diff --git a/electron/webview-preload.js b/electron/webview-preload.js
index cbb51b7d..0cd3b4f3 100644
--- a/electron/webview-preload.js
+++ b/electron/webview-preload.js
@@ -163,6 +163,15 @@ try {
     });
   } catch (_) {}
 
+  // Scroll-focus (Google Maps model): plain wheel zooms the canvas over this card UNLESS the user
+  // has clicked INTO it, in which case plain wheel scrolls the page/app content. Host pushes the flag.
+  let scrollFocused = false;
+  try {
+    ipcRenderer.on('openswarm:set-scroll-focus', (_event, payload) => {
+      scrollFocused = !!(payload && payload.focused);
+    });
+  } catch (_) {}
+
   // First in-guest mousedown tells the host to activate interact mode. Never
   // preventDefault so the click still reaches the app (Minecraft etc).
   const onMouseDownNotify = (e) => {
@@ -225,20 +234,43 @@ try {
       } catch (_) {}
       return;
     }
-    if (isInteractive) return;
-    // Vertical-dominant scroll stays with the page.
-    if (Math.abs(e.deltaX) <= Math.abs(e.deltaY)) return;
-    // Horizontal-dominant: defer to the page if anything inside can absorb
-    // it; otherwise forward to the host as a canvas pan.
-    if (pageCanScrollX(e.target, e.deltaX)) return;
+    // Focused (clicked-into) card, or an interactive app: wheel stays with the page/app content.
+    if (isInteractive || scrollFocused) {
+      // Vertical-dominant scroll stays with the page.
+      if (Math.abs(e.deltaX) <= Math.abs(e.deltaY)) return;
+      // Horizontal-dominant: defer to the page if anything inside can absorb it; otherwise forward as a canvas pan.
+      if (pageCanScrollX(e.target, e.deltaX)) return;
+      e.preventDefault();
+      e.stopPropagation();
+      try {
+        ipcRenderer.sendToHost('canvas-wheel-pan', {
+          deltaX: e.deltaX,
+          deltaY: e.deltaY,
+          deltaMode: e.deltaMode,
+        });
+      } catch (_) {}
+      return;
+    }
+    // Not focused: navigate the CANVAS while hovering the card (Google Maps). Horizontal-dominant swipe pans; vertical scroll zooms at the cursor.
     e.preventDefault();
     e.stopPropagation();
     try {
-      ipcRenderer.sendToHost('canvas-wheel-pan', {
-        deltaX: e.deltaX,
-        deltaY: e.deltaY,
-        deltaMode: e.deltaMode,
-      });
+      if (Math.abs(e.deltaX) > Math.abs(e.deltaY)) {
+        ipcRenderer.sendToHost('canvas-wheel-pan', {
+          deltaX: e.deltaX,
+          deltaY: e.deltaY,
+          deltaMode: e.deltaMode,
+        });
+      } else {
+        const iw2 = window.innerWidth || 1;
+        const ih2 = window.innerHeight || 1;
+        ipcRenderer.sendToHost('canvas-wheel-zoom', {
+          deltaY: e.deltaY,
+          deltaMode: e.deltaMode,
+          fracX: Math.max(0, Math.min(1, e.clientX / iw2)),
+          fracY: Math.max(0, Math.min(1, e.clientY / ih2)),
+        });
+      }
     } catch (_) {}
   };
   // Listen on both window and document in capture phase so we run before any
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/cards/BrowserCard.tsx b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/cards/BrowserCard.tsx
index 748fa9d3..67ec79b0 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/cards/BrowserCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/cards/BrowserCard.tsx
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ import {
   type BrowserWebview,
 } from '@/shared/browserRegistry';
 import { setLastInteractedBrowser } from '@/shared/browserFocus';
+import { onScrollFocusChange, getScrollFocusedCard } from '@/shared/cardScrollFocus';
 import { registerCapsuleForRestore } from '@/shared/browserStateCapsule';
 import BrowserFindBar from './BrowserFindBar';
 import { useBrowserActivity } from '@/shared/useBrowserActivity';
@@ -271,6 +272,19 @@ const BrowserCard: React.FC<Props> = ({
     setRegistryActiveTab(browserId, activeTabId);
   }, [browserId, activeTabId]);
 
+  // Tell the (out-of-process) guest whether plain wheel should scroll the page or zoom the canvas.
+  // Focused (clicked-into) = scroll the page; otherwise scroll-to-zoom works while hovering it (Google Maps).
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const push = (focusedId: string | null) => {
+      const focused = focusedId === browserId;
+      for (const wv of webviewMap.current.values()) {
+        try { wv.send?.('openswarm:set-scroll-focus', { focused }); } catch (_e) { /* guest not ready */ }
+      }
+    };
+    push(getScrollFocusedCard());
+    return onScrollFocusChange(push);
+  }, [browserId, activeTabId]);
+
   // Open the find bar when AppShell routes a Ctrl/Cmd+F to this browser; re-trigger re-focuses the input.
   useEffect(() => {
     const onFind = (e: Event) => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useCanvasControls.ts b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useCanvasControls.ts
index d6bbe20f..9c10795d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useCanvasControls.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useCanvasControls.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useCallback, useRef, useEffect, useMemo, RefObject } from 'react';
 import { setCanvasInteractionActive } from '@/shared/canvasInteractionState';
 import { getLastInteractedBrowser } from '@/shared/browserFocus';
+import { getScrollFocusedCard } from '@/shared/cardScrollFocus';
 import { getWebview } from '@/shared/browserRegistry';
 import { applyBrowserZoom } from '@/shared/browserZoom';
 
@@ -264,6 +265,13 @@ export function useCanvasControls(zoomSensitivity: number = 50, contentBounds?:
         }
 
         if (cls === 'scrollable' && !isModifierWheel) {
+          // Google Maps model: plain scroll zooms the canvas over ANY card (chat, app, scheduled task) UNLESS you've clicked INTO that card to read it. So a scrollable child only eats the wheel when its card is the scroll-focused one; otherwise fall through to canvas zoom.
+          const cardEl = target.closest('[data-select-id]');
+          const cardId = cardEl?.getAttribute('data-select-id') ?? null;
+          if (!cardId || cardId !== getScrollFocusedCard()) {
+            target = target.parentElement;
+            continue;
+          }
           // Re-read scrollHeight/clientHeight; cached decision is structural, scroll position is dynamic.
           const canScrollY = target.scrollHeight > target.clientHeight;
           const canScrollX = target.scrollWidth > target.clientWidth;
diff --git a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardInteractions.ts b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardInteractions.ts
index 1c66a144..b4126d03 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardInteractions.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/pages/Dashboard/hooks/interaction/useDashboardInteractions.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { useAppDispatch } from '@/shared/hooks';
 import { store } from '@/shared/state/store';
 import { collapseSession, expandSession } from '@/shared/state/agentsSlice';
 import { bringToFront } from '@/shared/state/dashboardLayoutSlice';
+import { setScrollFocusedCard } from '@/shared/cardScrollFocus';
 import type { CardType, useDashboardSelection } from '../state/useDashboardSelection';
 import type { useCanvasControls } from './useCanvasControls';
 
@@ -52,6 +53,8 @@ export function useDashboardInteractions({
 
     selection.selectCard(id, type, false);
     dispatch(bringToFront({ id, type }));
+    // Clicking INTO a card focuses it for scrolling: plain wheel now reads its content instead of zooming the canvas (Google Maps model). Clicking blank canvas clears it (below).
+    setScrollFocusedCard(id);
 
     // The Workflows window is an app you click around inside, not a card you re-center every tap. Single-click only raises + selects it; double-click still zoom-to-fits (handleCardDoubleClick). Without this, clicking any button inside it yanked the canvas into a re-zoom.
     if (type === 'workflows-hub' || type === 'workflows-monitor') return;
@@ -109,6 +112,8 @@ export function useDashboardInteractions({
       if (agentDriven) return;
       selection.selectCard(browserId, 'browser', false);
       dispatch(bringToFront({ id: browserId, type: 'browser' }));
+      // Clicking inside a browser's page focuses it: plain wheel now scrolls the page instead of zooming the canvas.
+      setScrollFocusedCard(browserId);
     };
     window.addEventListener('openswarm:browser-guest-select', onGuestSelect);
     return () => window.removeEventListener('openswarm:browser-guest-select', onGuestSelect);
@@ -130,6 +135,9 @@ export function useDashboardInteractions({
     if (e.button !== 0) return;
     if (isCardTarget(e.target, e.currentTarget)) return;
 
+    // Clicking blank canvas leaves every card: plain scroll zooms the canvas again (Google Maps model).
+    setScrollFocusedCard(null);
+
     // Canvas click, drop any lingering input focus so arrow-key nav works immediately without the user having to press Escape first.
     const active = document.activeElement as HTMLElement | null;
     const activeTag = active?.tagName;
diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/browserRegistry.ts b/frontend/src/shared/browserRegistry.ts
index 1828da69..6ee28c4b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/shared/browserRegistry.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/browserRegistry.ts
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ export interface BrowserWebview extends HTMLElement {
   isLoading: () => boolean;
   // Optional: present on real Electron webviews; the iframe fallback lacks it, callers must ?.() it.
   isCurrentlyAudible?: () => boolean;
+  send?: (channel: string, ...args: any[]) => void;
   capturePage: (rect?: { x: number; y: number; width: number; height: number }) => Promise<ElectronNativeImage>;
   executeJavaScript: (code: string) => Promise<any>;
   sendInputEvent: (event: any) => void;
diff --git a/frontend/src/shared/cardScrollFocus.ts b/frontend/src/shared/cardScrollFocus.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c81f9d2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/shared/cardScrollFocus.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// The card you've clicked INTO, so plain scroll reads its content (chat transcript, web page)
+// while scroll everywhere else zooms the canvas (Google Maps model). Imperative + read on the
+// wheel handler so no re-render; cleared when you click blank canvas.
+let scrollFocusedCardId: string | null = null;
+type Listener = (id: string | null) => void;
+const listeners = new Set<Listener>();
+
+export function setScrollFocusedCard(id: string | null): void {
+  if (scrollFocusedCardId === id) return;
+  scrollFocusedCardId = id;
+  for (const l of listeners) l(id);
+}
+
+export function getScrollFocusedCard(): string | null {
+  return scrollFocusedCardId;
+}
+
+// Browser cards subscribe so they can tell their (out-of-process) guest whether plain wheel should scroll the page or zoom the canvas.
+export function onScrollFocusChange(l: Listener): () => void {
+  listeners.add(l);
+  return () => { listeners.delete(l); };
+}