diff --git a/styles/base/global.css b/styles/base/global.css
index c430a4c..7d9c450 100644
--- a/styles/base/global.css
+++ b/styles/base/global.css
@@ -81,11 +81,16 @@ main#maincontent {
  * backgroundColor is updated at runtime by
  * static/js/modules/ChromeTint.js.
  *
+ * visibility: hidden keeps the elements invisible to the user (so
+ * they don't appear as dark bars over the page content) while iOS
+ * Safari still samples their backgroundColor. The WebKit source
+ * explicitly notes that visibility: hidden elements ARE sampled.
+ *
  * The elements are kept as small as possible (12px tall) so they
- * stay well within the iOS safe-area insets and don't intrude into
- * the page content. They have no background by default — they only
- * become opaque when the matching element (header / footer) is in
- * view. pointer-events: none ensures they never intercept clicks.
+ * stay well within the iOS safe-area insets. They have no background
+ * by default — they only get a backgroundColor when the matching
+ * element (header / footer) is in view. pointer-events: none ensures
+ * they never intercept clicks even if made visible.
  *
  * (iOS 26 ignores <meta name="theme-color">; this technique is
  *  what replaced it.)
@@ -93,6 +98,7 @@ main#maincontent {
 .chrome-tint {
     pointer-events: none;
     position: fixed;
+    visibility: hidden;
     z-index: 9999;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/chrome-tint.spec.js b/tests/chrome-tint.spec.js
index 335eefa..4a6206f 100644
--- a/tests/chrome-tint.spec.js
+++ b/tests/chrome-tint.spec.js
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@ test.describe("chrome tint", () => {
                     width: Math.round(topR.width),
                     widthPct: Math.round((topR.width / winW) * 100),
                     position: topCs.position,
+                    visibility: topCs.visibility,
                 },
                 bottom: {
                     bottomFromViewport: Math.round(winH - bottomR.bottom),
@@ -68,20 +69,55 @@ test.describe("chrome tint", () => {
                     width: Math.round(bottomR.width),
                     widthPct: Math.round((bottomR.width / winW) * 100),
                     position: bottomCs.position,
+                    visibility: bottomCs.visibility,
                 },
             };
         });
 
-        // Top element: position fixed, top ≤ 4px, width >= 80%, height >= 12px.
+        // Top element: position fixed, top ≤ 4px, width >= 80%, height >= 12px,
+        // visibility hidden (so it never appears as a dark bar over page content).
         expect(layout.top.position).toBe("fixed");
         expect(layout.top.top).toBeLessThanOrEqual(4);
         expect(layout.top.widthPct).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(80);
         expect(layout.top.height).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(12);
+        expect(layout.top.visibility).toBe("hidden");
 
-        // Bottom element: position fixed, within 3px of viewport bottom, width >= 80%.
+        // Bottom element: position fixed, within 3px of viewport bottom, width >= 80%,
+        // visibility hidden.
         expect(layout.bottom.position).toBe("fixed");
         expect(layout.bottom.bottomFromViewport).toBeLessThanOrEqual(3);
         expect(layout.bottom.widthPct).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(80);
+        expect(layout.bottom.visibility).toBe("hidden");
+    });
+
+    test("fixed chrome tint elements are not visible to the user (no extra dark bars)", async ({
+        page,
+    }) => {
+        await page.goto(site, { waitUntil: "networkidle" });
+        // Wait for ChromeTint to set the background colors.
+        await page.waitForFunction(
+            () => {
+                const top = document.querySelector(".chrome-tint--top");
+                const bottom = document.querySelector(".chrome-tint--bottom");
+                return top && bottom &&
+                    top.style.backgroundColor !== "" &&
+                    bottom.style.backgroundColor === "";
+            },
+            { timeout: 2000 },
+        );
+        // Even though the elements have background colors, they should
+        // be invisible to the user (visibility: hidden) so they don't
+        // show as dark bars over the page content.
+        const visibility = await page.evaluate(() => {
+            const top = document.querySelector(".chrome-tint--top");
+            const bottom = document.querySelector(".chrome-tint--bottom");
+            return {
+                top: getComputedStyle(top).visibility,
+                bottom: getComputedStyle(bottom).visibility,
+            };
+        });
+        expect(visibility.top).toBe("hidden");
+        expect(visibility.bottom).toBe("hidden");
     });
 
     test("viewport meta includes viewport-fit=cover", async ({ page }) => {