diff --git a/apps/web-e2e/src/e2e-helpers.ts b/apps/web-e2e/src/e2e-helpers.ts
index 6f60b8f7c..4331b36e0 100644
--- a/apps/web-e2e/src/e2e-helpers.ts
+++ b/apps/web-e2e/src/e2e-helpers.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,32 @@ import type {
 import { expect } from './fixtures';
 import sharp from 'sharp';
 
+/**
+ * Move keyboard focus to the next (or previous) tabbable element the way a
+ * user of that browser does.
+ *
+ * Safari's default keyboard preference makes plain Tab visit only text fields
+ * and links; buttons are reached with Option+Tab, or with plain Tab once
+ * "Press Tab to highlight each item on a webpage" is enabled. Playwright's
+ * WebKit emulates that default, so a plain `Tab` from a focused channel pane
+ * lands on the sidebar search field instead of the first row button — the
+ * app's focus order is intact, Safari simply skips the button. Pressing
+ * Option+Tab there keeps the assertion about the app's DOM order rather than
+ * about Safari's preference; Chromium and Firefox treat Alt+Tab as a plain
+ * Tab, but they get the unmodified key so their run stays a literal user Tab.
+ */
+export async function pressTab(
+    page: Page,
+    browserName: string,
+    direction: 'forward' | 'backward' = 'forward'
+): Promise<void> {
+    const modifiers = [
+        ...(browserName === 'webkit' ? ['Alt'] : []),
+        ...(direction === 'backward' ? ['Shift'] : []),
+    ];
+    await page.keyboard.press([...modifiers, 'Tab'].join('+'));
+}
+
 export async function setInputValue(
     input: Locator,
     value: string
diff --git a/apps/web-e2e/src/m3u-movie-details.e2e.ts b/apps/web-e2e/src/m3u-movie-details.e2e.ts
index 469a220ee..be2a49cd9 100644
--- a/apps/web-e2e/src/m3u-movie-details.e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/web-e2e/src/m3u-movie-details.e2e.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import type { Page } from '@playwright/test';
 import { readFileSync } from 'node:fs';
 import { join } from 'node:path';
 import { expect, test } from './fixtures';
-import { waitForScrollIdle } from './e2e-helpers';
+import { pressTab, waitForScrollIdle } from './e2e-helpers';
 
 /**
  * The M3U movie-recognition workflow end to end: a playlist entry whose URL
@@ -424,6 +424,7 @@ test('@web @m3u @tmdb browse and watch keep the adjusted volume', async ({
 for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
     test(`@web @m3u channel scrolling keeps focus after selection (${theme})`, async ({
         page,
+        browserName,
     }) => {
         await serveSeekableClip(page);
         await selectPlayer(page);
@@ -452,7 +453,7 @@ for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
         await expect
             .poll(() => viewport.evaluate((el) => el.scrollTop))
             .toBe(0);
-        await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+        await pressTab(page, browserName);
         await expect(
             viewport.locator('button.channel-content').first()
         ).toBeFocused();
@@ -461,7 +462,7 @@ for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
         await expect(viewport.locator('.channel-list-item').nth(1)).toHaveClass(
             /active/
         );
-        await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+        await pressTab(page, browserName);
         const favorite = viewport.locator('.favorite-button').nth(1);
         await expect(favorite).toBeFocused();
         await page.keyboard.press('Space');
diff --git a/apps/web-e2e/src/xtream.e2e.ts b/apps/web-e2e/src/xtream.e2e.ts
index 666e025fd..4a227e55f 100644
--- a/apps/web-e2e/src/xtream.e2e.ts
+++ b/apps/web-e2e/src/xtream.e2e.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import type { APIRequestContext, Page } from '@playwright/test';
 import { expect, test } from './fixtures';
 import {
+    pressTab,
     rasterizedBorderContrast,
     setInputValue,
     surfaceContrast,
@@ -978,6 +979,7 @@ for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
 
     test(`@xtream navigation: channel focus and separate scrollbar (${theme})`, async ({
         page,
+        browserName,
     }) => {
         await addXtreamPortal(page);
         await page.getByRole('link', { name: 'Live TV', exact: true }).click();
@@ -993,10 +995,10 @@ for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
         await page.keyboard.press('ArrowRight');
         await expect(viewport).toBeFocused();
         await expect(page.locator('app-web-player-view')).toHaveCount(0);
-        await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+        await pressTab(page, browserName);
         const firstAction = viewport.locator('button.channel-content').first();
         await expect(firstAction).toBeFocused();
-        await page.keyboard.press('Shift+Tab');
+        await pressTab(page, browserName, 'backward');
         await expect(viewport).toBeFocused();
 
         const row = viewport.locator('.channel-name').first();
@@ -1021,7 +1023,7 @@ for (const theme of ['light', 'dark']) {
         await page.keyboard.press('Space');
         await expect(page.locator('app-web-player-view')).toBeVisible();
         await expect(firstAction).toBeFocused();
-        await page.keyboard.press('Tab');
+        await pressTab(page, browserName);
         await expect(
             viewport.locator('.favorite-button').first()
         ).toBeFocused();
diff --git a/docs/architecture/iptvnator-ui-guidelines.md b/docs/architecture/iptvnator-ui-guidelines.md
index a07005111..bfb9ce3b8 100644
--- a/docs/architecture/iptvnator-ui-guidelines.md
+++ b/docs/architecture/iptvnator-ui-guidelines.md
@@ -162,7 +162,10 @@ ArrowUp/Down, PageUp/Down, Home/End and Space retain native scrolling there;
 scroll keys do not bubble into document-level player shortcuts. A row's main
 button remains separate from favorite/info actions, supports native Enter and
 Space activation, and retains keyboard focus on activation. Tab/Shift+Tab use
-the normal DOM order. Scrolling from a virtual row moves focus to its viewport
+the normal DOM order; Safari's default keyboard preference skips buttons on
+plain Tab, so there the row button is reached with Option+Tab (WebKit E2E
+runs press it through `pressTab` in `apps/web-e2e/src/e2e-helpers.ts`).
+Scrolling from a virtual row moves focus to its viewport
 before CDK can recycle the row; asynchronous data updates never move focus.
 Xtream aligns a newly selected channel only when it is outside the viewport;
 updates to the same selected ID never re-align it. A smooth scroll to an