diff --git a/lib/components/farcaster-data-handler.react.js b/lib/components/farcaster-data-handler.react.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/components/farcaster-data-handler.react.js
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+// @flow
+
+import * as React from 'react';
+
+import { useSelector } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
+
+function FarcasterDataHandler(): React.Node {
+  const isActive = useSelector(state => state.lifecycleState !== 'background');
+
+  const prevIsActiveRef = React.useRef<?boolean>();
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    if (isActive === prevIsActiveRef.current) {
+      return;
+    }
+    prevIsActiveRef.current = isActive;
+    if (!isActive) {
+      return;
+    }
+    // app either just started, or just became active
+    // we will fetch Farcaster data here
+  }, [isActive]);
+
+  return null;
+}
+
+export { FarcasterDataHandler };
diff --git a/native/root.react.js b/native/root.react.js
--- a/native/root.react.js
+++ b/native/root.react.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import { ChatMentionContextProvider } from 'lib/components/chat-mention-provider.react.js';
 import { EditUserAvatarProvider } from 'lib/components/edit-user-avatar-provider.react.js';
 import { ENSCacheProvider } from 'lib/components/ens-cache-provider.react.js';
+import { FarcasterDataHandler } from 'lib/components/farcaster-data-handler.react.js';
 import IntegrityHandler from 'lib/components/integrity-handler.react.js';
 import KeyserverConnectionsHandler from 'lib/components/keyserver-connections-handler.js';
 import { MediaCacheProvider } from 'lib/components/media-cache-provider.react.js';
@@ -343,6 +344,7 @@
                                                 <VersionSupportedChecker />
                                                 <PrekeysHandler />
                                                 <ReportHandler />
+                                                <FarcasterDataHandler />
                                               </PersistedStateGate>
                                               {navigation}
                                             </RegistrationContextProvider>