diff --git a/app/build.gradle b/app/build.gradle
index be7e80ba..bc0ff45d 100644
--- a/app/build.gradle
+++ b/app/build.gradle
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ android {
         applicationId "io.lbry.browser"
         minSdkVersion 21
         targetSdkVersion 29
-        versionCode 1516
-        versionName "0.15.16"
+        versionCode 1517
+        versionName "0.15.17"
 
         testInstrumentationRunner "androidx.test.runner.AndroidJUnitRunner"
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/io/lbry/browser/MainActivity.java b/app/src/main/java/io/lbry/browser/MainActivity.java
index ec91595d..96b93bcb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/io/lbry/browser/MainActivity.java
+++ b/app/src/main/java/io/lbry/browser/MainActivity.java
@@ -857,7 +857,7 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
         findViewById(R.id.content_main).setVisibility(View.GONE);
         findViewById(R.id.floating_balance_main_container).setVisibility(View.GONE);
         findViewById(R.id.global_now_playing_card).setVisibility(View.GONE);
-        findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        //findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
         findViewById(R.id.app_bar_main_container).setFitsSystemWindows(true);
         hideActionBar();
 
@@ -893,9 +893,9 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
         if (!(fragment instanceof FileViewFragment) && !inFullscreenMode) {
             findViewById(R.id.global_now_playing_card).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
         }
-        if (!Lbry.SDK_READY && !inFullscreenMode) {
+        /*if (!Lbry.SDK_READY && !inFullscreenMode) {
             findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
-        }
+        }*/
         for (PIPModeListener listener : pipModeListeners) {
             listener.onExitPIPMode();
         }
@@ -992,16 +992,16 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
         serviceRunning = isServiceRunning(this, LbrynetService.class);
         if (!serviceRunning) {
             Lbry.SDK_READY = false;
-            findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
+            //findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
             ServiceHelper.start(this, "", LbrynetService.class, "lbrynetservice");
         }
         checkSdkReady();
         showSignedInUser();
         checkPendingOpens();
 
-        if (Lbry.SDK_READY) {
+        /*if (Lbry.SDK_READY) {
             findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
-        }
+        }*/
     }
 
     private void checkPendingOpens() {
@@ -1432,7 +1432,7 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
         if (actionBar != null) {
             actionBar.hide();
         }
-        findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        //findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
         findViewById(R.id.app_bar_main_container).setFitsSystemWindows(false);
         lockDrawer();
 
@@ -1463,9 +1463,9 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
         appBarMainContainer.setFitsSystemWindows(true);
         decorView.setSystemUiVisibility(flags);
 
-        if (!Lbry.SDK_READY) {
+        /*if (!Lbry.SDK_READY) {
             findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.VISIBLE);
-        }
+        }*/
         showFloatingWalletBalance();
         ActionBar actionBar = getSupportActionBar();
         if (actionBar != null) {
@@ -1554,7 +1554,7 @@ public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity implements SdkStatusListener
             checkSyncedWallet();
         }
 
-        findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
+        //findViewById(R.id.global_sdk_initializing_status).setVisibility(View.GONE);
 
         scheduleWalletBalanceUpdate();
         scheduleWalletSyncTask();
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/content_main.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/content_main.xml
index 9fd48cf6..6bd21c94 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/content_main.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/content_main.xml
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@
         android:background="@color/lbryGreen"
         android:elevation="12dp"
         android:padding="8dp"
+        android:visibility="gone"
         app:layout_constraintBottom_toBottomOf="parent">
         <LinearLayout
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"