diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 039c216..3569a9f 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -132,12 +132,8 @@ export default function App() {
     <div className="h-screen flex flex-col bg-bg text-fg">
       <Header
         me={meQuery.data!}
-        theme={theme}
-        setTheme={setTheme}
         filters={filters}
         setFilters={setFilters}
-        view={view}
-        setView={changeView}
         page={page}
         setPage={setPage}
         onOpenSettings={() => setSettingsOpen(true)}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
index 22f2dc9..2f7a5a8 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
@@ -1,98 +1,25 @@
 import { useRef, useState } from "react";
-import {
-  Home,
-  LayoutGrid,
-  List,
-  LogOut,
-  Moon,
-  Palette,
-  Search,
-  Settings,
-  Shield,
-  Sun,
-  Tv,
-} from "lucide-react";
-import { SCHEMES, type Scheme, type ThemePrefs } from "../lib/theme";
+import { Home, LogOut, Search, Settings, Shield, Tv } from "lucide-react";
 import type { FeedFilters, Me } from "../lib/api";
 import type { Page } from "../lib/urlState";
 import SyncStatus from "./SyncStatus";
 import NotificationCenter from "./NotificationCenter";
 
-function IconBtn(props: React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement>) {
-  const { className = "", ...rest } = props;
-  return (
-    <button
-      {...rest}
-      className={`p-2 rounded-lg text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card transition ${className}`}
-    />
-  );
-}
-
-function ThemeMenu({
-  theme,
-  setTheme,
-}: {
-  theme: ThemePrefs;
-  setTheme: (t: ThemePrefs) => void;
-}) {
-  return (
-    <div className="glass absolute right-0 mt-2 w-60 rounded-xl p-3 z-30 animate-[popIn_0.16s_ease]">
-      <div className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wide text-muted mb-2">Color scheme</div>
-      <div className="grid grid-cols-4 gap-2 mb-3">
-        {SCHEMES.map((s) => (
-          <button
-            key={s.id}
-            onClick={() => setTheme({ ...theme, scheme: s.id as Scheme })}
-            title={s.name}
-            className={`h-9 rounded-lg border-2 transition ${
-              theme.scheme === s.id ? "border-fg" : "border-transparent"
-            }`}
-            style={{ background: s.swatch }}
-          />
-        ))}
-      </div>
-      <div className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wide text-muted mb-2">Text size</div>
-      <input
-        type="range"
-        min={0.9}
-        max={1.3}
-        step={0.02}
-        value={theme.fontScale}
-        onChange={(e) => setTheme({ ...theme, fontScale: Number(e.target.value) })}
-        className="w-full accent-accent"
-      />
-      <div className="text-right text-xs text-muted">
-        {Math.round(theme.fontScale * 100)}%
-      </div>
-    </div>
-  );
-}
-
 export default function Header({
   me,
-  theme,
-  setTheme,
   filters,
   setFilters,
-  view,
-  setView,
   page,
   setPage,
   onOpenSettings,
 }: {
   me: Me;
-  theme: ThemePrefs;
-  setTheme: (t: ThemePrefs) => void;
   filters: FeedFilters;
   setFilters: (f: FeedFilters) => void;
-  view: "grid" | "list";
-  setView: (v: "grid" | "list") => void;
   page: Page;
   setPage: (p: Page) => void;
   onOpenSettings: () => void;
 }) {
-  const [menuOpen, setMenuOpen] = useState(false);
-
   async function logout() {
     await fetch("/auth/logout", { method: "POST", credentials: "include" });
     location.reload();
@@ -125,34 +52,7 @@ export default function Header({
       )}
 
       <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
-        {page === "feed" && (
-          <IconBtn
-            onClick={() => setView(view === "grid" ? "list" : "grid")}
-            title={view === "grid" ? "List view" : "Grid view"}
-          >
-            {view === "grid" ? <List className="w-5 h-5" /> : <LayoutGrid className="w-5 h-5" />}
-          </IconBtn>
-        )}
-        <IconBtn
-          onClick={() => setTheme({ ...theme, mode: theme.mode === "dark" ? "light" : "dark" })}
-          title="Toggle dark / light"
-        >
-          {theme.mode === "dark" ? <Sun className="w-5 h-5" /> : <Moon className="w-5 h-5" />}
-        </IconBtn>
-        <div className="relative">
-          <IconBtn onClick={() => setMenuOpen((o) => !o)} title="Theme">
-            <Palette className="w-5 h-5" />
-          </IconBtn>
-          {menuOpen && (
-            <>
-              <div className="fixed inset-0 z-20" onClick={() => setMenuOpen(false)} />
-              <ThemeMenu theme={theme} setTheme={setTheme} />
-            </>
-          )}
-        </div>
-
         <NotificationCenter filters={filters} setFilters={setFilters} />
-
         <div className="pl-1">
           <AccountMenu
             me={me}
@@ -205,11 +105,7 @@ function AccountMenu({
     "w-full flex items-center gap-2 text-sm px-2 py-2 rounded-lg text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card transition";
 
   return (
-    <div
-      className="relative"
-      onMouseEnter={openNow}
-      onMouseLeave={closeSoon}
-    >
+    <div className="relative" onMouseEnter={openNow} onMouseLeave={closeSoon}>
       <button
         onClick={() => setOpen((o) => !o)}
         title={me.email}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SettingsPanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SettingsPanel.tsx
index a401812..d466566 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SettingsPanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SettingsPanel.tsx
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ export default function SettingsPanel({
   return (
     <div className="fixed inset-0 z-40 flex justify-end">
       <div
-        className={`absolute inset-0 bg-black/40 ${
+        className={`absolute inset-0 bg-black/30 backdrop-blur-lg ${
           closing ? "animate-[overlayOut_0.19s_ease_forwards]" : "animate-[overlayIn_0.2s_ease]"
         }`}
         onClick={close}
diff --git a/frontend/src/index.css b/frontend/src/index.css
index 6420ca0..eec0164 100644
--- a/frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/index.css
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ body {
 
 /* ===== Liquid-glass surface system (theme-aware, GPU-light) ===== */
 .glass {
-  /* Mostly opaque so overlay menus/panels stay readable over arbitrary content;
-     the blur + slight translucency keep the glassy feel. */
-  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface) 90%, transparent);
-  backdrop-filter: blur(24px) saturate(1.7);
-  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(24px) saturate(1.7);
+  /* Frosted overlay surface: strong blur so background content is an unreadable
+     blur, plus enough opacity to stay legible over anything. */
+  background: color-mix(in srgb, var(--surface) 86%, transparent);
+  backdrop-filter: blur(32px) saturate(1.8);
+  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(32px) saturate(1.8);
   border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--border) 75%, transparent);
   box-shadow:
     inset 0 1px 0 color-mix(in srgb, #fff 15%, transparent),