diff --git a/js/src/features/network-root.tsx b/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
index c7bea20..2a261a7 100644
--- a/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/network-root.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { useParams } from "react-router-dom";
 import { particlePath } from "@/lib/particle-path";
 import { ParticleListView } from "@/features/particles/particle-list-view";
+import { AutoplayOverlay } from "@/features/particles/autoplay-overlay";
 import ControlsIndicator from "@/features/compose/controls-indicator";
 import { ComposeOverlay } from "./compose/compose-overlay";
 
@@ -15,6 +16,7 @@ export default function NetworkRoot() {
   return (
     <div className="flex flex-col h-full relative">
       <ParticleListView path={path} />
+      <AutoplayOverlay networkId={networkId!} />
       <ComposeOverlay networkId={networkId!} />
       <ControlsIndicator type={"new"} />
     </div>
diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/autoplay-overlay.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/autoplay-overlay.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12f16ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/autoplay-overlay.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
+import { X, Mic, Video } from "lucide-react";
+import { useAutoplayStore } from "@/stores/autoplay-store";
+import { useDownloadUrl } from "@/hooks/use-download-url";
+import { Card } from "@/components/ui/card";
+import { Small } from "@/components/ui/typography";
+
+interface AutoplayOverlayProps {
+  networkId: string;
+}
+
+export function AutoplayOverlay({ networkId }: AutoplayOverlayProps) {
+  const activeParticle = useAutoplayStore((s) => s.activeParticle);
+  const streamId = useAutoplayStore((s) => s.streamId);
+  const stop = useAutoplayStore((s) => s.stop);
+  const { data: url } = useDownloadUrl(activeParticle?.properties.object_id);
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+
+  if (!activeParticle || !url) return null;
+
+  const isVideo = activeParticle.properties.mime_type?.startsWith("video/");
+  const Icon = isVideo ? Video : Mic;
+
+  const handleClick = () => {
+    stop();
+    if (streamId) {
+      navigate(`/${networkId}/${streamId}`);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Card
+      size="sm"
+      className="absolute bottom-4 right-4 z-40 w-52 cursor-pointer shadow-lg"
+      onClick={handleClick}
+    >
+      <div className="relative">
+        {/* Close button */}
+        <button
+          className="absolute top-1 right-1 z-10 rounded-full bg-black/50 p-0.5 text-white hover:bg-black/70"
+          onClick={(e) => {
+            e.stopPropagation();
+            stop();
+          }}
+        >
+          <X className="size-3.5" />
+        </button>
+
+        {isVideo ? (
+          <video
+            src={url}
+            autoPlay
+            playsInline
+            onEnded={stop}
+            className="w-full rounded-t-xl object-cover"
+          />
+        ) : (
+          <div className="flex items-center gap-2 px-3 py-3">
+            <Icon className="size-4 shrink-0 text-muted-foreground" />
+            <Small className="truncate text-muted-foreground">
+              Playing voice note...
+            </Small>
+            <audio src={url} autoPlay onEnded={stop} />
+          </div>
+        )}
+      </div>
+    </Card>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
index 085c687..88490e0 100644
--- a/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/particle-list-view.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useMemo } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import {
   Radio,
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import { Separator } from "@/components/ui/separator";
 import { Progress } from "@/components/ui/progress";
 import { Small } from "@/components/ui/typography";
 import type { Particle, StreamProperties } from "@/api/types";
+import { useAutoplayStore } from "@/stores/autoplay-store";
 
 function getParticleTypeIcon(particle: Particle): LucideIcon {
   switch (particle.type) {
@@ -86,6 +87,28 @@ function StreamRow({
   const userId = user?.id ?? "";
   const userEmail = user?.email ?? "";
 
+  // Autoplay: trigger only when latestChild *changes* to a new media particle,
+  // not on initial data load. We track the "settled" id — the first non-null value
+  // we see — and only autoplay on subsequent changes from that baseline.
+  const settledIdRef = useRef<string | undefined>(undefined);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!latestChild) return;
+
+    // First real value: record it as baseline, don't autoplay
+    if (settledIdRef.current === undefined) {
+      settledIdRef.current = latestChild.id;
+      return;
+    }
+
+    if (latestChild.id === settledIdRef.current) return;
+    settledIdRef.current = latestChild.id;
+
+    if (latestChild.type !== "media") return;
+    if (latestChild.created_by_email === userEmail) return;
+
+    useAutoplayStore.getState().play(latestChild, particle.id);
+  }, [latestChild?.id]); // eslint-disable-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
+
   const isDM =
     particle.visible_to.length === 2 &&
     particle.visible_to.every((v) => v.startsWith("human:"));
diff --git a/js/src/hooks/use-download-url.ts b/js/src/hooks/use-download-url.ts
index 2874e1f..ab6c226 100644
--- a/js/src/hooks/use-download-url.ts
+++ b/js/src/hooks/use-download-url.ts
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { apiClient } from "@/api/client";
 
-export function useDownloadUrl(objectId: string) {
+export function useDownloadUrl(objectId?: string) {
   return useQuery({
     queryKey: ["download-url", objectId],
-    queryFn: () => apiClient.getParticleDownloadUrl(objectId),
+    queryFn: () => apiClient.getParticleDownloadUrl(objectId!),
+    enabled: !!objectId,
   });
 }
diff --git a/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts b/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
index f0ef983..5e29b3b 100644
--- a/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
+++ b/js/src/hooks/use-particle.ts
@@ -106,14 +106,12 @@ export function useLiveLatestChild(path: ParticlePath): UseLiveLatestChildResult
   const [latestChild, setLatestChild] = useState<Particle | null>(null);
   const [isLoading, setIsLoading] = useState(true);
 
-  const collectionPath = useMemo(() => toFirestoreChildrenPath(path), [path]);
-
   useEffect(() => {
     setIsLoading(true);
     setLatestChild(null);
 
     const unsubscribe = subscribeToLatestChild(
-      collectionPath,
+      toFirestoreChildrenPath(path),
       (data) => {
         setLatestChild(data);
         setIsLoading(false);
@@ -124,7 +122,7 @@ export function useLiveLatestChild(path: ParticlePath): UseLiveLatestChildResult
     );
 
     return unsubscribe;
-  }, [collectionPath]);
+  }, [path]);
 
   return { latestChild, isLoading };
 }
diff --git a/js/src/stores/autoplay-store.ts b/js/src/stores/autoplay-store.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b23fbb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/js/src/stores/autoplay-store.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { create } from "zustand";
+import type { Particle } from "@/api/types";
+
+type MediaParticle = Extract<Particle, { type: "media" }>;
+
+interface AutoplayState {
+  /** The media particle currently being autoplayed, null when idle */
+  activeParticle: MediaParticle | null;
+  /** The stream this particle belongs to (for click-to-navigate) */
+  streamId: string | null;
+  /** Play a media particle, preempting any currently playing */
+  play: (particle: MediaParticle, streamId: string) => void;
+  /** Stop autoplay and clear state */
+  stop: () => void;
+}
+
+export const useAutoplayStore = create<AutoplayState>((set) => ({
+  activeParticle: null,
+  streamId: null,
+  play: (particle, streamId) => set({ activeParticle: particle, streamId }),
+  stop: () => set({ activeParticle: null, streamId: null }),
+}));