diff --git a/src/components/ColorFilter.tsx b/src/components/ColorFilter.tsx
index f4bcbe9..1cca85b 100644
--- a/src/components/ColorFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ColorFilter.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export function ColorFilter() {
   }, [open]);
 
   return (
-    <div ref={ref} className="relative ml-1 flex shrink-0 items-center border-l border-white/[0.06] pl-2">
+    <div ref={ref} className="relative ml-1 flex shrink-0 items-center border-l border-white/6 pl-2">
       {/* Trigger — a single palette icon; shows the active color as a dot when a
           filter is applied so the collapsed state still communicates it. */}
       <Tooltip label={isActive ? "Color filter active" : "Filter by color"} delay={400}>
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ export function ColorFilter() {
               {SWATCHES.map((swatch) => {
                 const active = rgbEquals(colorFilter, swatch.rgb);
                 return (
+                  <Tooltip label= {swatch.name} followCursor>
                   <button
                     key={swatch.name}
-                    title={swatch.name}
                     aria-label={`Filter by ${swatch.name}`}
                     className={`h-5 w-5 shrink-0 rounded-full border transition-transform ${
                       active ? "scale-110 border-white/40 ring-2 ring-white/70" : "border-white/15 hover:scale-110"
@@ -109,12 +109,12 @@ export function ColorFilter() {
                     style={{ backgroundColor: toHex(swatch.rgb) }}
                     onClick={() => setColorFilter(active ? null : swatch.rgb)}
                   />
+                </Tooltip>
                 );
               })}
-
+              <Tooltip label= "Custom Colour" followCursor>
               {/* Custom color picker — rainbow until a custom color is chosen. */}
               <label
-                title="Custom color"
                 className={`relative h-5 w-5 shrink-0 cursor-pointer overflow-hidden rounded-full border ${
                   isCustom ? "border-white/40 ring-2 ring-white/70" : "border-white/15 hover:scale-110"
                 }`}
@@ -130,11 +130,11 @@ export function ColorFilter() {
                   value={colorFilter ? toHex(colorFilter) : "#3b7dd8"}
                   onChange={(event) => setColorFilter(fromHex(event.target.value))}
                 />
-              </label>
+              </label></Tooltip>
             </div>
 
             {isActive || (colorBackfill && colorBackfill.total > 0) ? (
-              <div className="mt-2 flex items-center justify-between gap-3 border-t border-white/[0.06] pt-2 light-theme:border-gray-700/40">
+              <div className="mt-2 flex items-center justify-between gap-3 border-t border-white/6 pt-2 light-theme:border-gray-700/40">
                 {colorBackfill && colorBackfill.total > 0 ? (
                   <span
                     className="text-[10px] text-gray-600"
diff --git a/src/components/Timeline.tsx b/src/components/Timeline.tsx
index a2de2eb..b150751 100644
--- a/src/components/Timeline.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Timeline.tsx
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useCallback, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } fr
 import { useVirtualizer } from "@tanstack/react-virtual";
 import { ImageRecord, tileSizeForZoom, useGalleryStore } from "../store";
 import { ContextMenu, ImageTile } from "./Gallery";
+import { Tooltip } from "./Tooltip";
 
 const GAP = 6;
 const HEADER_HEIGHT = 52;
@@ -374,16 +375,16 @@ function ScrubberYearBlock({ yearEntry, activeGroupIndex, onScrollTo }: Scrubber
 
   return (
     <div className="w-full flex flex-col items-center">
-      <button
-        className={`w-full text-center py-0.5 text-[10px] font-semibold tracking-wide transition-colors ${
-          isYearActive ? "text-white/80" : "text-white/30 hover:text-white/55"
-        }`}
-        onClick={() => onScrollTo(yearEntry.firstGroupIndex)}
-        title={yearEntry.year}
-      >
-        {yearEntry.year}
-      </button>
-
+      <Tooltip label={yearEntry.year} anchorToCursor>
+        <button
+          className={`w-full text-center py-0.5 text-[10px] font-semibold tracking-wide transition-colors ${
+            isYearActive ? "text-white/80" : "text-white/30 hover:text-white/55"
+          }`}
+          onClick={() => onScrollTo(yearEntry.firstGroupIndex)}
+        >
+          {yearEntry.year}
+        </button>
+      </Tooltip>
       <div
         className="grid gap-[3px] pb-1.5"
         style={{ gridTemplateColumns: "repeat(3, 10px)" }}
@@ -396,14 +397,14 @@ function ScrubberYearBlock({ yearEntry, activeGroupIndex, onScrollTo }: Scrubber
             return <span key={monthNum} className="h-[10px] w-[10px]" />;
           }
           return (
-            <button
-              key={monthNum}
-              title={`${monthEntry.label} ${yearEntry.year}`}
-              onClick={() => onScrollTo(monthEntry.groupIndex)}
-              className={`h-[10px] w-[10px] rounded-full transition-colors ${
-                isActive ? "bg-white/70" : "bg-white/15 hover:bg-white/40"
-              }`}
-            />
+            <Tooltip key={monthNum} label={`${monthEntry.label} ${yearEntry.year}`} anchorToCursor>
+              <button
+                onClick={() => onScrollTo(monthEntry.groupIndex)}
+                className={`h-[10px] w-[10px] rounded-full transition-colors ${
+                  isActive ? "bg-white/70" : "bg-white/15 hover:bg-white/40"
+                }`}
+              />
+            </Tooltip>
           );
         })}
       </div>
diff --git a/src/components/Toolbar.tsx b/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
index f2595fa..90ef087 100644
--- a/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Toolbar.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { invoke } from "@tauri-apps/api/core";
 import { tileSizeForZoom, useGalleryStore, SortOrder, MediaFilter, SearchCommand, parseSearchValue, searchModeLabel, ExploreTagEntry } from "../store";
 import { FolderScopeDropdown } from "./FolderScopeDropdown";
 import { ColorFilter } from "./ColorFilter";
+import { Tooltip } from "./Tooltip";
 
 const BASE_SORT_OPTIONS: { value: SortOrder; label: string }[] = [
   { value: "date_desc", label: "Newest first" },
@@ -230,7 +231,7 @@ export function Toolbar() {
         const results = await invoke<ExploreTagEntry[]>("search_tags_autocomplete", {
           params: { query: searchQuery.trim(), folder_id: selectedFolderId ?? null, limit: 10 },
         });
-        setTagSuggestions(results);
+        setTagSuggestions(Array.isArray(results) ? results : []);
       } catch {
         setTagSuggestions([]);
       }
@@ -266,7 +267,7 @@ export function Toolbar() {
   const showCommandHints = !searchCommand && searchPanelOpen;
 
   return (
-    <div className="relative z-20 shrink-0 border-b border-white/[0.06] bg-gray-950/80 backdrop-blur-xl">
+    <div className="relative z-40 shrink-0 border-b border-white/[0.06] bg-gray-950/80 backdrop-blur-xl">
       {/* Primary row */}
       <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 h-12 lg:gap-3 lg:px-5">
         {/* Title + count */}
@@ -357,7 +358,7 @@ export function Toolbar() {
 
           {/* Tag autocomplete suggestions */}
           {showTagSuggestions && tagSuggestions.length > 0 ? (
-            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-30 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 py-1 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
+            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-50 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 py-1 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
               {tagSuggestions.map((entry) => (
                 <button
                   key={entry.tag}
@@ -381,25 +382,25 @@ export function Toolbar() {
 
           {/* Tag mode with no suggestions yet — show a brief hint */}
           {showTagSuggestions && tagSuggestions.length === 0 && searchQuery.trim().length > 0 ? (
-            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-30 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 px-3 py-2.5 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
+            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-50 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 px-3 py-2.5 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
               <p className="text-xs text-white/25">No matching tags</p>
             </div>
           ) : null}
 
           {/* Semantic mode hint */}
           {searchCommand === "semantic" && searchPanelOpen ? (
-            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-30 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 px-3 py-2.5 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
+            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-50 mt-1.5 w-72 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 px-3 py-2.5 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
               <p className="text-xs text-white/40">Search by meaning and visual concepts</p>
             </div>
           ) : null}
 
           {/* Command hints — only shown when no command is active */}
           {showCommandHints ? (
-            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-30 mt-1.5 w-64 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 py-1 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
+            <div className="absolute left-0 top-full z-50 mt-1.5 w-64 rounded-xl border border-white/10 bg-gray-950/98 py-1 shadow-2xl backdrop-blur">
               {(
                 [
-                  { command: "tag" as SearchCommand, prefix: "/t", label: "Tags", description: "Search AI and user tags" },
-                  { command: "semantic" as SearchCommand, prefix: "/s", label: "Semantic", description: "Search by meaning" },
+                  { command: "tag" as SearchCommand, prefix: "/t", label: "Tags", description: "Search user and AI tags" },
+                  { command: "semantic" as SearchCommand, prefix: "/s", label: "Semantic", description: "Search by meaning, object, mood" },
                 ] as const
               ).map((option) => (
                 <button
@@ -434,20 +435,20 @@ export function Toolbar() {
         {/* Zoom */}
         <div className="flex items-center rounded-lg border border-white/8 overflow-hidden light-theme:border-gray-700/40">
           {(["compact", "comfortable", "detail"] as const).map((preset, i) => (
-            <button
-              key={preset}
-              className={`px-2.5 py-1.5 text-xs font-medium transition-colors ${
-                i > 0 ? "border-l border-white/8" : ""
-              } ${
-                zoomPreset === preset
-                  ? "bg-white/10 text-white light-theme:bg-gray-900 light-theme:text-white"
-                  : "text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-200 hover:bg-white/5 light-theme:text-gray-600 light-theme:hover:bg-gray-900 light-theme:hover:text-white"
-              }`}
-              title={`${tileSize}px tiles`}
-              onClick={() => setZoomPreset(preset)}
-            >
-              {preset === "compact" ? "S" : preset === "comfortable" ? "M" : "L"}
-            </button>
+            <Tooltip key={preset} label={`${tileSize}px tiles`} followCursor>
+              <button
+                className={`px-2.5 py-1.5 text-xs font-medium transition-colors ${
+                  i > 0 ? "border-l border-white/8" : ""
+                } ${
+                  zoomPreset === preset
+                    ? "bg-white/10 text-white light-theme:bg-gray-900 light-theme:text-white"
+                    : "text-gray-500 hover:text-gray-200 hover:bg-white/5 light-theme:text-gray-600 light-theme:hover:bg-gray-900 light-theme:hover:text-white"
+                }`}
+                onClick={() => setZoomPreset(preset)}
+              >
+                {preset === "compact" ? "S" : preset === "comfortable" ? "M" : "L"}
+              </button>
+            </Tooltip>
           ))}
         </div>
       </div>
diff --git a/src/components/Tooltip.tsx b/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
index c345c4a..6aee866 100644
--- a/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { MouseEvent, ReactNode, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { createPortal } from "react-dom";
 import { motion } from "framer-motion";
 
 type TooltipSide = "top" | "bottom" | "left" | "right";
@@ -20,8 +21,8 @@ const STATIC_CLASSES = `${BASE_CLASSES} transition-opacity duration-100`;
 /**
  * Lightweight custom tooltip — fades in (faster than the native one) after a
  * tunable hover `delay`, and hides instantly on leave or click. By default it
- * anchors to a `side` of the wrapper; with `followCursor` it tracks the pointer
- * (fixed-positioned, so it escapes scroll-container clipping).
+ * anchors to a `side` of the wrapper. `anchorToCursor` shows at the pointer's
+ * entry position; `followCursor` keeps tracking the pointer.
  */
 export function Tooltip({
   label,
@@ -29,6 +30,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
   side = "bottom",
   align = "center",
   block = false,
+  anchorToCursor = false,
   followCursor = false,
   className = "",
   children,
@@ -41,6 +43,8 @@ export function Tooltip({
   align?: TooltipAlign;
   /** Full-width block wrapper (e.g. wrapping a grid cell) instead of inline. */
   block?: boolean;
+  /** Position at the cursor when shown, without following subsequent movement. */
+  anchorToCursor?: boolean;
   /** Track the cursor (fixed position) instead of anchoring to a side. */
   followCursor?: boolean;
   /** Extra classes for the wrapper (e.g. layout). */
@@ -49,6 +53,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
 }) {
   const [visible, setVisible] = useState(false);
   const [coords, setCoords] = useState({ x: 0, y: 0 });
+  const [mounted, setMounted] = useState(false);
   const timer = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined>(undefined);
   const frame = useRef<number | undefined>(undefined);
   const tooltipRef = useRef<HTMLSpanElement>(null);
@@ -79,7 +84,7 @@ export function Tooltip({
   };
   const show = (event: MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
     clear();
-    if (followCursor) place(event.clientX, event.clientY);
+    if (anchorToCursor || followCursor) place(event.clientX, event.clientY);
     if (delay <= 0) {
       setVisible(true);
       return;
@@ -100,9 +105,31 @@ export function Tooltip({
     });
   };
 
-  useEffect(() => clear, []);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setMounted(true);
+    return clear;
+  }, []);
 
   const Wrapper = block ? "div" : "span";
+  const cursorTooltip = (
+    <motion.span
+      ref={tooltipRef}
+      role="tooltip"
+      aria-hidden={!visible}
+      // Portaled + fixed so transformed parents and scroll containers cannot
+      // distort cursor-anchored tooltip coordinates.
+      className={`fixed ${BASE_CLASSES}`}
+      initial={false}
+      animate={{ left: coords.x, top: coords.y, opacity: visible ? 1 : 0 }}
+      transition={{
+        left: followCursor ? { type: "spring", stiffness: 700, damping: 45, mass: 0.35 } : { duration: 0 },
+        top: followCursor ? { type: "spring", stiffness: 520, damping: 34, mass: 0.45 } : { duration: 0 },
+        opacity: { duration: visible ? 0.1 : 0.05 },
+      }}
+    >
+      {label}
+    </motion.span>
+  );
 
   return (
     <Wrapper
@@ -113,24 +140,8 @@ export function Tooltip({
       onPointerDown={hide}
     >
       {children}
-      {followCursor ? (
-        <motion.span
-          ref={tooltipRef}
-          role="tooltip"
-          aria-hidden={!visible}
-          // Fixed (so the scroll container's overflow doesn't clip it) and
-          // positioned by `place()` near the cursor with viewport-edge flipping.
-          className={`fixed ${BASE_CLASSES}`}
-          initial={false}
-          animate={{ left: coords.x, top: coords.y, opacity: visible ? 1 : 0 }}
-          transition={{
-            left: { type: "spring", stiffness: 700, damping: 45, mass: 0.35 },
-            top: { type: "spring", stiffness: 520, damping: 34, mass: 0.45 },
-            opacity: { duration: visible ? 0.1 : 0.05 },
-          }}
-        >
-          {label}
-        </motion.span>
+      {anchorToCursor || followCursor ? (
+        mounted ? createPortal(cursorTooltip, document.body) : null
       ) : (
         <span
           role="tooltip"