diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 1c4dd42..6561c97 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ The long form, with what was wrong before and how it was found, is in
   items show without pressing Scan.
 - A file deleted to save space, or by hand, looks as if it was never downloaded: no "reaped"
   label, just the Download button. The retention summary says "deleted", not "reaped".
+- The Files pane and an item's own buttons are icons, with the words in their tooltips: save,
+  delete, view, download, mark read, keep, and open the original.
 
 ### Security
 
diff --git a/tests/ui/app.spec.js b/tests/ui/app.spec.js
index fe327dd..f23e1d7 100644
--- a/tests/ui/app.spec.js
+++ b/tests/ui/app.spec.js
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ test('the three panes are there and the item text lands in the bottom one', asyn
   const downloaded = page.locator('.ep', { hasText: 'downloaded' }).first();
   await downloaded.click();
   await expect(page.locator('#files audio')).toBeVisible();
-  await expect(page.locator('#files .encbox .btn', { hasText: 'Save' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('#files .encbox [title="Save to this computer"]')).toBeVisible();
 
   // Selecting another item replaces the pane rather than stacking.
   await page.locator('.ep', { hasText: 'First Episode' }).click();
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ test('a downloaded file that is not audio gets no player', async ({ page }) => {
   await expect(page.locator('#files .encbox')).toContainText('image');
   await expect(page.locator('#files .encbox')).toContainText('downloaded');
   // Still offered as a file, just not as an episode: viewable and keepable.
-  await expect(page.locator('#files .btn', { hasText: 'Save' })).toBeVisible();
-  const view = page.locator('#files a', { hasText: 'View' });
+  await expect(page.locator('#files [title="Save to this computer"]')).toBeVisible();
+  const view = page.locator('#files a[title="View in a new tab"]');
   await expect(view).toHaveAttribute('target', '_blank');
   await expect(view).toHaveAttribute('rel', /noopener/);
   await expect(view).toHaveAttribute('href', /\/media\/\d+/);
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ test('inside an OPML, feeds with unread items are listed first', async ({ page }
   await side.getByText('Grouped Show').click();
   const gs = page.locator('.ep', { hasText: 'Grouped Ep' });
   await gs.click();
-  await page.locator('#detail button', { hasText: 'Mark unread' }).click();
+  await page.locator('#detail button[title="Mark unread"]').click();
   await expect(gs).not.toHaveClass(/read/);
 
   // Aardvark comes first alphabetically and in the OPML, so only the unread sort puts
@@ -281,9 +281,9 @@ test('opening an item marks it read, and the toggle flips it back', async ({ pag
   // Another test may have opened this item already, so start from a known state: the
   // toggle in the text below flips it back -- which used to recurse until the stack blew.
   await row().click();
-  await page.locator('#detail button', { hasText: 'Mark unread' }).click();
+  await page.locator('#detail button[title="Mark unread"]').click();
   await expect(row()).not.toHaveClass(/read/);
-  await expect(page.locator('#detail button', { hasText: 'Mark read' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('#detail button[title="Mark read"]')).toBeVisible();
 
   // Opening it is reading it.
   await row().click();
@@ -375,8 +375,9 @@ test('deleting a shared file warns that it is everyone\'s copy', async ({ page }
   await expect(row).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20_000 });
   await row.click();
 
-  const del = page.locator('#files button', { hasText: 'Delete' });
-  await expect(del).toHaveText('Delete for everyone');
+  // An icon now; what it does, and to whom, is in its tooltip.
+  const del = page.locator('#files button[data-a="del"]');
+  await expect(del).toHaveAttribute('title', /^Delete for everyone \(shared with 1 other person/);
 
   // Two prompts: the page's own, then the server's, because someone else has not played
   // it. Accept the first, decline the second, and the file must survive.
@@ -657,12 +658,12 @@ test('a deleted file looks as if it was never downloaded', async ({ page }) => {
   const row = page.locator('.ep', { hasText: 'An Article' });
   await expect(row).toBeVisible({ timeout: 20_000 });
   await row.click();
-  await page.locator('#files button', { hasText: 'Delete' }).click();
+  await page.locator('#files button[data-a="del"]').click();
 
   // No "reaped", no chip at all: just the way to get it again.
   await expect(row).not.toContainText('downloaded');
   await expect(row).not.toContainText(/reaped/i);
   await row.click();
   await expect(page.locator('#files')).not.toContainText(/reaped/i);
-  await expect(page.locator('#files .btn', { hasText: 'Download' })).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator('#files button[title="Download to the server"]')).toBeVisible();
 });
diff --git a/web/index.html b/web/index.html
index aa707fb..5b94539 100644
--- a/web/index.html
+++ b/web/index.html
@@ -214,6 +214,8 @@ a.btn{text-decoration:none;color:inherit}
 .btn.primary{background:var(--accent);border-color:var(--accent);color:var(--ink);font-weight:600}
 .btn.primary:hover{filter:brightness(1.08)}
 .btn.danger:hover{border-color:var(--bad);color:var(--bad)}
+/* An icon in place of a word; the word is in its tooltip. */
+.btn.ico{padding:4px 9px;min-width:32px;font-size:14px;line-height:1.25;text-align:center}
 .toolbar{
   display:flex;gap:10px;align-items:center;margin-bottom:12px;flex-wrap:wrap;
   position:sticky;top:0;background:var(--bg);padding:6px 0 8px;z-index:3;
@@ -983,9 +985,12 @@ function showDetail(e){
       ${num?`<span>${num}</span><span class="dot"></span>`:''}
       <span>${dateOf(e.published)}</span>
       ${e.duration?`<span class="dot"></span><span>${clock(e.duration)}</span>`:''}
-      <button class="btn" data-a="read">Mark ${e.read?'unread':'read'}</button>
-      <button class="btn" data-a="flag">${e.flagged?'\u2605 Kept':'\u2606 Keep'}</button>
-      ${e.link?`<a class="btn" href="${esc(e.link)}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Open original \u2197</a>`:''}
+      <button class="btn ico" data-a="read" title="Mark ${e.read?'unread':'read'}"
+        aria-label="Mark ${e.read?'unread':'read'}">${e.read?'\u25cf':'\u2713'}</button>
+      <button class="btn ico" data-a="flag" title="${e.flagged?'Kept: never deleted. Stop keeping':'Keep, so it is never deleted'}"
+        aria-label="${e.flagged?'Stop keeping':'Keep'}">${e.flagged?'\u2605':'\u2606'}</button>
+      ${e.link?`<a class="btn ico" href="${esc(e.link)}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"
+        title="Open the original" aria-label="Open the original">\u2197</a>`:''}
     </div>
     <div class="dbody">${(e.description&&e.description.trim())||'<em>No show notes.</em>'}</div>
     ${narrow?encs:''}`;
@@ -1006,16 +1011,19 @@ function encBox(x){
   // One file serves everyone reading the feed, so deleting is not a private act.
   const f=S.feeds.find(y=>y.id===x.feed_id);
   const shared=f&&f.subscribers>1;
-  const delBtn=`<button class="btn danger" data-a="del" data-enc="${x.id}"${
-    shared?` title="Shared with ${f.subscribers-1} other ${f.subscribers===2?'person':'people'} reading this feed"`:''
-  }>Delete${shared?' for everyone':' file'}</button>`;
+  // Icons, with the words in the tooltip and for screen readers.
+  const delLabel=shared
+    ? `Delete for everyone (shared with ${f.subscribers-1} other ${f.subscribers===2?'person':'people'} reading this feed)`
+    : 'Delete file';
+  const delBtn=`<button class="btn ico danger" data-a="del" data-enc="${x.id}" title="${delLabel}" aria-label="${delLabel}">🗑</button>`;
+  const saveBtn=`<a class="btn ico" href="/media/${x.id}" download title="Save to this computer" aria-label="Save to this computer">💾</a>`;
   if(x.path && !isPlayable(x)){
     // On disk, but not audio or video: view it, keep it, or remove it -- no player.
     return `<div class="encbox">
       <span class="chip done">${esc(kindOf(x))}</span>
       <span class="meta" style="flex:1">downloaded${size?' \u00b7 '+size:''}</span>
-      <a class="btn" href="/media/${x.id}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View</a>
-      <a class="btn" href="/media/${x.id}" download>Save</a>
+      <a class="btn ico" href="/media/${x.id}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="View in a new tab" aria-label="View in a new tab">↗</a>
+      ${saveBtn}
       ${delBtn}
     </div>`;
   }
@@ -1023,7 +1031,7 @@ function encBox(x){
     return `<div class="encbox">
       <audio id="audio-${x.id}" controls preload="none" src="/media/${x.id}"></audio>
       <span class="meta">${size}</span>
-      <a class="btn" href="/media/${x.id}" download>Save</a>
+      ${saveBtn}
       ${delBtn}
     </div>`;
   }
@@ -1036,8 +1044,8 @@ function encBox(x){
     ${x.state==='reaped'?'':`<span class="chip ${esc(x.state)}">${x.state==='skipped'?kindOf(x):esc(x.state)}</span>`}
     <span class="meta" style="flex:1">${esc(kindOf(x))}${size?' \u00b7 '+size:''}</span>
     ${x.state==='error'&&x.last_error?`<span class="err">${esc(x.last_error)}</span>`:''}
-    ${viewable?`<a class="btn" href="${esc(x.url)}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View</a>`:''}
-    <button class="btn" data-a="get" data-enc="${x.id}">Download</button>
+    ${viewable?`<a class="btn ico" href="${esc(x.url)}" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" title="View in a new tab" aria-label="View in a new tab">↗</a>`:''}
+    <button class="btn ico" data-a="get" data-enc="${x.id}" title="Download to the server" aria-label="Download to the server">⤓</button>
   </div>`;
 }