diff --git a/ui/src/pages/chat/background-tasks.e2e.test.ts b/ui/src/pages/chat/background-tasks.e2e.test.ts
index ee97ed3cd668..4d238cd80951 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/chat/background-tasks.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/pages/chat/background-tasks.e2e.test.ts
@@ -273,6 +273,27 @@ describeControlUiE2e("Control UI chat background-tasks rail mocked Gateway E2E",
       expect(await page.locator(".chat-tasks-status__link").textContent()).toContain(
         "1 running task",
       );
+      const statusLink = page.locator(".chat-tasks-status__link");
+      await statusLink.hover();
+      const previewBody = page.locator(
+        "openclaw-tooltip.chat-tasks-status__preview wa-tooltip[open] .body",
+      );
+      await previewBody.waitFor({ state: "visible" });
+      const linkBox = await statusLink.boundingBox();
+      const previewBox = await previewBody.boundingBox();
+      expect(linkBox).not.toBeNull();
+      expect(previewBox).not.toBeNull();
+      if (!linkBox || !previewBox) {
+        throw new Error("expected running-task link and preview geometry");
+      }
+      const linkCenter = linkBox.x + linkBox.width / 2;
+      const previewCenter = previewBox.x + previewBox.width / 2;
+      expect(Math.abs(previewCenter - linkCenter)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(2);
+      expect(previewBox.y + previewBox.height).toBeLessThanOrEqual(linkBox.y);
+      await page.screenshot({
+        path: path.join(artifactDir, "05-running-task-popover-centered.png"),
+        fullPage: true,
+      });
 
       await page.getByRole("button", { name: "Show background tasks" }).click();
       const row = page.locator('[data-task-id="task-exec"]');
@@ -280,7 +301,7 @@ describeControlUiE2e("Control UI chat background-tasks rail mocked Gateway E2E",
       expect(await row.textContent()).toContain("CLI command");
       expect(await row.textContent()).toContain("Command running");
       await page.screenshot({
-        path: path.join(artifactDir, "05-one-background-exec.png"),
+        path: path.join(artifactDir, "06-one-background-exec.png"),
         fullPage: true,
       });
     } finally {
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks-status.ts b/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks-status.ts
index f80e56c80ed0..41faa8484b61 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks-status.ts
+++ b/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks-status.ts
@@ -110,25 +110,25 @@ export function renderBackgroundTasksStatusRow(
       backgroundTasks.onToggleCollapsed();
     }
   };
-  // The preview tooltip anchors the whole row (not the link button), so the
-  // ticking preview content stays outside the polite live region.
+  // Keep the live announcement separate from the tooltip: rich preview
+  // content must not enter the polite region, while the popup must anchor to
+  // the link itself or its center drifts with the claw and elapsed time.
   return html`
-    <openclaw-tooltip class="chat-tasks-status__preview">
-      <div class="chat-tasks-status" id=${backgroundTasks.statusRowId} role="status">
-        <span class="chat-tasks-status__claw" aria-hidden="true">${icons.claw}</span>
-        ${status.startedMs !== null
-          ? html`
-              <!-- Ticking time stays out of the polite live region: without
-                   aria-hidden, screen readers would re-announce every second. -->
-              <span class="chat-tasks-status__time" aria-hidden="true">
-                <openclaw-elapsed-time .startMs=${status.startedMs}></openclaw-elapsed-time>
-              </span>
-              <span class="chat-tasks-status__sep" aria-hidden="true">·</span>
-            `
-          : nothing}
+    <div class="chat-tasks-status" id=${backgroundTasks.statusRowId}>
+      <span class="chat-tasks-status__claw" aria-hidden="true">${icons.claw}</span>
+      ${status.startedMs !== null
+        ? html`
+            <span class="chat-tasks-status__time" aria-hidden="true">
+              <openclaw-elapsed-time .startMs=${status.startedMs}></openclaw-elapsed-time>
+            </span>
+            <span class="chat-tasks-status__sep" aria-hidden="true">·</span>
+          `
+        : nothing}
+      <span class="agent-chat__sr-only" role="status">${label}</span>
+      <openclaw-tooltip class="chat-tasks-status__preview">
         <button class="chat-tasks-status__link" type="button" @click=${openRail}>${label}</button>
-      </div>
-      ${renderStatusPreview(backgroundTasks)}
-    </openclaw-tooltip>
+        ${renderStatusPreview(backgroundTasks)}
+      </openclaw-tooltip>
+    </div>
   `;
 }
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks.test.ts b/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks.test.ts
index 2248155aa746..5500ba21f54d 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks.test.ts
+++ b/ui/src/pages/chat/components/chat-background-tasks.test.ts
@@ -761,10 +761,9 @@ describe("running-tasks status row", () => {
     const row = container.querySelector(".chat-tasks-status");
     expect(row).not.toBeNull();
     expect(row?.querySelector("openclaw-elapsed-time")).not.toBeNull();
-    // The ticking timer must stay outside the polite live region.
-    expect(row?.querySelector(".chat-tasks-status__time")?.getAttribute("aria-hidden")).toBe(
-      "true",
-    );
+    const liveStatus = row?.querySelector('[role="status"]');
+    expect(liveStatus?.textContent?.trim()).toBe("1 running task");
+    expect(liveStatus?.querySelector("openclaw-elapsed-time")).toBeNull();
     const link = row?.querySelector<HTMLButtonElement>(".chat-tasks-status__link");
     expect(link?.textContent?.trim()).toBe("1 running task");
     link?.click();
@@ -812,7 +811,8 @@ describe("running-tasks status row", () => {
     );
 
     const preview = container.querySelector("openclaw-tooltip.chat-tasks-status__preview");
-    expect(preview?.querySelector(".chat-tasks-status")?.id).toBe("chat-tasks-status-test");
+    expect(preview?.firstElementChild?.classList.contains("chat-tasks-status__link")).toBe(true);
+    expect(container.querySelector(".chat-tasks-status")?.id).toBe("chat-tasks-status-test");
     expect(preview?.querySelector('.chat-tasks-preview[slot="content"]')).not.toBeNull();
     const titles = [...container.querySelectorAll(".chat-tasks-preview__title")].map((el) =>
       el.textContent?.trim(),