diff --git a/components/ImportTranscriptOption.tsx b/components/ImportTranscriptOption.tsx
index b403360..109daca 100644
--- a/components/ImportTranscriptOption.tsx
+++ b/components/ImportTranscriptOption.tsx
@@ -176,11 +176,14 @@ export default function ImportTranscriptOption() {
           }
           // Do not set source to "import" until a file is chosen. Close the menu
           // before the OS dialog so cancel cannot leave it pinned open.
+          // Open the picker in this same user-gesture turn — deferring to rAF
+          // drops Chrome's user activation and the dialog never appears.
           pickGenRef.current += 1;
           setPicking(true);
           setError(null);
+          const input = fileRef.current;
           ctx.closeMenu();
-          requestAnimationFrame(() => fileRef.current?.click());
+          input?.click();
         }}
       >
         <ImportTrigger
diff --git a/components/Popover.tsx b/components/Popover.tsx
index b0166ec..9072a85 100644
--- a/components/Popover.tsx
+++ b/components/Popover.tsx
@@ -54,8 +54,13 @@ type PopoverProps = {
   padding?: number;
   /** Portal content to document.body. Default true. */
   portal?: boolean;
-  /** Full-screen dismiss catcher for Electron drag regions. Default false. */
+  /**
+   * Full-screen dismiss catcher for Electron drag regions (and a reliable
+   * outside-press target on web). Rendered in a portal under the panel.
+   * Default false.
+   */
   backdrop?: boolean;
+  /** Stacking class for the portaled backdrop; keep below PopoverContent. */
   backdropZClassName?: string;
   /** Stop Escape from bubbling (nested flyouts). Default false. */
   escapeStopPropagation?: boolean;
@@ -128,16 +133,24 @@ export default function Popover({
     };
   }, [open, onOpenChange, refs, escapeStopPropagation]);
 
+  // Portal the backdrop with the panel so both share the same stacking root
+  // (document.body). An in-tree fixed backdrop can end up above the portaled
+  // panel when an ancestor creates a stacking context — clicks then hit the
+  // dismiss layer instead of links / controls inside the menu.
+  const backdropNode =
+    backdrop && open ? (
+      <PopupDismissBackdrop
+        onDismiss={() => onOpenChange(false)}
+        zClassName={backdropZClassName}
+      />
+    ) : null;
+
   return (
     <PopoverContext.Provider
       value={{ open, setReference, setFloating, floatingStyles, portal }}
     >
-      {backdrop && open && (
-        <PopupDismissBackdrop
-          onDismiss={() => onOpenChange(false)}
-          zClassName={backdropZClassName}
-        />
-      )}
+      {backdropNode &&
+        (portal ? <FloatingPortal>{backdropNode}</FloatingPortal> : backdropNode)}
       {children}
     </PopoverContext.Provider>
   );
diff --git a/components/SettingsMenu.tsx b/components/SettingsMenu.tsx
index 9b7d5cb..4a72685 100644
--- a/components/SettingsMenu.tsx
+++ b/components/SettingsMenu.tsx
@@ -96,6 +96,10 @@ export default function SettingsMenu() {
                 href={href}
                 target="_blank"
                 rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                // Keep the click on the anchor — popover dismiss listeners must
+                // not treat this as an outside press or swallow navigation.
+                onPointerDown={(e) => e.stopPropagation()}
+                onClick={() => setOpen(false)}
                 className="flex items-center gap-2.5 px-3 py-2 text-[13px] text-zinc-700 transition hover:bg-zinc-50 dark:text-zinc-300 dark:hover:bg-zinc-800/80"
               >
                 <span className="shrink-0 text-zinc-400 dark:text-zinc-500">
diff --git a/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx b/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
index 003b2a1..dad4dc3 100644
--- a/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
+++ b/components/TranscriptPanel.tsx
@@ -334,25 +334,25 @@ export default function TranscriptPanel() {
           )}
           {(status === "ready" || status === "error" || status === "transcribing") && (
             <>
-              <button
-                onClick={() => importInputRef.current?.click()}
+              <label
                 title="Replace transcript from SRT, VTT, or JSON"
                 className="flex cursor-pointer h-7 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg px-2 text-xs text-zinc-500 transition hover:bg-zinc-100 dark:text-zinc-400 dark:hover:bg-zinc-800"
               >
                 <ArrowUpFromLine size={14} />
                 <span className="hidden sm:inline">Import</span>
-              </button>
-              <input
-                ref={importInputRef}
-                type="file"
-                accept={TRANSCRIPT_ACCEPT}
-                className="hidden"
-                onChange={(e) => {
-                  const files = e.target.files;
-                  e.target.value = "";
-                  void handleImportTranscript(files);
-                }}
-              />
+                <input
+                  ref={importInputRef}
+                  type="file"
+                  accept={TRANSCRIPT_ACCEPT}
+                  // Keep in the layout tree — display:none can block the OS picker.
+                  className="sr-only"
+                  onChange={(e) => {
+                    const files = e.target.files;
+                    e.target.value = "";
+                    void handleImportTranscript(files);
+                  }}
+                />
+              </label>
             </>
           )}
           <button
diff --git a/components/UploadScreen.tsx b/components/UploadScreen.tsx
index b2d8888..6481789 100644
--- a/components/UploadScreen.tsx
+++ b/components/UploadScreen.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useId, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import Image from "next/image";
 import {
   AudioLines,
@@ -159,6 +159,7 @@ export default function UploadScreen({
   onFile: (file: File, options?: { words?: Word[] }) => void;
 }) {
   const inputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+  const inputId = useId();
   const [dragging, setDragging] = useState(false);
   const [projects, setProjects] = useState<ProjectMeta[]>([]);
   const [busyId, setBusyId] = useState<string | null>(null);
@@ -286,12 +287,25 @@ export default function UploadScreen({
               </div>
             </div>
           )}
-          <div
-            role="button"
+          {/*
+            Native <label htmlFor> opens the file dialog without a synthetic
+            input.click(). display:none inputs + .click() fail in some Chromium
+            setups (DnD still works), which matches "browse does nothing".
+          */}
+          <label
+            htmlFor={inputId}
             aria-disabled={!ready}
             tabIndex={ready ? 0 : -1}
-            onClick={() => ready && inputRef.current?.click()}
-            onKeyDown={(e) => ready && e.key === "Enter" && inputRef.current?.click()}
+            onClick={(e) => {
+              if (!ready) e.preventDefault();
+            }}
+            onKeyDown={(e) => {
+              if (!ready) return;
+              if (e.key === "Enter" || e.key === " ") {
+                e.preventDefault();
+                inputRef.current?.click();
+              }
+            }}
             onDragOver={(e) => {
               e.preventDefault();
               if (ready) setDragging(true);
@@ -358,13 +372,17 @@ export default function UploadScreen({
               </>
             )}
             <input
+              id={inputId}
               ref={inputRef}
               type="file"
               accept={MEDIA_ACCEPT}
-              className="hidden"
+              disabled={!ready}
+              // Visually hidden but present in the layout tree — display:none
+              // breaks programmatic / label-activated pickers in some browsers.
+              className="sr-only"
               onChange={(e) => handleFiles(e.target.files)}
             />
-          </div>
+          </label>
 
           {ready && (
             <RecentProjects