diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/MainActivity.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/MainActivity.kt
index f160e77aa0..805a52958a 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/MainActivity.kt
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import android.content.Context
 import android.content.Intent
 import android.os.Bundle
 import android.os.Parcelable
+import androidx.core.view.isVisible
 import androidx.lifecycle.Lifecycle
 import androidx.lifecycle.lifecycleScope
 import com.airbnb.mvrx.viewModel
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ import im.vector.app.features.signout.hard.SignedOutActivity
 import im.vector.app.features.start.StartAppAction
 import im.vector.app.features.start.StartAppViewEvent
 import im.vector.app.features.start.StartAppViewModel
+import im.vector.app.features.start.StartAppViewState
 import im.vector.app.features.themes.ActivityOtherThemes
 import im.vector.app.features.ui.UiStateRepository
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
@@ -127,6 +129,9 @@ class MainActivity : VectorBaseActivity<ActivityMainBinding>(), UnlockedActivity
     override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
 
+        startAppViewModel.onEach {
+            renderState(it)
+        }
         startAppViewModel.viewEvents.stream()
                 .onEach(::handleViewEvents)
                 .launchIn(lifecycleScope)
@@ -134,6 +139,13 @@ class MainActivity : VectorBaseActivity<ActivityMainBinding>(), UnlockedActivity
         startAppViewModel.handle(StartAppAction.StartApp)
     }
 
+    private fun renderState(state: StartAppViewState) {
+        if (state.duration > 0) {
+            views.status.setText(R.string.updating_your_data)
+        }
+        views.status.isVisible = state.duration > 0
+    }
+
     private fun handleViewEvents(event: StartAppViewEvent) {
         when (event) {
             StartAppViewEvent.AppStarted -> handleAppStarted()
diff --git a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/start/StartAppViewModel.kt b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/start/StartAppViewModel.kt
index eeec52283d..b66a072195 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/start/StartAppViewModel.kt
+++ b/vector/src/main/java/im/vector/app/features/start/StartAppViewModel.kt
@@ -24,8 +24,12 @@ import im.vector.app.core.di.ActiveSessionSetter
 import im.vector.app.core.di.MavericksAssistedViewModelFactory
 import im.vector.app.core.di.hiltMavericksViewModelFactory
 import im.vector.app.core.platform.VectorViewModel
+import im.vector.lib.core.utils.flow.tickerFlow
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.launchIn
+import kotlinx.coroutines.flow.onEach
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
+import kotlin.time.Duration.Companion.seconds
 
 class StartAppViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
         @Assisted val initialState: StartAppViewState,
@@ -50,10 +54,20 @@ class StartAppViewModel @AssistedInject constructor(
     }
 
     private fun handleStartApp() {
+        startTimer()
         viewModelScope.launch(Dispatchers.IO) {
             // This can take time because of DB migration(s), so do it in a background task.
             activeSessionSetter.tryToSetActiveSession(startSync = true)
             _viewEvents.post(StartAppViewEvent.AppStarted)
         }
     }
+
+    private fun startTimer() {
+        setState { copy(duration = 0) }
+        tickerFlow(viewModelScope, 1.seconds.inWholeMilliseconds)
+                .onEach {
+                    setState { copy(duration = duration + 1) }
+                }
+                .launchIn(viewModelScope)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/vector/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml b/vector/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
index c7bca50acb..ba5925f000 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
+++ b/vector/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
-<!-- The background of this Activity is in the theme (so just added as tools here, for preview),
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?><!-- The background of this Activity is in the theme (so just added as tools here, for preview),
  so we just add a ProgressBar here -->
 <androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
     xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
@@ -22,4 +21,20 @@
         app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
         app:layout_constraintTop_toTopOf="parent" />
 
+    <TextView
+        android:id="@+id/status"
+        android:layout_width="0dp"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_marginStart="@dimen/layout_horizontal_margin"
+        android:layout_marginTop="8dp"
+        android:layout_marginEnd="@dimen/layout_horizontal_margin"
+        android:gravity="center"
+        android:textColor="@color/palette_white"
+        android:visibility="gone"
+        app:layout_constraintEnd_toEndOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintStart_toStartOf="parent"
+        app:layout_constraintTop_toBottomOf="@id/progressBar"
+        tools:text="@string/updating_your_data"
+        tools:visibility="visible" />
+
 </androidx.constraintlayout.widget.ConstraintLayout>
diff --git a/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml b/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
index ed0cf691e2..cf844d29b0 100644
--- a/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
+++ b/vector/src/main/res/values/strings.xml
@@ -1625,6 +1625,7 @@
     <string name="error_no_network">No network. Please check your Internet connection.</string>
     <string name="change_room_directory_network">"Change network"</string>
     <string name="please_wait">"Please wait…"</string>
+    <string name="updating_your_data">Updating your data…</string>
     <!--TODO: delete-->
     <string name="group_all_communities" tools:ignore="UnusedResources">"All Communities"</string>