Dreamio turn document
Native Player Liquid Glass UX

The native VLC player received a fuller control experience: Liquid Glass-backed panels on iOS 26, larger controls, clearer loading and failure states, scrubbing feedback, double-tap seeking, menu polish, iPad width adaptation, and accessibility improvements.
2026-05-26Beads issue dreamio-060Native player UI
Summary

Implemented the remaining player UX plan in Dreamio/NativePlayerViewController.swift, keeping the VLC backend contract intact while improving the control surface and user feedback around playback.
Changes Made

Added an availability-gated UIGlassEffect panel helper with blur fallback for older iOS versions.
Restructured overlay elements into bottom controls, centered transient play/pause feedback, glass loading pill, and glass failure card.
Raised touch targets to 44 points and made play/pause the dominant 56-point action.
Added scrub target bubble, larger active thumb, haptics, and double-tap left/right seek gestures.
Extended auto-hide timing, added a bottom contrast scrim, improved audio/subtitle menu labels, and added reset subtitle delay.
Added retry/close failure actions, iPad wider controls, reduced-motion-aware animation, accessibility hints, scrubber value, and custom accessibility jump actions.
Context

The prior baseline was compact and functional but used a plain blur tray, small controls, a spinner-only loading state, and a text-only failure state. This pass keeps the same native playback architecture while making the player feel more intentional and touch-friendly.
Important Implementation Details

Liquid Glass is gated behind #available(iOS 26.0, *); older systems keep systemUltraThinMaterialDark.
No backend API changes were required; scrub previews are timestamp-only because the backend does not expose preview frames.
Auto-hide now avoids hiding during scrubbing, loading, or failure states and uses 4.5 seconds for more comfortable interaction.
Retry restarts the same native playback request and resets cached menu signatures.
Relevant Diff Snippets

Dreamio/NativePlayerViewController.swift · player controls UX pass
Dreamio/NativePlayerViewController.swift
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    private var attachedSubtitleURLs: Set<URL>
    private var audioMenuSignature: String?
    private var captionsMenuSignature: String?
    var onDismiss: (() -> Void)?

    private let loadingView: UIActivityIndicatorView = {
        let view = UIActivityIndicatorView(style: .large)
        view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
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        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        button.setImage(UIImage(systemName: "xmark"), for: .normal)
        button.tintColor = .white
        button.backgroundColor = UIColor.black.withAlphaComponent(0.45)
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 18
        button.accessibilityLabel = "Close"
        return button
    }()

    private let controlsContainer: UIVisualEffectView = {
        let view = UIVisualEffectView(effect: UIBlurEffect(style: .systemUltraThinMaterialDark))
        view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        view.layer.cornerRadius = 22
        view.clipsToBounds = true
        view.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.08)
        view.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.18).cgColor
        view.layer.borderWidth = 1
        return view
    }()

    private let tapSurfaceView: UIView = {
        let view = UIView()
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        return view
    }()

    private let playPauseButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "pause.fill", label: "Play or Pause")
    private let jumpBackButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "gobackward.15", label: "Jump Back 15 Seconds")
    private let jumpForwardButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "goforward.15", label: "Jump Forward 15 Seconds")
    private let audioButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "waveform.circle", label: "Audio Tracks")
    private let captionsButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "captions.bubble", label: "Captions")

    private let elapsedLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
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        return slider
    }()

    private let failureLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
        label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        label.textColor = .white
        label.textAlignment = .center
        label.numberOfLines = 0
        label.font = .preferredFont(forTextStyle: .body)
        label.isHidden = true
        return label
    }()

    init(
        request: NativePlaybackRequest,
        backend: NativePlaybackBackend = VLCNativePlaybackBackend(),
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        view.backgroundColor = .black
        configureBackend()
        configureLayout()
        startStartupTimer()
        backend.play(request: request)
        addSubtitleCandidates(request.subtitleCandidates)
    }

    @discardableResult
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            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                self?.startupTimer?.invalidate()
                self?.loadingView.stopAnimating()
                self?.loadingView.isHidden = true
                self?.startProgressUpdates()
                self?.refreshControls()
                self?.scheduleControlsHide()
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        }
    }

    private func startStartupTimer() {
        startupTimer?.invalidate()
        startupTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 20, repeats: false) { [weak self] _ in
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    private func configureLayout() {
        view.addSubview(backend.view)
        view.addSubview(tapSurfaceView)
        view.addSubview(loadingView)
        view.addSubview(failureLabel)
        view.addSubview(controlsContainer)
        view.addSubview(closeButton)
        closeButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(close), for: .touchUpInside)
        playPauseButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(togglePlayPause), for: .touchUpInside)
        jumpBackButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(jumpBack), for: .touchUpInside)
        jumpForwardButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(jumpForward), for: .touchUpInside)
        audioButton.showsMenuAsPrimaryAction = true
        captionsButton.showsMenuAsPrimaryAction = true
        playPauseButton.layer.cornerRadius = 24
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubbingStarted), for: .touchDown)
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubberChanged), for: .valueChanged)
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubbingEnded), for: [.touchUpInside, .touchUpOutside, .touchCancel])
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        let tap = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(toggleControlsVisibility))
        tap.cancelsTouchesInView = false
        tapSurfaceView.addGestureRecognizer(tap)

        let timeAndScrubRow = UIStackView(arrangedSubviews: [elapsedLabel, scrubber, remainingLabel])
        timeAndScrubRow.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
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        stack.spacing = 6
        controlsContainer.contentView.addSubview(stack)

        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            backend.view.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.leadingAnchor),
            backend.view.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.trailingAnchor),
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            tapSurfaceView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.topAnchor),
            tapSurfaceView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.bottomAnchor),

            loadingView.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerXAnchor),
            loadingView.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerYAnchor),

            failureLabel.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.leadingAnchor, constant: 28),
            failureLabel.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.trailingAnchor, constant: -28),
            failureLabel.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerYAnchor),

            closeButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            closeButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            closeButton.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.topAnchor, constant: 10),
            closeButton.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.trailingAnchor, constant: -10),

            controlsContainer.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.centerXAnchor),
            controlsContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.widthAnchor, constant: -24),
            controlsContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualToConstant: 430),
            controlsContainer.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.bottomAnchor, constant: -12),

            stack.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlsContainer.contentView.leadingAnchor, constant: 12),
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            remainingLabel.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 42),
            scrubber.widthAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualToConstant: 160),

            jumpBackButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            jumpBackButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            playPauseButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 42),
            playPauseButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 42),
            jumpForwardButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            jumpForwardButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            audioButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            audioButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            playbackCluster.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlRow.centerXAnchor),
            captionsButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36),
            captionsButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 36)
        ])
    }

    private func showFailure(_ error: Error) {
        loadingView.stopAnimating()
        loadingView.isHidden = true
        failureLabel.text = "Native playback could not start.\n\(error.localizedDescription)"
        failureLabel.isHidden = false
#if DEBUG
        print("[DreamioNativePlayer] error=\(URLRedactor.redactedURLString(error.localizedDescription))")
#endif
    }

    @objc private func close() {
        dismiss(animated: true)
    }

    @objc private func togglePlayPause() {
        backend.togglePlayPause()
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func jumpBack() {
        backend.jump(by: -15)
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func jumpForward() {
        backend.jump(by: 15)
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func scrubbingStarted() {
        isScrubbing = true
        controlsTimer?.invalidate()
    }

    @objc private func scrubberChanged() {
        elapsedLabel.text = PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: TimeInterval(scrubber.value) * backend.duration)
    }

    @objc private func scrubbingEnded() {
        backend.seek(to: scrubber.value)
        isScrubbing = false
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func toggleControlsVisibility() {
        if controlsContainer.alpha < 1 {
            revealControls()
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        }

        let delayActions = UIMenu(
            title: "Delay",
            options: .displayInline,
            children: [
                UIAction(title: "Decrease 0.5s") { [weak self] _ in
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                    self?.captionsMenuSignature = nil
                    self?.refreshControls()
                },
                UIAction(
                    title: "Current: \(String(format: "%.1fs", backend.subtitleDelay))",
                    attributes: .disabled
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            ]
        )

        return UIMenu(title: "Captions", children: trackActions + [delayActions])
    }

    private func audioMenu() -> UIMenu {
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            }
        }

        return UIMenu(title: "Audio", children: trackActions)
    }

    private func startProgressUpdates() {
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        updateCaptionsMenuIfNeeded(subtitleTracks: subtitleTracks)
        elapsedLabel.text = PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: backend.currentTime)
        remainingLabel.text = "-\(PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: backend.remainingTime))"
        if !isScrubbing {
            scrubber.value = backend.position
        }
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        let hasSelectableTrack = AudioOptionMapper.options(from: audioTracks).count > 1
        audioButton.isEnabled = hasSelectableTrack
        audioButton.alpha = hasSelectableTrack ? 1 : 0.45
        guard signature != audioMenuSignature else {
            return
        }
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        )
        let hasSelectableTrack = subtitleTracks.contains { $0.id >= 0 }
        captionsButton.isEnabled = hasSelectableTrack
        guard signature != captionsMenuSignature else {
            return
        }
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    private func revealControls() {
        controlsContainer.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
        closeButton.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.18) {
            self.controlsContainer.alpha = 1
            self.closeButton.alpha = 1
        }
        scheduleControlsHide()
    }

    private func hideControls() {
        controlsContainer.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
        closeButton.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.24) {
            self.controlsContainer.alpha = 0
            self.closeButton.alpha = 0
        }
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    private func scheduleControlsHide() {
        controlsTimer?.invalidate()
        guard backend.isPlaying else {
            return
        }
        controlsTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 3, repeats: false) { [weak self] _ in
            self?.hideControls()
        }
    }

    private static func iconButton(systemName: String, label: String) -> UIButton {
        let button = UIButton(type: .system)
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        button.setImage(UIImage(systemName: systemName), for: .normal)
        button.tintColor = .white
        button.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.12)
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 18
        button.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.16).cgColor
        button.layer.borderWidth = 1
        button.accessibilityLabel = label
        return button
    }

    private static func scrubberThumbImage(diameter: CGFloat) -> UIImage {
        let format = UIGraphicsImageRendererFormat()
        format.scale = UIScreen.main.scale10 unmodified lines
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    private var attachedSubtitleURLs: Set<URL>
    private var audioMenuSignature: String?
    private var captionsMenuSignature: String?
    private var controlsMaximumWidthConstraint: NSLayoutConstraint?
    private let bottomScrimLayer = CAGradientLayer()
    var onDismiss: (() -> Void)?

    private let loadingContainer: UIVisualEffectView = {
        let view = NativePlayerViewController.glassPanel(cornerRadius: 24)
        view.isHidden = false
        return view
    }()

    private let loadingStack: UIStackView = {
        let stack = UIStackView()
        stack.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        stack.axis = .horizontal
        stack.alignment = .center
        stack.spacing = 12
        return stack
    }()

    private let loadingTextLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
        label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        label.text = "Opening stream…"
        label.textColor = .white
        label.font = .preferredFont(forTextStyle: .subheadline)
        label.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true
        return label
    }()

    private let loadingView: UIActivityIndicatorView = {
        let view = UIActivityIndicatorView(style: .large)
        view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
7 unmodified lines
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        button.setImage(UIImage(systemName: "xmark"), for: .normal)
        button.tintColor = .white
        button.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.14)
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 22
        button.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.22).cgColor
        button.layer.borderWidth = 1
        button.accessibilityLabel = "Close"
        button.accessibilityHint = "Closes native playback and returns to Stremio."
        return button
    }()

    private let controlsContainer = NativePlayerViewController.glassPanel(cornerRadius: 26)

    private let tapSurfaceView: UIView = {
        let view = UIView()
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        return view
    }()

    private let playPauseButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "pause.fill", label: "Play or Pause", pointSize: 24)
    private let jumpBackButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "gobackward.15", label: "Jump Back 15 Seconds")
    private let jumpForwardButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "goforward.15", label: "Jump Forward 15 Seconds")
    private let audioButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "waveform.circle", label: "Audio Track")
    private let captionsButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "captions.bubble", label: "Subtitles")

    private let centerPlayPauseButton = NativePlayerViewController.iconButton(systemName: "play.fill", label: "Toggle Playback", pointSize: 34)

    private let elapsedLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
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        return slider
    }()

    private let scrubTimeBubble: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
        label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        label.textColor = .white
        label.textAlignment = .center
        label.font = .monospacedDigitSystemFont(ofSize: 13, weight: .bold)
        label.backgroundColor = UIColor.black.withAlphaComponent(0.56)
        label.layer.cornerRadius = 14
        label.clipsToBounds = true
        label.alpha = 0
        return label
    }()

    private let failureContainer: UIVisualEffectView = {
        let view = NativePlayerViewController.glassPanel(cornerRadius: 28)
        view.isHidden = true
        return view
    }()

    private let failureTitleLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
        label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        label.text = "Playback could not start"
        label.textColor = .white
        label.textAlignment = .center
        label.font = .preferredFont(forTextStyle: .headline)
        label.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true
        return label
    }()

    private let failureDetailLabel: UILabel = {
        let label = UILabel()
        label.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        label.textColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.82)
        label.textAlignment = .center
        label.numberOfLines = 0
        label.font = .preferredFont(forTextStyle: .subheadline)
        label.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true
        return label
    }()

    private let retryButton: UIButton = NativePlayerViewController.textButton(title: "Retry")
    private let failureCloseButton: UIButton = NativePlayerViewController.textButton(title: "Close")

    init(
        request: NativePlaybackRequest,
        backend: NativePlaybackBackend = VLCNativePlaybackBackend(),
31 unmodified lines
        view.backgroundColor = .black
        configureBackend()
        configureLayout()
        configureAccessibility()
        startPlayback()
    }

    override func viewDidLayoutSubviews() {
        super.viewDidLayoutSubviews()
        bottomScrimLayer.frame = view.bounds
        updateLayoutForCurrentSize()
    }

    @discardableResult
67 unmodified lines
            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                self?.startupTimer?.invalidate()
                self?.loadingView.stopAnimating()
                self?.loadingContainer.isHidden = true
                self?.startProgressUpdates()
                self?.refreshControls()
                self?.scheduleControlsHide()
22 unmodified lines
        }
    }

    private func startPlayback() {
        loadingContainer.isHidden = false
        loadingView.startAnimating()
        failureContainer.isHidden = true
        startStartupTimer()
        backend.play(request: request)
        addSubtitleCandidates(request.subtitleCandidates)
        revealControls()
    }

    private func startStartupTimer() {
        startupTimer?.invalidate()
        startupTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 20, repeats: false) { [weak self] _ in
4 unmodified lines

    private func configureLayout() {
        view.addSubview(backend.view)
        configureBottomScrim()
        view.addSubview(tapSurfaceView)
        view.addSubview(loadingContainer)
        view.addSubview(failureContainer)
        view.addSubview(centerPlayPauseButton)
        view.addSubview(controlsContainer)
        view.addSubview(scrubTimeBubble)
        view.addSubview(closeButton)
        loadingStack.addArrangedSubview(loadingView)
        loadingStack.addArrangedSubview(loadingTextLabel)
        loadingContainer.contentView.addSubview(loadingStack)
        configureFailureCard()
        closeButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(close), for: .touchUpInside)
        playPauseButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(togglePlayPause), for: .touchUpInside)
        centerPlayPauseButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(togglePlayPause), for: .touchUpInside)
        jumpBackButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(jumpBack), for: .touchUpInside)
        jumpForwardButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(jumpForward), for: .touchUpInside)
        retryButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(retryPlayback), for: .touchUpInside)
        failureCloseButton.addTarget(self, action: #selector(close), for: .touchUpInside)
        audioButton.showsMenuAsPrimaryAction = true
        captionsButton.showsMenuAsPrimaryAction = true
        playPauseButton.layer.cornerRadius = 28
        centerPlayPauseButton.layer.cornerRadius = 34
        centerPlayPauseButton.alpha = 0
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubbingStarted), for: .touchDown)
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubberChanged), for: .valueChanged)
        scrubber.addTarget(self, action: #selector(scrubbingEnded), for: [.touchUpInside, .touchUpOutside, .touchCancel])
1 unmodified line
        let tap = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(toggleControlsVisibility))
        tap.cancelsTouchesInView = false
        tapSurfaceView.addGestureRecognizer(tap)
        let leftDoubleTap = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(handleLeftDoubleTap))
        leftDoubleTap.numberOfTapsRequired = 2
        let rightDoubleTap = UITapGestureRecognizer(target: self, action: #selector(handleRightDoubleTap))
        rightDoubleTap.numberOfTapsRequired = 2
        tap.require(toFail: leftDoubleTap)
        tap.require(toFail: rightDoubleTap)
        tapSurfaceView.addGestureRecognizer(leftDoubleTap)
        tapSurfaceView.addGestureRecognizer(rightDoubleTap)

        let timeAndScrubRow = UIStackView(arrangedSubviews: [elapsedLabel, scrubber, remainingLabel])
        timeAndScrubRow.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
21 unmodified lines
        stack.spacing = 6
        controlsContainer.contentView.addSubview(stack)

        controlsMaximumWidthConstraint = controlsContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualToConstant: 430)

        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            backend.view.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.leadingAnchor),
            backend.view.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.trailingAnchor),
5 unmodified lines
            tapSurfaceView.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.topAnchor),
            tapSurfaceView.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.bottomAnchor),

            loadingContainer.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerXAnchor),
            loadingContainer.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerYAnchor),
            loadingStack.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: loadingContainer.contentView.leadingAnchor, constant: 18),
            loadingStack.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: loadingContainer.contentView.trailingAnchor, constant: -18),
            loadingStack.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: loadingContainer.contentView.topAnchor, constant: 14),
            loadingStack.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: loadingContainer.contentView.bottomAnchor, constant: -14),

            failureContainer.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.centerXAnchor),
            failureContainer.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.centerYAnchor),
            failureContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.widthAnchor, constant: -40),
            failureContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualToConstant: 420),

            centerPlayPauseButton.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerXAnchor),
            centerPlayPauseButton.centerYAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.centerYAnchor),
            centerPlayPauseButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 68),
            centerPlayPauseButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 68),

            closeButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            closeButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            closeButton.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.topAnchor, constant: 10),
            closeButton.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.trailingAnchor, constant: -10),

            controlsContainer.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.centerXAnchor),
            controlsContainer.widthAnchor.constraint(lessThanOrEqualTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.widthAnchor, constant: -24),
            controlsMaximumWidthConstraint!,
            controlsContainer.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: view.safeAreaLayoutGuide.bottomAnchor, constant: -12),

            stack.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlsContainer.contentView.leadingAnchor, constant: 12),
5 unmodified lines
            remainingLabel.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 42),
            scrubber.widthAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualToConstant: 160),

            scrubTimeBubble.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlsContainer.centerXAnchor),
            scrubTimeBubble.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlsContainer.topAnchor, constant: -8),
            scrubTimeBubble.widthAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualToConstant: 64),
            scrubTimeBubble.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 28),

            jumpBackButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            jumpBackButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            playPauseButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 56),
            playPauseButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 56),
            jumpForwardButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            jumpForwardButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            audioButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            audioButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            playbackCluster.centerXAnchor.constraint(equalTo: controlRow.centerXAnchor),
            captionsButton.widthAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44),
            captionsButton.heightAnchor.constraint(equalToConstant: 44)
        ])
    }

    private func showFailure(_ error: Error) {
        controlsTimer?.invalidate()
        loadingView.stopAnimating()
        loadingContainer.isHidden = true
        controlsContainer.alpha = 0
        controlsContainer.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
        failureDetailLabel.text = error.localizedDescription
        failureContainer.isHidden = false
        closeButton.alpha = 1
        closeButton.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
#if DEBUG
        print("[DreamioNativePlayer] error=\(URLRedactor.redactedURLString(error.localizedDescription))")
#endif
    }

    @objc private func retryPlayback() {
        backend.stop()
        progressTimer?.invalidate()
        audioMenuSignature = nil
        captionsMenuSignature = nil
        startPlayback()
    }

    @objc private func close() {
        dismiss(animated: true)
    }

    @objc private func togglePlayPause() {
        backend.togglePlayPause()
        flashCenterPlayPauseIcon()
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func jumpBack() {
        backend.jump(by: -15)
        UIImpactFeedbackGenerator(style: .light).impactOccurred()
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func jumpForward() {
        backend.jump(by: 15)
        UIImpactFeedbackGenerator(style: .light).impactOccurred()
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func scrubbingStarted() {
        isScrubbing = true
        controlsTimer?.invalidate()
        scrubber.setThumbImage(NativePlayerViewController.scrubberThumbImage(diameter: 20), for: .normal)
        scrubber.setThumbImage(NativePlayerViewController.scrubberThumbImage(diameter: 22), for: .highlighted)
        UISelectionFeedbackGenerator().selectionChanged()
        updateScrubPreview()
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.16) {
            self.scrubTimeBubble.alpha = 1
        }
    }

    @objc private func scrubberChanged() {
        updateScrubPreview()
    }

    @objc private func scrubbingEnded() {
        backend.seek(to: scrubber.value)
        isScrubbing = false
        scrubber.setThumbImage(NativePlayerViewController.scrubberThumbImage(diameter: 14), for: .normal)
        scrubber.setThumbImage(NativePlayerViewController.scrubberThumbImage(diameter: 18), for: .highlighted)
        UIImpactFeedbackGenerator(style: .soft).impactOccurred()
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.18) {
            self.scrubTimeBubble.alpha = 0
        }
        revealControls()
    }

    @objc private func handleLeftDoubleTap(_ recognizer: UITapGestureRecognizer) {
        guard recognizer.location(in: tapSurfaceView).x < tapSurfaceView.bounds.midX else { return }
        jumpBack()
    }

    @objc private func handleRightDoubleTap(_ recognizer: UITapGestureRecognizer) {
        guard recognizer.location(in: tapSurfaceView).x >= tapSurfaceView.bounds.midX else { return }
        jumpForward()
    }

    @objc private func toggleControlsVisibility() {
        if controlsContainer.alpha < 1 {
            revealControls()
30 unmodified lines
        }

        let delayActions = UIMenu(
            title: "Subtitle Delay",
            options: .displayInline,
            children: [
                UIAction(title: "Decrease 0.5s") { [weak self] _ in
6 unmodified lines
                    self?.captionsMenuSignature = nil
                    self?.refreshControls()
                },
                UIAction(title: "Reset Delay") { [weak self] _ in
                    guard let self else { return }
                    self.backend.adjustSubtitleDelay(by: -self.backend.subtitleDelay)
                    self.captionsMenuSignature = nil
                    self.refreshControls()
                },
                UIAction(
                    title: "Current: \(String(format: "%.1fs", backend.subtitleDelay))",
                    attributes: .disabled
1 unmodified line
            ]
        )

        return UIMenu(title: "Subtitles", children: trackActions + [delayActions])
    }

    private func audioMenu() -> UIMenu {
23 unmodified lines
            }
        }

        return UIMenu(title: "Audio Track", children: trackActions)
    }

    private func startProgressUpdates() {
14 unmodified lines
        updateCaptionsMenuIfNeeded(subtitleTracks: subtitleTracks)
        elapsedLabel.text = PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: backend.currentTime)
        remainingLabel.text = "-\(PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: backend.remainingTime))"
        scrubber.accessibilityValue = "\(elapsedLabel.text ?? "0:00") elapsed, \(remainingLabel.text ?? "-0:00") remaining"
        if !isScrubbing {
            scrubber.value = backend.position
        }
9 unmodified lines
        let hasSelectableTrack = AudioOptionMapper.options(from: audioTracks).count > 1
        audioButton.isEnabled = hasSelectableTrack
        audioButton.alpha = hasSelectableTrack ? 1 : 0.45
        audioButton.accessibilityHint = hasSelectableTrack ? "Opens available audio tracks." : "Only one audio track is available."
        guard signature != audioMenuSignature else {
            return
        }
14 unmodified lines
        )
        let hasSelectableTrack = subtitleTracks.contains { $0.id >= 0 }
        captionsButton.isEnabled = hasSelectableTrack
        captionsButton.alpha = hasSelectableTrack ? 1 : 0.45
        captionsButton.accessibilityHint = hasSelectableTrack ? "Opens subtitle tracks and delay controls." : "No subtitle tracks are available yet."
        guard signature != captionsMenuSignature else {
            return
        }
27 unmodified lines
    private func revealControls() {
        controlsContainer.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
        closeButton.isUserInteractionEnabled = true
        let animations = {
            self.controlsContainer.alpha = 1
            self.closeButton.alpha = 1
            self.controlsContainer.transform = .identity
        }
        if UIAccessibility.isReduceMotionEnabled {
            animations()
        } else {
            controlsContainer.transform = CGAffineTransform(translationX: 0, y: 8).scaledBy(x: 0.98, y: 0.98)
            UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.22, delay: 0, options: [.curveEaseOut], animations: animations)
        }
        scheduleControlsHide()
    }

    private func hideControls() {
        guard !isScrubbing, failureContainer.isHidden, loadingContainer.isHidden else { return }
        controlsContainer.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
        closeButton.isUserInteractionEnabled = false
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.28, delay: 0, options: [.curveEaseInOut]) {
            self.controlsContainer.alpha = 0
            self.closeButton.alpha = 0
        }
1 unmodified line

    private func scheduleControlsHide() {
        controlsTimer?.invalidate()
        guard backend.isPlaying, !isScrubbing, failureContainer.isHidden, loadingContainer.isHidden else {
            return
        }
        controlsTimer = Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 4.5, repeats: false) { [weak self] _ in
            self?.hideControls()
        }
    }

    private func configureBottomScrim() {
        bottomScrimLayer.colors = [
            UIColor.clear.cgColor,
            UIColor.black.withAlphaComponent(0.12).cgColor,
            UIColor.black.withAlphaComponent(0.48).cgColor
        ]
        bottomScrimLayer.locations = [0, 0.58, 1]
        view.layer.insertSublayer(bottomScrimLayer, above: backend.view.layer)
    }

    private func configureFailureCard() {
        let buttonRow = UIStackView(arrangedSubviews: [failureCloseButton, retryButton])
        buttonRow.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        buttonRow.axis = .horizontal
        buttonRow.distribution = .fillEqually
        buttonRow.spacing = 10

        let stack = UIStackView(arrangedSubviews: [failureTitleLabel, failureDetailLabel, buttonRow])
        stack.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        stack.axis = .vertical
        stack.alignment = .fill
        stack.spacing = 14
        failureContainer.contentView.addSubview(stack)

        NSLayoutConstraint.activate([
            stack.leadingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: failureContainer.contentView.leadingAnchor, constant: 20),
            stack.trailingAnchor.constraint(equalTo: failureContainer.contentView.trailingAnchor, constant: -20),
            stack.topAnchor.constraint(equalTo: failureContainer.contentView.topAnchor, constant: 20),
            stack.bottomAnchor.constraint(equalTo: failureContainer.contentView.bottomAnchor, constant: -20),
            retryButton.heightAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualToConstant: 44),
            failureCloseButton.heightAnchor.constraint(greaterThanOrEqualToConstant: 44)
        ])
    }

    private func configureAccessibility() {
        scrubber.accessibilityLabel = "Playback Position"
        scrubber.accessibilityHint = "Adjusts the playback position."
        playPauseButton.accessibilityHint = "Toggles playback."
        jumpBackButton.accessibilityHint = "Rewinds 15 seconds when seeking is available."
        jumpForwardButton.accessibilityHint = "Skips ahead 15 seconds when seeking is available."
        view.accessibilityCustomActions = [
            UIAccessibilityCustomAction(name: "Jump Back 15 Seconds", target: self, selector: #selector(accessibilityJumpBack)),
            UIAccessibilityCustomAction(name: "Jump Forward 15 Seconds", target: self, selector: #selector(accessibilityJumpForward))
        ]
    }

    @objc private func accessibilityJumpBack() -> Bool {
        jumpBack()
        return true
    }

    @objc private func accessibilityJumpForward() -> Bool {
        jumpForward()
        return true
    }

    private func updateLayoutForCurrentSize() {
        controlsMaximumWidthConstraint?.constant = traitCollection.horizontalSizeClass == .regular ? 560 : 430
    }

    private func updateScrubPreview() {
        let target = TimeInterval(scrubber.value) * backend.duration
        let label = PlaybackTimeFormatter.label(for: target)
        elapsedLabel.text = label
        scrubTimeBubble.text = "  \(label)  "
    }

    private func flashCenterPlayPauseIcon() {
        centerPlayPauseButton.setImage(UIImage(systemName: backend.isPlaying ? "pause.fill" : "play.fill"), for: .normal)
        guard !UIAccessibility.isReduceMotionEnabled else { return }
        centerPlayPauseButton.transform = CGAffineTransform(scaleX: 0.86, y: 0.86)
        UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.16, animations: {
            self.centerPlayPauseButton.alpha = 1
            self.centerPlayPauseButton.transform = .identity
        }) { _ in
            UIView.animate(withDuration: 0.22, delay: 0.28, options: [.curveEaseOut]) {
                self.centerPlayPauseButton.alpha = 0
            }
        }
    }

    private static func glassPanel(cornerRadius: CGFloat) -> UIVisualEffectView {
        let effect: UIVisualEffect
        if #available(iOS 26.0, *) {
            let glassEffect = UIGlassEffect()
            glassEffect.tintColor = UIColor(red: 0.64, green: 0.48, blue: 1.0, alpha: 0.16)
            glassEffect.isInteractive = true
            effect = glassEffect
        } else {
            effect = UIBlurEffect(style: .systemUltraThinMaterialDark)
        }
        let view = UIVisualEffectView(effect: effect)
        view.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        view.layer.cornerRadius = cornerRadius
        view.clipsToBounds = true
        view.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.09)
        view.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.22).cgColor
        view.layer.borderWidth = 1
        return view
    }

    private static func iconButton(systemName: String, label: String, pointSize: CGFloat = 20) -> UIButton {
        let button = UIButton(type: .system)
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        let configuration = UIImage.SymbolConfiguration(pointSize: pointSize, weight: .semibold)
        button.setImage(UIImage(systemName: systemName, withConfiguration: configuration), for: .normal)
        button.tintColor = .white
        button.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.14)
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 22
        button.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.16).cgColor
        button.layer.borderWidth = 1
        button.accessibilityLabel = label
        return button
    }

    private static func textButton(title: String) -> UIButton {
        let button = UIButton(type: .system)
        button.translatesAutoresizingMaskIntoConstraints = false
        button.setTitle(title, for: .normal)
        button.setTitleColor(.white, for: .normal)
        button.titleLabel?.font = .preferredFont(forTextStyle: .headline)
        button.titleLabel?.adjustsFontForContentSizeCategory = true
        button.backgroundColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.16)
        button.layer.cornerRadius = 14
        button.layer.borderColor = UIColor.white.withAlphaComponent(0.18).cgColor
        button.layer.borderWidth = 1
        return button
    }

    private static func scrubberThumbImage(diameter: CGFloat) -> UIImage {
        let format = UIGraphicsImageRendererFormat()
        format.scale = UIScreen.main.scale
Rendered with @pierre/diffs/ssr.
Expected Impact for End-Users

Users should see a more polished, readable, and forgiving native player with better touch ergonomics, clearer recovery from failures, more helpful loading feedback, and faster jump interactions.
Validation

Ran DEVELOPER_DIR=/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer xcodebuild -workspace Dreamio.xcworkspace -scheme Dreamio -configuration Debug -sdk iphonesimulator build.
Build succeeded.
Issues, Limitations, and Mitigations

Manual real-device iOS 26 Liquid Glass visual validation is still recommended because simulator build validation cannot confirm material feel over live video.
Scrubbing previews are timestamp-only until the backend can provide frame thumbnails.
Follow-up Work

Manual QA on iPhone/iPad portrait and landscape with seekable/non-seekable streams, audio tracks, and captions.
Consider future backend support for thumbnail previews during scrubbing.