diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/HiddenPlayer.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/HiddenPlayer.tsx
index 61fa3e67..4fb9d73b 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/HiddenPlayer.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/HiddenPlayer.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import { useState, useRef } from 'react';
 
 import { IRegion } from '../crud/useWavesurferRegions';
-import WSAudioPlayer from './WSAudioPlayer';
+import WSAudioPlayer, { WSAudioPlayerControls } from './WSAudioPlayer';
 import { MediaFile } from '../model';
 import { NamedRegions } from '../utils/namedSegments';
 import { RequestPlay, usePlayerLogic } from '../business/player/usePlayerLogic';
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export interface HiddenPlayerProps {
   currentSegment?: IRegion;
   setCurrentSegment?: (segment: IRegion | undefined, index: number) => void;
   playerMediafile?: MediaFile;
+  controlsRef?: React.RefObject<WSAudioPlayerControls | null>;
 }
 
 export function HiddenPlayer(props: HiddenPlayerProps) {
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ export function HiddenPlayer(props: HiddenPlayerProps) {
     currentSegmentIndex,
     setCurrentSegment,
     playerMediafile,
+    controlsRef,
   } = props;
 
   const [requestPlay, setRequestPlay] = useState<RequestPlay>({
@@ -88,6 +90,7 @@ export function HiddenPlayer(props: HiddenPlayerProps) {
         onCurrentSegment={onCurrentSegment}
         onProgress={onProgress}
         onDuration={onDuration}
+        controlsRef={controlsRef}
       />
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/MediaPlayer.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/MediaPlayer.tsx
index 0ede3689..032db8f9 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/MediaPlayer.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/MediaPlayer.tsx
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import SkipPrevious from '@mui/icons-material/SkipPrevious';
 import Pause from '@mui/icons-material/Pause';
 import PlayArrow from '@mui/icons-material/PlayArrow';
 import HiddenPlayer from './HiddenPlayer';
+import { WSAudioPlayerControls } from './WSAudioPlayer';
 import { RecordKeyMap } from '@orbit/records';
 
 const StyledTip = styled(LightTooltip)<TooltipProps>(() => ({
@@ -74,6 +75,7 @@ export function MediaPlayer(props: IProps) {
   const { fetchMediaUrl, mediaState } = useFetchMediaUrl(reporter);
   const [blobState, fetchBlob] = useFetchMediaBlob();
   const audioRef = useRef<HTMLAudioElement | null>(null);
+  const wsControlsRef = useRef<WSAudioPlayerControls | null>(null);
   const playSuccess = useRef(false);
   const [playing, setPlayingx] = useState(false);
   const playingRef = useRef(false);
@@ -318,7 +320,15 @@ export function MediaPlayer(props: IProps) {
 
   const handlePlayPause = () => {
     if (onTogglePlay) onTogglePlay();
-    if (playingRef.current) stopPlay();
+    // iOS Safari requires AudioContext resume to happen synchronously inside
+    // the user gesture. Driving playback through React state introduces async
+    // hops (incl. a 100ms setTimeout in usePlayerLogic) that lose that context,
+    // so audio toggles silently. Calling wavesurfer directly here keeps us in
+    // the gesture; handlePlayStatus is idempotent so the state chain catching
+    // up later is a no-op.
+    const wasPlaying = playingRef.current;
+    wsControlsRef.current?.togglePlay();
+    if (wasPlaying) stopPlay();
     else startPlayWaveSurfer();
   };
 
@@ -428,6 +438,7 @@ export function MediaPlayer(props: IProps) {
             audioBlob={blobState.blob}
             playing={playing}
             setPlaying={setPlaying}
+            controlsRef={wsControlsRef}
           />
         </StyledHidden>
       )}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/MediaRecord.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/MediaRecord.tsx
index bec69181..3ba08a94 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/MediaRecord.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/MediaRecord.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,14 @@ import { useGlobal } from '../context/useGlobal';
 import { IPassageRecordStrings, ISharedStrings } from '../model';
 import { Stack, Paper, Typography } from '@mui/material';
 import WSAudioPlayer, { WSAudioPlayerControls } from './WSAudioPlayer';
-import { loadBlobAsync, useMobile, waitForIt } from '../utils';
+import {
+  infoMsg,
+  loadBlobAsync,
+  logError,
+  Severity,
+  useMobile,
+  waitForIt,
+} from '../utils';
 import {
   IMediaState,
   MediaSt,
@@ -535,20 +542,18 @@ function MediaRecord(props: IProps) {
     setLoading(true);
     reset();
 
-    const url = await getGoodUrl();
-
-    if (url) {
-      try {
-        const blob = await loadBlobAsync(url);
-        if (blob) gotTheBlob(blob);
-        else blobError('Failed to load blob');
-      } catch (error) {
-        blobError(
-          error instanceof Error ? error.message : 'Failed to load blob'
-        );
+    try {
+      const url = await getGoodUrl();
+      if (!url) {
+        blobError(mediaStateRef.current.error || ts.mediaError);
+        return;
       }
-    } else {
-      blobError(mediaStateRef.current.error || 'Failed to fetch media URL');
+      const blob = await loadBlobAsync(url);
+      if (blob) gotTheBlob(blob);
+      else blobError(ts.mediaError);
+    } catch (error) {
+      logError(Severity.error, reporter, infoMsg(error as Error, 'media load failed'));
+      blobError(ts.mediaError);
     }
   };
 
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/WSAudioPlayer.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/WSAudioPlayer.tsx
index f8466513..4632b719 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/WSAudioPlayer.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/WSAudioPlayer.tsx
@@ -968,6 +968,11 @@ function WSAudioPlayer(props: IProps) {
   const handlePlayStatus = useCallback(
     (play: boolean) => {
       if (durationRef.current === 0 || recordingRef.current) return false;
+      const wouldReplayRegion =
+        play && (regionOnly || forceRegionOnly) && !!currentSegmentRef.current;
+      if (play === playingRef.current && !wouldReplayRegion) {
+        return playingRef.current;
+      }
       let nowplaying = play;
 
       if (