diff --git a/web/src/components/player/HlsVideoPlayer.tsx b/web/src/components/player/HlsVideoPlayer.tsx
index 81b5b1e47..5123b9df0 100644
--- a/web/src/components/player/HlsVideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/player/HlsVideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ export default function HlsVideoPlayer({
   videoClassName,
   containerRef,
   visible,
-  showControls = visible,
+  showControls = true,
   currentSource,
   hotKeys,
   supportsFullscreen,
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ export default function HlsVideoPlayer({
           )}
           video={videoRef.current}
           isPlaying={isPlaying}
-          show={showControls && (controls || controlsOpen)}
+          show={visible && showControls && (controls || controlsOpen)}
           muted={muted}
           volume={volume}
           features={{
@@ -395,9 +395,8 @@ export default function HlsVideoPlayer({
           <video
             ref={videoRef}
             className={cn(
-              "size-full rounded-lg bg-black md:rounded-2xl",
+              "size-full cursor-pointer rounded-lg bg-black md:rounded-2xl",
               loadedMetadata ? "" : "invisible",
-              "cursor-pointer",
               videoClassName,
             )}
             preload="auto"
diff --git a/web/src/components/player/dynamic/DynamicVideoPlayer.tsx b/web/src/components/player/dynamic/DynamicVideoPlayer.tsx
index 6fa6b6365..f4879f406 100644
--- a/web/src/components/player/dynamic/DynamicVideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/player/dynamic/DynamicVideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -282,12 +282,9 @@ export default function DynamicVideoPlayer({
   );
 
   const showPreview = isScrubbing || isLoading;
-  const previewPlayer = (
+  const renderPreviewPlayer = (previewClassName: string) => (
     <PreviewPlayer
-      className={cn(
-        source ? "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-20" : className,
-        showPreview ? "visible" : "invisible",
-      )}
+      className={previewClassName}
       camera={camera}
       timeRange={timeRange}
       cameraPreviews={cameraPreviews}
@@ -298,6 +295,12 @@ export default function DynamicVideoPlayer({
       }
     />
   );
+  const previewOverlay = renderPreviewPlayer(
+    cn(
+      "pointer-events-none absolute inset-0 z-20",
+      showPreview ? "visible" : "invisible",
+    ),
+  );
 
   return (
     <>
@@ -306,6 +309,8 @@ export default function DynamicVideoPlayer({
           videoRef={playerRef}
           videoClassName={videoClassName}
           containerRef={containerRef}
+          // Keep transform wrapper mounted while scrubbing/loading
+          // so zoom and pan position are preserved.
           visible={true}
           showControls={!isScrubbing && !isLoading}
           currentSource={source}
@@ -346,12 +351,13 @@ export default function DynamicVideoPlayer({
           transformedOverlay={
             <>
               {transformedOverlay}
-              {previewPlayer}
+              {previewOverlay}
             </>
           }
         />
       )}
-      {!source && previewPlayer}
+      {!source &&
+        renderPreviewPlayer(cn(className, showPreview ? "visible" : "hidden"))}
       {!isScrubbing && (isLoading || isBuffering) && !noRecording && (
         <ActivityIndicator className="absolute left-1/2 top-1/2 -translate-x-1/2 -translate-y-1/2" />
       )}
diff --git a/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx b/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
index bb2f1ebf0..5292a19c2 100644
--- a/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/views/recording/RecordingView.tsx
@@ -374,7 +374,6 @@ export function RecordingView({
   const {
     cameraSectionStyle,
     isDraggingMobileSplit,
-    isMobilePortraitStacked,
     onHandlePointerDown,
     usePortraitSplitLayout,
   } = useMobileVideoSplit({
@@ -778,7 +777,7 @@ export function RecordingView({
                 ? "min-w-0 px-4"
                 : cn(
                     "portrait:flex-shrink-0 portrait:flex-grow-0 portrait:basis-auto",
-                    isMobilePortraitStacked
+                    usePortraitSplitLayout
                       ? "portrait:flex-none"
                       : "portrait:max-h-[50dvh]",
                   ),
@@ -922,7 +921,7 @@ export function RecordingView({
               )}
             </div>
           </div>
-          {isMobilePortraitStacked && !fullscreen && (
+          {usePortraitSplitLayout && (
             <button
               type="button"
               aria-label={t("recordings.resizeSplit")}
diff --git a/web/src/views/recording/useMobileVideoSplit.ts b/web/src/views/recording/useMobileVideoSplit.ts
index fd6e52b57..6afdf8982 100644
--- a/web/src/views/recording/useMobileVideoSplit.ts
+++ b/web/src/views/recording/useMobileVideoSplit.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ type UseMobileVideoSplitProps = {
 type UseMobileVideoSplitReturn = {
   cameraSectionStyle: CSSProperties | undefined;
   isDraggingMobileSplit: boolean;
-  isMobilePortraitStacked: boolean;
   onHandlePointerDown: (event: PointerEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => void;
   usePortraitSplitLayout: boolean;
 };
@@ -40,11 +39,10 @@ export function useMobileVideoSplit({
   const [{ width: mainLayoutWidth, height: mainLayoutHeight }] =
     useResizeObserver(mainLayoutRef);
 
-  const isMobilePortraitStacked = useMemo(
-    () => !isDesktop && mainLayoutHeight > mainLayoutWidth,
-    [mainLayoutHeight, mainLayoutWidth],
+  const usePortraitSplitLayout = useMemo(
+    () => !isDesktop && !fullscreen && mainLayoutHeight > mainLayoutWidth,
+    [fullscreen, mainLayoutHeight, mainLayoutWidth],
   );
-  const usePortraitSplitLayout = isMobilePortraitStacked && !fullscreen;
   const mobileVideoSplitSafe = useMemo(
     () =>
       Math.min(
@@ -59,7 +57,7 @@ export function useMobileVideoSplit({
 
   const updateMobileSplitFromClientY = useCallback(
     (clientY: number) => {
-      if (!mainLayoutRef.current || !isMobilePortraitStacked) {
+      if (!mainLayoutRef.current || !usePortraitSplitLayout) {
         return;
       }
 
@@ -75,12 +73,12 @@ export function useMobileVideoSplit({
       );
       setMobileVideoSplit(clampedSplit);
     },
-    [isMobilePortraitStacked, mainLayoutRef, setMobileVideoSplit],
+    [usePortraitSplitLayout, mainLayoutRef, setMobileVideoSplit],
   );
 
   const onHandlePointerDown = useCallback(
     (event: PointerEvent<HTMLButtonElement>) => {
-      if (!isMobilePortraitStacked) {
+      if (!usePortraitSplitLayout) {
         return;
       }
 
@@ -88,7 +86,7 @@ export function useMobileVideoSplit({
       setIsDraggingMobileSplit(true);
       updateMobileSplitFromClientY(event.clientY);
     },
-    [isMobilePortraitStacked, updateMobileSplitFromClientY],
+    [usePortraitSplitLayout, updateMobileSplitFromClientY],
   );
 
   useEffect(() => {
@@ -117,16 +115,15 @@ export function useMobileVideoSplit({
 
   const cameraSectionStyle = useMemo(
     () =>
-      isMobilePortraitStacked
+      usePortraitSplitLayout
         ? { height: `${Math.round(mobileVideoSplitSafe * 100)}%` }
         : undefined,
-    [isMobilePortraitStacked, mobileVideoSplitSafe],
+    [usePortraitSplitLayout, mobileVideoSplitSafe],
   );
 
   return {
     cameraSectionStyle,
     isDraggingMobileSplit,
-    isMobilePortraitStacked,
     onHandlePointerDown,
     usePortraitSplitLayout,
   };