diff --git a/docs/branch-review-records/887618b97bf3256125def037cd1b5e87659aaa9b1439015c6354eb96e19d0c46.record.md b/docs/branch-review-records/887618b97bf3256125def037cd1b5e87659aaa9b1439015c6354eb96e19d0c46.record.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3b89e21920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/branch-review-records/887618b97bf3256125def037cd1b5e87659aaa9b1439015c6354eb96e19d0c46.record.md
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+| 2026-08-15 | codex/search-phone-animation-20260815 | ed29ba4b3effa6ad58f4a6ecc240b30a6a93fdd2 | Fresh phone browser and standalone-PWA loading animation defect hunt after physical-device failure report | Fixed: moved the ECG opacity pulse from an SVG path to a normal HTML compositor layer and added WebKit raster-difference coverage | CSS contract 3/3; focused production WebKit 2/2; design-system contract passed |
diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index 20630183fe..f16a7f9e24 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -3419,9 +3419,10 @@ td,
   }
 }
 
-/* Animate a compositable CSS property rather than SVG stroke-dashoffset.
-   Mobile WebKit can report the dash animation as running without repainting it,
-   especially in an installed PWA. Opacity produces a visible ECG pulse in both. */
+/* Animate compositable opacity on the HTML overlay that contains the bright ECG
+   path. Mobile WebKit can report animations on SVG path properties as running
+   without repainting them, especially in an installed PWA. Keeping animation on
+   a regular HTML layer makes the pulse visible without JavaScript or layout work. */
 @keyframes answer-ecg-pulse {
   0%,
   100% {
@@ -3447,6 +3448,7 @@ td,
 @layer components {
   .answer-activity-trace__sweep {
     animation: var(--animate-answer-ecg);
+    will-change: opacity;
   }
 
   .answer-activity-trace[data-density="compact"] .answer-activity-trace__sweep {
diff --git a/src/components/clinical-dashboard/answer-status.tsx b/src/components/clinical-dashboard/answer-status.tsx
index f0c1641d95..d6e207ec42 100644
--- a/src/components/clinical-dashboard/answer-status.tsx
+++ b/src/components/clinical-dashboard/answer-status.tsx
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ function AnswerActivityTrace({ density }: { density: AnswerProgressDensity }) {
     <div
       data-testid="answer-activity-trace"
       data-density={density}
-      className={cn("answer-activity-trace w-full overflow-hidden", compact ? "h-5" : "h-10 sm:h-12")}
+      className={cn("answer-activity-trace relative w-full overflow-hidden", compact ? "h-5" : "h-10 sm:h-12")}
     >
       <svg
         aria-hidden="true"
@@ -218,19 +218,26 @@ function AnswerActivityTrace({ density }: { density: AnswerProgressDensity }) {
           vectorEffect="non-scaling-stroke"
           className="text-[color:var(--clinical-accent)] opacity-25 forced-colors:text-[CanvasText] forced-colors:opacity-100"
         />
-        <path
-          data-slot="answer-activity-trace-sweep"
-          d={answerActivityPath}
-          pathLength="320"
-          fill="none"
-          stroke="currentColor"
-          strokeWidth={compact ? 1.75 : 2}
-          strokeLinecap="round"
-          strokeLinejoin="round"
-          vectorEffect="non-scaling-stroke"
-          className="answer-activity-trace__sweep text-[color:var(--clinical-accent)] forced-colors:text-[Highlight]"
-        />
       </svg>
+      <span
+        aria-hidden="true"
+        data-slot="answer-activity-trace-sweep"
+        className="answer-activity-trace__sweep pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 block"
+      >
+        <svg focusable="false" viewBox="0 0 320 44" preserveAspectRatio="none" className="block size-full">
+          <path
+            d={answerActivityPath}
+            pathLength="320"
+            fill="none"
+            stroke="currentColor"
+            strokeWidth={compact ? 1.75 : 2}
+            strokeLinecap="round"
+            strokeLinejoin="round"
+            vectorEffect="non-scaling-stroke"
+            className="text-[color:var(--clinical-accent)] forced-colors:text-[Highlight]"
+          />
+        </svg>
+      </span>
     </div>
   );
 }
diff --git a/tests/answer-activity-trace-css.test.ts b/tests/answer-activity-trace-css.test.ts
index 8d0de75a3a..a64f704996 100644
--- a/tests/answer-activity-trace-css.test.ts
+++ b/tests/answer-activity-trace-css.test.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,10 @@ import { readFileSync } from "node:fs";
 import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
 
 const globalsCss = readFileSync(new URL("../src/app/globals.css", import.meta.url), "utf8");
+const answerStatusSource = readFileSync(
+  new URL("../src/components/clinical-dashboard/answer-status.tsx", import.meta.url),
+  "utf8",
+);
 
 function keyframes(name: string) {
   const start = globalsCss.indexOf(`@keyframes ${name}`);
@@ -35,4 +39,10 @@ describe("answer activity trace CSS", () => {
     expect(pulse).toMatch(/opacity:\s*1;/);
     expect(pulse).not.toMatch(/stroke-dashoffset/);
   });
+
+  it("hosts the animation on a regular HTML compositor layer instead of an SVG path", () => {
+    expect(answerStatusSource).toMatch(/<span[^>]*data-slot="answer-activity-trace-sweep"/s);
+    expect(answerStatusSource).not.toMatch(/<path[^>]*data-slot="answer-activity-trace-sweep"/s);
+    expect(globalsCss).toMatch(/\.answer-activity-trace__sweep\s*{[^}]*will-change:\s*opacity;/s);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/answer-progress-ui-smoke.spec.ts b/tests/answer-progress-ui-smoke.spec.ts
index eade42ba9e..12e4accf9d 100644
--- a/tests/answer-progress-ui-smoke.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/answer-progress-ui-smoke.spec.ts
@@ -582,18 +582,23 @@ test("answer progress keeps focus, reduced-motion, and forced-colour behavior in
     iterationCount: "infinite",
     timingFunction: "ease-in-out",
   });
-  expect(
-    await activityTraceSweep.evaluate(async (trace) => {
-      const animation = trace.getAnimations()[0];
-      animation.pause();
-      animation.currentTime = 0;
-      await new Promise(requestAnimationFrame);
-      const restingOpacity = getComputedStyle(trace).opacity;
-      animation.currentTime = 900;
-      await new Promise(requestAnimationFrame);
-      return { restingOpacity, peakOpacity: getComputedStyle(trace).opacity };
-    }),
-  ).toEqual({ restingOpacity: "0.2", peakOpacity: "1" });
+  const restingOpacity = await activityTraceSweep.evaluate(async (trace) => {
+    const animation = trace.getAnimations()[0];
+    animation.pause();
+    animation.currentTime = 0;
+    await new Promise(requestAnimationFrame);
+    return getComputedStyle(trace).opacity;
+  });
+  const restingPixels = await activityTraceSweep.screenshot();
+  const peakOpacity = await activityTraceSweep.evaluate(async (trace) => {
+    const animation = trace.getAnimations()[0];
+    animation.currentTime = 900;
+    await new Promise(requestAnimationFrame);
+    return getComputedStyle(trace).opacity;
+  });
+  const peakPixels = await activityTraceSweep.screenshot();
+  expect({ restingOpacity, peakOpacity }).toEqual({ restingOpacity: "0.2", peakOpacity: "1" });
+  expect(restingPixels.equals(peakPixels), "the WebKit raster must visibly change across the pulse").toBe(false);
 
   await page.emulateMedia({ reducedMotion: "reduce", forcedColors: "active" });
   await expect(currentStage.locator('[data-slot="answer-progress-stage-marker"]')).toBeVisible();