diff --git a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/menu_locale.rs b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/menu_locale.rs
index 614637e..afbee31 100644
--- a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/menu_locale.rs
+++ b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/menu_locale.rs
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ Use when everyone stays in one Signal group and wants bilingual (or quote) trans
 
 How it works:
 - No sidecar groups — replies stay in this chat as quote-replies.
-- Group-wide: !translate-all-on es en auto-translates messages between that pair.
-- Personal: !translate-me-on es en auto-translates only your messages.
+- Group-wide: !translate-all-on es en auto-translates messages between that pair (everyone uses this pair while it is on).
+- Personal: !translate-me-on es en auto-translates only your messages when group-wide is off.
 - One-off: reply to a message with !translate <lang>
 
 Typical use:
diff --git a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_all.rs b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_all.rs
index 2f13eda..c2f6d75 100644
--- a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_all.rs
+++ b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_all.rs
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@ const SIDECAR_REJECT_MSG: &str =
     "In-chat auto-translate is only available in the main group (not a Language Thread).";
 const THREADS_BLOCK_MSG: &str = "Language Threads is already on in this group, so in-chat auto-translate can't run alongside it.\n\nTo switch, send:\n!enable-in-chat";
 
+fn group_blocks_personal_msg(mode: &GroupTranslateMode) -> String {
+    format!(
+        "Group translate is already on ({}). Use !translate-all-off first if you only want personal translate.",
+        mode.display_pair()
+    )
+}
+
 /// Whether the message is any in-chat auto on/off/disable command (excludes quote `!translate`).
 pub(crate) fn is_translate_on_or_off_command(text: &str) -> bool {
     let text = text.trim();
@@ -330,6 +337,10 @@ impl TranslateAllHandler {
             return Ok(msg);
         }
 
+        if let Some(group_mode) = self.store.get(group_id) {
+            return Ok(group_blocks_personal_msg(&group_mode));
+        }
+
         let pair_label = mode.display_pair();
         self.set_member_prefs(group_id, message, mode);
         info!(
@@ -940,7 +951,7 @@ mod tests {
         Mock::given(method("POST"))
             .and(path("/v2/send"))
             .respond_with(ResponseTemplate::new(200).set_body_json(json!({})))
-            .expect(7)
+            .expect(8)
             .mount(&signal)
             .await;
 
@@ -989,13 +1000,23 @@ mod tests {
 
         msg.text = "!translate-me-on fr en".into();
         assert!(handler.execute(&msg).await.unwrap().is_empty());
-        assert!(store
-            .get_member_translate("group.main", "+15550002222")
-            .is_some());
+        assert!(
+            store
+                .get_member_translate("group.main", "+15550002222")
+                .is_none(),
+            "personal pair must not be stored while group-wide is on"
+        );
 
         msg.text = "!translate-all-off".into();
         assert!(handler.execute(&msg).await.unwrap().is_empty());
         assert!(!store.is_active("group.main"));
+        assert!(!store.in_chat_auto_active("group.main"));
+
+        msg.text = "!translate-me-on fr en".into();
+        assert!(handler.execute(&msg).await.unwrap().is_empty());
+        assert!(store
+            .get_member_translate("group.main", "+15550002222")
+            .is_some());
         assert!(store.in_chat_auto_active("group.main"));
 
         msg.text = "!translate-me-off".into();
diff --git a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_service.rs b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_service.rs
index b6de39b..216f38a 100644
--- a/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_service.rs
+++ b/crates/signal-bot/src/commands/translate_service.rs
@@ -247,6 +247,15 @@ pub fn resolve_translate_all_text_pair(
     mode: &GroupTranslateMode,
     text: &str,
 ) -> Option<(&'static Language, &'static Language)> {
+    // Pair allowlist always picks a winner. If unconstrained detection is
+    // confident the text is a third language, skip rather than forcing it
+    // into the pair (e.g. "buenos dias" as Portuguese/Spanish in a fa/en
+    // allowlist collapsing to English → Persian).
+    let unconstrained = detect_text_language(text).or_else(|| detect_text_language_voice(text));
+    if let Some(open) = unconstrained {
+        normalize_for_translate_all_pair(mode, &open)?;
+    }
+
     for code in text_language_candidates(mode, text) {
         if let Some(normalized) = normalize_for_translate_all_pair(mode, &code) {
             if let (Some(target), Some(source)) = (
@@ -368,4 +377,20 @@ mod tests {
         assert_eq!(pair.0.code, "es");
         assert_eq!(pair.1.code, "it");
     }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn resolve_text_pair_skips_confident_out_of_pair_language() {
+        let mode = GroupTranslateMode::new(
+            resolve_language("fa").unwrap(),
+            resolve_language("en").unwrap(),
+        );
+        assert!(
+            resolve_translate_all_text_pair(&mode, "buenos dias").is_none(),
+            "Spanish must not collapse to en→fa in a fa/en pair"
+        );
+        let pair = resolve_translate_all_text_pair(&mode, "hello good morning")
+            .expect("English in fa/en pair should target Persian");
+        assert_eq!(pair.0.code, "en");
+        assert_eq!(pair.1.code, "fa");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/crates/signal-bot/src/group_preferences_store.rs b/crates/signal-bot/src/group_preferences_store.rs
index f94bf71..85760af 100644
--- a/crates/signal-bot/src/group_preferences_store.rs
+++ b/crates/signal-bot/src/group_preferences_store.rs
@@ -342,14 +342,13 @@ impl GroupPreferencesStore {
             .and_then(|p| p.translate.clone())
     }
 
-    /// Resolve intercept pair: personal for `user` wins over group-wide.
+    /// Resolve intercept pair: group-wide wins while set; otherwise personal for `user`.
     pub fn resolve_in_chat_mode(&self, group_id: &str, user: &str) -> Option<GroupTranslateMode> {
         let groups = self.groups.read().unwrap();
         let pref = groups.get(group_id)?;
-        pref.translate_members
-            .get(user)
-            .cloned()
-            .or_else(|| pref.translate.clone())
+        pref.translate
+            .clone()
+            .or_else(|| pref.translate_members.get(user).cloned())
     }
 
     pub fn set(self: &Arc<Self>, group_id: String, mode: GroupTranslateMode) {
@@ -918,15 +917,25 @@ mod tests {
             store.resolve_in_chat_mode(gid, "+bob").unwrap().lang_a,
             "es"
         );
-        // Personal still wins for alice if we set a different pair.
-        let fr_en = GroupTranslateMode::new(
-            resolve_language("fr").unwrap(),
+        // Group-wide wins over a stale personal pair (e.g. fa/en left from !translate-me-on).
+        let fa_en = GroupTranslateMode::new(
+            resolve_language("fa").unwrap(),
             resolve_language("en").unwrap(),
         );
-        store.set_member_translate(gid, "+alice", fr_en);
+        store.set_member_translate(gid, "+alice", fa_en);
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.resolve_in_chat_mode(gid, "+alice").unwrap().lang_a,
+            "es"
+        );
+        assert_eq!(
+            store.resolve_in_chat_mode(gid, "+alice").unwrap().lang_b,
+            "en"
+        );
+
+        assert!(store.clear(gid));
         assert_eq!(
             store.resolve_in_chat_mode(gid, "+alice").unwrap().lang_a,
-            "fr"
+            "fa"
         );
 
         assert!(store.disable_in_chat(gid));
diff --git a/docs/in-chat-translation.md b/docs/in-chat-translation.md
index de38c3c..1895e68 100644
--- a/docs/in-chat-translation.md
+++ b/docs/in-chat-translation.md
@@ -33,7 +33,8 @@ Stop group-wide only:
 ```
 
 - Auto-translates **that user’s** messages only (quote-reply in the same chat)
-- Other members’ messages are unchanged unless group-wide is also on
+- Only while group-wide is off; refused if `!translate-all-on` is already active
+- Other members’ messages are unchanged unless group-wide is on
 
 Stop personal:
 
@@ -51,9 +52,9 @@ Clear **all** in-chat auto (group-wide + every personal), and apply a pending La
 
 | Mode | How | Effect |
 |------|-----|--------|
-| **Group auto** | `!translate-all-on` active | Every non-command group text: detect → if in pair → NEAR translate → quote-reply `{flag} {translation}` |
-| **Personal auto** | `!translate-me-on` for author | Same as group auto, but only for that author’s messages. Personal pair wins over group-wide for that author (one quote-reply max). |
-| **Manual** | Reply with `!translate <lang>` | Translate only that quoted message (always allowed) |
+| **Group auto** | `!translate-all-on` active | Every non-command group text: detect → if in pair → NEAR translate → quote-reply `{flag} {translation}`. Used for **every** author while group-wide is on. |
+| **Personal auto** | `!translate-me-on` for author | Same as group auto, but only for that author’s messages, and **only while group-wide is off**. `!translate-me-on` is refused until `!translate-all-off`. A leftover personal pair applies again after group-wide is turned off. |
+| **Manual** | Reply with `!translate <lang>` | Translate only that quoted message (always allowed; ignores stored pairs) |
 
 Not dual-post: the original stays as the human message; the bot only quote-replies the translation.