content)
+  // Debug logging toggle: sends a transient set_debug command to the device and
+  // reveals the live log panel. State is per-session (resets on device reconnect).
+  document.getElementById('debugLogToggle')?.addEventListener('change', (e) => {
+    const enabled = e.target.checked;
+    const panel = document.getElementById('debugLogPanel');
+    if (panel) panel.style.display = enabled ? 'block' : 'none';
+    sendCommand(device.id, 'set_debug', { enabled });
+  });
+
   document.getElementById('saveNotesBtn')?.addEventListener('click', async () => {
     try {
       await api.updateDevice(device.id, {
@@ -1268,6 +1302,7 @@ export function cleanup() {
   if (statusHandler) off('device-status', statusHandler);
   if (screenshotHandler) off('screenshot-ready', screenshotHandler);
   if (playbackHandler) off('playback-state', playbackHandler);
+  if (logHandler) off('device-log', logHandler);
   if (screenshotInterval) clearInterval(screenshotInterval);
   if (remoteActive && currentDevice) stopRemote(currentDevice.id);
   remoteActive = false;
diff --git a/server/ws/deviceSocket.js b/server/ws/deviceSocket.js
index 7ef1cff..954384f 100644
--- a/server/ws/deviceSocket.js
+++ b/server/ws/deviceSocket.js
@@ -529,6 +529,22 @@ module.exports = function setupDeviceSocket(io) {
       emitToDeviceWorkspace(dashboardNs, currentDeviceId, 'dashboard:playback-state', data);
     });
 
+    // Live debug log line from the player (only sent when debug logging is toggled
+    // on for this device). Relayed to the device's workspace dashboard room so the
+    // open device-detail screen can stream it. Not persisted.
+    socket.on('device:log', (data) => {
+      if (!requireDeviceAuth() || !currentDeviceId) return;
+      const message = typeof data?.message === 'string' ? data.message.slice(0, 2000) : '';
+      if (!message) return;
+      emitToDeviceWorkspace(dashboardNs, currentDeviceId, 'dashboard:device-log', {
+        device_id: currentDeviceId,
+        tag: typeof data?.tag === 'string' ? data.tag.slice(0, 64) : '',
+        level: typeof data?.level === 'string' ? data.level.slice(0, 8) : 'd',
+        message,
+        ts: Date.now(),
+      });
+    });
+
     // Play event logging (proof-of-play)
     socket.on('device:play-event', (data) => {
       if (!requireDeviceAuth()) return;