diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e9f4aca..02edc77 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- `apple build` prints a line before each slow step (App Store Connect reads, device families, web build), so a run without a terminal that stalls shows where.
 ## 0.8.61 · 2026-10-29
 
 - TestFlight: `apple.testflight.description` takes a language id or its App Store locale (`en` or `en-US`; an `en-US` key was skipped silently), `check` names an unknown key, and `distribute --submit-review` stops (dry run: warns) when the app's primary locale has no beta localization (Beta App Review answers 422 MISSING_BETA_APP_LOCALIZATION).
diff --git a/cli/apple/build.ts b/cli/apple/build.ts
index d877447..caefc02 100644
--- a/cli/apple/build.ts
+++ b/cli/apple/build.ts
@@ -172,6 +172,8 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
   let build = a.get('build-number');
   let teamId = signing.teamId ?? null;
   if (!build || !teamId) {
+    // a line before each slow step: a run without a terminal (launchd job, CI) that stalls shows where
+    log(TAG, `reading App Store Connect (${[!build ? 'next build number' : '', !teamId ? 'team id' : ''].filter(Boolean).join(', ')})`);
     try {
       const c = await ascClient(root, bundleId, config.apple?.appId);
       if (!build) {
@@ -191,6 +193,7 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
   // device families: an upload that drops one the live version supports (iPad) is refused only AFTER the archive (ITMS-90101)
   // so compare first: stop before building with the exact fix (--allow-device-gap builds anyway)
   let deviceFamilies: FamilyVerdict[] = [];
+  log(TAG, 'reading the device families of the live version');
   try {
     const c = await ascClient(root, bundleId, config.apple?.appId);
     deviceFamilies = familyVerdicts({ live: await liveDeviceFamilies(c, await c.app()), project: projectFamilies(root, bundleId, target.project), ipad: config.apple?.ipad });
@@ -268,6 +271,7 @@ export async function run(ctx: Ctx): Promise<void> {
     else addToSearchList(keychain!);
   }
   shipPhase('prebuild', 'web build / prebuild');
+  log(TAG, 'web build / prebuild step');
   const web = await webStep({ ...webOpts, dry: false });
   for (const n of target.notes) log(TAG, n);
   const rsync = foreignRsync(process.env.PATH);