diff --git a/src/lib/components/MicroSteps.svelte b/src/lib/components/MicroSteps.svelte
index 3efb046..9d05fa3 100644
--- a/src/lib/components/MicroSteps.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/components/MicroSteps.svelte
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@
                route into record_feedback and feed the prompt-conditioning
                loop. See docs/roadmap/2026-04-23-... Phase 2. -->
           <button
-            class="opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-success
+            class="opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-success
               {rating[step.id] === 1 ? '!opacity-100 text-success' : ''}"
             onclick={() => recordThumb(step, 1)}
             aria-label={rating[step.id] === 1 ? 'Remove thumbs up' : 'Thumbs up — this is a good step'}
@@ -287,7 +287,7 @@
             <ThumbsUp size={10} aria-hidden="true" />
           </button>
           <button
-            class="opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-danger
+            class="opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-danger
               {rating[step.id] === -1 ? '!opacity-100 text-danger' : ''}"
             onclick={() => recordThumb(step, -1)}
             aria-label={rating[step.id] === -1 ? 'Remove thumbs down' : 'Thumbs down — this misses the mark'}
@@ -297,7 +297,7 @@
             <ThumbsDown size={10} aria-hidden="true" />
           </button>
           <button
-            class="opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-accent"
+            class="opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100 p-0.5 text-text-tertiary hover:text-accent"
             onclick={() => startEdit(step)}
             aria-label="Edit this step (the correction trains future suggestions)"
             title="Edit — this is the strongest training signal"
@@ -306,13 +306,13 @@
             <Pencil size={10} aria-hidden="true" />
           </button>
           <span
-            class="opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100"
+            class="opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100"
             style={reduceMotion ? '' : 'transition: opacity var(--duration-ui)'}
           >
             <SpeakerButton text={step.text} label="Read this step aloud" size={10} />
           </span>
           <button
-            class="opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 flex items-center gap-1 text-[10px] text-text-tertiary hover:text-accent"
+            class="opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-visible:opacity-100 flex items-center gap-1 text-[10px] text-text-tertiary hover:text-accent"
             onclick={() => startTimer(step.id)}
             aria-label="Start 2-minute timer for this step"
             style={reduceMotion ? '' : 'transition: opacity var(--duration-ui)'}
diff --git a/src/routes/viewer/+page.svelte b/src/routes/viewer/+page.svelte
index af79a1c..c649450 100644
--- a/src/routes/viewer/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/viewer/+page.svelte
@@ -534,7 +534,7 @@
             >
               <!-- Star -->
               <button
-                class="mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0 {seg.starred ? 'text-accent' : 'text-text-tertiary opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100'}"
+                class="mt-0.5 flex-shrink-0 {seg.starred ? 'text-accent' : 'text-text-tertiary opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-within:opacity-100'}"
                 onclick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); toggleStar(seg._idx); }}
                 aria-label={seg.starred ? "Unstar" : "Star"}
               >
@@ -570,7 +570,7 @@
                 </p>
               {/if}
               <!-- Actions (hover reveal) -->
-              <div class="flex items-center gap-1 opacity-0 group-hover:opacity-100 flex-shrink-0">
+              <div class="flex items-center gap-1 opacity-30 group-hover:opacity-100 focus-within:opacity-100 flex-shrink-0">
                 <button
                   class="text-text-tertiary hover:text-accent"
                   onclick={(e) => { e.stopPropagation(); copySegment(seg._idx); }}