diff --git a/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_bar.svelte b/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_bar.svelte
index 4b960b21..0724b761 100644
--- a/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_bar.svelte
+++ b/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_bar.svelte
@@ -229,6 +229,9 @@ const theme_options = [
      OUTER WRAPPER — fixed bottom-right, hidden on print
      Visibility when in iframe is controlled by +layout.svelte (trusted_access gate)
 ══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════ -->
+<!-- {#if disable} -->
+    <!-- Hidden state: render nothing (not even the bar) -->
+<!-- {:else} -->
 <div
     class="
         ae_sys_bar
@@ -237,6 +240,7 @@ const theme_options = [
         flex
         flex-col items-end gap-1 print:hidden
     "
+    class:d-none={hide}
     class:hidden={hide}>
     <!-- ── EXPANDED PANEL ──────────────────────────────────────────────────── -->
     {#if expand}
@@ -723,6 +727,10 @@ const theme_options = [
     <!-- END: Compact bar -->
 </div>
 
+
+<!-- {/if} -->
+
+
 <style>
 /*
      * Strip blue backgrounds and fixed widths from sub-components when
diff --git a/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_menu.svelte b/src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_menu_legacy.svelte
similarity index 100%
rename from src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_menu.svelte
rename to src/lib/app_components/e_app_sys_menu_legacy.svelte
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index bba2ca3c..a9461f37 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -276,6 +276,8 @@ $effect(() => {
 
     // Iframe Detection
     let iframe = data.url.searchParams.get('iframe');
+    // let iframe = $derived(data.url.searchParams.get('iframe'));
+
     if (iframe === 'true') {
         $ae_loc.iframe = true;
         // Hide the AE system bar by default in iframe embeds — it's nav chrome
@@ -289,10 +291,22 @@ $effect(() => {
     // show_menu=true — override to show the AE system bar even inside an iframe.
     // Intended for trusted/admin users who need menu access while testing an embed.
     // hide_menu=true — explicitly hide the bar outside of iframe contexts.
+    // const menu_override = data.url.searchParams.get('show_menu');
+    // if (menu_override === 'true') $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
+    // else if (data.url.searchParams.get('hide_menu') === 'true')
+    //     $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = true;
+
     const menu_override = data.url.searchParams.get('show_menu');
-    if (menu_override === 'true') $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
-    else if (data.url.searchParams.get('hide_menu') === 'true')
+    if (menu_override === 'true') {
+        $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
+    } else if (data.url.searchParams.get('hide_menu') === 'true') {
         $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = true;
+    } else if (data.url.searchParams.get('iframe') === 'true') {
+        $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = true;
+    } else if (data.url.searchParams.get('iframe') === 'false') {
+        $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
+    }
+    // console.log('iframe:', $ae_loc.iframe, 'sys_menu.hide:', $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide);
 
     // Theme URL params — ?theme=AE_Firefly_SteelBlue&theme_mode=dark
     // Applied once on load, then silently removed from the URL (no history entry).
@@ -397,7 +411,7 @@ $effect(() => {
     </div>
 {/if}
 
-{#if browser && (!$ae_loc?.iframe || $ae_loc?.trusted_access)}
+{#if browser && (!$ae_loc?.iframe || $ae_loc?.administrator_access || ($ae_loc?.trusted_access && $ae_loc.edit_mode))}
     <!-- print:hidden wrapper: sys/debug menus are fixed overlays — must not appear on printed pages -->
     <div class="print:hidden">
         <E_app_sys_bar
diff --git a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/+layout.svelte
index 6021624d..867f7a60 100644
--- a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/+layout.svelte
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ async function verify_novi_uuid(
     api_key: string | null,
     api_root_url: string
 ) {
+    console.log(`IDAA Layout: Starting Novi UUID verification for ${uuid}...`);
     if (!api_key) {
         // No Novi API key in site config. All-or-nothing means no UUID-based access.
         console.warn(
diff --git a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/video_conferences/+page.svelte b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/video_conferences/+page.svelte
index 0ef010e8..7a3d608c 100644
--- a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/video_conferences/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/video_conferences/+page.svelte
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ onMount(async () => {
             'Jitsi: onMount - fetching user data and initializing Jitsi...'
         );
     }
+    // $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = true;
 
     await fetch_novi_data();
 
diff --git a/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
index a370383e..f0845aba 100644
--- a/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/idaa/+layout.svelte
@@ -32,56 +32,56 @@ interface Props {
 
 let { data, children }: Props = $props();
 
-function add_activity_log({
-    action = 'idaa_root_layout',
-    action_with = 'none'
-}: {
-    action?: string;
-    action_with?: string;
-}) {
-    let last_cache_refresh_iso = new Date($ae_loc?.last_cache_refresh);
+// function add_activity_log({
+//     action = 'idaa_root_layout',
+//     action_with = 'none'
+// }: {
+//     action?: string;
+//     action_with?: string;
+// }) {
+//     let last_cache_refresh_iso = new Date($ae_loc?.last_cache_refresh);
 
-    let activity_description = `
-        ${$idaa_loc.novi_full_name ?? 'none'} ${$idaa_loc.novi_email ?? 'no-email'}
-        allow=${$ae_loc?.allow_access}
-        last_cache_refresh=${last_cache_refresh_iso.toLocaleString()}
-        data_route=${data?.route.toString() ?? 'unknown'}
-    `;
+//     let activity_description = `
+//         ${$idaa_loc.novi_full_name ?? 'none'} ${$idaa_loc.novi_email ?? 'no-email'}
+//         allow=${$ae_loc?.allow_access}
+//         last_cache_refresh=${last_cache_refresh_iso.toLocaleString()}
+//         data_route=${data?.route.toString() ?? 'unknown'}
+//     `;
 
-    let data_kv = {
-        external_client_id: data?.route.id,
-        name: `IDAA: ${$idaa_loc.novi_full_name ?? 'none'} ${$idaa_loc.novi_email ?? ''}`,
-        description: activity_description ?? null,
-        object_type: 'idaa', // archive, post, event
-        // object_id: data?.route,
-        url_root: data?.url.origin,
-        // url_full_path: data?.url.href,
-        url_full_path: data?.url.pathname,
-        url_params: data?.url.searchParams.toString(),
-        action: action,
-        action_with: action_with ?? 'none',
-        meta_json: {
-            allow_access: $ae_loc?.allow_access,
-            last_cache_refresh: $ae_loc?.last_cache_refresh,
-            last_cache_refresh_iso: last_cache_refresh_iso.toISOString(),
-            last_cache_refresh_locale: last_cache_refresh_iso.toLocaleString(),
-            access_level: $ae_loc?.access_level,
-            iframe: $ae_loc?.iframe
-            // site_access_key: $ae_loc?.site_access_key,
-            // site_domain_access_key: $ae_loc?.site_domain_access_key,
-            // site_domain: $ae_loc?.site_domain,
-            // extra_data: extra_data ?? '',
-            // log_lvl: log_lvl,
-        }
-    };
+//     let data_kv = {
+//         external_client_id: data?.route.id,
+//         name: `IDAA: ${$idaa_loc.novi_full_name ?? 'none'} ${$idaa_loc.novi_email ?? ''}`,
+//         description: activity_description ?? null,
+//         object_type: 'idaa', // archive, post, event
+//         // object_id: data?.route,
+//         url_root: data?.url.origin,
+//         // url_full_path: data?.url.href,
+//         url_full_path: data?.url.pathname,
+//         url_params: data?.url.searchParams.toString(),
+//         action: action,
+//         action_with: action_with ?? 'none',
+//         meta_json: {
+//             allow_access: $ae_loc?.allow_access,
+//             last_cache_refresh: $ae_loc?.last_cache_refresh,
+//             last_cache_refresh_iso: last_cache_refresh_iso.toISOString(),
+//             last_cache_refresh_locale: last_cache_refresh_iso.toLocaleString(),
+//             access_level: $ae_loc?.access_level,
+//             iframe: $ae_loc?.iframe
+//             // site_access_key: $ae_loc?.site_access_key,
+//             // site_domain_access_key: $ae_loc?.site_domain_access_key,
+//             // site_domain: $ae_loc?.site_domain,
+//             // extra_data: extra_data ?? '',
+//             // log_lvl: log_lvl,
+//         }
+//     };
 
-    core_func.create_ae_obj__activity_log({
-        api_cfg: $ae_api,
-        account_id: $ae_loc.account_id,
-        data_kv: data_kv,
-        log_lvl: log_lvl
-    });
-}
+//     core_func.create_ae_obj__activity_log({
+//         api_cfg: $ae_api,
+//         account_id: $ae_loc.account_id,
+//         data_kv: data_kv,
+//         log_lvl: log_lvl
+//     });
+// }
 
 let box: any;
 let xLeft = $state(0);
@@ -184,51 +184,53 @@ afterNavigate(() => {
     }
 });
 
-let iframe = $derived(data.url.searchParams.get('iframe'));
+// let iframe = $derived(data.url.searchParams.get('iframe'));
 
-$effect(() => {
-    if (browser && iframe == 'true') {
-        console.log('Use iframe layout!');
-        // data_struct['iframe'] = iframe;
-        $ae_loc.iframe = true;
+// $effect(() => {
+//     if (browser && iframe == 'true') {
+//         console.log('Use iframe layout!');
+//         // data_struct['iframe'] = iframe;
+//         // $ae_loc.iframe = true;
 
-        document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.add('iframe');
-        // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('dark');
-        // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('light');
+//         // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.add('iframe');
+//         // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('dark');
+//         // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('light');
 
-        // $ae_loc.app_cfg.show_element__access_type = false;
-        // $ae_loc.app_cfg.show_element__cfg = false;
-    } else if (browser && iframe == 'false') {
-        // data_struct['iframe'] = false;
-        $ae_loc.iframe = false;
+//         // $ae_loc.app_cfg.show_element__access_type = false;
+//         // $ae_loc.app_cfg.show_element__cfg = false;
+//     } else if (browser && iframe == 'false') {
+//         // data_struct['iframe'] = false;
+//         // $ae_loc.iframe = false;
 
-        document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('iframe');
-        // data_struct['iframe'] = false;
-        // WHY: The root layout sets sys_menu.hide=true when iframe=true, but never
-        // restores it. We restore it here so the system bar reappears when the URL
-        // param is explicitly set to false (e.g. admin toggling embed mode off).
-        untrack(() => {
-            $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
-        });
-    }
-});
+//         // document.getElementsByTagName('html')[0].classList.remove('iframe');
+//         // data_struct['iframe'] = false;
+//         // WHY: The root layout sets sys_menu.hide=true when iframe=true, but never
+//         // restores it. We restore it here so the system bar reappears when the URL
+//         // param is explicitly set to false (e.g. admin toggling embed mode off).
+//         untrack(() => {
+//             $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
+//         });
+//     }
+// });
 
 // When in iframe mode, the sys bar is hidden by default (it's nav chrome the host page
 // doesn't need). However, trusted admins should still get the menu — they can't update
 // the iframe src to pass show_menu=true, so we watch for trusted_access and unhide it.
-$effect(() => {
-    if (browser && $ae_loc.iframe && $ae_loc.trusted_access) {
-        // WHY the guard: ae_loc is a tracked dep here (reads above). Writing
-        // $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide re-notifies this effect every run — infinite loop.
-        // untrack() does NOT help: it prevents new dep reads but the store still
-        // notifies already-subscribed effects after the write.
-        // The idempotent write guard breaks the cycle: run 2 finds the value
-        // already false, skips the write, no further re-queue.
-        if ($ae_loc.sys_menu.hide !== false) {
-            $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
-        }
-    }
-});
+
+// let show_menu = $derived(data.url.searchParams.get('show_menu'));
+// $effect(() => {
+//     if (browser && $ae_loc.iframe && $ae_loc.trusted_access && show_menu === 'true') {
+//         // WHY the guard: ae_loc is a tracked dep here (reads above). Writing
+//         // $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide re-notifies this effect every run — infinite loop.
+//         // untrack() does NOT help: it prevents new dep reads but the store still
+//         // notifies already-subscribed effects after the write.
+//         // The idempotent write guard breaks the cycle: run 2 finds the value
+//         // already false, skips the write, no further re-queue.
+//         if ($ae_loc.sys_menu.hide !== false) {
+//             $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = false;
+//         }
+//     }
+// });
 
 $effect(() => {
     if (