diff --git a/src/common/index.js b/src/common/index.js
index 1b248c1ff..1d564ad38 100644
--- a/src/common/index.js
+++ b/src/common/index.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ const { default: useSettings } = require('./useSettings');
 const { default: useShell } = require('./useShell');
 const useStreamingServer = require('./useStreamingServer');
 const { default: useTimeout } = require('./useTimeout');
+const { default: usePlayUrl } = require('./usePlayUrl');
 const useTorrent = require('./useTorrent');
 const useTranslate = require('./useTranslate');
 const { default: useOrientation } = require('./useOrientation');
@@ -65,6 +66,7 @@ module.exports = {
     useShell,
     useStreamingServer,
     useTimeout,
+    usePlayUrl,
     useTorrent,
     useTranslate,
     useOrientation,
diff --git a/src/common/usePlayUrl.ts b/src/common/usePlayUrl.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4e537a592
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/common/usePlayUrl.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+import { useCallback } from 'react';
+import magnet from 'magnet-uri';
+import { useServices } from 'stremio/services';
+import useToast from 'stremio/common/Toast/useToast';
+import useTorrent from 'stremio/common/useTorrent';
+import useStreamingServer from 'stremio/common/useStreamingServer';
+
+const HTTP_REGEX = /^https?:\/\/.+/i;
+
+const usePlayUrl = () => {
+    const { core } = useServices();
+    const toast = useToast();
+    const { createTorrentFromMagnet } = useTorrent();
+    const streamingServer = useStreamingServer();
+
+    const handlePlayUrl = useCallback(async (text: string): Promise<boolean> => {
+        if (!text || !text.trim()) return false;
+        const trimmed = text.trim();
+
+        if (HTTP_REGEX.test(trimmed)) {
+            try {
+                const encoded = await core.transport.encodeStream({ url: trimmed });
+                if (typeof encoded === 'string') {
+                    window.location.hash = `#/player/${encodeURIComponent(encoded)}`;
+                    return true;
+                }
+            } catch (e) {
+                console.error('Failed to encode stream:', e);
+            }
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        try {
+            const parsed = magnet.decode(trimmed);
+            if (parsed && typeof parsed.infoHash === 'string') {
+                const serverReady = streamingServer.settings !== null
+                    && streamingServer.settings.type === 'Ready';
+                if (!serverReady) {
+                    toast.show({
+                        type: 'error',
+                        title: 'Streaming server is not available. Cannot play magnet links.',
+                        timeout: 5000
+                    });
+                    return false;
+                }
+                createTorrentFromMagnet(trimmed);
+                return true;
+            }
+        } catch (e) {
+            // Not a valid magnet
+        }
+
+        return false;
+    }, [streamingServer.settings, createTorrentFromMagnet]);
+
+    return { handlePlayUrl };
+};
+
+export default usePlayUrl;
diff --git a/src/common/useTorrent.js b/src/common/useTorrent.js
index 0ae117d3a..64b529b04 100644
--- a/src/common/useTorrent.js
+++ b/src/common/useTorrent.js
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ const { useServices } = require('stremio/services');
 const useToast = require('stremio/common/Toast/useToast');
 const useStreamingServer = require('stremio/common/useStreamingServer');
 
+const CREATE_TORRENT_TIMEOUT = 20000;
+
 const useTorrent = () => {
     const { core } = useServices();
     const streamingServer = useStreamingServer();
@@ -25,10 +27,10 @@ const useTorrent = () => {
             createTorrentTimeout.current = setTimeout(() => {
                 toast.show({
                     type: 'error',
-                    title: 'It\'s taking a long time to get metadata from the torrent.',
-                    timeout: 10000
+                    title: 'Failed to get metadata from the torrent. No peers found.',
+                    timeout: 8000
                 });
-            }, 10000);
+            }, CREATE_TORRENT_TIMEOUT);
         }
     }, []);
     React.useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/NavMenu/NavMenuContent.js b/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/NavMenu/NavMenuContent.js
index 4b2fdc87e..b6309a44c 100644
--- a/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/NavMenu/NavMenuContent.js
+++ b/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/NavMenu/NavMenuContent.js
@@ -10,7 +10,8 @@ const { Button } = require('stremio/components');
 const { default: useFullscreen } = require('stremio/common/useFullscreen');
 const useProfile = require('stremio/common/useProfile');
 const usePWA = require('stremio/common/usePWA');
-const useTorrent = require('stremio/common/useTorrent');
+const { default: usePlayUrl } = require('stremio/common/usePlayUrl');
+const useToast = require('stremio/common/Toast/useToast');
 const { withCoreSuspender } = require('stremio/common/CoreSuspender');
 const useStreamingServer = require('stremio/common/useStreamingServer');
 const styles = require('./styles');
@@ -20,7 +21,8 @@ const NavMenuContent = ({ onClick }) => {
     const { core } = useServices();
     const profile = useProfile();
     const streamingServer = useStreamingServer();
-    const { createTorrentFromMagnet } = useTorrent();
+    const { handlePlayUrl } = usePlayUrl();
+    const toast = useToast();
     const [fullscreen, requestFullscreen, exitFullscreen] = useFullscreen();
     const [isIOSPWA, isAndroidPWA] = usePWA();
     const streamingServerWarningDismissed = React.useMemo(() => {
@@ -40,11 +42,18 @@ const NavMenuContent = ({ onClick }) => {
     const onPlayMagnetLinkClick = React.useCallback(async () => {
         try {
             const clipboardText = await navigator.clipboard.readText();
-            createTorrentFromMagnet(clipboardText);
+            const handled = await handlePlayUrl(clipboardText);
+            if (!handled) {
+                toast.show({
+                    type: 'error',
+                    title: 'Clipboard does not contain a valid URL or magnet link.',
+                    timeout: 5000
+                });
+            }
         } catch(e) {
             console.error(e);
         }
-    }, []);
+    }, [handlePlayUrl]);
     return (
         <div className={classnames(styles['nav-menu-container'], 'animation-fade-in', { [styles['with-warning']]: !streamingServerWarningDismissed } )} onClick={onClick}>
             <div className={styles['user-info-container']}>
diff --git a/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/SearchBar/SearchBar.js b/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/SearchBar/SearchBar.js
index 0bc95cd73..e8f58bdff 100644
--- a/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/SearchBar/SearchBar.js
+++ b/src/components/NavBar/HorizontalNavBar/SearchBar/SearchBar.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const { default: Icon } = require('@stremio/stremio-icons/react');
 const { useRouteFocused } = require('stremio-router');
 const Button = require('stremio/components/Button').default;
 const TextInput = require('stremio/components/TextInput').default;
-const useTorrent = require('stremio/common/useTorrent');
+const { default: usePlayUrl } = require('stremio/common/usePlayUrl');
 const { withCoreSuspender } = require('stremio/common/CoreSuspender');
 const useSearchHistory = require('./useSearchHistory');
 const useLocalSearch = require('./useLocalSearch');
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const SearchBar = React.memo(({ className, query, active }) => {
     const routeFocused = useRouteFocused();
     const searchHistory = useSearchHistory();
     const localSearch = useLocalSearch();
-    const { createTorrentFromMagnet } = useTorrent();
+    const { handlePlayUrl } = usePlayUrl();
 
     const [historyOpen, openHistory, closeHistory, ] = useBinaryState(query === null ? true : false);
     const [currentQuery, setCurrentQuery] = React.useState(query || '');
@@ -52,12 +52,14 @@ const SearchBar = React.memo(({ className, query, active }) => {
         const value = searchInputRef.current.value;
         setCurrentQuery(value);
         openHistory();
-        try {
-            createTorrentFromMagnet(value);
-        } catch (error) {
-            console.error('Failed to create torrent from magnet:', error);
+    }, []);
+
+    const queryInputOnPaste = React.useCallback((event) => {
+        const pasted = event.clipboardData.getData('text');
+        if (pasted) {
+            handlePlayUrl(pasted);
         }
-    }, [createTorrentFromMagnet]);
+    }, [handlePlayUrl]);
 
     const queryInputOnSubmit = React.useCallback((event) => {
         event.preventDefault();
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ const SearchBar = React.memo(({ className, query, active }) => {
                         defaultValue={query}
                         tabIndex={-1}
                         onChange={queryInputOnChange}
+                        onPaste={queryInputOnPaste}
                         onSubmit={queryInputOnSubmit}
                         onClick={openHistory}
                     />
diff --git a/src/services/Core/CoreTransport.js b/src/services/Core/CoreTransport.js
index b140551f6..c497d75c6 100644
--- a/src/services/Core/CoreTransport.js
+++ b/src/services/Core/CoreTransport.js
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ function CoreTransport(args) {
     this.decodeStream = async function(stream) {
         return bridge.call(['decodeStream'], [stream]);
     };
+    this.encodeStream = async function(stream) {
+        return bridge.call(['encodeStream'], [stream]);
+    };
 }
 
 module.exports = CoreTransport;
diff --git a/src/services/Core/types.d.ts b/src/services/Core/types.d.ts
index 7e4249ac8..668479e12 100644
--- a/src/services/Core/types.d.ts
+++ b/src/services/Core/types.d.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ interface CoreTransport {
     getState: (model: string) => Promise<object>,
     dispatch: (action: Action, model?: string) => Promise<void>,
     decodeStream: (stream: string) => Promise<Stream>,
+    encodeStream: (stream: object) => Promise<string>,
     analytics: (event: AnalyticsEvent) => Promise<void>,
     on: (name: string, listener: () => void) => void,
     off: (name: string, listener: () => void) => void,