diff --git a/tools/test-js-with-node b/tools/test-js-with-node
index 4aee6b6639..c5cef1c248 100755
--- a/tools/test-js-with-node
+++ b/tools/test-js-with-node
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ EXEMPT_FILES = make_set(
         "web/src/poll_widget.js",
         "web/src/popover_menus.js",
         "web/src/popover_menus_data.js",
-        "web/src/popovers.js",
+        "web/src/popovers.ts",
         "web/src/read_receipts.js",
         "web/src/ready.ts",
         "web/src/realm_icon.ts",
diff --git a/web/src/condense.js b/web/src/condense.js
index 452638f4a6..06fc7791e6 100644
--- a/web/src/condense.js
+++ b/web/src/condense.js
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export function toggle_collapse(message) {
     if (message.is_me_message) {
         // Disabled temporarily because /me messages don't have a
         // styling for collapsing /me messages (they only recently
-        // added multi-line support).  See also popovers.js.
+        // added multi-line support).  See also popover_menus_data.js.
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/web/src/popovers.js b/web/src/popovers.ts
similarity index 76%
rename from web/src/popovers.js
rename to web/src/popovers.ts
index 8688bd395c..3f63997590 100644
--- a/web/src/popovers.js
+++ b/web/src/popovers.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import $ from "jquery";
 import * as tippy from "tippy.js";
 
-export function any_active() {
+export function any_active(): boolean {
     // Checks if there are any interactive tippy instances (= popovers) present.
-    const $tippy_instances = $("[data-tippy-root]");
+    const $tippy_instances = $<tippy.PopperElement>("div[data-tippy-root]");
     // Tippy instances with `interactive: true` are popovers by definition.
     const num_interactive_instances = $tippy_instances.filter(
         (_i, elt) => elt._tippy?.props.interactive === true,
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export function any_active() {
     return Boolean(num_interactive_instances);
 }
 
-export function hide_all() {
+export function hide_all(): void {
     // Hides all tippy instances (tooltips and popovers).
     tippy.hideAll();
 }