diff --git a/core/src/utils/native/status-bar.ts b/core/src/utils/native/status-bar.ts
index c673a55394f..7505763ca99 100644
--- a/core/src/utils/native/status-bar.ts
+++ b/core/src/utils/native/status-bar.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
+import type { SystemBars } from '@capacitor/core';
 import type { StatusBarPlugin, Style as StatusBarStyle } from '@capacitor/status-bar';
 
 import { getCapacitor } from './capacitor';
 
+type SystemBarsPlugin = typeof SystemBars;
+type SystemBarsStyleOptions = Parameters<SystemBarsPlugin['setStyle']>[0];
+
 interface StyleOptions {
   style: StatusBarStyle;
 }
@@ -12,29 +16,60 @@ export enum Style {
   Default = 'DEFAULT',
 }
 
-export const StatusBar = {
-  getEngine(): StatusBarPlugin | undefined {
-    const capacitor = getCapacitor();
+/**
+ * The external @capacitor/status-bar plugin is preferred because it can
+ * report the current style. Capacitor 8+ ships the built-in SystemBars
+ * plugin, which is used when the external plugin is not installed.
+ */
+type ResolvedEngine =
+  | { kind: 'StatusBar'; plugin: StatusBarPlugin }
+  | { kind: 'SystemBars'; plugin: SystemBarsPlugin }
+  | undefined;
 
-    if (capacitor?.isPluginAvailable('StatusBar')) {
-      return capacitor.Plugins.StatusBar as StatusBarPlugin;
-    }
-    return undefined;
+const resolveEngine = (): ResolvedEngine => {
+  const capacitor = getCapacitor();
+
+  if (capacitor?.isPluginAvailable('StatusBar')) {
+    return { kind: 'StatusBar', plugin: capacitor.Plugins.StatusBar as StatusBarPlugin };
+  }
+  if (capacitor?.isPluginAvailable('SystemBars')) {
+    return { kind: 'SystemBars', plugin: capacitor.Plugins.SystemBars as SystemBarsPlugin };
+  }
+  return undefined;
+};
+
+export const StatusBar = {
+  getEngine(): StatusBarPlugin | SystemBarsPlugin | undefined {
+    return resolveEngine()?.plugin;
   },
   setStyle(options: StyleOptions) {
-    const engine = this.getEngine();
+    const engine = resolveEngine();
     if (!engine) {
       return;
     }
 
-    engine.setStyle(options);
+    if (engine.kind === 'SystemBars') {
+      /**
+       * Only restyle the status bar so the navigation/gesture bar is
+       * left untouched. String literals are used instead of Capacitor's
+       * runtime enums to avoid importing @capacitor/core at runtime.
+       */
+      engine.plugin.setStyle({ style: options.style, bar: 'StatusBar' } as unknown as SystemBarsStyleOptions);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    engine.plugin.setStyle(options);
   },
   getStyle: async function (): Promise<StatusBarStyle> {
-    const engine = this.getEngine();
-    if (!engine) {
+    const engine = resolveEngine();
+    /**
+     * SystemBars has no getter, so DEFAULT (device appearance) is the
+     * style restored on dismiss.
+     */
+    if (engine?.kind !== 'StatusBar') {
       return Style.Default;
     }
-    const { style } = await engine.getInfo();
+    const { style } = await engine.plugin.getInfo();
     return style;
   },
 };
diff --git a/core/src/utils/native/test/status-bar.spec.ts b/core/src/utils/native/test/status-bar.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..7cf77222670
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/utils/native/test/status-bar.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,138 @@
+import { StatusBar, Style } from '../status-bar';
+
+const createStatusBarPlugin = () => ({
+  setStyle: jest.fn(),
+  getInfo: jest.fn().mockResolvedValue({ style: Style.Light, visible: true, overlays: false }),
+});
+
+/**
+ * Installs a fake window.Capacitor. `plugins` are registered under
+ * `Capacitor.Plugins`, and `isPluginAvailable` reports only the
+ * names listed in `available`.
+ */
+const mockCapacitor = ({ plugins, available }: { plugins: Record<string, unknown>; available: string[] }) => {
+  (window as any).Capacitor = {
+    isPluginAvailable: (name: string) => available.includes(name),
+    Plugins: plugins,
+  };
+};
+
+/**
+ * Assertions use raw style strings rather than the Style enum so they
+ * pin the values the native plugins actually receive.
+ */
+describe('StatusBar', () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    delete (window as any).Capacitor;
+  });
+
+  describe('when the StatusBar plugin is available', () => {
+    let statusBarPlugin: ReturnType<typeof createStatusBarPlugin>;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      statusBarPlugin = createStatusBarPlugin();
+      mockCapacitor({ plugins: { StatusBar: statusBarPlugin }, available: ['StatusBar'] });
+    });
+
+    it('should forward the style to the StatusBar plugin', () => {
+      StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark });
+
+      expect(statusBarPlugin.setStyle.mock.calls).toStrictEqual([[{ style: 'DARK' }]]);
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve getStyle to the style reported by the StatusBar plugin', async () => {
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('LIGHT');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when Capacitor is present but the StatusBar plugin is not registered', () => {
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      mockCapacitor({ plugins: {}, available: [] });
+    });
+
+    it('should not throw when setting the style', () => {
+      expect(() => StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark })).not.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve getStyle to DEFAULT', async () => {
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('DEFAULT');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when the StatusBar plugin is registered but not available', () => {
+    let statusBarPlugin: ReturnType<typeof createStatusBarPlugin>;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      /**
+       * The plugin is registered under Plugins but not available natively,
+       * so the wrapper must rely on isPluginAvailable rather than on the
+       * presence of Plugins.StatusBar.
+       */
+      statusBarPlugin = createStatusBarPlugin();
+      mockCapacitor({ plugins: { StatusBar: statusBarPlugin }, available: [] });
+    });
+
+    it('should not call the StatusBar plugin when setting the style', () => {
+      expect(() => StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark })).not.toThrow();
+
+      expect(statusBarPlugin.setStyle).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve getStyle to DEFAULT without querying the StatusBar plugin', async () => {
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('DEFAULT');
+
+      expect(statusBarPlugin.getInfo).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when only the SystemBars plugin is available', () => {
+    let systemBarsPlugin: { setStyle: jest.Mock };
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      systemBarsPlugin = { setStyle: jest.fn() };
+      mockCapacitor({ plugins: { SystemBars: systemBarsPlugin }, available: ['SystemBars'] });
+    });
+
+    it('should style only the status bar through the SystemBars plugin', () => {
+      StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark });
+
+      expect(systemBarsPlugin.setStyle.mock.calls).toStrictEqual([[{ style: 'DARK', bar: 'StatusBar' }]]);
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve getStyle to DEFAULT', async () => {
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('DEFAULT');
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when both the StatusBar and SystemBars plugins are available', () => {
+    let statusBarPlugin: ReturnType<typeof createStatusBarPlugin>;
+    let systemBarsPlugin: { setStyle: jest.Mock };
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      statusBarPlugin = createStatusBarPlugin();
+      systemBarsPlugin = { setStyle: jest.fn() };
+      mockCapacitor({
+        plugins: { StatusBar: statusBarPlugin, SystemBars: systemBarsPlugin },
+        available: ['StatusBar', 'SystemBars'],
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should only call the StatusBar plugin', async () => {
+      StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark });
+
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('LIGHT');
+      expect(statusBarPlugin.setStyle.mock.calls).toStrictEqual([[{ style: 'DARK' }]]);
+      expect(systemBarsPlugin.setStyle).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    });
+  });
+
+  describe('when Capacitor is not present', () => {
+    it('should not throw when setting the style', () => {
+      expect(() => StatusBar.setStyle({ style: Style.Dark })).not.toThrow();
+    });
+
+    it('should resolve getStyle to DEFAULT', async () => {
+      await expect(StatusBar.getStyle()).resolves.toBe('DEFAULT');
+    });
+  });
+});