diff --git a/documentation/GUIDE__Development.md b/documentation/GUIDE__Development.md
index fe13af78..662c4541 100644
--- a/documentation/GUIDE__Development.md
+++ b/documentation/GUIDE__Development.md
@@ -55,8 +55,9 @@ URL params consumed by the app. Params are read by layouts and applied on mount.
 
 | Param | Values | Effect |
 | --- | --- | --- |
-| `iframe` | `true` / `false` | Enables iframe mode — hides sys bar for non-trusted users, suppresses sign-in/passcode UI |
-| `hide_menu` | `true` | Hides the AE system bar entirely, even for trusted_access users. Use when embedding in Novi or pages with their own navigation. |
+| `iframe` | `true` / `false` | Enables iframe mode — hides the AE system bar for all users by default, suppresses sign-in/passcode UI |
+| `show_menu` | `true` | Override: show the AE system bar inside an iframe. Intended for admins/trusted users who need menu access while testing an embed. |
+| `hide_menu` | `true` | Explicitly hide the AE system bar outside of iframe mode (e.g. fullscreen kiosk pages). |
 | `theme` | theme name | Applies a theme on load, then removes param from URL (no history entry) |
 | `theme_mode` | `light` / `dark` | Applies theme mode on load, then removes param from URL |
 
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index b83f98ae..97c2667f 100644
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -251,16 +251,23 @@
 
         // Iframe Detection
         let iframe = data.url.searchParams.get('iframe');
-        if (iframe === 'true') $ae_loc.iframe = true;
-        else if (iframe === 'false') $ae_loc.iframe = false;
-
-        // hide_menu=true — suppress the AE system bar when embedding in Novi or
-        // other host pages with their own navigation. Applies even for trusted_access
-        // users who would otherwise always see the menu in iframe mode.
-        if (data.url.searchParams.get('hide_menu') === 'true') {
+        if (iframe === 'true') {
+            $ae_loc.iframe = true;
+            // Hide the AE system bar by default in iframe embeds — it's nav chrome
+            // the host page doesn't need. Trusted admins can override with show_menu=true
+            // to access the menu while testing an embedded page (e.g. video_conferences).
             $ae_loc.sys_menu.hide = true;
+        } else if (iframe === 'false') {
+            $ae_loc.iframe = false;
         }
 
+        // 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;
+
         // Theme URL params — ?theme=AE_Firefly_SteelBlue&theme_mode=dark
         // Applied once on load, then silently removed from the URL (no history entry).
         const url_theme = data.url.searchParams.get('theme');
diff --git a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/jitsi_reports/ae_idaa_comp__jitsi_url_builder.svelte b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/jitsi_reports/ae_idaa_comp__jitsi_url_builder.svelte
index 3c80ddde..c2837dd7 100644
--- a/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/jitsi_reports/ae_idaa_comp__jitsi_url_builder.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/idaa/(idaa)/jitsi_reports/ae_idaa_comp__jitsi_url_builder.svelte
@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@
     let disable_reaction = $state(true);
     let disable_raise_hand = $state(true);
 
-    // Toggle to hide AE system menu when embedding in other pages
-    let hide_ae_menu = $state(false);
+    // show_menu=true overrides the default iframe hide — for admins testing the embed
+    let show_ae_menu = $state(false);
 
     let show_advanced = $state(false);
     let show_sound = $state(false);
@@ -67,8 +67,8 @@
         if (disable_participant_left) p.set('participant_left_sound', 'true');
         if (disable_reaction) p.set('reaction_sound', 'true');
         if (disable_raise_hand) p.set('raise_hand_sound', 'true');
-        // AE embed option: hide AE system menu when embedding in other pages
-        if (hide_ae_menu) p.set('hide_menu', 'true');
+        // AE embed: iframe=true hides the menu by default; show_menu=true lets admins override
+        if (show_ae_menu) p.set('show_menu', 'true');
         return `${effective_base}?${p.toString()}`;
     });
 
@@ -226,12 +226,12 @@
             <label class="flex items-center gap-2 cursor-pointer w-fit">
                 <input
                     type="checkbox"
-                    bind:checked={hide_ae_menu}
+                    bind:checked={show_ae_menu}
                     class="checkbox checkbox-sm"
                 />
                 <span class="text-xs"
-                    >Hide AE system menu <span class="opacity-40"
-                        >(hide_menu=true)</span
+                    >Show AE system menu <span class="opacity-40"
+                        >(show_menu=true)</span
                     ></span
                 >
             </label>