diff --git a/app/(auth)/(tabs)/_layout.tsx b/app/(auth)/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
index abaaa82e..1ed67eda 100644
--- a/app/(auth)/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
+++ b/app/(auth)/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { Platform, View } from "react-native";
 import { SystemBars } from "react-native-edge-to-edge";
 import { Colors } from "@/constants/Colors";
+import { useTVBackHandler } from "@/hooks/useTVBackHandler";
 import { useSettings } from "@/utils/atoms/settings";
 import { eventBus } from "@/utils/eventBus";
 
@@ -36,6 +37,9 @@ export default function TabLayout() {
   const { settings } = useSettings();
   const { t } = useTranslation();
 
+  // Handle TV back button - prevent app exit when at root
+  useTVBackHandler();
+
   return (
     <View style={{ flex: 1 }}>
       <SystemBars hidden={false} style='light' />
diff --git a/app/_layout.tsx b/app/_layout.tsx
index 9b824133..a7847180 100644
--- a/app/_layout.tsx
+++ b/app/_layout.tsx
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import * as BackgroundTask from "expo-background-task";
 import * as Device from "expo-device";
 import { Platform } from "react-native";
 import { GlobalModal } from "@/components/GlobalModal";
+import { enableTVMenuKeyInterception } from "@/hooks/useTVBackHandler";
 
 import i18n from "@/i18n";
 import { DownloadProvider } from "@/providers/DownloadProvider";
@@ -233,6 +234,11 @@ function Layout() {
   const _segments = useSegments();
   const router = useRouter();
 
+  // Enable TV menu key interception so React Native handles it instead of tvOS
+  useEffect(() => {
+    enableTVMenuKeyInterception();
+  }, []);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     i18n.changeLanguage(
       settings?.preferedLanguage ?? getLocales()[0].languageCode ?? "en",
diff --git a/hooks/useTVBackHandler.ts b/hooks/useTVBackHandler.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9c7b7c4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/hooks/useTVBackHandler.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,175 @@
+import { useNavigation } from "@react-navigation/native";
+import { router, useSegments } from "expo-router";
+import { useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import { BackHandler, Platform } from "react-native";
+
+// TV event handler and control with fallback for non-TV platforms
+let useTVEventHandler: (callback: (evt: any) => void) => void;
+let TVEventControl: {
+  enableTVMenuKey: () => void;
+  disableTVMenuKey: () => void;
+} | null = null;
+
+if (Platform.isTV) {
+  try {
+    useTVEventHandler = require("react-native").useTVEventHandler;
+    TVEventControl = require("react-native").TVEventControl;
+  } catch {
+    useTVEventHandler = () => {};
+  }
+} else {
+  useTVEventHandler = () => {};
+}
+
+/**
+ * Check if we're at the root of a tab
+ */
+function isAtTabRoot(segments: string[]): boolean {
+  const lastSegment = segments[segments.length - 1];
+  const tabNames = [
+    "(home)",
+    "(search)",
+    "(favorites)",
+    "(libraries)",
+    "(watchlists)",
+    "(settings)",
+    "(custom-links)",
+  ];
+  return tabNames.includes(lastSegment) || lastSegment === "index";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Get the current tab name from segments
+ */
+function getCurrentTab(segments: string[]): string | undefined {
+  return segments.find(
+    (s) =>
+      s === "(home)" ||
+      s === "(search)" ||
+      s === "(favorites)" ||
+      s === "(libraries)" ||
+      s === "(watchlists)" ||
+      s === "(settings)" ||
+      s === "(custom-links)",
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * Hook to handle TV back/menu button presses.
+ *
+ * Behavior:
+ * - On home tab at root: allows app to exit (default tvOS behavior)
+ * - On other tabs at root: navigates to home tab
+ * - Deeper in navigation stack: goes back
+ */
+export function useTVBackHandler() {
+  const navigation = useNavigation<any>();
+  const segments = useSegments();
+  const lastMenuKeyState = useRef<boolean | null>(null);
+
+  // Get current state
+  const currentTab = getCurrentTab(segments);
+  const atTabRoot = isAtTabRoot(segments);
+  const isOnHomeRoot = atTabRoot && currentTab === "(home)";
+
+  // Toggle menu key interception based on current location
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!Platform.isTV || !TVEventControl) return;
+
+    if (isOnHomeRoot) {
+      // On home tab root - disable interception to allow app exit
+      if (lastMenuKeyState.current !== false) {
+        console.log("[useTVBackHandler] On home root - enabling app exit");
+        TVEventControl.disableTVMenuKey();
+        lastMenuKeyState.current = false;
+      }
+    } else {
+      // On other screens - enable interception to handle navigation
+      if (lastMenuKeyState.current !== true) {
+        console.log("[useTVBackHandler] Not on home - intercepting menu key");
+        TVEventControl.enableTVMenuKey();
+        lastMenuKeyState.current = true;
+      }
+    }
+  }, [isOnHomeRoot]);
+
+  // Handle TV remote menu/back button events
+  useTVEventHandler((evt) => {
+    if (!evt) return;
+    if (evt.eventType === "menu" || evt.eventType === "back") {
+      // If on home root, let the default behavior happen (app exit)
+      // This shouldn't fire since we disabled menu key interception
+      if (isOnHomeRoot) {
+        console.log("[useTVBackHandler] On home root, allowing exit");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      console.log("[useTVBackHandler] Menu pressed:", {
+        currentTab,
+        atTabRoot,
+      });
+
+      // If at tab root level (but not home)
+      if (atTabRoot) {
+        console.log("[useTVBackHandler] At tab root, navigating to home");
+        router.navigate("/(auth)/(tabs)/(home)");
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Not at tab root - go back in the stack
+      if (navigation.canGoBack()) {
+        console.log("[useTVBackHandler] Going back in navigation stack");
+        navigation.goBack();
+        return;
+      }
+
+      // Fallback: navigate to home
+      console.log("[useTVBackHandler] Fallback: navigating to home");
+      router.navigate("/(auth)/(tabs)/(home)");
+    }
+  });
+
+  // Android TV BackHandler
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!Platform.isTV) return;
+
+    const handleBackPress = () => {
+      // If on home root, allow app to exit
+      if (isOnHomeRoot) {
+        return false; // Don't prevent default (allows exit)
+      }
+
+      if (atTabRoot) {
+        router.navigate("/(auth)/(tabs)/(home)");
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      if (navigation.canGoBack()) {
+        navigation.goBack();
+        return true;
+      }
+
+      router.navigate("/(auth)/(tabs)/(home)");
+      return true;
+    };
+
+    const subscription = BackHandler.addEventListener(
+      "hardwareBackPress",
+      handleBackPress,
+    );
+
+    return () => subscription.remove();
+  }, [navigation, isOnHomeRoot, atTabRoot]);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Call this at app startup to enable TV menu key interception.
+ */
+export function enableTVMenuKeyInterception() {
+  if (Platform.isTV && TVEventControl) {
+    console.log(
+      "[enableTVMenuKeyInterception] Enabling TV menu key interception",
+    );
+    TVEventControl.enableTVMenuKey();
+  }
+}