diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 4744fff..f805654 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
     
     <!-- iOS Safari PWA Meta Tags -->
     <meta name="mobile-web-app-capable" content="yes" />
-    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black-translucent" />
+    <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black" />
     <meta name="apple-mobile-web-app-title" content="ChatMux" />
     
     <!-- iOS Safari Icons (opaque: iOS renders transparency as black) -->
diff --git a/src/components/app/AppContent.test.ts b/src/components/app/AppContent.test.ts
index 5f4fe29..e9b5dd0 100644
--- a/src/components/app/AppContent.test.ts
+++ b/src/components/app/AppContent.test.ts
@@ -198,3 +198,34 @@ test('capability refresh consumes the discovery roster without adding its own re
   assert.match(hook, /onSessionsChangeRef\.current\?\.\(/);
   assert.doesNotMatch(refreshCallback, /api\.externalSessions/);
 });
+
+test('standalone chrome keeps app UI below a separate opaque safe-area surface', () => {
+  const appContent = readFileSync(new URL('./AppContent.tsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+  const styles = readFileSync(new URL('../../index.css', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+  const documentHtml = readFileSync(new URL('../../../index.html', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+  const themeContext = readFileSync(new URL('../../contexts/ThemeContext.jsx', import.meta.url), 'utf8');
+  const opaqueChromeSources = [
+    '../main-content/view/subcomponents/MainContentStateView.tsx',
+    '../sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarContent.tsx',
+    '../sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarCollapsed.tsx',
+  ].map((source) => readFileSync(new URL(source, import.meta.url), 'utf8'));
+
+  assert.match(appContent, /className="pwa-status-bar-surface"/);
+  assert.match(appContent, /className="app-shell fixed inset-0 flex bg-background"/);
+  assert.match(styles, /\.pwa-status-bar-surface\s*\{/);
+  assert.match(styles, /background: hsl\(var\(--background\)\)/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(styles, /\.pwa-status-bar-surface[\s\S]{0,400}backdrop-filter/);
+  assert.match(documentHtml, /apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style" content="black"/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(documentHtml, /black-translucent/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(themeContext, /black-translucent/);
+  assert.match(styles, /body \.app-shell,[\s\S]*top: var\(--safe-area-inset-top\) !important/);
+  assert.match(styles, /left: var\(--safe-area-inset-left\) !important/);
+  assert.match(styles, /right: var\(--safe-area-inset-right\) !important/);
+  assert.match(styles, /\.fixed\.inset-0:not\(\.app-shell\)/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(styles, /body\.pwa-mode \.fixed\.inset-0\s*\{/);
+  assert.doesNotMatch(styles, /\.pwa-header-safe[\s\S]{0,160}padding-top: 0/);
+  for (const source of opaqueChromeSources) {
+    assert.doesNotMatch(source, /backdrop-blur/);
+    assert.match(source, /bg-background/);
+  }
+});
diff --git a/src/components/app/AppContent.tsx b/src/components/app/AppContent.tsx
index e098df9..f981eef 100644
--- a/src/components/app/AppContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/app/AppContent.tsx
@@ -635,7 +635,8 @@ function AppContentInner() {
   }, []);
 
   return (
-    <div className="fixed inset-0 flex bg-background" style={{ bottom: 'var(--keyboard-height, 0px)' }}>
+    <div className="app-shell fixed inset-0 flex bg-background" style={{ bottom: 'var(--keyboard-height, 0px)' }}>
+      <div aria-hidden="true" className="pwa-status-bar-surface" />
       {!isMobile ? (
         <div className="h-full flex-shrink-0 border-r border-border/50">
           <Sidebar {...sidebarProps} />
diff --git a/src/components/main-content/view/subcomponents/MainContentStateView.tsx b/src/components/main-content/view/subcomponents/MainContentStateView.tsx
index aacfbb1..98009c8 100644
--- a/src/components/main-content/view/subcomponents/MainContentStateView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/main-content/view/subcomponents/MainContentStateView.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ export default function MainContentStateView({ mode, isMobile, onMenuClick }: Ma
   return (
     <div className="flex h-full flex-col">
       {isMobile && (
-        <div className="pwa-header-safe flex-shrink-0 border-b border-border/50 bg-background/80 p-2 backdrop-blur-sm sm:p-3">
+        <div className="pwa-header-safe flex-shrink-0 border-b border-border/50 bg-background p-2 sm:p-3">
           <MobileMenuButton onMenuClick={onMenuClick} compact />
         </div>
       )}
diff --git a/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarCollapsed.tsx b/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarCollapsed.tsx
index 9410734..0c76f29 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarCollapsed.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarCollapsed.tsx
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ export default function SidebarCollapsed({
   t,
 }: SidebarCollapsedProps) {
   return (
-    <div className="flex h-full w-12 flex-col items-center gap-1 bg-background/80 py-3 backdrop-blur-sm">
+    <div className="flex h-full w-12 flex-col items-center gap-1 bg-background py-3">
       {/* Expand button with brand logo */}
       <button
         onClick={onExpand}
diff --git a/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarContent.tsx b/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarContent.tsx
index c5a32ac..0a76702 100644
--- a/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarContent.tsx
+++ b/src/components/sidebar/view/subcomponents/SidebarContent.tsx
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ export default function SidebarContent({
   };
 
   return (
-    <div className="flex h-full flex-col bg-background/80 backdrop-blur-sm md:w-72 md:select-none">
+    <div className="flex h-full flex-col bg-background md:w-72 md:select-none">
       <SidebarHeader
         isPWA={isPWA}
         isMobile={isMobile}
diff --git a/src/contexts/ThemeContext.jsx b/src/contexts/ThemeContext.jsx
index 1dc9143..2849ba6 100644
--- a/src/contexts/ThemeContext.jsx
+++ b/src/contexts/ThemeContext.jsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export const ThemeProvider = ({ children }) => {
       // Update iOS status bar style and theme color for dark mode
       const statusBarMeta = document.querySelector('meta[name="apple-mobile-web-app-status-bar-style"]');
       if (statusBarMeta) {
-        statusBarMeta.setAttribute('content', 'black-translucent');
+        statusBarMeta.setAttribute('content', 'black');
       }
       
       const themeColorMeta = document.querySelector('meta[name="theme-color"]');
diff --git a/src/index.css b/src/index.css
index e8c22d6..fe99a24 100644
--- a/src/index.css
+++ b/src/index.css
@@ -95,10 +95,8 @@
     --mobile-nav-padding: 20px;
     --mobile-nav-total: calc(var(--mobile-nav-height) + var(--mobile-nav-padding) + env(safe-area-inset-bottom, 0px));
 
-    /* Header safe area dimensions */
-    --header-safe-area-top: env(safe-area-inset-top, 0px);
+    /* Header spacing below the standalone status-bar safe area. */
     --header-base-padding: 8px;
-    --header-total-padding: calc(var(--header-safe-area-top) + var(--header-base-padding));
   }
   
   /* Fallback for older iOS versions */
@@ -202,12 +200,48 @@
     overflow: hidden;
   }
 
-  /* Adjust fixed inset positioning in PWA mode */
-  body.pwa-mode .fixed.inset-0 {
-    top: var(--header-total-padding);
-    left: var(--safe-area-inset-left);
-    right: var(--safe-area-inset-right);
-    bottom: 0;
+  /*
+   * Keep the native status-bar strip and app chrome in separate layers.
+   * The dedicated shell starts below the safe area and the strip is opaque,
+   * preventing standalone browser effects from blurring titles and controls.
+   */
+  .pwa-status-bar-surface {
+    position: fixed;
+    z-index: 70;
+    top: 0;
+    left: 0;
+    right: 0;
+    height: 0;
+    pointer-events: none;
+    background: hsl(var(--background));
+  }
+
+  @supports (padding-top: env(safe-area-inset-top)) {
+    @media (display-mode: standalone) {
+      .pwa-status-bar-surface {
+        height: var(--safe-area-inset-top);
+      }
+
+      body .app-shell,
+      body .fixed.inset-0:not(.app-shell) {
+        /* Tailwind's inset-0 lives in the later utilities cascade layer. */
+        top: var(--safe-area-inset-top) !important;
+        left: var(--safe-area-inset-left) !important;
+        right: var(--safe-area-inset-right) !important;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  /* JavaScript fallback for iOS navigator.standalone and Android app refs. */
+  body.pwa-mode .pwa-status-bar-surface {
+    height: var(--safe-area-inset-top);
+  }
+
+  body.pwa-mode .app-shell,
+  body.pwa-mode .fixed.inset-0:not(.app-shell) {
+    top: var(--safe-area-inset-top) !important;
+    left: var(--safe-area-inset-left) !important;
+    right: var(--safe-area-inset-right) !important;
   }
   
   /* Global transition defaults */
@@ -783,12 +817,6 @@
     padding-top: var(--header-base-padding);
   }
 
-  /* When PWA mode is detected by JavaScript */
-  body.pwa-mode .pwa-header-safe {
-    /* Reset padding since #root already handles safe area */
-    padding-top: 0px !important;
-  }
-
   /* For mobile PWA, add bottom padding for better spacing */
   @media screen and (max-width: 768px) {
     body.pwa-mode .pwa-header-safe {