diff --git a/ios/Nuvio/Info.plist b/ios/Nuvio/Info.plist
index 8acd911..ec762d1 100644
--- a/ios/Nuvio/Info.plist
+++ b/ios/Nuvio/Info.plist
@@ -68,6 +68,8 @@
     <key>UIBackgroundModes</key>
     <array>
       <string>audio</string>
+		<string>airplay</string>
+		<string>picture-in-picture</string>
     </array>
     <key>UIFileSharingEnabled</key>
     <true/>
diff --git a/src/components/player/KSPlayerCore.tsx b/src/components/player/KSPlayerCore.tsx
index 84809eb..84c5f6f 100644
--- a/src/components/player/KSPlayerCore.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/KSPlayerCore.tsx
@@ -149,9 +149,12 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
 
   // Track auto-selection refs to prevent duplicate selections
   const hasAutoSelectedTracks = useRef(false);
+  // Guard to prevent auto-select useEffect from running during manual subtitle loading
+  const isManuallyLoadingSubtitle = useRef(false);
 
   // Track previous video session to reset subtitle offset only when video actually changes
   const previousVideoRef = useRef<{ uri?: string; episodeId?: string }>({});
+  
 
   // Reset subtitle offset when starting a new video session
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -315,6 +318,14 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
   };
 
   const loadWyzieSubtitle = async (subtitle: WyzieSubtitle) => {
+    // Prevent concurrent calls - return early if already loading
+    if (isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current) {
+      return;
+    }
+    
+    // Set guard to prevent auto-select useEffect and concurrent calls from interfering
+    isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current = true;
+    
     modals.setShowSubtitleLanguageModal(false);
     customSubs.setIsLoadingSubtitles(true);
     try {
@@ -327,9 +338,11 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
         srtContent = await resp.text();
       }
       const parsedCues = parseSRT(srtContent);
+      
+      // Update all state together - the guards prevent interference from other effects
       customSubs.setCustomSubtitles(parsedCues);
       customSubs.setUseCustomSubtitles(true);
-      customSubs.setSelectedExternalSubtitleId(subtitle.id); // Track the selected external subtitle
+      customSubs.setSelectedExternalSubtitleId(subtitle.id);
       tracks.selectTextTrack(-1);
 
       const adjustedTime = currentTime + (customSubs.subtitleOffsetSec || 0);
@@ -340,6 +353,10 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
       logger.error('[VideoPlayer] Error loading wyzie', e);
     } finally {
       customSubs.setIsLoadingSubtitles(false);
+      // Clear guard after a short delay to allow state to settle
+      setTimeout(() => {
+        isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current = false;
+      }, 500);
     }
   };
 
@@ -353,7 +370,7 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
   // Auto-select subtitles when both internal tracks and video are loaded
   // This ensures we wait for internal tracks before falling back to external
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (!isVideoLoaded || hasAutoSelectedTracks.current || !settings?.enableSubtitleAutoSelect) {
+    if (!isVideoLoaded || hasAutoSelectedTracks.current || !settings?.enableSubtitleAutoSelect || isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current) {
       return;
     }
 
@@ -523,7 +540,10 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
 
   // Track selection handlers - update state, prop change triggers native update
   const handleSelectTextTrack = useCallback((trackId: number) => {
-    console.log('[KSPlayerCore] handleSelectTextTrack called with trackId:', trackId);
+    // Prevent interference during manual subtitle loading
+    if (isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current && trackId === -1) {
+      return;
+    }
 
     // Disable custom subtitles when selecting a built-in track
     // This ensures the textTrack prop is actually passed to the native player
@@ -655,7 +675,13 @@ const KSPlayerCore: React.FC = () => {
           audioTrack={tracks.selectedAudioTrack ?? undefined}
           textTrack={customSubs.useCustomSubtitles ? -1 : tracks.selectedTextTrack}
           onAudioTracks={(d) => tracks.setKsAudioTracks(d.audioTracks || [])}
-          onTextTracks={(d) => tracks.setKsTextTracks(d.textTracks || [])}
+          onTextTracks={(d) => {
+            // Prevent textTracks updates during manual subtitle loading to avoid infinite loops
+            if (isManuallyLoadingSubtitle.current) {
+              return;
+            }
+            tracks.setKsTextTracks(d.textTracks || []);
+          }}
           onLoad={(d) => {
             onLoad(d);
             // If we fell back from AVPlayer, continue from last time once MPV is ready.
diff --git a/src/components/player/ios/components/AVPlayerSurface.tsx b/src/components/player/ios/components/AVPlayerSurface.tsx
index b4301ab..153de9b 100644
--- a/src/components/player/ios/components/AVPlayerSurface.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/ios/components/AVPlayerSurface.tsx
@@ -103,6 +103,9 @@ export const AVPlayerSurface: React.FC<AVPlayerSurfaceProps> = ({
           rate={playbackSpeed}
           resizeMode={resizeMode as any}
           allowsExternalPlayback={true}
+          // iOS PiP: enter PiP automatically when user leaves the app (home/app switcher)
+          // Docs: https://docs.thewidlarzgroup.com/react-native-video/docs/v6/component/props/#enterpictureinpictureonleave
+          enterPictureInPictureOnLeave={true}
           selectedAudioTrack={selectedAudioTrack}
           selectedTextTrack={selectedTextTrack}
           onLoad={handleLoad}
@@ -113,7 +116,7 @@ export const AVPlayerSurface: React.FC<AVPlayerSurfaceProps> = ({
           progressUpdateInterval={250}
           // Keep background behavior consistent with the rest of the player logic
           playInBackground={false}
-          playWhenInactive={false}
+          playWhenInactive={true}
           ignoreSilentSwitch="ignore"
         />
       </Animated.View>
diff --git a/src/components/player/ios/components/KSPlayerSurface.tsx b/src/components/player/ios/components/KSPlayerSurface.tsx
index 7ce655e..8ca9875 100644
--- a/src/components/player/ios/components/KSPlayerSurface.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/ios/components/KSPlayerSurface.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React, { useRef } from 'react';
+import React, { useMemo, useRef } from 'react';
 import { Animated } from 'react-native';
 import { PinchGestureHandler, State, PinchGestureHandlerGestureEvent } from 'react-native-gesture-handler';
 import MPVPlayerComponent from '../../MPVPlayerComponent';
@@ -78,6 +78,11 @@ export const KSPlayerSurface: React.FC<KSPlayerSurfaceProps> = ({
     subtitleBottomOffset
 }) => {
     const pinchRef = useRef<PinchGestureHandler>(null);
+    const memoSource = useMemo(() => {
+        const h = headers ?? undefined;
+        return h ? { uri, headers: h } : { uri };
+        // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+    }, [uri, headers ? JSON.stringify(headers) : '']);
 
     const onPinchGestureEvent = (event: PinchGestureHandlerGestureEvent) => {
         const { scale } = event.nativeEvent;
@@ -130,7 +135,7 @@ export const KSPlayerSurface: React.FC<KSPlayerSurfaceProps> = ({
             }}>
                 <MPVPlayerComponent
                     ref={ksPlayerRef as any}
-                    source={{ uri, headers }}
+                    source={memoSource as any}
                     paused={paused}
                     volume={volume}
                     rate={playbackSpeed}
diff --git a/src/components/player/modals/SubtitleModals.tsx b/src/components/player/modals/SubtitleModals.tsx
index ac86e94..1f9275a 100644
--- a/src/components/player/modals/SubtitleModals.tsx
+++ b/src/components/player/modals/SubtitleModals.tsx
@@ -122,7 +122,9 @@ export const SubtitleModals: React.FC<SubtitleModalsProps> = ({
   const menuMaxHeight = height * 0.95;
 
   React.useEffect(() => {
-    if (showSubtitleModal && !isLoadingSubtitleList && availableSubtitles.length === 0) fetchAvailableSubtitles();
+    if (showSubtitleModal && !isLoadingSubtitleList && availableSubtitles.length === 0) {
+      fetchAvailableSubtitles();
+    }
   }, [showSubtitleModal]);
 
   const handleClose = () => setShowSubtitleModal(false);