Why does Safari display a "black" background instead of transparent when I set the background color of a div positioned over a dark background to transparent in Webflow?
TL;DR
- Use rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) or remove background color entirely for true transparency, and avoid 0% opacity black.
- Ensure correct z-index and positioning to establish proper stacking context.
- Remove CSS filters or blend modes like backdrop-filter and mix-blend-mode that may cause GPU rendering bugs.
- Apply transform: translateZ(0px) to force hardware acceleration and fix layering/rendering issues.
- Check parent elements for unintended opaque backgrounds affecting the transparency display.
Safari showing a black background instead of transparent often happens due to rendering quirks related to how Safari handles blending, stacking context, or GPU acceleration when transparency or opacity is applied.
1. Check Background Color and Opacity Settings
- Ensure background color is truly transparent: In Webflow, this should be set to rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) rather than just “transparent”.
- Avoid 0% opacity black: Sometimes setting a background as rgba(0, 0, 0, 0) makes Safari treat it as black.
- Try removing background color entirely if you’re expecting full transparency.
2. Review Z-Index and Positioning
- Verify the div is correctly layered above the dark background using position: absolute/fixed/relative and z-index.
- Safari may not render blending or transparency correctly if stacking context is unclear due to z-index or positioning issues.
3. Avoid CSS Filters or Blend Modes That Trigger GPU Bugs
- Safari is known to have issues when backdrop-filter, filter, or mix-blend-mode are used along with transparency.
- Try removing any filters or blend modes temporarily to see if the issue resolves.
4. Force Hardware Acceleration
- Apply transform: translateZ(0px) as a workaround to force GPU acceleration. In Webflow:
- Select the div.
- Go to the Style panel, under Transforms.
- Add a transform like move on Z axis = 0.
- This trick can resolve layering and transparency bugs in Safari.
5. Check Parent Elements for Non-Transparent Backgrounds
- Make sure parent containers aren’t unintentionally adding a background color which may cause the appearance of black.
- If a parent has an opaque background and the child is semi-transparent, Safari may render them together incorrectly.
Summary
Safari often renders transparent elements as black due to issues with rgba settings, z-index stacking context, or GPU acceleration bugs. Use true transparency settings, correct positioning, and triggers like translateZ(0px) to force proper rendering.