## Summary

The system that tracks how many users are in each pod has been upgraded to improve speed, accuracy, and reliability.


## What Changed

### ✅ Pod count updates now happen in the background

Previously, pod counts were updated immediately during actions like joining or leaving a pod. This sometimes caused slowdowns or errors. 

Now, these updates happen in the background without delaying the user.


## Benefits

* **Faster user actions** — Joining or leaving pods now completes more quickly.

* **More accurate pod limits** — The number of users in each pod is now tracked more reliably.

* **Fewer system errors** — Reduced chance of timeouts or update failures.


## Support Notes

* No additional steps are required from support.

* If a user reports a pod count or membership issue:

* **Do not attempt to troubleshoot**

* **Escalate to Tier 2**

* Internal reference: task **#478**