diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/PictureInPictureUtil.kt b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/PictureInPictureUtil.kt
index 5e36ef2582..3eba51dd75 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/PictureInPictureUtil.kt
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/PictureInPictureUtil.kt
@@ -24,13 +24,18 @@ import com.brentvatne.common.toolbox.DebugLog
 import com.brentvatne.receiver.PictureInPictureReceiver
 import com.facebook.react.uimanager.ThemedReactContext
 
-internal fun Context.findActivity(): ComponentActivity {
+internal fun Context.findActivity(): ComponentActivity? {
     var context = this
     while (context is ContextWrapper) {
         if (context is ComponentActivity) return context
         context = context.baseContext
     }
-    throw IllegalStateException("Picture in picture should be called in the context of an Activity")
+    // Fallback: ThemedReactContext stores the activity separately from the ContextWrapper chain
+    if (this is ThemedReactContext) {
+        val activity = this.getCurrentActivity()
+        if (activity is ComponentActivity) return activity
+    }
+    return null
 }
 
 object PictureInPictureUtil {
@@ -39,7 +44,7 @@ object PictureInPictureUtil {
 
     @JvmStatic
     fun addLifecycleEventListener(context: ThemedReactContext, view: ReactExoplayerView): Runnable {
-        val activity = context.findActivity()
+        val activity = context.findActivity() ?: return Runnable {}
 
         val onPictureInPictureModeChanged = Consumer<PictureInPictureModeChangedInfo> { info ->
             view.setIsInPictureInPicture(info.isInPictureInPictureMode)
@@ -73,16 +78,17 @@ object PictureInPictureUtil {
     @JvmStatic
     fun enterPictureInPictureMode(context: ThemedReactContext, pictureInPictureParams: PictureInPictureParams?) {
         if (!isSupportPictureInPicture(context)) return
+        val activity = context.findActivity() ?: return
         if (isSupportPictureInPictureAction() && pictureInPictureParams != null) {
             try {
-                context.findActivity().enterPictureInPictureMode(pictureInPictureParams)
+                activity.enterPictureInPictureMode(pictureInPictureParams)
             } catch (e: IllegalStateException) {
                 DebugLog.e(TAG, e.toString())
             }
         } else if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.N) {
             try {
                 @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
-                context.findActivity().enterPictureInPictureMode()
+                activity.enterPictureInPictureMode()
             } catch (e: IllegalStateException) {
                 DebugLog.e(TAG, e.toString())
             }
@@ -119,8 +125,9 @@ object PictureInPictureUtil {
     private fun updatePictureInPictureActions(context: ThemedReactContext, pipParams: PictureInPictureParams) {
         if (!isSupportPictureInPictureAction()) return
         if (!isSupportPictureInPicture(context)) return
+        val activity = context.findActivity() ?: return
         try {
-            context.findActivity().setPictureInPictureParams(pipParams)
+            activity.setPictureInPictureParams(pipParams)
         } catch (e: IllegalStateException) {
             DebugLog.e(TAG, e.toString())
         }
@@ -196,7 +203,7 @@ object PictureInPictureUtil {
     }
 
     private fun checkIsUserAllowPIP(context: ThemedReactContext): Boolean {
-        val activity = context.currentActivity ?: return false
+        val activity = context.getCurrentActivity() ?: return false
         return if (Build.VERSION.SDK_INT >= Build.VERSION_CODES.O) {
             @SuppressLint("InlinedApi")
             val result = AppOpsManagerCompat.noteOpNoThrow(
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
index e16ac96d8a..3fe22bc69e 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
@@ -88,6 +88,9 @@
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.DefaultMediaSourceFactory;
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.MediaSource;
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.MergingMediaSource;
+import androidx.media3.extractor.Extractor;
+import androidx.media3.extractor.text.DefaultSubtitleParserFactory;
+import androidx.media3.extractor.text.SubtitleExtractor;
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.ProgressiveMediaSource;
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.TrackGroupArray;
 import androidx.media3.exoplayer.source.ads.AdsMediaSource;
@@ -1144,12 +1147,48 @@ private MediaSource buildMediaSource(Uri uri, String overrideExtension, DrmSessi
                 ? overridenMediaItemBuilder.build()
                 : mediaItemBuilder.build();
 
+        // Strip subtitle configurations before handing the MediaItem to the factory so that
+        // no factory variant (including overridden DefaultMediaSourceFactory) creates its own
+        // subtitle sources via legacy paths. We handle all subtitle merging below.
+        MediaItem mediaItemForSource = mediaItem.buildUpon()
+                .setSubtitleConfigurations(ImmutableList.of())
+                .build();
         MediaSource mediaSource = mediaSourceFactory
                 .setDrmSessionManagerProvider(drmProvider)
                 .setLoadErrorHandlingPolicy(
                         config.buildLoadErrorHandlingPolicy(source.getMinLoadRetryCount())
                 )
-                .createMediaSource(mediaItem);
+                .createMediaSource(mediaItemForSource);
+
+        // ProgressiveMediaSource.Factory (and HLS/DASH variants) silently ignore
+        // MediaItem.SubtitleConfiguration entries. Manually merge sideloaded subtitle
+        // sources so they appear in MappedTrackInfo and can be selected via setSelectedTextTrack.
+        if (mediaItem.localConfiguration != null && !mediaItem.localConfiguration.subtitleConfigurations.isEmpty()) {
+            DataSource.Factory subtitleDataSourceFactory = buildDataSourceFactory(false);
+            DefaultSubtitleParserFactory subtitleParserFactory = new DefaultSubtitleParserFactory();
+            List<MediaSource> mergedSources = new ArrayList<>();
+            mergedSources.add(mediaSource);
+            for (MediaItem.SubtitleConfiguration subtitleConfig : mediaItem.localConfiguration.subtitleConfigurations) {
+                Format subtitleFormat = new Format.Builder()
+                        .setSampleMimeType(subtitleConfig.mimeType)
+                        .setLanguage(subtitleConfig.language)
+                        .setLabel(subtitleConfig.label)
+                        .setSelectionFlags(subtitleConfig.selectionFlags)
+                        .setRoleFlags(subtitleConfig.roleFlags)
+                        .build();
+                if (!subtitleParserFactory.supportsFormat(subtitleFormat)) {
+                    DebugLog.w(TAG, "Skipping sideloaded subtitle track with unsupported format: " + subtitleConfig.mimeType);
+                    continue;
+                }
+                mergedSources.add(new ProgressiveMediaSource.Factory(
+                        subtitleDataSourceFactory,
+                        () -> new Extractor[]{new SubtitleExtractor(subtitleParserFactory.create(subtitleFormat), subtitleFormat)}
+                ).createMediaSource(MediaItem.fromUri(subtitleConfig.uri)));
+            }
+            if (mergedSources.size() > 1) {
+                mediaSource = new MergingMediaSource(mergedSources.toArray(new MediaSource[0]));
+            }
+        }
 
         if (cropStartMs >= 0 && cropEndMs >= 0) {
             return new ClippingMediaSource(mediaSource, cropStartMs * 1000, cropEndMs * 1000);