diff --git a/www/app/(auth)/userInfo.tsx b/www/app/(auth)/userInfo.tsx
index 0f01a85e..ca7a2858 100644
--- a/www/app/(auth)/userInfo.tsx
+++ b/www/app/(auth)/userInfo.tsx
@@ -12,18 +12,16 @@ export default function UserInfo() {
   return !isAuthenticated ? (
     <span className="hover:underline focus-within:underline underline-offset-2 decoration-[.5px] font-light px-2">
       <Link href="/login" className="outline-none">
-        Log in or create account
+        Log in
       </Link>
     </span>
   ) : (
     <span className="font-light px-2">
-      {userinfo?.email} (
       <span className="hover:underline focus-within:underline underline-offset-2 decoration-[.5px]">
         <Link href="/logout" className="outline-none">
           Log out
         </Link>
       </span>
-      )
     </span>
   );
 }
diff --git a/www/app/browse/page.tsx b/www/app/browse/page.tsx
index 10c7d936..29a0089b 100644
--- a/www/app/browse/page.tsx
+++ b/www/app/browse/page.tsx
@@ -57,59 +57,64 @@ export default function TranscriptBrowser() {
         />
       </div>
 
+      {isLoading && (
+        <div className="full-screen flex flex-col items-center justify-center">
+          <FontAwesomeIcon
+            icon={faGear}
+            className="animate-spin-slow h-14 w-14 md:h-20 md:w-20"
+          />
+        </div>
+      )}
+      {!isLoading && !results ? (
+        <div className="text-gray-500">
+          No transcripts found, but you can&nbsp;
+          <Link href="/transcripts/new" className="underline">
+            record a meeting
+          </Link>
+          &nbsp;to get started.
+        </div>
+      ) : (
+        <></>
+      )}
       <div /** center and max 900px wide */ className="mx-auto max-w-[900px]">
         <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-2 lg:gap-4 h-full">
-          {isLoading ? (
-            <FontAwesomeIcon
-              icon={faGear}
-              className="animate-spin-slow h-14 w-14 md:h-20 md:w-20"
-            />
-          ) : (
-            <>
-              {results === null ? (
-                <div className="text-gray-500">No transcripts found.</div>
-              ) : (
-                <></>
-              )}
-              {results?.items.map((item: GetTranscript) => (
-                <div
-                  key={item.id}
-                  className="flex flex-col bg-blue-400/20 rounded-lg md:rounded-xl p-2 md:px-4"
-                >
-                  <div className="flex flex-col">
-                    <div className="flex flex-row gap-2 items-start">
-                      <Link
-                        href={`/transcripts/${item.id}`}
-                        className="text-1xl font-semibold flex-1 pl-0 hover:underline focus-within:underline underline-offset-2 decoration-[.5px] font-light px-2"
-                      >
-                        {item.title || item.name}
-                      </Link>
+          {results?.items.map((item: GetTranscript) => (
+            <div
+              key={item.id}
+              className="flex flex-col bg-blue-400/20 rounded-lg md:rounded-xl p-2 md:px-4"
+            >
+              <div className="flex flex-col">
+                <div className="flex flex-row gap-2 items-start">
+                  <Link
+                    href={`/transcripts/${item.id}`}
+                    className="text-1xl font-semibold flex-1 pl-0 hover:underline focus-within:underline underline-offset-2 decoration-[.5px] font-light px-2"
+                  >
+                    {item.title || item.name}
+                  </Link>
 
-                      {item.locked ? (
-                        <div className="inline-block bg-red-500 text-white px-2 py-1 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold">
-                          Locked
-                        </div>
-                      ) : (
-                        <></>
-                      )}
+                  {item.locked ? (
+                    <div className="inline-block bg-red-500 text-white px-2 py-1 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold">
+                      Locked
+                    </div>
+                  ) : (
+                    <></>
+                  )}
 
-                      {item.sourceLanguage ? (
-                        <div className="inline-block bg-blue-500 text-white px-2 py-1 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold">
-                          {item.sourceLanguage}
-                        </div>
-                      ) : (
-                        <></>
-                      )}
+                  {item.sourceLanguage ? (
+                    <div className="inline-block bg-blue-500 text-white px-2 py-1 rounded-full text-xs font-semibold">
+                      {item.sourceLanguage}
                     </div>
-                    <div className="text-xs text-gray-700">
-                      {new Date(item.createdAt).toLocaleDateString("en-US")}
-                    </div>
-                    <div className="text-sm">{item.shortSummary}</div>
-                  </div>
+                  ) : (
+                    <></>
+                  )}
                 </div>
-              ))}
-            </>
-          )}
+                <div className="text-xs text-gray-700">
+                  {new Date(item.createdAt).toLocaleDateString("en-US")}
+                </div>
+                <div className="text-sm">{item.shortSummary}</div>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          ))}
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/www/app/layout.tsx b/www/app/layout.tsx
index da4dfd4d..87dfc104 100644
--- a/www/app/layout.tsx
+++ b/www/app/layout.tsx
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import Image from "next/image";
 import Link from "next/link";
 import About from "./(aboutAndPrivacy)/about";
 import Privacy from "./(aboutAndPrivacy)/privacy";
-import { featPrivacy } from "./lib/utils";
+import { featPrivacy, featRequireLogin } from "./lib/utils";
 
 const poppins = Poppins({ subsets: ["latin"], weight: ["200", "400", "600"] });
 
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ export const metadata: Metadata = {
 };
 
 export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
+  const requireLogin = featRequireLogin();
   return (
     <html lang="en">
       <body className={poppins.className + " h-screen relative"}>
@@ -117,6 +118,14 @@ export default function RootLayout({ children }) {
                   ) : (
                     <></>
                   )}
+                  {requireLogin ? (
+                    <>
+                      &nbsp;·&nbsp;
+                      <UserInfo />
+                    </>
+                  ) : (
+                    <></>
+                  )}
                 </div>
               </header>