diff --git a/frontend/src/app/useDocumentPreview.ts b/frontend/src/app/useDocumentPreview.ts
index d55fcf4..427eddd 100644
--- a/frontend/src/app/useDocumentPreview.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/app/useDocumentPreview.ts
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ type PreviewEntry = {
   contentType?: string | null;
   filename?: string | null;
   expiresAt?: number;
-  canGoPrev?: boolean;
-  canGoNext?: boolean;
-  goPrev?: () => void;
-  goNext?: () => void;
 };
 
 interface AssetManagerLike {
diff --git a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
index 1488cfd..ef70bc7 100644
--- a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopPreviewCard.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react';
 import type { JSX } from 'react';
-import { ArrowLeftIcon, ArrowRightIcon } from '../ui/icons';
 import { useAssetNavigator } from '../hooks/useAssetNavigator';
-import { preventAll } from './events';
 
 type Identifier = string | number;
 
@@ -32,11 +30,6 @@ type GetDocumentAsset = (document: DocumentLike | null, assetType: string) => As
 interface NavigatorSnapshot {
   url: string | null;
   alt?: string;
-  canGoPrev: boolean;
-  canGoNext: boolean;
-  goPrev?: () => void;
-  goNext?: () => void;
-  ordinal: number;
   width: number | null;
   height: number | null;
 }
@@ -46,7 +39,6 @@ interface DesktopPreviewCardProps {
   title?: string;
   ensureAssetUrl?: EnsureAssetUrl | null;
   getDocumentAsset: GetDocumentAsset;
-  prefetch?: number;
   onNavigatorSnapshot?: (docId: Identifier, snapshot: NavigatorSnapshot | null) => void;
   shouldLoad?: boolean;
 }
@@ -56,7 +48,6 @@ const DesktopPreviewCard = ({
   title,
   ensureAssetUrl,
   getDocumentAsset,
-  prefetch = 3,
   onNavigatorSnapshot,
   shouldLoad = true,
 }: DesktopPreviewCardProps): JSX.Element => {
@@ -65,10 +56,9 @@ const DesktopPreviewCard = ({
     assetType: 'thumbnail',
     ensureAssetUrl: shouldLoad ? ensureAssetUrl : null,
     getAsset: getDocumentAsset,
-    prefetch,
   });
 
-  const { currentUrl, cardinality, canGoPrev, canGoNext, currentMetadata, ordinal } = navigator;
+  const { currentUrl, currentMetadata } = navigator;
   const docId = doc?.id ?? null;
 
   const metadataWidth = Number((currentMetadata as { width?: number } | null)?.width);
@@ -78,14 +68,13 @@ const DesktopPreviewCard = ({
     if (!onNavigatorSnapshot || !docId) {
       return undefined;
     }
+    if (!currentUrl) {
+      onNavigatorSnapshot(docId, null);
+      return undefined;
+    }
     const snapshot = {
-      url: currentUrl || null,
+      url: currentUrl,
       alt: title,
-      canGoPrev,
-      canGoNext,
-      goPrev: navigator.goPrev,
-      goNext: navigator.goNext,
-      ordinal,
       width: Number.isFinite(metadataWidth) && metadataWidth > 0 ? metadataWidth : null,
       height: Number.isFinite(metadataHeight) && metadataHeight > 0 ? metadataHeight : null,
     };
@@ -95,21 +84,14 @@ const DesktopPreviewCard = ({
     docId,
     currentUrl,
     title,
-    canGoPrev,
-    canGoNext,
-    ordinal,
     metadataWidth,
     metadataHeight,
-    navigator.goPrev,
-    navigator.goNext,
     onNavigatorSnapshot,
   ]);
 
   const hasPreview = Boolean(currentUrl);
   const cardClasses = ['desk-item__card'];
   if (!hasPreview) cardClasses.push('desk-item__card--empty');
-  const showNav = hasPreview && (cardinality > 1 || canGoPrev || canGoNext);
-
   return (
     <div
       className={cardClasses.join(' ')}
@@ -134,58 +116,6 @@ const DesktopPreviewCard = ({
           </div>
         </div>
       )}
-      {showNav ? (
-        <div className="desk-card__nav">
-          <button
-            type="button"
-            className="desk-card__nav-button"
-            onClick={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-              navigator.goPrev();
-            }}
-            onPointerDown={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onPointerUp={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onMouseDown={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onMouseUp={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            disabled={!canGoPrev}
-            aria-label="Previous preview"
-          >
-            <ArrowLeftIcon />
-          </button>
-          <button
-            type="button"
-            className="desk-card__nav-button"
-            onClick={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-              navigator.goNext();
-            }}
-            onPointerDown={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onPointerUp={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onMouseDown={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            onMouseUp={(event) => {
-              preventAll(event);
-            }}
-            disabled={!canGoNext}
-            aria-label="Next preview"
-          >
-            <ArrowRightIcon />
-          </button>
-        </div>
-      ) : null}
     </div>
   );
 };
diff --git a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopWorkspace.tsx b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopWorkspace.tsx
index 8f58d04..df85365 100644
--- a/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopWorkspace.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/desktop/DesktopWorkspace.tsx
@@ -46,14 +46,8 @@ export interface DeskDocument {
 interface NavigatorSnapshot {
   url: string | null;
   alt?: string | null;
-  canGoPrev?: boolean;
-  canGoNext?: boolean;
-  goPrev?: () => void;
-  goNext?: () => void;
-  ordinal?: number | null;
   width?: number | null;
   height?: number | null;
-  contentType?: string | null;
 }
 
 type OverlayOriginHint = {
@@ -71,8 +65,10 @@ interface OverlayOriginTransform {
   baseHeight: number;
 }
 
-interface OverlayDisplay extends NavigatorSnapshot {
+interface OverlayDisplay {
   url: string;
+  alt?: string | null;
+  contentType?: string | null;
 }
 
 interface DocumentSizeInfo {
@@ -380,11 +376,6 @@ const DesktopWorkspace: React.FC<DesktopWorkspaceProps> = ({
           prevSnapshot &&
           prevSnapshot.url === snapshot.url &&
           prevSnapshot.alt === snapshot.alt &&
-          prevSnapshot.canGoPrev === snapshot.canGoPrev &&
-          prevSnapshot.canGoNext === snapshot.canGoNext &&
-          prevSnapshot.goPrev === snapshot.goPrev &&
-          prevSnapshot.goNext === snapshot.goNext &&
-          prevSnapshot.ordinal === snapshot.ordinal &&
           prevSnapshot.width === snapshot.width &&
           prevSnapshot.height === snapshot.height;
         if (sameSnapshot) {
@@ -672,11 +663,7 @@ const DesktopWorkspace: React.FC<DesktopWorkspaceProps> = ({
     if (!overlaySource) {
       return null;
     }
-    return {
-      ...overlaySource,
-      canGoPrev: false,
-      canGoNext: false,
-    };
+    return overlaySource;
   }, [overlaySource]);
 
   const overlayDocument = useMemo<DeskDocument | null>(() => {
@@ -1122,7 +1109,6 @@ function DesktopWorkspaceView({
       </div>
       <PreviewZoomOverlay
         open={Boolean(overlayDisplay?.url)}
-        display={overlayDisplay}
         onClose={closeOverlay}
         document={overlayDocument}
         originRect={overlayOriginRect}
diff --git a/frontend/src/detail/PreviewZoomOverlay.tsx b/frontend/src/detail/PreviewZoomOverlay.tsx
index 97535f8..33a1220 100644
--- a/frontend/src/detail/PreviewZoomOverlay.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/detail/PreviewZoomOverlay.tsx
@@ -24,10 +24,6 @@ type PreviewEntry = {
   url: string;
   alt?: string;
   contentType?: string | null;
-  canGoPrev?: boolean;
-  canGoNext?: boolean;
-  goPrev?: () => void;
-  goNext?: () => void;
 };
 
 type DocumentLikeWithPreview = DocumentLike & { previewEntry?: PreviewEntry };
diff --git a/frontend/src/detail/useDetailWorkspace.ts b/frontend/src/detail/useDetailWorkspace.ts
index caa1882..9b92b1a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/detail/useDetailWorkspace.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/detail/useDetailWorkspace.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,7 @@ interface FolderNode {
 
 type PreviewEntry = {
   url?: string;
-  canGoPrev?: boolean;
-  canGoNext?: boolean;
-  goPrev?: () => void;
-  goNext?: () => void;
+  contentType?: string | null;
 } | null;
 
 interface UseDetailWorkspaceArgs {
diff --git a/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts b/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
index bfe8f52..b9274c5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/hooks/useAssetNavigator.ts
@@ -1,28 +1,26 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { createAssetView } from '../asset_manager';
 
 type Identifier = string | number;
 
-interface DocumentLike {
+type DocumentLike = {
   id?: Identifier;
   [key: string]: unknown;
-}
+};
 
-interface AssetObject {
-  ordinal?: number;
+type AssetObject = {
   url?: string | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   [key: string]: unknown;
-}
+};
 
-interface AssetLike {
+type AssetLike = {
   id?: Identifier;
-  cardinality?: number;
   url?: string | null;
   metadata?: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   objects?: AssetObject[];
   [key: string]: unknown;
-}
+};
 
 type EnsureAssetUrl = (
   documentId: Identifier,
@@ -32,21 +30,18 @@ type EnsureAssetUrl = (
 
 type GetAsset = (document: DocumentLike, assetType: string) => AssetLike | null;
 
-interface AssetViewLike {
-  getCardinality: () => number;
-  getObjects: () => AssetObject[];
+type AssetViewLike = {
   getObject: (ordinal?: number) => AssetObject | null;
+  getObjects: () => AssetObject[];
   getPrimaryUrl: () => string | null;
   getPrimaryMetadata: () => Record<string, unknown> | null;
-}
+};
 
 interface UseAssetNavigatorOptions {
   document?: DocumentLike | null;
   assetType: string;
-  ensureAssetUrl?: EnsureAssetUrl;
+  ensureAssetUrl?: EnsureAssetUrl | null;
   getAsset?: GetAsset;
-  prefetch?: number;
-  defaultOrdinal?: number;
 }
 
 interface AssetNavigatorReturn {
@@ -54,36 +49,16 @@ interface AssetNavigatorReturn {
   documentId: Identifier | null;
   asset: AssetLike | null;
   assetType: string;
-  ordinal: number;
-  setOrdinal: (next: number) => void;
-  goPrev: () => void;
-  goNext: () => void;
-  canGoPrev: boolean;
-  canGoNext: boolean;
-  cardinality: number;
-  currentObject: AssetObject | null;
   currentUrl: string | null;
-  currentMetadata: AssetObject['metadata'];
-  objects: AssetObject[];
+  currentMetadata: Record<string, unknown> | null;
   isLoading: boolean;
 }
 
-const clampOrdinalValue = (value: number, cardinality: number, defaultOrdinal: number) => {
-  const raw = Number.isFinite(value) ? value : defaultOrdinal;
-  let next = Math.max(1, Math.floor(raw));
-  if (cardinality && cardinality > 0) {
-    next = Math.min(next, cardinality);
-  }
-  return next;
-};
-
 export const useAssetNavigator = ({
   document,
   assetType,
   ensureAssetUrl,
   getAsset,
-  prefetch = 2,
-  defaultOrdinal = 1,
 }: UseAssetNavigatorOptions): AssetNavigatorReturn => {
   const documentId = (document?.id ?? null) as Identifier | null;
 
@@ -98,110 +73,42 @@ export const useAssetNavigator = ({
     () => createAssetView(asset) as unknown as AssetViewLike,
     [asset],
   );
-  const cardinality = view.getCardinality();
 
-  const [ordinal, setOrdinalInternal] = useState(defaultOrdinal);
-
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setOrdinalInternal(defaultOrdinal);
-  }, [documentId, assetType, defaultOrdinal]);
-
-  const setOrdinal = useCallback(
-    (next: number) => {
-      setOrdinalInternal(clampOrdinalValue(next, cardinality, defaultOrdinal));
-    },
-    [cardinality, defaultOrdinal],
-  );
-
-  const goPrev = useCallback(() => {
-    setOrdinalInternal((prev) => clampOrdinalValue(prev - 1, cardinality, defaultOrdinal));
-  }, [cardinality, defaultOrdinal]);
-
-  const goNext = useCallback(() => {
-    setOrdinalInternal((prev) => clampOrdinalValue(prev + 1, cardinality, defaultOrdinal));
-  }, [cardinality, defaultOrdinal]);
-
-  const objects = view.getObjects();
-  const currentObject = view.getObject(ordinal);
+  const currentObject = view.getObject(1) || view.getObjects()[0] || null;
   const currentUrl = currentObject?.url ?? view.getPrimaryUrl() ?? null;
-  const currentMetadata = currentObject?.metadata ?? view.getPrimaryMetadata() ?? null;
+  const currentMetadata = (currentObject?.metadata ?? view.getPrimaryMetadata()) || null;
 
-  const canGoPrev = ordinal > 1;
-  const canGoNext = cardinality ? ordinal < cardinality : true;
-
-  const ordinalsNeedingLoad = useMemo<number[]>(() => {
-    const missing: number[] = [];
-    if (!asset) {
-      return missing;
-    }
-    const safePrefetch = Math.max(1, prefetch);
-    const maxOrdinal = cardinality && cardinality > 0
-      ? Math.min(cardinality, ordinal + safePrefetch - 1)
-      : ordinal + safePrefetch - 1;
-
-    for (let ord = ordinal; ord <= maxOrdinal; ord += 1) {
-      const object = view.getObject(ord);
-      if (!object?.url) {
-        missing.push(ord);
-      }
-    }
-
-    return missing;
-  }, [asset, view, ordinal, prefetch, cardinality]);
-
-  const fetchStart = ordinalsNeedingLoad.length ? ordinalsNeedingLoad[0] : null;
-  const fetchEnd = ordinalsNeedingLoad.length
-    ? ordinalsNeedingLoad[ordinalsNeedingLoad.length - 1]
-    : null;
-  const fetchLimit = fetchStart !== null && fetchEnd !== null ? fetchEnd - fetchStart + 1 : null;
-
-  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+  const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!documentId || !asset || !ensureAssetUrl) {
-      setLoading(false);
-      return;
+    if (!ensureAssetUrl || !documentId || !asset) {
+      return undefined;
     }
-    if (fetchStart === null || fetchLimit === null) {
-      setLoading(false);
-      return;
+    if (currentUrl) {
+      return undefined;
     }
-
     let cancelled = false;
-    setLoading(true);
-    ensureAssetUrl(documentId, asset, {
-      start: fetchStart,
-      limit: fetchLimit,
-    })
+    setIsLoading(true);
+    ensureAssetUrl(documentId, asset, { start: 1, limit: 1 })
       .catch(() => {})
       .finally(() => {
         if (!cancelled) {
-          setLoading(false);
+          setIsLoading(false);
         }
       });
-
     return () => {
       cancelled = true;
     };
-  }, [documentId, asset, ensureAssetUrl, fetchStart, fetchLimit]);
+  }, [asset, currentUrl, documentId, ensureAssetUrl]);
 
   return {
     document,
     documentId,
     asset,
     assetType,
-    ordinal,
-    setOrdinal,
-    goPrev,
-    goNext,
-    canGoPrev,
-    canGoNext,
-    cardinality,
-    currentObject,
     currentUrl,
     currentMetadata,
-    objects,
-    isLoading: loading,
+    isLoading,
   };
 };
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/detail/detail-panels.css b/frontend/src/styles/detail/detail-panels.css
index f4dda49..8c05daf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/detail/detail-panels.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/detail/detail-panels.css
@@ -931,9 +931,6 @@
   opacity: 1;
 }
 
-.desk-card__nav {
-  bottom: 0.5rem;
-}
 
 .bulk-tags {
   display: flex;
diff --git a/frontend/src/styles/workspace/workspace-cards.css b/frontend/src/styles/workspace/workspace-cards.css
index 4079627..85a8c6d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/styles/workspace/workspace-cards.css
+++ b/frontend/src/styles/workspace/workspace-cards.css
@@ -68,55 +68,3 @@
   word-break: break-word;
   white-space: normal;
 }
-
-.desk-card__nav {
-  position: absolute;
-  bottom: 1.8rem;
-  left: 50%;
-  transform: translateX(-50%);
-  transform-origin: center;
-  display: flex;
-  gap: 1.5rem;
-  opacity: 0;
-  pointer-events: none;
-  transition: opacity 0.2s ease;
-}
-
-.desk-item__card:hover .desk-card__nav {
-  opacity: 1;
-  pointer-events: auto;
-}
-
-.desk-card__nav-button {
-  display: inline-flex;
-  align-items: center;
-  justify-content: center;
-  width: 2.4em;
-  height: 2.4em;
-  padding: 0.25em;
-  border-radius: 50%;
-  border: none;
-  background: var(--preview-nav-bg);
-  color: var(--preview-nav-fg);
-  cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.15s ease, opacity 0.15s ease;
-}
-
-.desk-card__nav-button:hover:not([disabled]) {
-  background: var(--preview-nav-bg-hover);
-}
-
-.desk-card__nav-button:disabled {
-  opacity: 0.4;
-  cursor: default;
-}
-
-.desk-card__nav-button:focus-visible {
-  outline: 2px solid var(--accent);
-  outline-offset: 2px;
-}
-
-.desk-card__nav-button svg {
-  width: 100%;
-  height: 100%;
-}