diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/playback-page-indicator.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/playback-page-indicator.tsx
index ac5bb80..10cfa27 100644
--- a/js/src/features/particles/playback-page-indicator.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/playback-page-indicator.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
 import { Avatar, AvatarFallback } from "@/components/ui/avatar";
 import {
   Tooltip,
@@ -15,6 +14,8 @@ interface PlaybackPageIndicatorProps {
   progress: number;
   onGoTo: (index: number) => void;
   presenceBySegment?: Map<number, HumanPresence[]>;
+  /** Render only avatars or only tracks. Omit to render both. */
+  layer?: "avatars" | "tracks";
 }
 
 export function PlaybackPageIndicator({
@@ -23,42 +24,47 @@ export function PlaybackPageIndicator({
   progress,
   onGoTo,
   presenceBySegment,
+  layer,
 }: PlaybackPageIndicatorProps) {
   if (total === 0) return null;
 
+  const showAvatars = layer !== "tracks";
+  const showTracks = layer !== "avatars";
+
   return (
     <div className="flex w-full items-end gap-px leading-none">
       {Array.from({ length: total }, (_, i) => {
         const presence = presenceBySegment?.get(i);
         return (
           <div key={i} className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-stretch">
-            {/* Presence avatars above the track */}
-            {presence && presence.length > 0 && (
+            {showAvatars && presence && presence.length > 0 && (
               <SegmentPresenceAvatars presence={presence} />
             )}
-            <button
-              onClick={(e) => {
-                e.stopPropagation();
-                onGoTo(i);
-              }}
-              className="group relative block h-3 w-full"
-            >
-              {/* Dim track */}
-              <div className="absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 h-[3px] bg-white/30 transition-all group-hover:h-1.5" />
-              {/* Fill */}
-              <div
-                className="absolute left-0 bottom-0 h-[3px] bg-white/90 transition-all group-hover:h-1.5"
-                style={{
-                  width:
-                    i < current
-                      ? "100%"
-                      : i === current
-                        ? `${progress * 100}%`
-                        : "0%",
-                  transition: i === current ? "width 300ms linear" : "none",
+            {showTracks && (
+              <button
+                onClick={(e) => {
+                  e.stopPropagation();
+                  onGoTo(i);
                 }}
-              />
-            </button>
+                className="group relative block h-3 w-full"
+              >
+                {/* Dim track */}
+                <div className="absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 h-[3px] bg-white/30 transition-all group-hover:h-1.5" />
+                {/* Fill */}
+                <div
+                  className="absolute left-0 bottom-0 h-[3px] bg-white/90 transition-all group-hover:h-1.5"
+                  style={{
+                    width:
+                      i < current
+                        ? "100%"
+                        : i === current
+                          ? `${progress * 100}%`
+                          : "0%",
+                    transition: i === current ? "width 300ms linear" : "none",
+                  }}
+                />
+              </button>
+            )}
           </div>
         );
       })}
diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/stream-view.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/stream-view.tsx
index 7f4751a..1e838a9 100644
--- a/js/src/features/particles/stream-view.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/stream-view.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { useState, useEffect, useEffectEvent, useCallback } from "react";
+import { useState, useEffect, useEffectEvent, useCallback, useRef } from "react";
 import { useNavigate } from "react-router-dom";
 import { useAuthStore } from "@/stores/auth-store";
 import { apiClient } from "@/api/client";
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import { RelativeTimestamp } from "@/components/relative-timestamp";
 import { useStreamPlayback } from "@/hooks/use-stream-playback";
 import { usePrefetchAdjacentMedia } from "@/hooks/use-prefetch-adjacent-media";
 import { usePresencePositions } from "@/hooks/use-presence-positions";
-import { getInitials } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { cn, getInitials } from "@/lib/utils";
 
 function getParticleDisplayName(particle: Particle): string {
   switch (particle.type) {
@@ -132,6 +132,19 @@ export function StreamView({ path, streamParticle }: StreamViewProps) {
   const [composeActive, setComposeActive] = useState(false);
   const [progress, setProgress] = useState(0);
 
+  // Show/hide chrome on mouse activity (YouTube-style)
+  const [showControls, setShowControls] = useState(true);
+  const idleTimerRef = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>(undefined);
+  const handleMouseActivity = useCallback(() => {
+    setShowControls(true);
+    clearTimeout(idleTimerRef.current);
+    idleTimerRef.current = setTimeout(() => setShowControls(false), 3000);
+  }, []);
+  useEffect(() => () => clearTimeout(idleTimerRef.current), []);
+
+  // Always show controls when compose is active or exit countdown is visible
+  const controlsVisible = showControls || composeActive || status === "ended";
+
   const handleExitNavigate = useCallback(() => {
     navigate(`/${networkId}`);
   }, [navigate, networkId]);
@@ -271,13 +284,15 @@ export function StreamView({ path, streamParticle }: StreamViewProps) {
   }
 
   return (
-    <div className="relative flex h-screen flex-col bg-black text-white">
-      {/* Top gradient safe zone — keeps progress bar & breadcrumbs readable */}
+    <div
+      className="relative flex h-screen flex-col overflow-hidden bg-black text-white"
+      onMouseMove={handleMouseActivity}
+      onMouseLeave={() => setShowControls(false)}
+    >
+      {/* Top gradient safe zone */}
       <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 top-0 z-[5] h-32 bg-gradient-to-b from-black/60 to-transparent" />
 
-      {/* Bottom gradient safe zone — keeps captions & controls readable */}
-      <div className="pointer-events-none absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-[5] h-48 bg-gradient-to-t from-black/60 to-transparent" />
-
+      {/* TopBar — always visible */}
       <div className="z-10 absolute left-0 right-0 mt-3">
         <TopBar networkId={networkId} particle={currentParticle} streamParticle={streamParticle} />
       </div>
@@ -301,36 +316,77 @@ export function StreamView({ path, streamParticle }: StreamViewProps) {
         onParticleCreated={onLocalParticleCreated}
       />
 
-      {/* Bottom-left: metadata */}
-      <div className="absolute bottom-0 left-0 z-10 flex items-center gap-2 px-2 pb-2 text-xs text-white/70">
-        {exitRemainingMs !== null && (
-          <span className="rounded-full bg-black/30 px-2 py-1 backdrop-blur-sm">
-            Closing in {Math.ceil(exitRemainingMs / 1000)}s
-          </span>
-        )}
-      </div>
+      {/* BottomBar */}
+      <BottomBar
+        visible={controlsVisible}
+        total={children.length}
+        current={currentIndex}
+        progress={progress}
+        onGoTo={goTo}
+        presenceBySegment={presenceBySegment}
+        exitRemainingMs={exitRemainingMs}
+      />
+    </div>
+  );
+}
 
-      {/* Bottom-center: controls */}
-      <div className="absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-10 flex justify-center pb-3">
-        <ControlsIndicator type="reply" showEscape={true}>
-          <span>
-            <kbd className="rounded bg-white/10 px-1.5 py-0.5 font-mono text-xs">
-              H
-            </kbd>{" "}
-            huddle
-          </span>
-        </ControlsIndicator>
-      </div>
-
-      {/* Progress indicator — bottom */}
-      <div className="z-10 absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 mb-12">
+function BottomBar({
+  visible,
+  total,
+  current,
+  progress,
+  onGoTo,
+  presenceBySegment,
+  exitRemainingMs,
+}: {
+  visible: boolean;
+  total: number;
+  current: number;
+  progress: number;
+  onGoTo: (index: number) => void;
+  presenceBySegment: Map<number, import("@/hooks/use-presence-positions").HumanPresence[]>;
+  exitRemainingMs: number | null;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <div className={cn(
+      "absolute inset-x-0 bottom-0 z-10 transition-all duration-300",
+      visible ? "opacity-100 translate-y-0" : "opacity-0 translate-y-2 pointer-events-none",
+    )}>
+      {/* Presence avatars — above the blurred background */}
+      <PlaybackPageIndicator
+        total={total}
+        current={current}
+        progress={progress}
+        onGoTo={onGoTo}
+        presenceBySegment={presenceBySegment}
+        layer="avatars"
+      />
+      {/* Blurred background container — tracks + controls */}
+      <div className="pb-3">
         <PlaybackPageIndicator
-          total={children.length}
-          current={currentIndex}
+          total={total}
+          current={current}
           progress={progress}
-          onGoTo={goTo}
-          presenceBySegment={presenceBySegment}
+          onGoTo={onGoTo}
+          layer="tracks"
         />
+        <div className="flex items-center justify-center px-3 pt-2">
+          <ControlsIndicator type="reply" showEscape={true}>
+            <span>
+              <kbd className="rounded bg-white/10 px-1.5 py-0.5 font-mono text-xs">
+                H
+              </kbd>{" "}
+              huddle
+            </span>
+          </ControlsIndicator>
+        </div>
+        {exitRemainingMs !== null && (
+          <div className="flex justify-center pt-1">
+            <span className="rounded-full bg-black/30 px-2 py-1 text-xs text-white/70 backdrop-blur-sm">
+              Closing in {Math.ceil(exitRemainingMs / 1000)}s
+            </span>
+          </div>
+        )}
       </div>
     </div>
   );
diff --git a/js/src/features/particles/transcript-overlay.tsx b/js/src/features/particles/transcript-overlay.tsx
index ee3a944..e18a1fc 100644
--- a/js/src/features/particles/transcript-overlay.tsx
+++ b/js/src/features/particles/transcript-overlay.tsx
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ export function TranscriptOverlay({
   return (
     <div className={centered
       ? "absolute inset-0 flex items-center justify-center px-6"
-      : "absolute bottom-17 left-0 right-0 flex justify-center px-6"
+      : "absolute bottom-15 left-0 right-0 flex justify-center px-6"
     }>
       <p className="rounded-lg px-5 py-3 text-2xl text-center max-w-lg">
         {activeChunk.map((word, i) => {