Fixed Elements Vanishing in Chrome

When implementing a fixed navigation bar using position: fixed, developers may encounter an issue where the element disappears sporadically in Chrome. This issue can manifest as the active navigation item becoming partially or entirely invisible.

Cause and Solution

This issue is caused by a quirk in Chrome's rendering engine, particularly for elements with top: 0. To resolve this, add the following CSS rule to the fixed element:

-webkit-transform: translateZ(0)

Explanation

This rule forces Chrome to use hardware acceleration to continuously paint the fixed element, bypassing the rendering issue. By applying a 3D transformation, the browser's graphics processor (GPU) is engaged, ensuring that the element remains visible even during page transitions and element interactions.

Additional Information

The reported issue affects elements with top: 0, but not those with bottom: 0. This suggests that the issue is related to the way Chrome handles elements near the top of the viewport.

Temporary Fix

While waiting for a permanent fix from Chrome, using bottom:0 for the fixed element can provide a workaround.

Reporting the Issue

To raise awareness of this issue, a Chrome bug has been filed: https://bugs.chromium.org/p/chromium/issues/detail?id=288747. Users can contribute by starring this bug to prioritize its resolution.