diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
index e6970d4728..d7b05d8723 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/ChatModel.swift
@@ -43,6 +43,11 @@ private func addTermItem(_ items: inout [TerminalItem], _ item: TerminalItem) {
     items.append(item)
 }
 
+struct ChatGap {
+    let index: Int
+    let size: Int
+}
+
 class ItemsModel: ObservableObject {
     static let shared = ItemsModel()
     private let publisher = ObservableObjectPublisher()
@@ -53,6 +58,9 @@ class ItemsModel: ObservableObject {
     var itemAdded = false {
         willSet { publisher.send() }
     }
+    var gap: ChatGap? = nil {
+        willSet { publisher.send() }
+    }
     
     // Publishes directly to `objectWillChange` publisher,
     // this will cause reversedChatItems to be rendered without throttling
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
index f0e64b2dce..a442089ca9 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Model/SimpleXAPI.swift
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ private func apiChatsResponse(_ r: ChatResponse) throws -> [ChatData] {
 }
 
 let loadItemsPerPage = 50
+let preloadItem = 8
 
 func apiGetChat(type: ChatType, id: Int64, search: String = "") async throws -> (Chat, Int?) {
     let r = await chatSendCmd(.apiGetChat(type: type, id: id, pagination: .initial(count: loadItemsPerPage), search: search))
@@ -350,9 +351,14 @@ func loadChat(chat: Chat, search: String = "", clearItems: Bool = true) async {
         if clearItems {
             await MainActor.run { im.reversedChatItems = [] }
         }
-        let (chat, _) = try await apiGetChat(type: cInfo.chatType, id: cInfo.apiId, search: search)
+        let (chat, gap) = try await apiGetChat(type: cInfo.chatType, id: cInfo.apiId, search: search)
         await MainActor.run {
             im.reversedChatItems = chat.chatItems.reversed()
+            if let gap = gap {
+                im.gap = ChatGap(index: loadItemsPerPage, size: gap)
+            } else {
+                im.gap = nil
+            }
             m.updateChatInfo(chat.chatInfo)
         }
     } catch let error {
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatItem/FramedItemView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatItem/FramedItemView.swift
index 35ae1f9715..0af81a9be0 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatItem/FramedItemView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatItem/FramedItemView.swift
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ struct FramedItemView: View {
         do {
             var reversedPage = Array<ChatItem>()
             let pagination: ChatPagination = .around(chatItemId: chatItemId, count: loadItemsPerPage * 2)
-            let (chatItems, _) = try await apiGetChatItems(
+            let (chatItems, gap) = try await apiGetChatItems(
                 type: cInfo.chatType,
                 id: cInfo.apiId,
                 pagination: pagination,
@@ -359,6 +359,9 @@ struct FramedItemView: View {
 
             await MainActor.run {
                 ItemsModel.shared.reversedChatItems.append(contentsOf: reversedPage)
+                if let size = gap {
+                    ItemsModel.shared.gap = ChatGap(index: reversedPage.count, size: size)
+                }
             }
             
             return reversedPage
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
index 06ee173237..d233353ad9 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ChatView.swift
@@ -423,7 +423,7 @@ struct ChatView: View {
         let cInfo = chat.chatInfo
         let mergedItems = filtered(im.reversedChatItems)
         return GeometryReader { g in
-            ReverseList(items: mergedItems, scrollState: $scrollModel.state) { ci in
+            ReverseList(items: mergedItems, gap: im.gap, scrollState: $scrollModel.state) { ci in
                 let voiceNoFrame = voiceWithoutFrame(ci)
                 let maxWidth = cInfo.chatType == .group
                                 ? voiceNoFrame
diff --git a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ReverseList.swift b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ReverseList.swift
index eac881ebd4..cea8b4b47a 100644
--- a/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ReverseList.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/Shared/Views/Chat/ReverseList.swift
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import SimpleXChat
 /// A List, which displays it's items in reverse order - from bottom to top
 struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
     let items: Array<ChatItem>
+    let gap: ChatGap?
 
     @Binding var scrollState: ReverseListScrollModel.State
 
@@ -33,15 +34,15 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             case .nextPage:
                 controller.scrollToNextPage()
             case let .item(id):
-                controller.scroll(to: items.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == id }), position: .bottom)
+                controller.scrollToItem(to: items.first(where: { $0.id == id }), position: .bottom)
             case .bottom:
                 controller.scroll(to: 0, position: .top)
             case let .unread(id):
-                controller.scrollToUnread(to: items.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == id }))
+                controller.scrollToUnread(to: items.first(where: { $0.id == id }))
             }
         } else {
-            logger.error("[scrolling] not scrolling")
-            controller.update(items: items)
+            logger.error("[scrolling] not scrolling gap: (\(gap?.index ?? -1), \(gap?.size ?? 0)")
+            controller.update(items: items, gap: gap)
         }
     }
 
@@ -81,9 +82,15 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             self.dataSource = UITableViewDiffableDataSource<Section, ChatItem>(
                 tableView: tableView
             ) { (tableView, indexPath, item) -> UITableViewCell? in
-                if indexPath.item > self.itemCount - 8, self.representer.scrollState == .atDestination {
-                    logger.error("[scrolling] requesting page")
-                    self.representer.loadPage()
+                if self.representer.scrollState == .atDestination {
+                    if indexPath.item > self.itemCount - preloadItem, let item = self.getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath(row: self.itemCount - 1, section: 0)) {
+                        logger.error("[scrolling] requesting page \(item.text)")
+                        self.representer.loadPage()
+                    } else if let item = self.getFirstItemBeforePlacholder(indexPath) {
+                        logger.error("[scrolling] needs items in top \(item.text)")
+                    } else if let item = self.getFirstItemAfterPlacholder(indexPath) {
+                        logger.error("[scrolling] needs items in bottom \(item.text)")
+                    }
                 }
                 let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: cellReuseId, for: indexPath)
                 if #available(iOS 16.0, *) {
@@ -166,15 +173,23 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             Task { representer.scrollState = .atDestination }
         }
         
-        func scrollToUnread(to index: Int?) {
-            if let index = index {
-                if isVisible(indexPath: IndexPath(row: index, section: 0)) {
+        func scrollToUnread(to cItem: ChatItem?) {
+            if let it = cItem, let indexPath = dataSource.indexPath(for: it) {
+                if isVisible(indexPath: indexPath) {
                     self.scroll(to: 0, position: .top)
                 } else {
-                    self.scroll(to: index, position: .bottom)
+                    self.scroll(to: indexPath.row, position: .bottom)
                 }
             } else {
-                self.scroll(to: index, position: .bottom)
+                self.scroll(to: nil, position: .bottom)
+            }
+        }
+        
+        func scrollToItem(to cItem: ChatItem?,  position: UITableView.ScrollPosition) {
+            if let it = cItem, let indexPath = dataSource.indexPath(for: it) {
+                self.scroll(to: indexPath.row, position: position)
+            } else {
+                scroll(to: nil, position: position)
             }
         }
 
@@ -200,14 +215,23 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
             Task { representer.scrollState = .atDestination }
         }
 
-        func update(items: [ChatItem]) {
+        func update(items: [ChatItem], gap: ChatGap?) {
             var snapshot = NSDiffableDataSourceSnapshot<Section, ChatItem>()
+            let cItems: [ChatItem]
+            if let gap = gap {
+                var itemsCopy = items
+                let blanks = (0..<gap.size).map { index in ChatItem.placeholder(index + 1) }
+                itemsCopy.insert(contentsOf: blanks, at: gap.index)
+                cItems = itemsCopy
+            } else {
+                cItems = items
+            }
             snapshot.appendSections([.main])
-            snapshot.appendItems(items)
+            snapshot.appendItems(cItems)
             dataSource.defaultRowAnimation = .none
             dataSource.apply(
                 snapshot,
-                animatingDifferences: itemCount != 0 && abs(items.count - itemCount) == 1
+                animatingDifferences: itemCount != 0 && abs(cItems.count - itemCount) == 1
             )
             // Sets content offset on initial load
             if itemCount == 0 {
@@ -216,7 +240,7 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
                     animated: false
                 )
             }
-            itemCount = items.count
+            itemCount = cItems.count
             updateFloatingButtons.send()
         }
 
@@ -254,6 +278,68 @@ struct ReverseList<Content: View>: UIViewControllerRepresentable {
                 relativeFrame.minY < tableView.frame.height - InvertedTableView.inset
             } else { false }
         }
+        
+        private func getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath) -> ChatItem? {
+            return if let firstItem = self.dataSource.itemIdentifier(for: indexPath) {
+                firstItem
+            } else {
+                nil
+            }
+        }
+        
+        private func getFirstItemAfterPlacholder(_ indexPath: IndexPath) -> ChatItem? {
+            if indexPath.row < preloadItem {
+                return nil
+            }
+            
+            let closesPlaceholderRow = (0..<preloadItem).first { index in
+                if let item = getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath(row: indexPath.row - index, section: 0)) {
+                    return item.isPlaceholder
+                }
+                return false
+            }
+            
+            if let closesPlaceholderRow {
+                var rowIndex = indexPath.row - closesPlaceholderRow
+                while rowIndex < self.tableView.numberOfRows(inSection: 0) {
+                    if let item = getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath(row: rowIndex, section: 0)), !item.isPlaceholder {
+                        return item
+                    }
+                    rowIndex += 1
+                }
+                
+                return nil
+            } else {
+                return nil
+            }
+        }
+        
+        private func getFirstItemBeforePlacholder(_ indexPath: IndexPath) -> ChatItem? {
+            if indexPath.row + preloadItem >= itemCount {
+                return nil
+            }
+            
+            let closesPlaceholderRow = (0..<preloadItem).first { index in
+                if let item = getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath(row: indexPath.row + index, section: 0)) {
+                    return item.isPlaceholder
+                }
+                return false
+            }
+            
+            if let closesPlaceholderRow {
+                var rowIndex = indexPath.row + closesPlaceholderRow
+                while rowIndex >= 0 {
+                    if let item = getItemAtPath(indexPath: IndexPath(row: rowIndex, section: 0)), !item.isPlaceholder {
+                        return item
+                    }
+                    rowIndex -= 1
+                }
+                
+                return nil
+            } else {
+                return nil
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// `UIHostingConfiguration` back-port for iOS14 and iOS15
diff --git a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
index 1bd5673f01..cde3286b05 100644
--- a/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
+++ b/apps/ios/SimpleXChat/ChatTypes.swift
@@ -2339,6 +2339,7 @@ public struct ChatItem: Identifiable, Decodable, Hashable {
 
     public var viewTimestamp = Date.now
     public var isLiveDummy: Bool = false
+    public var isPlaceholder: Bool = false
 
     private enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
         case chatDir, meta, content, formattedText, quotedItem, reactions, file
@@ -2664,6 +2665,30 @@ public struct ChatItem: Identifiable, Decodable, Hashable {
         return item
     }
 
+    public static func placeholder(_ idx: Int) -> ChatItem {
+        var item = ChatItem(
+            chatDir: CIDirection.directSnd,
+            meta: CIMeta(
+                itemId: Int64(idx * -10),
+                itemTs: .now,
+                itemText: "",
+                itemStatus: .rcvRead,
+                createdAt: .now,
+                updatedAt: .now,
+                itemDeleted: nil,
+                itemEdited: false,
+                itemLive: true,
+                deletable: false,
+                editable: false
+            ),
+            content: .sndMsgContent(msgContent: .text("")),
+            quotedItem: nil,
+            file: nil
+        )
+        item.isPlaceholder = true
+        return item
+    }
+    
     public static func invalidJSON(chatDir: CIDirection?, meta: CIMeta?, json: String) -> ChatItem {
         ChatItem(
             chatDir: chatDir ?? .directSnd,