diff --git a/src/publish.rs b/src/publish.rs
index 06bf722..564e8d3 100644
--- a/src/publish.rs
+++ b/src/publish.rs
@@ -126,6 +126,18 @@ fn visibility_arg(v: &str) -> Result<&str, String> {
         })
 }
 
+/// What the new visibility means, from the server's `status`.
+fn visibility_note(visibility: &str, status: Option<&str>) -> &'static str {
+    match (visibility, status) {
+        ("public", Some("pending_review")) => ": pending review before it is listed publicly",
+        ("public", Some("accepted")) => ": listed publicly",
+        ("public", Some("rejected")) => ": rejected in review, so it is not listed",
+        ("unlisted", _) => ": anyone with the link can open it; not listed",
+        ("private", _) => ": only you can open it",
+        _ => "",
+    }
+}
+
 /// Server message for a failed call, plus the exit code it maps to.
 fn failure(status: u16, text: &str, what: &str) -> (String, i32) {
     let v: Value = serde_json::from_str(text).unwrap_or(Value::Null);
@@ -458,7 +470,9 @@ fn apps_inner(parsed: &ParsedArgs, env: &BTreeMap<String, String>) -> Result<i32
                     if parsed.flag_true("json") {
                         println!("{}", serde_json::to_string_pretty(&v).unwrap_or_default());
                     } else {
-                        eprintln!("{app}/{id} is now {want}");
+                        let got = v.get("visibility").and_then(Value::as_str).unwrap_or(want);
+                        let status = v.get("status").and_then(Value::as_str);
+                        eprintln!("{app}/{id} is now {got}{}", visibility_note(got, status));
                     }
                     Ok(0)
                 }
diff --git a/tests/publish.rs b/tests/publish.rs
index 8284e74..f23d805 100644
--- a/tests/publish.rs
+++ b/tests/publish.rs
@@ -297,6 +297,10 @@ fn apps_verbs_hit_the_generic_routes() {
     let cmd = cli(&base, &["apps", "visibility", "demo", "k1", "private"]);
     let (code, _, err) = run(cmd);
     assert_eq!(code, 0, "{err}");
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("demo/k1 is now private: only you can open it"),
+        "{err}"
+    );
     let seen = rx.recv().unwrap();
     assert!(
         seen.starts_with("PATCH /api/v1/apps/demo/submissions/k1"),
@@ -314,6 +318,45 @@ fn apps_verbs_hit_the_generic_routes() {
         .starts_with("DELETE /api/v1/apps/demo/submissions/k1"));
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn apps_visibility_public_says_whether_it_waits_for_review_or_is_listed() {
+    let (base, _rx) = serve(vec![(
+        200,
+        r#"{"id":"k1","visibility":"public","status":"pending_review"}"#,
+    )]);
+    let cmd = cli(&base, &["apps", "visibility", "demo", "k1", "public"]);
+    let (code, _, err) = run(cmd);
+    assert_eq!(code, 0, "{err}");
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("demo/k1 is now public: pending review before it is listed publicly"),
+        "{err}"
+    );
+
+    // Already approved: going public again lists it with no second review.
+    let (base, _rx) = serve(vec![(
+        200,
+        r#"{"id":"k1","visibility":"public","status":"accepted"}"#,
+    )]);
+    let cmd = cli(&base, &["apps", "visibility", "demo", "k1", "public"]);
+    let (code, _, err) = run(cmd);
+    assert_eq!(code, 0, "{err}");
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("demo/k1 is now public: listed publicly"),
+        "{err}"
+    );
+
+    let (base, _rx) = serve(vec![(
+        200,
+        r#"{"id":"k1","visibility":"unlisted","status":"accepted"}"#,
+    )]);
+    let cmd = cli(&base, &["apps", "visibility", "demo", "k1", "unlisted"]);
+    let (_, _, err) = run(cmd);
+    assert!(
+        err.contains("demo/k1 is now unlisted: anyone with the link can open it; not listed"),
+        "{err}"
+    );
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn apps_rm_without_yes_refuses_when_not_interactive() {
     let (base, rx) = serve(vec![]);