[Feature Request] Option to disable bookmark icon overlay in the reader

[DozenTwelve]

Idea Description

I would like to request a reader-level option that allows users to disable the floating bookmark icon overlay (.bookmark-overlay) in the EPUB reader.

What is the issue?

Currently, a floating bookmark icon is automatically injected into the beginning of every chapter. This icon:

• cannot be disabled via any UI setting,
• reappears every time a chapter loads,
• is visually distracting for users who do not use bookmarks,
• sometimes appears in incorrect or misleading positions depending on layout,
• and is difficult to consistently hide through browser tools because the reader content is rendered inside a separate context and the element is re-injected on navigation.

In practice, many users—including myself—do not need this floating bookmark mechanism and prefer a cleaner reading experience.

Why this feature matters

• Minimal reading UI is a common expectation in EPUB readers.
• Some readers find floating icons intrusive or visually disruptive.
• The current overlay is not essential for basic reading.
• Adding a toggle respects different user preferences without removing the feature entirely.
• This also prevents confusion when the overlay position does not match the actual bookmark anchor (especially in chapters with images).

Proposed solution

Add a toggle such as:

Settings → Reader → [ ] Show bookmark icon overlay

When disabled:

• The bookmark overlay should not be rendered at all.
• All other reader functionality remains unchanged.

Thank you for considering this enhancement. Kavita is a great project, and this option would significantly improve the reading experience for users who prefer a clean, distraction-free interface.

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Related issue / commit reference

This request is related to the behavior discussed in #4205 (comment)

Commit 5f6fec9 (“Maybe fix bookmarks. Tries to Fix #4205”) attempted to address incorrect bookmark overlay positioning by adjusting how imgRect is interpreted.

However, even after this commit:

• the bookmark overlay is still rendered when users do not want it,
• the overlay continues to reappear on every chapter load,
• and in some cases the positioning is still misleading or incorrect.

This confirms that while the commit improved part of the calculation logic,
it does not resolve the underlying UX issue: the inability to turn off the bookmark overlay entirely.

Therefore, providing a user-facing setting to disable the bookmark overlay would fully resolve the remaining problem.

Idea Category

Web UI

Duration of Using Kavita

over 1 year

Before submitting

• I've already searched for existing ideas before posting.