diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewIOS.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewIOS.swift
index 27cd7e70c..24b1c6b61 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewIOS.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewIOS.swift
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ struct EmptyState: View {
           Text("You are all caught up.").foregroundColor(Color.extensionTextSubtle)
           Button(action: {
             Task {
-              await viewModel.loadItems(dataService: dataService, isRefresh: true)
+              await viewModel.loadItems(dataService: dataService, isRefresh: true, loadingBarStyle: .simple)
             }
           }, label: { Text("Refresh").bold() })
             .foregroundColor(Color.blue)
@@ -790,8 +790,16 @@ struct AnimatingCellHeight: AnimatableModifier {
                     }
                 }
 
-                if viewModel.showLoadingBar {
+                if viewModel.showLoadingBar == .redacted {
                   redactedItems
+                } else if viewModel.showLoadingBar == .simple {
+                  VStack {
+                    ProgressView()
+                  }
+                  .frame(minHeight: 400)
+                  .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+                  .padding()
+                  .listRowSeparator(.hidden, edges: .all)
                 } else if viewModel.fetcher.items.isEmpty {
                   EmptyState(viewModel: viewModel)
                     .listRowSeparator(.hidden, edges: .all)
@@ -951,13 +959,21 @@ struct AnimatingCellHeight: AnimatableModifier {
 
         ScrollView {
           LazyVGrid(columns: [GridItem(.adaptive(minimum: 325, maximum: 400), spacing: 16)], alignment: .center, spacing: 30) {
-            if viewModel.showLoadingBar {
+            if viewModel.showLoadingBar == .redacted {
               ForEach(fakeLibraryItems(dataService: dataService), id: \.id) { item in
                 GridCard(item: item)
                   .aspectRatio(1.0, contentMode: .fill)
                   .background(Color.systemBackground)
                   .cornerRadius(6)
               }.redacted(reason: .placeholder)
+            } else if viewModel.showLoadingBar == .simple {
+              VStack {
+                ProgressView()
+              }
+              .frame(minHeight: 400)
+              .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+              .padding()
+              .listRowSeparator(.hidden, edges: .all)
             } else {
               if !viewModel.fetcher.items.isEmpty {
                 ForEach(Array(viewModel.fetcher.items.enumerated()), id: \.1.id) { idx, item in
diff --git a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewModel.swift b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewModel.swift
index 6cc43df1c..9f89b307b 100644
--- a/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewModel.swift
+++ b/apple/OmnivoreKit/Sources/App/Views/Home/HomeFeedViewModel.swift
@@ -5,6 +5,12 @@ import SwiftUI
 import Utils
 import Views
 
+enum LoadingBarStyle {
+  case none
+  case redacted
+  case simple
+}
+
 @MainActor final class HomeFeedViewModel: NSObject, ObservableObject {
   let filterKey: String
   @ObservedObject var fetcher: LibraryItemFetcher
@@ -16,7 +22,7 @@ import Views
   @Published var itemForHighlightsView: Models.LibraryItem?
   @Published var linkRequest: LinkRequest?
   @Published var presentWebContainer = false
-  @Published var showLoadingBar = true
+  @Published var showLoadingBar = LoadingBarStyle.redacted
 
   @Published var selectedItem: Models.LibraryItem?
   @Published var linkIsActive = false
@@ -194,9 +200,9 @@ import Views
     }
   }
 
-  func loadItems(dataService: DataService, isRefresh: Bool, forceRemote: Bool = false) async {
+  func loadItems(dataService: DataService, isRefresh: Bool, forceRemote: Bool = false, loadingBarStyle: LoadingBarStyle? = nil) async {
     isLoading = true
-    showLoadingBar = isRefresh
+    showLoadingBar = isRefresh ? loadingBarStyle ?? .redacted : .none
 
     if let filterState = filterState {
       await fetcher.loadItems(
@@ -208,7 +214,7 @@ import Views
     }
 
     isLoading = false
-    showLoadingBar = false
+    showLoadingBar = .none
   }
 
   func loadFeatureItems(context: NSManagedObjectContext, predicate: NSPredicate, sort: NSSortDescriptor) async -> [Models.LibraryItem] {