diff --git a/mobile/lib/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.page.dart b/mobile/lib/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.page.dart
index 8b9dc6f887..abef9ceff8 100644
--- a/mobile/lib/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.page.dart
+++ b/mobile/lib/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.page.dart
@@ -81,6 +81,12 @@ class AssetViewer extends ConsumerStatefulWidget {
 }
 
 class _AssetViewerState extends ConsumerState<AssetViewer> {
+  static const _viewerOverlayStyle = SystemUiOverlayStyle(
+    statusBarIconBrightness: Brightness.light,
+    statusBarBrightness: Brightness.dark,
+    systemNavigationBarIconBrightness: Brightness.light,
+  );
+
   late final _heroOffset = widget.heroOffset ?? TabsRouterScope.of(context)?.controller.activeIndex ?? 0;
   late final _pageController = PageController(initialPage: widget.initialIndex);
   late final _preloader = AssetPreloader(timelineService: ref.read(timelineServiceProvider), mounted: () => mounted);
@@ -280,49 +286,52 @@ class _AssetViewerState extends ConsumerState<AssetViewer> {
       _setSystemUIMode(controls, details);
     });
 
-    return Scaffold(
-      backgroundColor: backgroundColor,
-      resizeToAvoidBottomInset: false,
-      appBar: const ViewerTopAppBar(),
-      extendBody: true,
-      extendBodyBehindAppBar: true,
-      floatingActionButton: IgnorePointer(
-        ignoring: !showingControls,
-        child: AnimatedOpacity(
-          opacity: showingControls ? 1.0 : 0.0,
-          duration: Durations.short2,
-          child: const DownloadStatusFloatingButton(),
-        ),
-      ),
-      bottomNavigationBar: const ViewerBottomAppBar(),
-      body: Stack(
-        children: [
-          NotificationListener<ScrollEndNotification>(
-            onNotification: _onScrollEnd,
-            child: PhotoViewGestureDetectorScope(
-              axis: Axis.horizontal,
-              child: PageView.builder(
-                controller: _pageController,
-                physics: isZoomed
-                    ? const NeverScrollableScrollPhysics()
-                    : CurrentPlatform.isIOS
-                    ? const FastScrollPhysics()
-                    : const FastClampingScrollPhysics(),
-                itemCount: _totalAssets,
-                itemBuilder: (context, index) =>
-                    AssetPage(index: index, heroOffset: _heroOffset, onTapNavigate: _onTapNavigate),
-              ),
-            ),
+    return AnnotatedRegion(
+      value: _viewerOverlayStyle,
+      child: Scaffold(
+        backgroundColor: backgroundColor,
+        resizeToAvoidBottomInset: false,
+        appBar: const ViewerTopAppBar(),
+        extendBody: true,
+        extendBodyBehindAppBar: true,
+        floatingActionButton: IgnorePointer(
+          ignoring: !showingControls,
+          child: AnimatedOpacity(
+            opacity: showingControls ? 1.0 : 0.0,
+            duration: Durations.short2,
+            child: const DownloadStatusFloatingButton(),
           ),
-          if (!CurrentPlatform.isIOS)
-            IgnorePointer(
-              child: AnimatedContainer(
-                duration: Durations.short2,
-                color: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: showingDetails ? 0.6 : 0.0),
-                height: context.padding.top,
+        ),
+        bottomNavigationBar: const ViewerBottomAppBar(),
+        body: Stack(
+          children: [
+            NotificationListener<ScrollEndNotification>(
+              onNotification: _onScrollEnd,
+              child: PhotoViewGestureDetectorScope(
+                axis: Axis.horizontal,
+                child: PageView.builder(
+                  controller: _pageController,
+                  physics: isZoomed
+                      ? const NeverScrollableScrollPhysics()
+                      : CurrentPlatform.isIOS
+                      ? const FastScrollPhysics()
+                      : const FastClampingScrollPhysics(),
+                  itemCount: _totalAssets,
+                  itemBuilder: (context, index) =>
+                      AssetPage(index: index, heroOffset: _heroOffset, onTapNavigate: _onTapNavigate),
+                ),
               ),
             ),
-        ],
+            if (!CurrentPlatform.isIOS)
+              IgnorePointer(
+                child: AnimatedContainer(
+                  duration: Durations.short2,
+                  color: Colors.black.withValues(alpha: showingDetails ? 0.6 : 0.0),
+                  height: context.padding.top,
+                ),
+              ),
+          ],
+        ),
       ),
     );
   }
diff --git a/mobile/test/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer_system_ui_test.dart b/mobile/test/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer_system_ui_test.dart
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c9a01598f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mobile/test/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer_system_ui_test.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+import 'dart:async';
+
+import 'package:easy_localization/easy_localization.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:flutter/services.dart';
+import 'package:flutter_test/flutter_test.dart';
+import 'package:hooks_riverpod/hooks_riverpod.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/constants/locales.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/models/timeline.model.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/domain/services/timeline.service.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/generated/codegen_loader.g.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/presentation/widgets/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.page.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/asset_viewer/asset_viewer.provider.dart';
+import 'package:immich_mobile/providers/infrastructure/timeline.provider.dart';
+
+import '../../../fixtures/asset.stub.dart';
+
+class _SeededAssetViewerNotifier extends AssetViewerStateNotifier {
+  @override
+  AssetViewerState build() {
+    super.build();
+    return AssetViewerState(currentAsset: LocalAssetStub.image1);
+  }
+}
+
+TimelineService _stubTimelineService() {
+  return TimelineService((
+    assetSource: (index, count) async => [LocalAssetStub.image1],
+    bucketSource: () => Stream.value(const [Bucket(assetCount: 1)]),
+    origin: TimelineOrigin.main,
+  ));
+}
+
+void main() {
+  testWidgets('status bar icons are light while the asset viewer is open in light mode', (tester) async {
+    // Emulate arriving from a light-themed page whose AppBar set dark status
+    // bar icons (the state the viewer is opened from in light mode).
+    SystemChrome.setSystemUIOverlayStyle(SystemUiOverlayStyle.dark);
+
+    await tester.pumpWidget(
+      EasyLocalization(
+        supportedLocales: locales.values.toList(),
+        path: translationsPath,
+        startLocale: locales.values.first,
+        fallbackLocale: locales.values.first,
+        saveLocale: false,
+        useFallbackTranslations: true,
+        assetLoader: const CodegenLoader(),
+        child: ProviderScope(
+          overrides: [
+            timelineServiceProvider.overrideWithValue(_stubTimelineService()),
+            assetViewerProvider.overrideWith(_SeededAssetViewerNotifier.new),
+          ],
+          child: Builder(
+            builder: (context) => MaterialApp(
+              debugShowCheckedModeBanner: false,
+              localizationsDelegates: context.localizationDelegates,
+              supportedLocales: context.supportedLocales,
+              locale: context.locale,
+              home: const Material(child: AssetViewer(initialIndex: 0)),
+            ),
+          ),
+        ),
+      ),
+    );
+
+    // Let post-frame callbacks and the initial frames run without waiting for
+    // infinite animations (loading spinners) to settle.
+    await tester.pump();
+    await tester.pump(const Duration(milliseconds: 600));
+
+    // Asset thumbnails cannot load in the test environment (no platform
+    // channels / real HTTP). Those image errors are irrelevant to the system
+    // chrome behaviour under test, so drain them.
+    tester.takeException();
+
+    expect(
+      SystemChrome.latestStyle?.statusBarIconBrightness,
+      Brightness.light,
+      reason:
+          'The asset viewer draws over a black background, so status bar '
+          'icons must be light regardless of the app theme',
+    );
+  });
+}