diff --git a/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerEngine.android.kt b/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerEngine.android.kt
index 0d9568b0..ebdcfd92 100644
--- a/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerEngine.android.kt
+++ b/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerEngine.android.kt
@@ -179,6 +179,10 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
     var currentSubtitleStyle by remember { mutableStateOf(SubtitleStyleState.DEFAULT) }
     var subtitleSelectionJob by remember { mutableStateOf<Job?>(null) }
 
+    fun syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn() {
+        playerViewRef?.keepScreenOn = exoPlayer.shouldKeepPlayerScreenOn()
+    }
+
     DisposableEffect(exoPlayer) {
         PlayerPictureInPictureManager.registerPausePlaybackCallback {
             exoPlayer.pause()
@@ -186,6 +190,7 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
 
         val listener = object : Player.Listener {
             override fun onPlayerError(error: PlaybackException) {
+                syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn()
                 latestOnError.value(error.localizedMessage ?: runBlocking { getString(Res.string.player_unable_to_play_stream) })
             }
 
@@ -202,10 +207,12 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
                     latestOnError.value(null)
                     exoPlayer.logCurrentTracks("STATE_READY")
                 }
+                syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn()
                 latestOnSnapshot.value(exoPlayer.snapshot())
             }
 
             override fun onIsPlayingChanged(isPlaying: Boolean) {
+                syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn()
                 latestOnSnapshot.value(exoPlayer.snapshot())
             }
 
@@ -235,6 +242,7 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
         onDispose {
             PlayerPictureInPictureManager.registerPausePlaybackCallback(null)
             exoPlayer.removeListener(listener)
+            playerViewRef?.keepScreenOn = false
             subtitleSelectionJob?.cancel()
         }
     }
@@ -264,6 +272,7 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
 
     LaunchedEffect(exoPlayer, playWhenReady) {
         exoPlayer.playWhenReady = playWhenReady
+        syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn()
         latestOnSnapshot.value(exoPlayer.snapshot())
     }
 
@@ -424,7 +433,7 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
                 useController = useNativeController
                 layoutParams = android.view.ViewGroup.LayoutParams(MATCH_PARENT, MATCH_PARENT)
                 player = exoPlayer
-                keepScreenOn = true
+                keepScreenOn = exoPlayer.shouldKeepPlayerScreenOn()
                 this.resizeMode = resizeMode.toExoResizeMode()
                 setShutterBackgroundColor(android.graphics.Color.BLACK)
                 playerViewRef = this
@@ -441,6 +450,7 @@ actual fun PlatformPlayerSurface(
             playerView.useController = useNativeController
             playerView.resizeMode = resizeMode.toExoResizeMode()
             playerViewRef = playerView
+            syncPlayerViewKeepScreenOn()
             playerView.syncLibassOverlay(
                 player = exoPlayer,
                 enabled = useLibass,
@@ -469,6 +479,11 @@ private fun ExoPlayer.snapshot(): PlayerPlaybackSnapshot =
         playbackSpeed = playbackParameters.speed,
     )
 
+private fun ExoPlayer.shouldKeepPlayerScreenOn(): Boolean =
+    playerError == null &&
+        playWhenReady &&
+        playbackState in setOf(Player.STATE_BUFFERING, Player.STATE_READY)
+
 private fun PlayerResizeMode.toExoResizeMode(): Int =
     when (this) {
         PlayerResizeMode.Fit -> AspectRatioFrameLayout.RESIZE_MODE_FIT
diff --git a/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.android.kt b/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.android.kt
index bc1a8734..c02f9f6a 100644
--- a/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.android.kt
+++ b/composeApp/src/androidMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.android.kt
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ actual fun LockPlayerToLandscape() {
 }
 
 @Composable
-actual fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode() {
+actual fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode(keepScreenAwake: Boolean) {
     val activity = LocalContext.current.findActivity() ?: return
 
     DisposableEffect(activity) {
diff --git a/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.kt b/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.kt
index b60ccbec..024b0e50 100644
--- a/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.kt
+++ b/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.kt
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ data class PlayerAudioLevel(
 expect fun LockPlayerToLandscape()
 
 @Composable
-expect fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode()
+expect fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode(keepScreenAwake: Boolean)
 
 @Composable
 expect fun ManagePlayerPictureInPicture(
diff --git a/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerScreen.kt b/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerScreen.kt
index a99d0be5..e19e11b7 100644
--- a/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerScreen.kt
+++ b/composeApp/src/commonMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerScreen.kt
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ fun PlayerScreen(
     initialProgressFraction: Float? = null,
 ) {
     LockPlayerToLandscape()
-    EnterImmersivePlayerMode()
     val playerSettingsUiState by remember {
         PlayerSettingsRepository.ensureLoaded()
         PlayerSettingsRepository.uiState
@@ -195,6 +194,9 @@ fun PlayerScreen(
         var playerController by remember { mutableStateOf<PlayerEngineController?>(null) }
         var playerControllerSourceUrl by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
         var errorMessage by remember { mutableStateOf<String?>(null) }
+        val keepScreenAwake = errorMessage == null &&
+            (playbackSnapshot.isPlaying || (shouldPlay && playbackSnapshot.isLoading))
+        EnterImmersivePlayerMode(keepScreenAwake = keepScreenAwake)
         var scrubbingPositionMs by remember { mutableStateOf<Long?>(null) }
         var pausedOverlayVisible by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
         var gestureFeedback by remember { mutableStateOf<GestureFeedbackState?>(null) }
diff --git a/composeApp/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.ios.kt b/composeApp/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.ios.kt
index a0f97372..90575e4d 100644
--- a/composeApp/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.ios.kt
+++ b/composeApp/src/iosMain/kotlin/com/nuvio/app/features/player/PlayerPlatformEffects.ios.kt
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package com.nuvio.app.features.player
 
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
 import androidx.compose.runtime.DisposableEffect
+import androidx.compose.runtime.SideEffect
 import androidx.compose.runtime.remember
 import androidx.compose.ui.unit.IntSize
 import platform.Foundation.NSNotificationCenter
@@ -32,10 +33,12 @@ actual fun LockPlayerToLandscape() {
 }
 
 @Composable
-actual fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode() {
+actual fun EnterImmersivePlayerMode(keepScreenAwake: Boolean) {
+    SideEffect {
+        UIApplication.sharedApplication.setIdleTimerDisabled(keepScreenAwake)
+    }
+
     DisposableEffect(Unit) {
-        // Request idle timer disabled to keep screen awake during playback
-        UIApplication.sharedApplication.setIdleTimerDisabled(true)
         onDispose {
             UIApplication.sharedApplication.setIdleTimerDisabled(false)
         }