diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx b/apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx
index 6fe16944..a50ab109 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {
   SlidersHorizontal,
 } from 'phosphor-react-native'
 import { MobileNote, notes as fallbackNotes, sidebarSections } from './demoData'
-import { loadDemoVaultNotes, saveDemoVaultDraft } from './mobileDemoVault'
+import { createDemoVaultNote, loadDemoVaultNotes, saveDemoVaultDraft } from './mobileDemoVault'
 import { createMobileAutosaveQueue } from './mobileAutosaveQueue'
 import type { MobileEditorDraft } from './mobileEditorDraft'
 import {
@@ -88,6 +88,18 @@ export function MobileApp() {
     setCompactNavigation((state) => transitionCompactNavigation(state, { type: 'selectNote', noteId: note.id }))
   }
   const saveDraft = useCallback((draft: MobileEditorDraft) => autosaveQueue.enqueue(draft), [autosaveQueue])
+  const createNote = useCallback(() => {
+    void createDemoVaultNote()
+      .then((note) => {
+        if (!note) {
+          return
+        }
+
+        setAvailableNotes((notes) => [note, ...notes.filter((item) => item.id !== note.id)])
+        setCompactNavigation((state) => transitionCompactNavigation(state, { type: 'selectNote', noteId: note.id }))
+      })
+      .catch(() => {})
+  }, [])
 
   return (
     <SafeAreaProvider>
@@ -98,6 +110,7 @@ export function MobileApp() {
             <NoteListPanel
               notes={availableNotes}
               selectedNoteId={compactNavigation.selectedNoteId}
+              onCreateNote={createNote}
               onSelectNote={selectNote}
             />
             <EditorPanel note={selectedNote} saveState={selectedSaveState} onDraftChange={saveDraft} />
@@ -112,6 +125,7 @@ export function MobileApp() {
             selectedNoteId={compactNavigation.selectedNoteId}
             onNavigate={(event) => setCompactNavigation((state) => transitionCompactNavigation(state, event))}
             onDraftChange={saveDraft}
+            onCreateNote={createNote}
             onSelectNote={selectNote}
           />
         )}
@@ -127,6 +141,7 @@ function CompactShell({
   saveState,
   onNavigate,
   onDraftChange,
+  onCreateNote,
   onSelectNote,
   selectedNoteId,
 }: {
@@ -136,6 +151,7 @@ function CompactShell({
   saveState: MobileEditorSaveState
   onNavigate: (event: CompactNavigationEvent) => void
   onDraftChange: (draft: MobileEditorDraft) => void
+  onCreateNote: () => void
   onSelectNote: (note: MobileNote) => void
   selectedNoteId: string
 }) {
@@ -174,6 +190,7 @@ function CompactShell({
       <NoteListPanel
         notes={notes}
         selectedNoteId={selectedNoteId}
+        onCreateNote={onCreateNote}
         onOpenSidebar={() => onNavigate({ type: 'openSidebar' })}
         onSelectNote={onSelectNote}
       />
@@ -216,11 +233,13 @@ function SidebarPanel({ onClose }: { onClose?: () => void }) {
 
 function NoteListPanel({
   notes,
+  onCreateNote,
   onOpenSidebar,
   onSelectNote,
   selectedNoteId,
 }: {
   notes: MobileNote[]
+  onCreateNote: () => void
   onOpenSidebar?: () => void
   onSelectNote: (note: MobileNote) => void
   selectedNoteId: string
@@ -261,7 +280,7 @@ function NoteListPanel({
           </Pressable>
         )}
       />
-      <Pressable style={styles.composeButton}>
+      <Pressable onPress={onCreateNote} style={styles.composeButton}>
         <PencilSimple size={28} color="#ffffff" />
       </Pressable>
     </View>
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/mobileDemoVault.ts b/apps/mobile/src/mobileDemoVault.ts
index a3d942fe..9db3ac10 100644
--- a/apps/mobile/src/mobileDemoVault.ts
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/mobileDemoVault.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { demoNoteSources } from './demoData'
 import type { MobileEditorDraft } from './mobileEditorDraft'
 import { saveMobileEditorDraft } from './mobileEditorDraftSave'
+import { createMobileNoteFile } from './mobileNoteCreate'
 import { createMobileVaultConfig } from './mobileVaultConfig'
 import { createNativeMobileVaultStorage } from './mobileNativeVaultStorage'
 import { createStoredMobileVaultRepository } from './mobileVaultRepository'
@@ -24,6 +25,14 @@ export function saveDemoVaultDraft(draft: MobileEditorDraft) {
   })
 }
 
+export async function createDemoVaultNote() {
+  const storage = createNativeMobileVaultStorage()
+  const file = createMobileNoteFile()
+  await storage.writeMarkdownFile(demoVault, file.path, file.content)
+
+  return createStoredMobileVaultRepository({ storage, vault: demoVault }).readNote(file.path.replace(/\.md$/, ''))
+}
+
 function demoVaultFiles(): MobileVaultFile[] {
   return demoNoteSources.map((source) => ({
     path: source.filename,
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.test.ts b/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..285e4669
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { createMobileNoteFile } from './mobileNoteCreate'
+
+describe('mobile note create', () => {
+  it('creates a deterministic markdown file from the current time', () => {
+    const file = createMobileNoteFile({
+      now: new Date('2026-05-04T12:34:56.000Z'),
+    })
+
+    expect(file).toEqual({
+      path: 'note-mor6mem8.md',
+      content: [
+        '---',
+        'title: Untitled',
+        'type: Note',
+        'created: 2026-05-04T12:34:56.000Z',
+        '---',
+        '',
+        '# Untitled',
+        '',
+      ].join('\n'),
+    })
+  })
+
+  it('supports a custom title for future create flows', () => {
+    const file = createMobileNoteFile({
+      now: new Date('2026-05-04T12:34:56.000Z'),
+      title: 'Meeting notes',
+    })
+
+    expect(file.content).toContain('title: Meeting notes')
+    expect(file.content).toContain('# Meeting notes')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.ts b/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c1ad7b07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import type { MobileVaultFile } from './mobileVaultStorage'
+
+export function createMobileNoteFile({
+  now = new Date(),
+  title = 'Untitled',
+}: {
+  now?: Date
+  title?: string
+} = {}): MobileVaultFile {
+  const id = `note-${now.getTime().toString(36)}`
+
+  return {
+    path: `${id}.md`,
+    content: [
+      '---',
+      `title: ${title}`,
+      'type: Note',
+      `created: ${now.toISOString()}`,
+      '---',
+      '',
+      `# ${title}`,
+      '',
+    ].join('\n'),
+  }
+}
diff --git a/docs/MOBILE_PROGRESS.md b/docs/MOBILE_PROGRESS.md
index 0755da7b..1fb71b51 100644
--- a/docs/MOBILE_PROGRESS.md
+++ b/docs/MOBILE_PROGRESS.md
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ This file is the resumable working log for Tolaria mobile. The strategy and road
 
 - Branch: `codex/mobile`
 - Active phase: Phase 2 - Mobile Shell
-- Active slice: Refresh saved mobile note projection
+- Active slice: Create local mobile note
 - Push policy: commit locally; do not push unless explicitly requested
 - Validation target: iPad/iOS simulator first
 
@@ -62,14 +62,15 @@ This file is the resumable working log for Tolaria mobile. The strategy and road
 - Split editor save-state styles into a separate style module to keep mobile style files at CodeScene `10`.
 - Added a debounced mobile autosave queue that coalesces rapid TenTap draft changes, marks edited drafts as queued, and ignores stale save results when newer drafts supersede them.
 - Refreshed the in-memory mobile note projection after the latest successful editor save so the note list, editor source, properties words, and snippets update from canonical Markdown.
+- Added the first app-local mobile note creation path and wired the compose button to write a new Markdown note, prepend it to the current list, and select it through the shared compact navigation reducer.
 
 ## Next Action
 
 Continue Phase 2 with the next mobile shell slice:
 
 1. Dismiss or suppress Expo Go's first-run tools modal during simulator QA so screenshots capture the app without the overlay.
-2. Add the first local note create path against app-local vault storage, then wire it into the compact phone and iPad shells.
-3. Add a focused simulator interaction path for editor typing/autosave once Expo Go's overlay no longer blocks clean screenshots.
+2. Add a focused simulator interaction path for editor typing/autosave once Expo Go's overlay no longer blocks clean screenshots.
+3. Add a durable note-create UX state: disabled/pressed state while creating, create failure feedback, and eventual title-entry flow.
 
 ## Verification Log
 
@@ -203,6 +204,11 @@ Continue Phase 2 with the next mobile shell slice:
 - CodeScene after saved note projection refresh: `apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx`, `apps/mobile/src/mobileAutosaveQueue.ts`, `apps/mobile/src/mobileAutosaveQueue.test.ts`, `apps/mobile/src/mobileSavedDraftProjection.ts`, and `apps/mobile/src/mobileSavedDraftProjection.test.ts` scored `10`.
 - `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile test` passed after saved note projection refresh: 16 files / 51 tests.
 - `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile exec expo export --platform ios --output-dir /tmp/tolaria-mobile-export` passed after saved note projection refresh.
+- `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile test -- src/mobileNoteCreate.test.ts src/mobileVaultRepository.test.ts` passed after local note creation: 17 files / 53 tests.
+- `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile typecheck` passed after local note creation.
+- CodeScene after local note creation: `apps/mobile/src/MobileApp.tsx`, `apps/mobile/src/mobileDemoVault.ts`, and `apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.test.ts` scored `10`; `apps/mobile/src/mobileNoteCreate.ts` returned no scorable code and no findings.
+- `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile test` passed after local note creation: 17 files / 53 tests.
+- `pnpm --filter @tolaria/mobile exec expo export --platform ios --output-dir /tmp/tolaria-mobile-export` passed after local note creation.
 
 ## Risks / Watch Items