diff --git a/apps/x/apps/main/src/meeting-popup.ts b/apps/x/apps/main/src/meeting-popup.ts
index 972873fa..8d33fec1 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/main/src/meeting-popup.ts
+++ b/apps/x/apps/main/src/meeting-popup.ts
@@ -13,9 +13,11 @@ import type { DetectedMeeting } from "@x/core/dist/meetings/detector.js";
  * window's existing take-meeting-notes flow.
  */
 
-// Lean bar + margins for the overhanging × and the CSS drop shadow.
-const POPUP_WIDTH = 400;
-const POPUP_HEIGHT = 76;
+// The window IS the card: exact card dimensions, card background, native
+// rounded corners + shadow. No transparency — macOS panels don't honor
+// `transparent: true` reliably and paint a grey backing slab instead.
+const POPUP_WIDTH = 376;
+const POPUP_HEIGHT = 48;
 const AUTO_DISMISS_MS = 45_000;
 
 // Display names, Granola-style ("Chrome", not "Google Chrome").
@@ -109,10 +111,8 @@ export function showMeetingPopup(meeting: DetectedMeeting): void {
         alwaysOnTop: true,
         skipTaskbar: true,
         show: false,
-        // Transparent window: the rounded card + overhanging × render inside;
-        // the shadow is CSS (native shadows artifact on transparent windows).
-        transparent: true,
-        hasShadow: false,
+        backgroundColor: "#1d1d1d",
+        hasShadow: true,
         webPreferences: {
             nodeIntegration: false,
             contextIsolation: true,
diff --git a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/meeting-detected-popup.tsx b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/meeting-detected-popup.tsx
index c0798823..eca03a43 100644
--- a/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/meeting-detected-popup.tsx
+++ b/apps/x/apps/renderer/src/components/meeting-detected-popup.tsx
@@ -58,43 +58,44 @@ export function MeetingDetectedPopup() {
     void window.ipc.invoke('meetingDetect:action', { action }).catch(() => {})
   }
 
-  // In the browser preview, reproduce the real popup window's exact size
-  // (448×96) on a desktop-ish backdrop; in Electron the window IS that size.
+  // The Electron window IS the card (376×48, card background, native macOS
+  // rounded corners + shadow — no transparency, which panels don't honor).
+  // The preview emulates that frame with its own rounding/shadow.
   // No drag region: draggable areas swallow mouse events, which would keep
   // the hover-revealed × from ever showing while over the card body.
   const popup = (
     <div
-      className={`group ${isPreview ? 'relative' : 'h-screen w-screen relative bg-transparent'}`}
-      style={isPreview ? { width: 400, height: 76 } : undefined}
+      className={`group relative flex items-center gap-3 pl-4 pr-2 bg-[#1d1d1d] overflow-hidden ${
+        isPreview ? 'rounded-xl shadow-[0_8px_28px_rgba(0,0,0,0.45)]' : 'h-screen w-screen'
+      }`}
+      style={isPreview ? { width: 376, height: 48 } : undefined}
     >
-      {/* Close — floats over the card's top-left corner, revealed on hover */}
+      {/* Close — slides in over the left edge on hover */}
       <button
         onClick={() => act('dismiss')}
-        className="absolute left-0.5 top-0.5 z-10 flex size-6 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-neutral-800 border border-neutral-600 text-neutral-200 shadow-md hover:bg-neutral-700 opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity"        aria-label="Dismiss"
+        className="absolute left-1.5 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 z-10 flex size-6 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-neutral-800 border border-neutral-600 text-neutral-200 shadow-md hover:bg-neutral-700 opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 transition-opacity"
+        aria-label="Dismiss"
       >
         <X className="size-3.5" strokeWidth={2.5} />
       </button>
 
-      {/* Card */}
-      <div className="absolute left-3 right-3 top-3 h-12 rounded-2xl bg-[#1d1d1d] shadow-[0_8px_28px_rgba(0,0,0,0.55)] flex items-center gap-3 pl-4 pr-2">
-        <div className="flex-1 min-w-0">
-          <div className="text-sm font-semibold text-white leading-tight truncate">
-            {payload?.title ?? 'Meeting detected'}
-          </div>
-          <div className="text-[13px] text-neutral-400 leading-tight truncate mt-0.5">
-            {payload?.message ?? ''}
-          </div>
+      <div className="flex-1 min-w-0 transition-[padding] group-hover:pl-6">
+        <div className="text-sm font-semibold text-white leading-tight truncate">
+          {payload?.title ?? 'Meeting detected'}
+        </div>
+        <div className="text-[13px] text-neutral-400 leading-tight truncate mt-0.5">
+          {payload?.message ?? ''}
         </div>
-        <button
-          onClick={() => act('take-notes')}
-          className="flex h-8.5 shrink-0 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-neutral-800/90 border border-neutral-700 pl-1.5 pr-2.5 hover:bg-neutral-700 transition-colors"
-        >
-          <span className="flex size-6 items-center justify-center">
-            <img src={SAIL_ICON} alt="" className="size-4.5 invert" />
-          </span>
-          <span className="text-[13px] font-semibold text-white">Take notes</span>
-        </button>
       </div>
+      <button
+        onClick={() => act('take-notes')}
+        className="flex h-8.5 shrink-0 items-center gap-1.5 rounded-lg bg-neutral-800/90 border border-neutral-700 pl-1.5 pr-2.5 hover:bg-neutral-700 transition-colors"
+      >
+        <span className="flex size-6 items-center justify-center">
+          <img src={SAIL_ICON} alt="" className="size-4.5 invert" />
+        </span>
+        <span className="text-[13px] font-semibold text-white">Take notes</span>
+      </button>
     </div>
   )