diff --git a/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx b/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
index e3558408..17a06798 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/player/direct-player.tsx
@@ -27,7 +27,6 @@ import { useInvalidatePlaybackProgressCache } from "@/hooks/useRevalidatePlaybac
 import { useWebSocket } from "@/hooks/useWebsockets";
 import { VlcPlayerView } from "@/modules";
 import type {
-  PipStartedPayload,
   PlaybackStatePayload,
   ProgressUpdatePayload,
   VlcPlayerViewRef,
@@ -60,7 +59,6 @@ export default function page() {
   const [isMuted, setIsMuted] = useState(false);
   const [isBuffering, setIsBuffering] = useState(true);
   const [isVideoLoaded, setIsVideoLoaded] = useState(false);
-  const [isPipStarted, setIsPipStarted] = useState(false);
 
   const progress = useSharedValue(0);
   const isSeeking = useSharedValue(false);
@@ -390,11 +388,6 @@ export default function page() {
     ],
   );
 
-  const onPipStarted = useCallback((e: PipStartedPayload) => {
-    const { pipStarted } = e.nativeEvent;
-    setIsPipStarted(pipStarted);
-  }, []);
-
   /** Gets the initial playback position in seconds. */
   const startPosition = useMemo(() => {
     return ticksToSeconds(getInitialPlaybackTicks());
@@ -690,7 +683,6 @@ export default function page() {
           onVideoProgress={onProgress}
           progressUpdateInterval={1000}
           onVideoStateChange={onPlaybackStateChanged}
-          onPipStarted={onPipStarted}
           onVideoLoadEnd={() => {
             setIsVideoLoaded(true);
           }}
@@ -704,7 +696,7 @@ export default function page() {
           }}
         />
       </View>
-      {!isPipStarted && isMounted === true && item && (
+      {isMounted === true && item && (
         <Controls
           mediaSource={stream?.mediaSource}
           item={item}
diff --git a/components/video-player/controls/BottomControls.tsx b/components/video-player/controls/BottomControls.tsx
index f7bceb99..407ac840 100644
--- a/components/video-player/controls/BottomControls.tsx
+++ b/components/video-player/controls/BottomControls.tsx
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ export const BottomControls: FC<BottomControlsProps> = ({
           style={{
             flexDirection: "column",
             alignSelf: "flex-end",
-            opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
           }}
           pointerEvents={showControls ? "box-none" : "none"}
         >
@@ -164,9 +163,6 @@ export const BottomControls: FC<BottomControlsProps> = ({
       </View>
       <View
         className={"flex flex-col-reverse rounded-lg items-center my-2"}
-        style={{
-          opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
-        }}
         pointerEvents={showControls ? "box-none" : "none"}
       >
         <View className={"flex flex-col w-full shrink"}>
diff --git a/components/video-player/controls/CenterControls.tsx b/components/video-player/controls/CenterControls.tsx
index 0f3b154a..fca8d701 100644
--- a/components/video-player/controls/CenterControls.tsx
+++ b/components/video-player/controls/CenterControls.tsx
@@ -55,7 +55,6 @@ export const CenterControls: FC<CenterControlsProps> = ({
           transform: [{ rotate: "270deg" }],
           left: 0,
           bottom: 30,
-          opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
         }}
       >
         <BrightnessSlider />
@@ -68,7 +67,6 @@ export const CenterControls: FC<CenterControlsProps> = ({
               position: "relative",
               justifyContent: "center",
               alignItems: "center",
-              opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
             }}
           >
             <Ionicons
@@ -101,9 +99,6 @@ export const CenterControls: FC<CenterControlsProps> = ({
               name={isPlaying ? "pause" : "play"}
               size={ICON_SIZES.CENTER}
               color='white'
-              style={{
-                opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
-              }}
             />
           ) : (
             <Loader size={"large"} />
@@ -118,7 +113,6 @@ export const CenterControls: FC<CenterControlsProps> = ({
               position: "relative",
               justifyContent: "center",
               alignItems: "center",
-              opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
             }}
           >
             <Ionicons
diff --git a/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tsx b/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tsx
index 822116f2..59e80d2c 100644
--- a/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tsx
+++ b/components/video-player/controls/Controls.tsx
@@ -13,10 +13,13 @@ import {
   useState,
 } from "react";
 import { useWindowDimensions } from "react-native";
-import {
+import Animated, {
+  Easing,
   type SharedValue,
   useAnimatedReaction,
+  useAnimatedStyle,
   useSharedValue,
+  withTiming,
 } from "react-native-reanimated";
 import ContinueWatchingOverlay from "@/components/video-player/controls/ContinueWatchingOverlay";
 import { useCreditSkipper } from "@/hooks/useCreditSkipper";
@@ -130,10 +133,61 @@ export const Controls: FC<Props> = ({
   const min = useSharedValue(0);
   const max = useSharedValue(item.RunTimeTicks || 0);
 
+  // Animation values for controls
+  const controlsOpacity = useSharedValue(showControls ? 1 : 0);
+  const headerTranslateY = useSharedValue(showControls ? 0 : -50);
+  const bottomTranslateY = useSharedValue(showControls ? 0 : 50);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     prefetchAllTrickplayImages();
   }, [prefetchAllTrickplayImages]);
 
+  // Animate controls visibility
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const animationConfig = {
+      duration: 300,
+      easing: Easing.out(Easing.quad),
+    };
+
+    controlsOpacity.value = withTiming(showControls ? 1 : 0, animationConfig);
+    headerTranslateY.value = withTiming(
+      showControls ? 0 : -10,
+      animationConfig,
+    );
+    bottomTranslateY.value = withTiming(showControls ? 0 : 10, animationConfig);
+  }, [showControls, controlsOpacity, headerTranslateY, bottomTranslateY]);
+
+  // Create animated styles
+  const headerAnimatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
+    opacity: controlsOpacity.value,
+    transform: [{ translateY: headerTranslateY.value }],
+    position: "absolute" as const,
+    top: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    right: 0,
+    zIndex: 10,
+  }));
+
+  const centerAnimatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
+    opacity: controlsOpacity.value,
+    position: "absolute" as const,
+    top: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    right: 0,
+    bottom: 0,
+    zIndex: 5,
+  }));
+
+  const bottomAnimatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
+    opacity: controlsOpacity.value,
+    transform: [{ translateY: bottomTranslateY.value }],
+    position: "absolute" as const,
+    bottom: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    right: 0,
+    zIndex: 10,
+  }));
+
   // Initialize progress values
   useEffect(() => {
     if (item) {
@@ -435,68 +489,83 @@ export const Controls: FC<Props> = ({
             showControls={showControls}
             onToggleControls={toggleControls}
           />
-          <HeaderControls
-            item={item}
-            showControls={showControls}
-            offline={offline}
-            mediaSource={mediaSource}
-            startPictureInPicture={startPictureInPicture}
-            switchOnEpisodeMode={switchOnEpisodeMode}
-            goToPreviousItem={goToPreviousItem}
-            goToNextItem={goToNextItem}
-            previousItem={previousItem}
-            nextItem={nextItem}
-            getAudioTracks={getAudioTracks}
-            getSubtitleTracks={getSubtitleTracks}
-            setAudioTrack={setAudioTrack}
-            setSubtitleTrack={setSubtitleTrack}
-            setSubtitleURL={setSubtitleURL}
-            aspectRatio={aspectRatio}
-            scaleFactor={scaleFactor}
-            setAspectRatio={setAspectRatio}
-            setScaleFactor={setScaleFactor}
-            setVideoAspectRatio={setVideoAspectRatio}
-            setVideoScaleFactor={setVideoScaleFactor}
-          />
-          <CenterControls
-            showControls={showControls}
-            isPlaying={isPlaying}
-            isBuffering={isBuffering}
-            showAudioSlider={showAudioSlider}
-            setShowAudioSlider={setShowAudioSlider}
-            togglePlay={togglePlay}
-            handleSkipBackward={handleSkipBackward}
-            handleSkipForward={handleSkipForward}
-          />
-          <BottomControls
-            item={item}
-            showControls={showControls}
-            isSliding={isSliding}
-            showRemoteBubble={showRemoteBubble}
-            currentTime={currentTime}
-            remainingTime={remainingTime}
-            isVlc={isVlc}
-            showSkipButton={showSkipButton}
-            showSkipCreditButton={showSkipCreditButton}
-            skipIntro={skipIntro}
-            skipCredit={skipCredit}
-            nextItem={nextItem}
-            handleNextEpisodeAutoPlay={handleNextEpisodeAutoPlay}
-            handleNextEpisodeManual={handleNextEpisodeManual}
-            handleControlsInteraction={handleControlsInteraction}
-            min={min}
-            max={max}
-            effectiveProgress={effectiveProgress}
-            cacheProgress={cacheProgress}
-            handleSliderStart={handleSliderStart}
-            handleSliderComplete={handleSliderComplete}
-            handleSliderChange={handleSliderChange}
-            handleTouchStart={handleTouchStart}
-            handleTouchEnd={handleTouchEnd}
-            trickPlayUrl={trickPlayUrl}
-            trickplayInfo={trickplayInfo}
-            time={isSliding || showRemoteBubble ? time : remoteTime}
-          />
+          <Animated.View
+            style={headerAnimatedStyle}
+            pointerEvents={showControls ? "auto" : "none"}
+          >
+            <HeaderControls
+              item={item}
+              showControls={showControls}
+              offline={offline}
+              mediaSource={mediaSource}
+              startPictureInPicture={startPictureInPicture}
+              switchOnEpisodeMode={switchOnEpisodeMode}
+              goToPreviousItem={goToPreviousItem}
+              goToNextItem={goToNextItem}
+              previousItem={previousItem}
+              nextItem={nextItem}
+              getAudioTracks={getAudioTracks}
+              getSubtitleTracks={getSubtitleTracks}
+              setAudioTrack={setAudioTrack}
+              setSubtitleTrack={setSubtitleTrack}
+              setSubtitleURL={setSubtitleURL}
+              aspectRatio={aspectRatio}
+              scaleFactor={scaleFactor}
+              setAspectRatio={setAspectRatio}
+              setScaleFactor={setScaleFactor}
+              setVideoAspectRatio={setVideoAspectRatio}
+              setVideoScaleFactor={setVideoScaleFactor}
+            />
+          </Animated.View>
+          <Animated.View
+            style={centerAnimatedStyle}
+            pointerEvents={showControls ? "box-none" : "none"}
+          >
+            <CenterControls
+              showControls={showControls}
+              isPlaying={isPlaying}
+              isBuffering={isBuffering}
+              showAudioSlider={showAudioSlider}
+              setShowAudioSlider={setShowAudioSlider}
+              togglePlay={togglePlay}
+              handleSkipBackward={handleSkipBackward}
+              handleSkipForward={handleSkipForward}
+            />
+          </Animated.View>
+          <Animated.View
+            style={bottomAnimatedStyle}
+            pointerEvents={showControls ? "auto" : "none"}
+          >
+            <BottomControls
+              item={item}
+              showControls={showControls}
+              isSliding={isSliding}
+              showRemoteBubble={showRemoteBubble}
+              currentTime={currentTime}
+              remainingTime={remainingTime}
+              isVlc={isVlc}
+              showSkipButton={showSkipButton}
+              showSkipCreditButton={showSkipCreditButton}
+              skipIntro={skipIntro}
+              skipCredit={skipCredit}
+              nextItem={nextItem}
+              handleNextEpisodeAutoPlay={handleNextEpisodeAutoPlay}
+              handleNextEpisodeManual={handleNextEpisodeManual}
+              handleControlsInteraction={handleControlsInteraction}
+              min={min}
+              max={max}
+              effectiveProgress={effectiveProgress}
+              cacheProgress={cacheProgress}
+              handleSliderStart={handleSliderStart}
+              handleSliderComplete={handleSliderComplete}
+              handleSliderChange={handleSliderChange}
+              handleTouchStart={handleTouchStart}
+              handleTouchEnd={handleTouchEnd}
+              trickPlayUrl={trickPlayUrl}
+              trickplayInfo={trickplayInfo}
+              time={isSliding || showRemoteBubble ? time : remoteTime}
+            />
+          </Animated.View>
         </>
       )}
       {settings.maxAutoPlayEpisodeCount.value !== -1 && (
diff --git a/components/video-player/controls/HeaderControls.tsx b/components/video-player/controls/HeaderControls.tsx
index e88033d0..d14a8a3f 100644
--- a/components/video-player/controls/HeaderControls.tsx
+++ b/components/video-player/controls/HeaderControls.tsx
@@ -106,7 +106,6 @@ export const HeaderControls: FC<HeaderControlsProps> = ({
           width: settings?.safeAreaInControlsEnabled
             ? screenWidth - insets.left - insets.right
             : screenWidth,
-          opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0,
         },
       ]}
       pointerEvents={showControls ? "auto" : "none"}
@@ -138,7 +137,6 @@ export const HeaderControls: FC<HeaderControlsProps> = ({
                 name='picture-in-picture'
                 size={ICON_SIZES.HEADER}
                 color='white'
-                style={{ opacity: showControls ? 1 : 0 }}
               />
             </TouchableOpacity>
           )}