diff --git a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/ComposerAttachments.tsx b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/ComposerAttachments.tsx
index f46336b3e..0d4f12682 100644
--- a/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/ComposerAttachments.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/features/messages/ui/ComposerAttachments.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ import {
   AttachmentMedia,
   AttachmentTitle,
 } from "@/shared/ui/attachment";
+import { useReleasingVideoRef } from "@/shared/ui/mediaSession";
 import { MODAL_BACKDROP_BLUR_CLASS } from "@/shared/ui/modalBackdrop";
 import { Progress } from "@/shared/ui/progress";
 import { Toggle } from "@/shared/ui/toggle";
@@ -263,6 +264,10 @@ const MediaAttachmentItem = React.forwardRef<
 ) {
   const [open, setOpen] = React.useState(false);
   const [mode, setMode] = React.useState<"view" | "edit">("view");
+  // Closing the lightbox unmounts the preview; without an explicit release it
+  // would keep the macOS Now Playing session (and the hardware play/pause key)
+  // until the detached element is collected.
+  const attachPreviewVideo = useReleasingVideoRef();
 
   const hash = shortHash(attachment.sha256);
   const isVideo = attachment.type.startsWith("video/");
@@ -412,6 +417,7 @@ const MediaAttachmentItem = React.forwardRef<
               ) : isVideo ? (
                 // biome-ignore lint/a11y/useMediaCaption: user-uploaded video, no captions available
                 <video
+                  ref={attachPreviewVideo}
                   src={rewriteRelayUrl(attachment.url)}
                   controls
                   className={cn(
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlaybackSpeedControl.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlaybackSpeedControl.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da53d7856
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlaybackSpeedControl.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import { Check } from "lucide-react";
+
+import { cn } from "@/shared/lib/cn";
+import { Popover, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/popover";
+
+export const DEFAULT_PLAYBACK_SPEED = 1;
+export const PLAYBACK_SPEEDS = [2, 1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 1, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25];
+
+export function formatPlaybackSpeed(speed: number): string {
+  return `${speed}x`;
+}
+
+export function isPlaybackSpeedOption(speed: number): boolean {
+  return PLAYBACK_SPEEDS.some((option) => option === speed);
+}
+
+/** Speed menu shared by the inline player and the review overlay. */
+export function PlaybackSpeedControl({
+  playbackSpeed,
+  onPlaybackSpeedChange,
+  size = "inline",
+  testId,
+}: {
+  playbackSpeed: number;
+  onPlaybackSpeedChange: (speed: number) => void;
+  size?: "inline" | "review";
+  testId: string;
+}) {
+  const [open, setOpen] = React.useState(false);
+  const label = formatPlaybackSpeed(playbackSpeed);
+  const triggerSizeClass =
+    size === "review"
+      ? "h-8 min-w-11 rounded-lg px-2 text-xs"
+      : "h-7 min-w-10 rounded-md px-1.5 text-2xs";
+
+  return (
+    <Popover open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>
+      <PopoverTrigger asChild>
+        <button
+          aria-label={`Playback speed: ${label}`}
+          className={cn(
+            "flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center font-semibold tabular-nums text-white transition-colors hover:bg-white/15 focus-visible:outline-hidden focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-white/60",
+            triggerSizeClass,
+            open && "bg-white/15",
+          )}
+          data-testid={testId}
+          type="button"
+          onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+        >
+          {label}
+        </button>
+      </PopoverTrigger>
+      <PopoverContent
+        align="end"
+        className="w-28 border-white/10 bg-black/85 p-1 text-white backdrop-blur-xl"
+        data-testid={`${testId}-menu`}
+        side="top"
+        sideOffset={8}
+        onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
+      >
+        <div className="px-2 pb-1 pt-1 text-2xs font-medium text-white/55">
+          Speed
+        </div>
+        <div className="grid gap-0.5">
+          {PLAYBACK_SPEEDS.map((speed) => {
+            const speedLabel = formatPlaybackSpeed(speed);
+            const selected = speed === playbackSpeed;
+            return (
+              <button
+                aria-pressed={selected}
+                className={cn(
+                  "flex h-8 w-full items-center justify-between rounded-lg px-2 text-left text-xs font-medium tabular-nums text-white transition-colors hover:bg-white/15 focus-visible:outline-hidden focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-white/60",
+                  selected && "bg-white/15",
+                )}
+                key={speed}
+                type="button"
+                onClick={(event) => {
+                  event.stopPropagation();
+                  onPlaybackSpeedChange(speed);
+                  setOpen(false);
+                }}
+              >
+                <span>{speedLabel}</span>
+                {selected ? <Check className="h-3.5 w-3.5" /> : null}
+              </button>
+            );
+          })}
+        </div>
+      </PopoverContent>
+    </Popover>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlayer.tsx b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlayer.tsx
index 74703dc5e..d8509a592 100644
--- a/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/VideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -21,11 +21,21 @@ import { cn } from "@/shared/lib/cn";
 import { Button } from "@/shared/ui/button";
 import { Checkbox } from "@/shared/ui/checkbox";
 import { MODAL_BACKDROP_BLUR_CLASS } from "@/shared/ui/modalBackdrop";
-import { Popover, PopoverContent, PopoverTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/popover";
 import { useSmoothCorners } from "@/shared/ui/smoothCorners";
 import { Tooltip, TooltipContent, TooltipTrigger } from "@/shared/ui/tooltip";
 import { UserAvatar } from "@/shared/ui/UserAvatar";
+import {
+  claimMediaSession,
+  markMediaSessionPaused,
+  type NowPlayingMetadata,
+  useReleasingVideoRef,
+} from "./mediaSession";
 import { Spinner } from "./spinner";
+import {
+  DEFAULT_PLAYBACK_SPEED,
+  isPlaybackSpeedOption,
+  PlaybackSpeedControl,
+} from "./VideoPlaybackSpeedControl";
 import { useNaturalVideoAspectRatio } from "./videoAspectRatio";
 import { useVideoContextMenu } from "./useVideoContextMenu";
 import { useRegisterVideoReview } from "./VideoReviewNavigation";
@@ -117,9 +127,7 @@ type TimecodedComment = {
 };
 
 const QUICK_REACTIONS = ["😂", "😍", "😮", "🙌", "👍", "👎"];
-const DEFAULT_PLAYBACK_SPEED = 1;
 const INLINE_SPEED_CONTROL_MIN_WIDTH = 220;
-const PLAYBACK_SPEEDS = [2, 1.75, 1.5, 1.25, 1, 0.75, 0.5, 0.25];
 
 /**
  * Frosted-glass backing layer for floating media controls. The parent must
@@ -181,14 +189,6 @@ function formatCommentTimecode(seconds: number): string {
   });
 }
 
-function formatPlaybackSpeed(speed: number): string {
-  return `${speed}x`;
-}
-
-function isPlaybackSpeedOption(speed: number): boolean {
-  return PLAYBACK_SPEEDS.some((option) => option === speed);
-}
-
 function parseTimecodedComment(comment: VideoReviewComment): TimecodedComment {
   const parsed = parseVideoReviewTimecode(comment.body);
   return parsed
@@ -600,82 +600,6 @@ function VolumeControl({
   );
 }
 
-function PlaybackSpeedControl({
-  playbackSpeed,
-  onPlaybackSpeedChange,
-  size = "inline",
-  testId,
-}: {
-  playbackSpeed: number;
-  onPlaybackSpeedChange: (speed: number) => void;
-  size?: "inline" | "review";
-  testId: string;
-}) {
-  const [open, setOpen] = React.useState(false);
-  const label = formatPlaybackSpeed(playbackSpeed);
-  const triggerSizeClass =
-    size === "review"
-      ? "h-8 min-w-11 rounded-lg px-2 text-xs"
-      : "h-7 min-w-10 rounded-md px-1.5 text-2xs";
-
-  return (
-    <Popover open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>
-      <PopoverTrigger asChild>
-        <button
-          aria-label={`Playback speed: ${label}`}
-          className={cn(
-            "flex shrink-0 items-center justify-center font-semibold tabular-nums text-white transition-colors hover:bg-white/15 focus-visible:outline-hidden focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-white/60",
-            triggerSizeClass,
-            open && "bg-white/15",
-          )}
-          data-testid={testId}
-          type="button"
-          onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-        >
-          {label}
-        </button>
-      </PopoverTrigger>
-      <PopoverContent
-        align="end"
-        className="w-28 border-white/10 bg-black/85 p-1 text-white backdrop-blur-xl"
-        data-testid={`${testId}-menu`}
-        side="top"
-        sideOffset={8}
-        onClick={(event) => event.stopPropagation()}
-      >
-        <div className="px-2 pb-1 pt-1 text-2xs font-medium text-white/55">
-          Speed
-        </div>
-        <div className="grid gap-0.5">
-          {PLAYBACK_SPEEDS.map((speed) => {
-            const speedLabel = formatPlaybackSpeed(speed);
-            const selected = speed === playbackSpeed;
-            return (
-              <button
-                aria-pressed={selected}
-                className={cn(
-                  "flex h-8 w-full items-center justify-between rounded-lg px-2 text-left text-xs font-medium tabular-nums text-white transition-colors hover:bg-white/15 focus-visible:outline-hidden focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-white/60",
-                  selected && "bg-white/15",
-                )}
-                key={speed}
-                type="button"
-                onClick={(event) => {
-                  event.stopPropagation();
-                  onPlaybackSpeedChange(speed);
-                  setOpen(false);
-                }}
-              >
-                <span>{speedLabel}</span>
-                {selected ? <Check className="h-3.5 w-3.5" /> : null}
-              </button>
-            );
-          })}
-        </div>
-      </PopoverContent>
-    </Popover>
-  );
-}
-
 export function VideoPlayer({
   src,
   poster,
@@ -750,19 +674,47 @@ export function VideoPlayer({
     );
   }, [persistedReviewKey]);
 
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    return () => {
-      const video = videoRef.current;
-      if (!video || !Number.isFinite(video.currentTime)) {
+  const savePositionFor = React.useCallback(
+    (video: HTMLVideoElement, key: string) => {
+      if (!Number.isFinite(video.currentTime)) {
         return;
       }
       saveInlinePlaybackPosition(
-        persistedReviewKey,
+        key,
         Math.max(video.currentTime, currentTimeRef.current),
         { ignoreResetToZero: true },
       );
+    },
+    [],
+  );
+
+  // Covers the key swapping under a still-mounted player (optimistic row
+  // replaced by its acked event); the unmount path saves from the ref cleanup
+  // below, where the element is still reachable.
+  React.useEffect(() => {
+    return () => {
+      const video = videoRef.current;
+      if (!video) {
+        return;
+      }
+      savePositionFor(video, persistedReviewKey);
     };
-  }, [persistedReviewKey]);
+  }, [persistedReviewKey, savePositionFor]);
+
+  const mediaSessionMetadata = React.useMemo<NowPlayingMetadata>(
+    () => ({
+      artist: reviewContext?.channelName,
+      title: reviewContext?.title ?? filename ?? fileNameFromUrl(src),
+    }),
+    [filename, reviewContext?.channelName, reviewContext?.title, src],
+  );
+
+  // Saves the position, then hands the macOS media keys back: an unmounted
+  // player must not keep answering the hardware play/pause key.
+  const attachInlineVideo = useReleasingVideoRef({
+    onRelease: (video) => savePositionFor(video, persistedReviewKey),
+    videoRef,
+  });
 
   const setCurrentTime = React.useCallback(
     (seconds: number) => {
@@ -998,7 +950,7 @@ export function VideoPlayer({
               frame. */}
           {/* biome-ignore lint/a11y/useMediaCaption: user-uploaded video, no captions available */}
           <video
-            ref={videoRef}
+            ref={attachInlineVideo}
             className="h-full w-full object-cover"
             playsInline
             poster={poster}
@@ -1008,7 +960,10 @@ export function VideoPlayer({
             onDurationChange={(event) =>
               handleMediaDuration(event.currentTarget.duration)
             }
-            onEnded={() => setIsPlaying(false)}
+            onEnded={(event) => {
+              markMediaSessionPaused(event.currentTarget);
+              setIsPlaying(false);
+            }}
             onError={() => {
               if (started) {
                 setHasError(true);
@@ -1042,11 +997,13 @@ export function VideoPlayer({
               }
               learnNaturalAspectRatio(videoWidth, videoHeight);
             }}
-            onPause={() => {
+            onPause={(event) => {
+              markMediaSessionPaused(event.currentTarget);
               setIsPlaying(false);
               setIsBuffering(false);
             }}
-            onPlay={() => {
+            onPlay={(event) => {
+              claimMediaSession(event.currentTarget, mediaSessionMetadata);
               setStarted(true);
               setIsPlaying(true);
             }}
@@ -1408,6 +1365,15 @@ function VideoReviewDialog({
 
   const reviewSeek = useThrottledVideoSeek(videoRef);
 
+  const mediaSessionMetadata = React.useMemo<NowPlayingMetadata>(
+    () => ({ artist: reviewContext?.channelName, title }),
+    [reviewContext?.channelName, title],
+  );
+
+  // Closing the overlay unmounts this element; releasing it is what returns
+  // the macOS media keys to whatever owned them before the video played.
+  const attachReviewVideo = useReleasingVideoRef({ videoRef });
+
   const setVideoTime = React.useCallback(
     (seconds: number) => {
       const boundedSeconds = boundSeconds(seconds);
@@ -1704,7 +1670,7 @@ function VideoReviewDialog({
                 <div className="relative z-10 h-full w-full overflow-hidden rounded-lg">
                   {/* biome-ignore lint/a11y/useMediaCaption: user-uploaded video, no captions available */}
                   <video
-                    ref={videoRef}
+                    ref={attachReviewVideo}
                     className="h-full w-full min-h-0 object-contain"
                     playsInline
                     poster={poster}
@@ -1715,6 +1681,7 @@ function VideoReviewDialog({
                       onDurationChange(event.currentTarget.duration)
                     }
                     onEnded={(event) => {
+                      markMediaSessionPaused(event.currentTarget);
                       syncCurrentTime(event.currentTarget.currentTime);
                       setIsPlaying(false);
                     }}
@@ -1735,10 +1702,15 @@ function VideoReviewDialog({
                     }}
                     onLoadedData={() => setHasVisibleFrame(true)}
                     onPause={(event) => {
+                      markMediaSessionPaused(event.currentTarget);
                       syncCurrentTime(event.currentTarget.currentTime);
                       setIsPlaying(false);
                     }}
                     onPlay={(event) => {
+                      claimMediaSession(
+                        event.currentTarget,
+                        mediaSessionMetadata,
+                      );
                       syncCurrentTime(event.currentTarget.currentTime);
                       setIsPlaying(true);
                     }}
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.test.mjs b/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.test.mjs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d9bac6a98
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.test.mjs
@@ -0,0 +1,144 @@
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+import { after, afterEach, before, test } from "node:test";
+
+import { JSDOM } from "jsdom";
+
+// macOS gives the hardware play/pause key to the app holding the Now Playing
+// session. WKWebView claims one for Buzz on the first audible <video> and
+// keeps it until the element itself is torn down — dropping the element from
+// the DOM is not enough. These tests pin the teardown contract that hands the
+// key back: pause, detach the source, clear the metadata we published.
+
+const dom = new JSDOM("<!doctype html><html><body></body></html>", {
+  url: "http://localhost",
+});
+
+const paused = [];
+const loaded = [];
+let mediaSession;
+
+before(() => {
+  Object.assign(globalThis, {
+    document: dom.window.document,
+    HTMLElement: dom.window.HTMLElement,
+    IS_REACT_ACT_ENVIRONMENT: true,
+    window: dom.window,
+  });
+  // jsdom leaves the playback methods unimplemented; record the calls instead.
+  dom.window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.pause = function pause() {
+    paused.push(this);
+  };
+  dom.window.HTMLMediaElement.prototype.load = function load() {
+    loaded.push(this);
+  };
+  globalThis.MediaMetadata = class MediaMetadata {
+    constructor(init) {
+      Object.assign(this, init);
+    }
+  };
+  // Neither node's built-in `navigator` nor jsdom's implements the Media
+  // Session API, so graft a stub onto jsdom's and make it the global.
+  Object.defineProperty(dom.window.navigator, "mediaSession", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value: { metadata: null, playbackState: "none" },
+  });
+  Object.defineProperty(globalThis, "navigator", {
+    configurable: true,
+    value: dom.window.navigator,
+  });
+  mediaSession = globalThis.navigator.mediaSession;
+});
+
+afterEach(async () => {
+  const { cleanup } = await import("@testing-library/react");
+  cleanup();
+  paused.length = 0;
+  loaded.length = 0;
+  mediaSession.metadata = null;
+  mediaSession.playbackState = "none";
+});
+
+after(() => dom.window.close());
+
+async function renderVideo({ strict = false } = {}) {
+  const React = await import("react");
+  const { act, render } = await import("@testing-library/react");
+  const { useReleasingVideoRef } = await import("./mediaSession.ts");
+  const released = [];
+
+  function Player() {
+    const attach = useReleasingVideoRef({
+      onRelease: (video) => released.push(video.currentTime),
+    });
+    return React.createElement("video", {
+      ref: attach,
+      src: "https://relay.example/media/clip.mp4",
+    });
+  }
+
+  const tree = React.createElement(Player);
+  const result = render(
+    strict ? React.createElement(React.StrictMode, null, tree) : tree,
+  );
+  await act(async () => {});
+  return {
+    act,
+    released,
+    unmount: result.unmount,
+    video: result.container.querySelector("video"),
+  };
+}
+
+test("unmounting a player releases the media keys it claimed", async () => {
+  const { claimMediaSession } = await import("./mediaSession.ts");
+  const { act, video, unmount } = await renderVideo();
+
+  claimMediaSession(video, { artist: "engineering", title: "clip.mp4" });
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.metadata.title, "clip.mp4");
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.playbackState, "playing");
+
+  await act(async () => unmount());
+
+  // Pause alone leaves the session alive — WebKit only destroys it once the
+  // source is detached, which is what returns the key to Music.
+  assert.ok(paused.includes(video), "the element was paused");
+  assert.equal(video.getAttribute("src"), null, "the source was detached");
+  assert.ok(loaded.includes(video), "load() reset the element");
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.metadata, null);
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.playbackState, "none");
+});
+
+test("release runs before the source is detached, so the position is still readable", async () => {
+  const { released, act, unmount } = await renderVideo();
+
+  await act(async () => unmount());
+
+  assert.deepEqual(released, [0]);
+});
+
+test("a bystander player's teardown leaves the playing video's session alone", async () => {
+  const { claimMediaSession, releaseVideoElement } = await import(
+    "./mediaSession.ts"
+  );
+  const playing = dom.window.document.createElement("video");
+  const bystander = dom.window.document.createElement("video");
+
+  claimMediaSession(playing, { title: "review.mp4" });
+  // An off-screen timeline row unmounting while the review overlay plays.
+  releaseVideoElement(bystander);
+
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.metadata.title, "review.mp4");
+  assert.equal(mediaSession.playbackState, "playing");
+});
+
+test("StrictMode's simulated remount leaves the source attached", async () => {
+  const { video } = await renderVideo({ strict: true });
+
+  // StrictMode runs the ref cleanup and re-attaches the same element without
+  // re-applying props; a release that did not restore the source would blank
+  // every video in development.
+  assert.equal(
+    video.getAttribute("src"),
+    "https://relay.example/media/clip.mp4",
+  );
+});
diff --git a/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.ts b/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9b9f4fc42
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/src/shared/ui/mediaSession.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+
+/**
+ * macOS routes the hardware play/pause key (keyboard media keys, AirPods taps)
+ * to whichever app most recently registered a Now Playing session. WKWebView
+ * registers one for Buzz as soon as an audible `<video>` starts, and the claim
+ * outlives removal from the DOM: a detached media element keeps its session
+ * until it is garbage collected, so the key can keep reaching a player the
+ * user scrolled past or closed minutes ago instead of going back to Music.
+ *
+ * Holding the keys while a video is on screen is correct — that is how resume
+ * works in every macOS app. Handing them back when the video goes away is what
+ * this module exists for: pause, detach the source (the only thing that makes
+ * WebKit destroy the session immediately rather than at some later GC), and
+ * clear the metadata this player published.
+ */
+
+export type NowPlayingMetadata = {
+  /** Channel the video was posted in, shown as the Now Playing subtitle. */
+  artist?: string;
+  title: string;
+};
+
+/**
+ * Element the current Now Playing metadata describes. Clearing is scoped to
+ * the owner so an off-screen timeline row unmounting cannot wipe the metadata
+ * of the review overlay the user is actually watching.
+ */
+let sessionOwner: HTMLVideoElement | null = null;
+
+/** Sources detached by {@link releaseVideoElement}, for the StrictMode
+ * re-attach path in {@link useReleasingVideoRef}. Weak so a released element
+ * stays collectable. */
+const detachedSources = new WeakMap<HTMLVideoElement, string>();
+
+function getMediaSession(): MediaSession | null {
+  // Feature-detected: WebKit has shipped the Media Session API since Safari
+  // 15, but the unit-test environment's `navigator` has no `mediaSession`.
+  if (typeof navigator === "undefined") {
+    return null;
+  }
+  return navigator.mediaSession ?? null;
+}
+
+/** Publish what is playing so Control Center shows the video instead of a
+ * bare "Buzz" entry, and record this element as the session's owner. */
+export function claimMediaSession(
+  video: HTMLVideoElement,
+  metadata: NowPlayingMetadata,
+): void {
+  sessionOwner = video;
+  const session = getMediaSession();
+  if (!session) {
+    return;
+  }
+  if (typeof MediaMetadata === "function") {
+    session.metadata = new MediaMetadata({
+      artist: metadata.artist ?? "",
+      title: metadata.title,
+    });
+  }
+  session.playbackState = "playing";
+}
+
+export function markMediaSessionPaused(video: HTMLVideoElement): void {
+  const session = getMediaSession();
+  if (!session || sessionOwner !== video) {
+    return;
+  }
+  session.playbackState = "paused";
+}
+
+export function releaseMediaSession(video: HTMLVideoElement): void {
+  if (sessionOwner !== video) {
+    return;
+  }
+  sessionOwner = null;
+  const session = getMediaSession();
+  if (!session) {
+    return;
+  }
+  session.metadata = null;
+  session.playbackState = "none";
+}
+
+/**
+ * Tear a media element down deterministically: stop playback, drop this
+ * player's Now Playing metadata, and detach the source so WebKit destroys the
+ * element's media session now instead of holding the media keys until the
+ * detached element happens to be collected.
+ */
+export function releaseVideoElement(video: HTMLVideoElement): void {
+  releaseMediaSession(video);
+  video.pause();
+  const src = video.getAttribute("src");
+  if (src !== null) {
+    detachedSources.set(video, src);
+    video.removeAttribute("src");
+  }
+  video.load();
+}
+
+/**
+ * Ref callback that releases its `<video>` when React drops it.
+ *
+ * Teardown cannot live in an effect cleanup: React detaches host refs during
+ * the mutation phase, so on unmount a passive cleanup only ever sees a null
+ * ref and the element escapes untouched. A ref cleanup still holds the
+ * element, and runs before the node leaves the document.
+ *
+ * `onRelease` runs before the source is detached — that is the last moment a
+ * caller can read `currentTime` off the element. Both options are re-read on
+ * every render, so callers do not have to memoize them.
+ */
+export function useReleasingVideoRef(options?: {
+  onRelease?: (video: HTMLVideoElement) => void;
+  videoRef?: React.RefObject<HTMLVideoElement | null>;
+}): (video: HTMLVideoElement) => () => void {
+  const optionsRef = React.useRef(options);
+  optionsRef.current = options;
+
+  return React.useCallback((video: HTMLVideoElement) => {
+    // StrictMode simulates a remount by running this cleanup and re-attaching
+    // the same element — without re-applying props. Restore a source the
+    // release detached, or every video renders empty in development.
+    const detachedSrc = detachedSources.get(video);
+    if (detachedSrc !== undefined) {
+      detachedSources.delete(video);
+      if (!video.hasAttribute("src")) {
+        video.setAttribute("src", detachedSrc);
+        video.load();
+      }
+    }
+    const attachedRef = optionsRef.current?.videoRef;
+    if (attachedRef) {
+      attachedRef.current = video;
+    }
+
+    return () => {
+      const current = optionsRef.current;
+      current?.onRelease?.(video);
+      if (current?.videoRef) {
+        current.videoRef.current = null;
+      }
+      releaseVideoElement(video);
+    };
+  }, []);
+}