diff --git a/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx b/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
index cbf6cf63..ffdbf0a1 100644
--- a/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
+++ b/src/components/home/CatalogSection.tsx
@@ -61,11 +61,15 @@ const CatalogSection = ({ catalog }: CatalogSectionProps) => {
     navigation.navigate('Metadata', { id, type, addonId: catalog.addon });
   }, [navigation, catalog.addon]);
 
-  const renderContentItem = useCallback(({ item }: { item: StreamingContent, index: number }) => {
+  const renderContentItem = useCallback(({ item, index }: { item: StreamingContent, index: number }) => {
+    // Only load images for the first few items eagerly; others defer based on viewability
+    const eager = index < 6;
     return (
       <ContentItem 
         item={item} 
         onPress={handleContentPress}
+        shouldLoadImage={eager}
+        deferMs={eager ? 0 : Math.min(400 + index * 15, 1500)}
       />
     );
   }, [handleContentPress]);
@@ -108,8 +112,7 @@ const CatalogSection = ({ catalog }: CatalogSectionProps) => {
         ItemSeparatorComponent={ItemSeparator}
         onEndReachedThreshold={0.7}
         onEndReached={() => {}}
-        scrollEventThrottle={16}
-        estimatedItemSize={POSTER_WIDTH + 8}
+        scrollEventThrottle={32}
       />
     </Animated.View>
   );
diff --git a/src/components/home/ContentItem.tsx b/src/components/home/ContentItem.tsx
index 3893384b..80331119 100644
--- a/src/components/home/ContentItem.tsx
+++ b/src/components/home/ContentItem.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import { DropUpMenu } from './DropUpMenu';
 interface ContentItemProps {
   item: StreamingContent;
   onPress: (id: string, type: string) => void;
+  shouldLoadImage?: boolean;
+  deferMs?: number;
 }
 
 const { width } = Dimensions.get('window');
@@ -56,12 +58,12 @@ const POSTER_WIDTH = posterLayout.posterWidth;
 
 const PLACEHOLDER_BLURHASH = 'LEHV6nWB2yk8pyo0adR*.7kCMdnj';
 
-const ContentItem = ({ item, onPress }: ContentItemProps) => {
+const ContentItem = ({ item, onPress, shouldLoadImage: shouldLoadImageProp, deferMs = 0 }: ContentItemProps) => {
   const [menuVisible, setMenuVisible] = useState(false);
   const [isWatched, setIsWatched] = useState(false);
   const [imageLoaded, setImageLoaded] = useState(false);
   const [imageError, setImageError] = useState(false);
-  const [shouldLoadImage, setShouldLoadImage] = useState(false);
+  const [shouldLoadImageState, setShouldLoadImageState] = useState(false);
   const [retryCount, setRetryCount] = useState(0);
   const { currentTheme } = useTheme();
   const { settings } = useSettings();
@@ -111,14 +113,22 @@ const ContentItem = ({ item, onPress }: ContentItemProps) => {
     setMenuVisible(false);
   }, []);
 
-  // Lazy load images - only load when likely to be visible
+  // Lazy load images - only load when asked by parent (viewability) or after small defer
   useEffect(() => {
+    if (shouldLoadImageProp !== undefined) {
+      if (shouldLoadImageProp) {
+        const t = setTimeout(() => setShouldLoadImageState(true), deferMs);
+        return () => clearTimeout(t);
+      } else {
+        setShouldLoadImageState(false);
+      }
+      return;
+    }
     const timer = setTimeout(() => {
-      setShouldLoadImage(true);
-    }, 50); // Reduced delay for faster loading
-
+      setShouldLoadImageState(true);
+    }, 80);
     return () => clearTimeout(timer);
-  }, []);
+  }, [shouldLoadImageProp, deferMs]);
 
   // Get optimized poster URL for smaller tiles
   const getOptimizedPosterUrl = useCallback((originalUrl: string) => {
@@ -158,12 +168,12 @@ const ContentItem = ({ item, onPress }: ContentItemProps) => {
         >
           <View ref={itemRef} style={[styles.contentItemContainer, { borderRadius: posterRadius }] }>
             {/* Only load image when shouldLoadImage is true (lazy loading) */}
-            {shouldLoadImage && item.poster ? (
+            {(shouldLoadImageProp ?? shouldLoadImageState) && item.poster ? (
               <ExpoImage
                 source={{ uri: getOptimizedPosterUrl(item.poster) }}
                 style={[styles.poster, { backgroundColor: currentTheme.colors.elevation1, borderRadius: posterRadius }]}
                 contentFit="cover"
-                cachePolicy="memory-disk" // Use both memory and disk cache
+                cachePolicy={Platform.OS === 'android' ? 'disk' : 'memory-disk'}
                 transition={0} // Disable transition to reduce GPU work
                 placeholder={{ blurhash: PLACEHOLDER_BLURHASH } as any}
                 placeholderContentFit="cover"
diff --git a/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx b/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
index aa1ce859..0f146383 100644
--- a/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
+++ b/src/screens/HomeScreen.tsx
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
       let catalogIndex = 0;
       
       // Limit concurrent catalog loading to prevent overwhelming the system
-      const MAX_CONCURRENT_CATALOGS = 1; // Single catalog at a time to minimize heating
+      const MAX_CONCURRENT_CATALOGS = 1; // Single catalog at a time to minimize heating/memory
       let activeCatalogLoads = 0;
       const catalogQueue: (() => Promise<void>)[] = [];
       
@@ -196,8 +196,9 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
 
                   const metas = await stremioService.getCatalog(manifest, catalog.type, catalog.id, 1);
                   if (metas && metas.length > 0) {
-                    // Limit items per catalog to reduce memory usage
-                    const limitedMetas = metas.slice(0, 30);
+                    // Aggressively limit items per catalog on Android to reduce memory usage
+                    const limit = Platform.OS === 'android' ? 18 : 30;
+                    const limitedMetas = metas.slice(0, limit);
                     
                     const items = limitedMetas.map((meta: any) => ({
                       id: meta.id,
@@ -217,7 +218,7 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
                       certification: meta.certification
                     }));
 
-                    // Skip prefetching to reduce memory pressure
+                    // Skip prefetching to reduce memory pressure (keep disabled)
                     // Resolve custom display name; if custom exists, use as-is
                     const originalName = catalog.name || catalog.id;
                     let displayName = await getCatalogDisplayName(addon.id, catalog.type, catalog.id, originalName);
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
       // Initialize catalogs array with proper length
       setCatalogs(new Array(catalogIndex).fill(null));
       
-      // Start processing the catalog queue (parallel fetching continues in background)
+      // Start processing the catalog queue
       processCatalogQueue();
     } catch (error) {
       if (__DEV__) console.error('[HomeScreen] Error in progressive catalog loading:', error);
@@ -650,7 +651,7 @@ const HomeScreen = () => {
 
   const renderListItem = useCallback(({ item, index }: { item: HomeScreenListItem, index: number }) => {
     const wrapper = (child: React.ReactNode) => (
-      <Animated.View entering={FadeIn.duration(350).delay(Math.min(index * 70, 700))}>
+      <Animated.View>
         {child}
       </Animated.View>
     );