diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/AbstractPlayerService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/AbstractPlayerService.kt
index 91d3b71290..763dd26b81 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/AbstractPlayerService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/AbstractPlayerService.kt
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@ import androidx.core.os.bundleOf
 import androidx.core.os.postDelayed
 import androidx.media3.common.C
 import androidx.media3.common.ForwardingPlayer
-import androidx.media3.common.MediaItem
 import androidx.media3.common.MediaMetadata
 import androidx.media3.common.PlaybackException
 import androidx.media3.common.Player
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@ abstract class AbstractPlayerService : MediaLibraryService(), MediaLibrarySessio
     var trackSelector: DefaultTrackSelector? = null
 
     lateinit var videoId: String
-        private set
 
     var isTransitioning = false
         private set
@@ -199,28 +197,26 @@ abstract class AbstractPlayerService : MediaLibraryService(), MediaLibrarySessio
         }
     }
 
-    private fun navigateVideo(videoId: String) {
+    /**
+     * Clear the currently playing video and start playing the new provided [videoId]
+     *
+     * If overriding, clearing old data must be done BEFORE calling [super.navigateVideo()]!
+     */
+    @CallSuper
+    open fun navigateVideo(videoId: String) {
+        updatePlaylistMetadata {
+            setExtras(bundleOf(IntentData.videoId to videoId))
+        }
+
         exoPlayer?.clearMediaItems()
 
-        setVideoId(videoId)
+        this.videoId = videoId
 
         CoroutineScope(Dispatchers.IO).launch {
             startPlayback()
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Update the [videoId] to the new videoId and change the playlist metadata
-     * to reflect that videoId change
-     */
-    protected open fun setVideoId(videoId: String) {
-        this.videoId = videoId
-
-        updatePlaylistMetadata {
-            setExtras(bundleOf(IntentData.videoId to videoId))
-        }
-    }
-
     protected fun updatePlaylistMetadata(updateAction: MediaMetadata.Builder.() -> Unit) {
         handler.post {
             exoPlayer?.playlistMetadata = MediaMetadata.Builder()
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OfflinePlayerService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OfflinePlayerService.kt
index 743190d4c7..862d233f9f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OfflinePlayerService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OfflinePlayerService.kt
@@ -79,14 +79,13 @@ open class OfflinePlayerService : AbstractPlayerService() {
 
         PlayingQueue.clear()
 
-        val videoId = if (shuffle) {
+        this.videoId = if (shuffle) {
             runBlocking(Dispatchers.IO) {
                 Database.downloadDao().getAll().filterByTab(downloadTab).randomOrNull()
             }?.download?.videoId
         } else {
             args.getString(IntentData.videoId)
         } ?: return
-        setVideoId(videoId)
 
         exoPlayer?.addListener(playerListener)
         trackSelector?.updateParameters {
@@ -208,11 +207,7 @@ open class OfflinePlayerService : AbstractPlayerService() {
             exoPlayer?.seekTo(0)
         } else if (PlayerHelper.isAutoPlayEnabled()) {
             val nextId = videoId ?: PlayingQueue.getNext() ?: return
-            setVideoId(nextId)
-
-            scope.launch {
-                startPlayback()
-            }
+            navigateVideo(nextId)
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OnlinePlayerService.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OnlinePlayerService.kt
index 93cb8dae07..3e92765f8e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OnlinePlayerService.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/services/OnlinePlayerService.kt
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ open class OnlinePlayerService : AbstractPlayerService() {
         isAudioOnlyPlayer = args.getBoolean(IntentData.audioOnly)
 
         // get the intent arguments
-        setVideoId(playerData.videoId)
+        this.videoId = playerData.videoId
         playlistId = playerData.playlistId
         channelId = playerData.channelId
         startTimestampSeconds = playerData.timestamp
@@ -197,11 +197,7 @@ open class OnlinePlayerService : AbstractPlayerService() {
         val nextVideo = nextId ?: PlayingQueue.getNext() ?: return
 
         // play new video on background
-        setVideoId(nextVideo)
-
-        scope.launch {
-            startPlayback()
-        }
+        navigateVideo(nextVideo)
     }
 
     /**
@@ -259,11 +255,11 @@ open class OnlinePlayerService : AbstractPlayerService() {
         }
     }
 
-    override fun setVideoId(videoId: String) {
-        super.setVideoId(videoId)
-
+    override fun navigateVideo(videoId: String) {
         this.streams = null
         this.sponsorBlockSegments = emptyList()
+
+        super.navigateVideo(videoId)
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
index a9b6d7e32f..32118c45fb 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/libretube/ui/fragments/PlayerFragment.kt
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ import androidx.core.graphics.drawable.toDrawable
 import androidx.core.net.toUri
 import androidx.core.os.bundleOf
 import androidx.core.os.postDelayed
-import androidx.core.view.SoftwareKeyboardControllerCompat
 import androidx.core.view.WindowCompat
 import androidx.core.view.isGone
 import androidx.core.view.isInvisible
@@ -49,7 +48,6 @@ import androidx.media3.common.MediaItem
 import androidx.media3.common.MediaMetadata
 import androidx.media3.common.PlaybackException
 import androidx.media3.common.Player
-import androidx.media3.common.Tracks
 import androidx.media3.session.MediaController
 import androidx.recyclerview.widget.LinearLayoutManager
 import com.github.libretube.R
@@ -82,7 +80,6 @@ import com.github.libretube.helpers.NavBarHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.NavigationHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.PlayerHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.PlayerHelper.getCurrentSegment
-import com.github.libretube.helpers.PreferenceHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.ProxyHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.ThemeHelper
 import com.github.libretube.helpers.WindowHelper
@@ -280,7 +277,10 @@ class PlayerFragment : Fragment(R.layout.fragment_player), OnlinePlayerOptions {
             // check if video has ended, next video is available and autoplay is enabled/the video is part of a played playlist.
             if (playbackState == Player.STATE_ENDED) {
                 playerBackgroundBinding.sbSkipBtn.isGone = true
-                if (PlayerHelper.isAutoPlayEnabled(playlistId != null) && autoPlayCountdownEnabled) {
+
+                // if the current tracks are empty, the player is transitioning at the moment
+                val isTransitioning = playerController.currentTracks.isEmpty
+                if (PlayerHelper.isAutoPlayEnabled(playlistId != null) && autoPlayCountdownEnabled && !isTransitioning) {
                     showAutoPlayCountdown()
                 } else {
                     binding.player.showControllerPermanently()