Ok it might work

apk/components/views/root-navigation.tsx

@@ -1,29 +1,32 @@
 import { BirthdaysProvider } from "@/context/birthdays-context";
 import { useAuth } from "@/context/auth-context";
 import { Stack, router, useRootNavigationState, useSegments } from "expo-router";
-import { useEffect } from "react";
+import React, { useEffect } from "react";
+import LoadingScreen from "./loading-screen";
 
 export default function RootLayout() {
   const { user, isHydrated } = useAuth();
   const navigationState = useRootNavigationState();
   const segments = useSegments();
+  const [loaded, setLoaded] = React.useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isHydrated || !navigationState?.key) {
-      return;
-    }
+  if (!isHydrated || !navigationState?.key) return;
 
-    const inAuthGroup = segments[0] === "(auth)";
+  const inAuthGroup = segments.length === 0;
 
-    if (!user && !inAuthGroup) {
-      router.replace("/(auth)/login");
-      return;
-    }
+  if (!user) {
+    router.replace("/(auth)/login");
+  } else if (inAuthGroup) {
+    router.replace("/(tabs)");
+  }
 
-    if (user && inAuthGroup) {
-      router.replace("/(tabs)");
-    }
-  }, [isHydrated, navigationState?.key, segments, user]);
+  setLoaded(true); // 👈 ALWAYS run this
+}, [isHydrated, navigationState?.key, segments, user]);
+
+  if(!loaded) {
+    return (<LoadingScreen />); // or a loading spinner
+  }
 
   return (
     <BirthdaysProvider>