The USCIS portal feels confusing to me, with different pages showing slightly different information, so I’m curious if others have noticed this too and which parts of the account are usually the most reliable.

Yes, a lot of people notice that and it’s not just you. The USCIS portal pulls information from different systems, so it’s common for one page to update before another or for details to look slightly inconsistent. Most people find the actual receipt notices and official documents more reliable than the dashboard wording, and the case history timeline is usually more accurate than the summary page. As confusing as it is, those mismatches are usually portal glitches rather than real problems with the case.