diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index 8576367b..0b094550 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.60.10
+0.61.0
diff --git a/backend/app/routes/channels.py b/backend/app/routes/channels.py
index 2bb2c1ba..f3626d55 100644
--- a/backend/app/routes/channels.py
+++ b/backend/app/routes/channels.py
@@ -230,6 +230,7 @@ def _channel_detail_dict(
     blocked: bool,
     stored: int,
     deep_requested: bool,
+    priority: int,
     tag_ids: list[int],
 ) -> dict:
     return {
@@ -255,6 +256,9 @@ def _channel_detail_dict(
         # Deep-backfill state, so the channel page can offer "get full history" when the catalog
         # holds only the recent-backfill/RSS subset (video_count is YouTube's raw total).
         "deep_requested": deep_requested,
+        # This user's per-subscription feed priority (0 when not subscribed) so the channel page can
+        # offer the same priority stepper as the manager. Editable only while subscribed.
+        "priority": priority,
         "backfill_done": channel.backfill_done,
         "from_explore": channel.from_explore,
         "details_synced": channel.details_synced_at is not None,
@@ -315,6 +319,7 @@ def channel_detail(
         blocked=blocked,
         stored=int(stored),
         deep_requested=bool(sub.deep_requested) if sub else False,
+        priority=int(sub.priority) if sub else 0,
         tag_ids=tag_ids,
     )
 
diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index e792daa6..0475ee4b 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -92,10 +92,6 @@ export default function App() {
   // Collapse state for the two full-height panels (left nav + filter sidebar). Persisted to the
   // user's preferences so it follows the account across devices; a localStorage cache seeds the
   // initial render synchronously so nothing flashes open before the server prefs arrive.
-  // Default unpinned (slim + hover-expand overlay); accounts that explicitly pin keep their choice.
-  const [navCollapsed, setNavCollapsedState] = useState<boolean>(() =>
-    Boolean(readAccount(LS.navCollapsed, true)),
-  );
   // Default unpinned (tab + hover-expand overlay); accounts that explicitly pin keep their choice.
   const [filterCollapsed, setFilterCollapsedState] = useState<boolean>(() =>
     Boolean(readAccount(LS.filterCollapsed, true)),
@@ -104,11 +100,6 @@ export default function App() {
   const [playlistsCollapsed, setPlaylistsCollapsedState] = useState<boolean>(() =>
     Boolean(readAccount(LS.playlistsCollapsed, true)),
   );
-  function setNavCollapsed(next: boolean) {
-    setNavCollapsedState(next);
-    writeAccount(LS.navCollapsed, next);
-    api.savePrefs({ navCollapsed: next }).catch(() => {});
-  }
   function setFilterCollapsed(next: boolean) {
     setFilterCollapsedState(next);
     writeAccount(LS.filterCollapsed, next);
@@ -236,10 +227,6 @@ export default function App() {
         saveLayoutLocal(p, l);
       }
     });
-    if (typeof prefs.navCollapsed === "boolean") {
-      setNavCollapsedState(prefs.navCollapsed);
-      writeAccount(LS.navCollapsed, prefs.navCollapsed);
-    }
     if (typeof prefs.filterCollapsed === "boolean") {
       setFilterCollapsedState(prefs.filterCollapsed);
       writeAccount(LS.filterCollapsed, prefs.filterCollapsed);
@@ -346,8 +333,6 @@ export default function App() {
         onOpenAbout={() => setAboutOpen(true)}
         onChangeLanguage={changeLanguage}
         language={i18n.language as LangCode}
-        collapsed={navCollapsed}
-        onToggleCollapse={() => setNavCollapsed(!navCollapsed)}
       />
       {/* The active page's side rail (feed filters / plex filters / playlists list), if it has one.
           A floating collapsible column beside the nav rail; hidden while a channel page overlays the
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/ChannelPage.tsx b/frontend/src/components/ChannelPage.tsx
index ef4dac60..34b6682a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/ChannelPage.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/ChannelPage.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
 import { useNavigationActions } from "./NavigationProvider";
+import { PriorityStepper } from "./PriorityStepper";
+import { useChannelPriority } from "../lib/useChannelPriority";
 import {
   ArrowLeft,
   Ban,
@@ -168,6 +170,22 @@ export default function ChannelPage({
     onError: (err) => notifyYouTubeActionError(err, t("channel.fullHistoryFailed")),
   });
 
+  // Feed priority, editable here with the same stepper + debounced-flush the manager uses (shared
+  // hook so the two can't drift). Optimistic on this channel's detail cache; a success re-sorts the
+  // manager list + feed, a failure reverts by refetching the detail.
+  const { setPriority, bumpPriority } = useChannelPriority({
+    read: (id) => qc.getQueryData<ChannelDetail>(qk.channel(id))?.priority,
+    optimistic: (id, next) =>
+      qc.setQueryData<ChannelDetail>(qk.channel(id), (old) =>
+        old ? { ...old, priority: next } : old,
+      ),
+    onSuccess: () => {
+      qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.channels() });
+      qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.feed() });
+    },
+    onError: (id) => qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.channel(id) }),
+  });
+
   // Personal tags, editable right here (the same control + flow the channel manager uses). Optimistic
   // on this channel's detail cache; a failed attach/detach reverts by refetching, and a success
   // invalidates the manager list so a tag added here shows there too.
@@ -380,6 +398,16 @@ export default function ChannelPage({
                   <SlidersHorizontal className="w-4 h-4" />
                 </button>
               )}
+              {ch?.subscribed && !me.is_demo && (
+                <div className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 h-9 px-2.5 rounded-lg border border-border">
+                  <span className="text-xs text-muted">{t("channels.cols.priority")}</span>
+                  <PriorityStepper
+                    priority={ch.priority}
+                    onPriority={(d) => bumpPriority(channelId, d)}
+                    onSet={(v) => setPriority(channelId, v)}
+                  />
+                </div>
+              )}
               {/* Only the recent subset is stored → offer to pull the channel's full back-catalogue.
                 Once queued (deep_requested) it shows as loading; hidden once the backfill is done. */}
               {ch?.subscribed && !ch.backfill_done && !me.is_demo && (
@@ -396,7 +424,7 @@ export default function ChannelPage({
                   ) : (
                     <History className="w-4 h-4" />
                   )}
-                  <span className="hidden sm:inline">
+                  <span className="hidden sm:inline whitespace-nowrap">
                     {ch.deep_requested ? t("channel.fullHistoryLoading") : t("channel.fullHistory")}
                   </span>
                 </button>
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
index 4068bb96..fe388946 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Channels.tsx
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { useMutation, useQuery, useQueryClient } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
 import {
-  ArrowDown,
-  ArrowUp,
   Ban,
   Check,
   Eye,
@@ -24,11 +22,13 @@ import { formatEta, formatTotalHours, relativeTime } from "../lib/format";
 import { subsColumn } from "./channelColumns";
 import { notify } from "../lib/notifications";
 import Tooltip from "./Tooltip";
+import { PriorityStepper } from "./PriorityStepper";
 import DataTable, { type Column } from "./DataTable";
 import ChannelLayoutGrid from "./ChannelLayoutGrid";
 import { LoadingState, StateMessage } from "./QueryState";
 import { ChannelTagsControl } from "./ChannelTags";
 import { useChannelTagActions } from "../lib/useChannelTagActions";
+import { useChannelPriority } from "../lib/useChannelPriority";
 import ViewSwitcher, { type ViewOption } from "./ViewSwitcher";
 import ColumnSortControl from "./ColumnSortControl";
 import Pager from "./Pager";
@@ -144,56 +144,19 @@ export default function Channels() {
       qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.feedCount() });
     },
   });
-  // Priority is updated optimistically in place and NOT re-sorted/refetched, so the list
-  // doesn't jump (the server list is priority-sorted; refetching would reorder rows and
-  // lose your scroll position). The new order takes effect next time the page loads.
-  // Press-and-hold fires many bumps, so the PATCH is DEBOUNCED per channel: each bump reads the
-  // accumulated value from the cache, and the server call flushes once ~400ms after the last step
-  // (instead of one request per notch). Pending flushes are fired on unmount so a last-moment bump
-  // isn't lost.
-  const prioFlush = useRef<Map<string, ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>>(new Map());
-  const flushPriority = (id: string) => {
-    const latest = qc
-      .getQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(qk.channels())
-      ?.find((c) => c.id === id)?.priority;
-    if (latest == null) return;
-    api
-      .updateChannel(id, { priority: latest })
-      .catch(() => qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.channels() }));
-  };
-  // Set an absolute priority (used by both the arrows — via bumpPriority — and the inline edit),
-  // optimistically + a debounced flush.
-  const setPriority = (id: string, next: number) => {
-    qc.setQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(qk.channels(), (old) =>
-      (old ?? []).map((ch) => (ch.id === id ? { ...ch, priority: next } : ch)),
-    );
-    const timers = prioFlush.current;
-    const pending = timers.get(id);
-    if (pending) clearTimeout(pending);
-    timers.set(
-      id,
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        timers.delete(id);
-        flushPriority(id);
-      }, 400),
-    );
-  };
-  const bumpPriority = (id: string, delta: number) => {
-    const cur =
-      qc.getQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(qk.channels())?.find((c) => c.id === id)?.priority ?? 0;
-    setPriority(id, cur + delta);
-  };
-  useEffect(() => {
-    const timers = prioFlush.current;
-    return () => {
-      timers.forEach((timer, id) => {
-        clearTimeout(timer);
-        flushPriority(id);
-      });
-      timers.clear();
-    };
-    // eslint-disable-next-line react-hooks/exhaustive-deps
-  }, []);
+  // Priority is updated optimistically in place and NOT re-sorted/refetched, so the list doesn't
+  // jump (the server list is priority-sorted; refetching would reorder rows and lose your scroll
+  // position). The new order takes effect next time the page loads. Press-and-hold is debounced +
+  // flushed on unmount by the shared hook (same flow the channel detail page uses).
+  const { setPriority, bumpPriority } = useChannelPriority({
+    read: (id) =>
+      qc.getQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(qk.channels())?.find((c) => c.id === id)?.priority,
+    optimistic: (id, next) =>
+      qc.setQueryData<ManagedChannel[]>(qk.channels(), (old) =>
+        (old ?? []).map((ch) => (ch.id === id ? { ...ch, priority: next } : ch)),
+      ),
+    onError: () => qc.invalidateQueries({ queryKey: qk.channels() }),
+  });
 
   // Tagging is updated optimistically in place (no refetch of the whole channel list, which
   // made the toggle feel ~2s slow); only revert by refetching if the server call fails. The
@@ -332,8 +295,8 @@ export default function Channels() {
       sortValue: (c) => c.priority,
       filter: { kind: "select", options: prioOptions, test: (c, v) => String(c.priority) === v },
       render: (c) => (
-        <PriorityCell
-          c={c}
+        <PriorityStepper
+          priority={c.priority}
           onPriority={(d) => bumpPriority(c.id, d)}
           onSet={(v) => setPriority(c.id, v)}
         />
@@ -815,161 +778,6 @@ function SyncBadge({ ok, label, hint }: { ok: boolean; label: string; hint?: str
   );
 }
 
-// Module-level (NOT defined inside PriorityCell) so its identity is stable across PriorityCell
-// re-renders — otherwise every hold-repeat tick would remount the button and drop the pointer
-// capture set on pointerdown, letting a hold run away if the pointer drifts off the arrow.
-function PriorityStepButton({
-  delta,
-  Icon,
-  label,
-  onHoldStart,
-  onStop,
-  onTap,
-}: {
-  delta: number;
-  Icon: typeof ArrowUp;
-  label: string;
-  onHoldStart: (delta: number) => void;
-  onStop: () => void;
-  onTap: (delta: number) => void;
-}) {
-  return (
-    <button
-      onPointerDown={(e) => {
-        // Keep receiving pointer events even if the pointer drifts off the small button mid-hold.
-        try {
-          e.currentTarget.setPointerCapture(e.pointerId);
-        } catch {
-          /* invalid pointer id (e.g. synthetic events) — capture is a nicety, not required */
-        }
-        onHoldStart(delta);
-      }}
-      onPointerUp={onStop}
-      onPointerCancel={onStop}
-      onClick={() => onTap(delta)}
-      className="text-muted hover:text-accent leading-none"
-      aria-label={label}
-    >
-      <Icon className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
-    </button>
-  );
-}
-
-function PriorityCell({
-  c,
-  onPriority,
-  onSet,
-}: {
-  c: ManagedChannel;
-  onPriority: (delta: number) => void;
-  onSet: (value: number) => void;
-}) {
-  const { t } = useTranslation();
-  const [editing, setEditing] = useState(false);
-  const [draft, setDraft] = useState("");
-  const holdDelay = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
-  const holdRepeat = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
-  const suppressClick = useRef(false);
-
-  const stop = useCallback(() => {
-    if (holdDelay.current) clearTimeout(holdDelay.current);
-    if (holdRepeat.current) clearTimeout(holdRepeat.current);
-    holdDelay.current = holdRepeat.current = null;
-  }, []);
-  useEffect(() => stop, [stop]); // clear any running timers on unmount
-
-  // Hold past a threshold → auto-repeat at an accelerating rate, and suppress the trailing click so
-  // a hold doesn't double-count its final notch. A quick tap never crosses the threshold, so it
-  // falls through to onClick — which also keeps the keyboard path (Enter/Space) working.
-  const start = (delta: number) => {
-    suppressClick.current = false;
-    holdDelay.current = setTimeout(() => {
-      suppressClick.current = true;
-      let rate = 140;
-      const tick = () => {
-        onPriority(delta);
-        rate = Math.max(40, rate - 12);
-        holdRepeat.current = setTimeout(tick, rate);
-      };
-      tick();
-    }, 350);
-  };
-  const onTap = (delta: number) => {
-    if (suppressClick.current) {
-      suppressClick.current = false;
-      return;
-    }
-    onPriority(delta);
-  };
-
-  const commitEdit = () => {
-    const parsed = parseInt(draft, 10);
-    if (!Number.isNaN(parsed) && parsed !== c.priority) onSet(parsed);
-    setEditing(false);
-  };
-  const beginEdit = () => {
-    setDraft(String(c.priority));
-    setEditing(true);
-  };
-
-  // The value sits to the LEFT of the arrows (not between them) so the cursor — which rests on the
-  // arrows while you press-and-hold — never covers the live value you're setting. Clicking the value
-  // opens an inline edit to type any integer directly (negatives allowed).
-  return (
-    <Tooltip hint={t("channels.row.priorityHint")}>
-      <div className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 cursor-help">
-        {/* The number keeps its footprint (w-6) whether displayed or editing; the input is absolutely
-          positioned OVER it (out of flow) so opening the editor never changes the row height/width —
-          it just overlays, extending left for a longer number. */}
-        <span className="relative inline-block w-6 h-5 text-right leading-5">
-          <button
-            onClick={beginEdit}
-            aria-label={t("channels.row.editPriority")}
-            title={t("channels.row.editPriority")}
-            className={`text-sm font-medium tabular-nums hover:text-accent ${editing ? "invisible" : ""}`}
-          >
-            {c.priority}
-          </button>
-          {editing && (
-            <input
-              type="number"
-              value={draft}
-              autoFocus
-              onFocus={(e) => e.currentTarget.select()}
-              onChange={(e) => setDraft(e.target.value)}
-              onBlur={commitEdit}
-              onKeyDown={(e) => {
-                if (e.key === "Enter") commitEdit();
-                else if (e.key === "Escape") setEditing(false);
-              }}
-              aria-label={t("channels.row.priorityHint")}
-              className="absolute top-1/2 right-0 -translate-y-1/2 w-14 h-6 text-sm font-medium tabular-nums text-right bg-card border border-accent rounded-sm px-1 outline-hidden z-popover [appearance:textfield] [&::-webkit-inner-spin-button]:appearance-none"
-            />
-          )}
-        </span>
-        <span className="inline-flex flex-col">
-          <PriorityStepButton
-            delta={1}
-            Icon={ArrowUp}
-            label={t("channels.row.raisePriority")}
-            onHoldStart={start}
-            onStop={stop}
-            onTap={onTap}
-          />
-          <PriorityStepButton
-            delta={-1}
-            Icon={ArrowDown}
-            label={t("channels.row.lowerPriority")}
-            onHoldStart={start}
-            onStop={stop}
-            onTap={onTap}
-          />
-        </span>
-      </div>
-    </Tooltip>
-  );
-}
-
 // Status only — the backfill *action* lives in the Actions column. When both recent and
 // full history are in, collapse to a single "fully synced" chip; otherwise show what's
 // present plus the missing/queued state.
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx b/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
index 0f9642b7..6d31f480 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/NavSidebar.tsx
@@ -3,16 +3,7 @@ import { qk } from "../lib/queryKeys";
 import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
 import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
 import { useNavigation, useNavigationActions } from "./NavigationProvider";
-import {
-  Info,
-  LogOut,
-  Pin,
-  PinOff,
-  Settings,
-  Shield,
-  UserPlus,
-  type LucideIcon,
-} from "lucide-react";
+import { Info, LogOut, Settings, Shield, UserPlus, type LucideIcon } from "lucide-react";
 import { api, clearActiveAccount, setActiveAccount, type Me } from "../lib/api";
 import * as e2ee from "../lib/e2ee";
 import { useLiveQuery } from "../lib/useLiveQuery";
@@ -20,42 +11,33 @@ import { getUnreadCount, subscribe } from "../lib/notifications";
 import type { Page } from "../lib/urlState";
 import { moduleDef, moduleLabelKey, moduleOrder, SYSTEM_PAGES } from "../lib/modules";
 import { useScrollFade } from "../lib/useScrollFade";
-import { useHoverFocusWithin } from "../lib/useHoverFocusWithin";
 import { type LangCode } from "../i18n";
 import AvatarImg from "./Avatar";
+import Tooltip from "./Tooltip";
 import LanguageSwitcher from "./LanguageSwitcher";
 import { PopoverSurface, useAnchoredPopover } from "./AnchoredPopover";
 
-// Primary app navigation: a collapsible left rail with icon+label entries (Design C). The
-// modules used to hide under the avatar dropdown; they now live here. Collapsed, it becomes
-// a thin icon-only rail. Account actions sit at the bottom in a popover.
+// Primary app navigation: a thin icon-only left rail. The modules used to hide under the avatar
+// dropdown; they now live here, each revealing its name in a hover/focus flyout label. Account
+// actions sit at the bottom in a popover.
 export default function NavSidebar({
   me,
   onOpenAbout,
   onChangeLanguage,
   language,
-  collapsed,
-  onToggleCollapse,
 }: {
   me: Me;
   onOpenAbout: () => void;
   onChangeLanguage: (code: LangCode) => void;
   language: LangCode;
-  // Collapse state is owned by App (persisted to the user's preferences); the rail just reflects
-  // it and asks App to flip it.
-  collapsed: boolean;
-  onToggleCollapse: () => void;
 }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const { page } = useNavigation();
   const { setPage } = useNavigationActions();
-  // When unpinned, the rail sits slim (icons only) and peeks open into a labelled overlay on hover
-  // or keyboard focus WITHOUT pushing content. Pinned keeps it expanded in-flow like before.
-  // `collapsed` (persisted per-account) now means "unpinned".
-  const peek = useHoverFocusWithin();
-  const pinned = !collapsed;
-  const expanded = pinned || peek.active;
-  const slim = !expanded; // visual: icon-only rail
+  // The rail is ALWAYS a thin icon-only column flush against the left edge. There is no
+  // expanded/pinned mode anymore — instead each icon reveals a floating name label on hover or
+  // keyboard focus (a rest-to-show flyout via Tooltip), so the names are one glance away without the
+  // rail ever growing.
   const [acctOpen, setAcctOpen] = useState(false);
   // The account panel holds mixed content with its own tab order (profile, account switches, two
   // actions), so it is a `dialog` popover, not a roving menu. It portals out of the nav — whose
@@ -187,102 +169,57 @@ export default function NavSidebar({
     const badgeColor = active ? "bg-accent-fg text-accent" : "bg-accent text-accent-fg";
     const show = !!badge && badge > 0;
     return (
-      <button
-        key={p}
-        data-testid={`nav-${p}`}
-        onClick={() => setPage(p)}
-        title={slim ? label : undefined}
-        aria-current={active ? "page" : undefined}
-        className={`${rowBase} ${slim ? "justify-center px-0" : ""} relative is-current`}
-      >
-        <span className="relative shrink-0">
-          <Icon className="w-4.5 h-4.5" />
-          {/* Collapsed rail: a numeric badge centred on a circle at the icon corner; the ring
-              matches the row background so it reads cleanly whether the row is active or not. */}
-          {show && slim && (
-            <span
-              className={`absolute -top-2 -right-2 min-w-4 h-4 px-1 rounded-full text-3xs font-bold leading-none grid place-items-center ring-2 ${badgeColor} ${
-                active ? "ring-accent" : "ring-bg"
-              }`}
-            >
-              {badge > 9 ? "9+" : badge}
-            </span>
-          )}
-        </span>
-        {!slim && <span className="truncate">{label}</span>}
-        {show && !slim && (
-          <span
-            className={`ml-auto min-w-4.5 h-4.5 px-1.5 rounded-full text-2xs font-semibold leading-none inline-flex items-center justify-center tabular-nums ${badgeColor}`}
-          >
-            {badge > 99 ? "99+" : badge}
+      // The name rides in a right-side flyout on hover (rest-to-show), so the rail stays icon-only.
+      <Tooltip key={p} hint={label} side="right" always openDelay={350}>
+        <button
+          data-testid={`nav-${p}`}
+          onClick={() => setPage(p)}
+          aria-label={label}
+          aria-current={active ? "page" : undefined}
+          className={`${rowBase} justify-center px-0 relative is-current`}
+        >
+          <span className="relative shrink-0">
+            <Icon className="w-4.5 h-4.5" />
+            {/* A numeric badge centred on a circle at the icon corner; the ring matches the row
+                background so it reads cleanly whether the row is active or not. */}
+            {show && (
+              <span
+                className={`absolute -top-2 -right-2 min-w-4 h-4 px-1 rounded-full text-3xs font-bold leading-none grid place-items-center ring-2 ${badgeColor} ${
+                  active ? "ring-accent" : "ring-bg"
+                }`}
+              >
+                {badge > 9 ? "9+" : badge}
+              </span>
+            )}
           </span>
-        )}
-      </button>
+        </button>
+      </Tooltip>
     );
   };
 
   return (
-    // Layout slot: reserves only the slim footprint when unpinned, so the expanded rail (below)
-    // overlays content instead of pushing it. Pinned reserves the full width (in-flow).
-    <div className={`relative shrink-0 transition-[width] ${pinned ? "w-58" : "w-20"}`}>
+    // Slim icon rail, flush against the left viewport edge (only top/bottom margin), never grows.
+    // The slot is exactly the card's width so the filter tab/bar docks flush against its right edge.
+    <div className="relative shrink-0 w-14">
       <nav
-        // Peek handlers sit on the CARD, not the slot: the slot is wider than the card by its
-        // margin, and a hover zone out there would fire from the dead space next to the rail —
-        // leaving the side panel to the left would pop the rail open with nothing under the cursor.
-        {...peek.handlers}
-        className={`glass absolute top-0 bottom-0 left-0 z-rail rounded-2xl flex flex-col py-3 m-3 transition-[width] ${
-          slim ? "w-14 px-2" : "w-52 px-3"
-        }`}
+        className="glass absolute top-0 bottom-0 left-0 z-rail rounded-2xl flex flex-col py-3 my-3 w-14 px-2"
         aria-label={t("nav.primary")}
       >
-        <div className={`flex items-center mb-3 ${slim ? "justify-center" : "justify-between"}`}>
-          {!slim && (
-            <button
-              onClick={() => setPage("feed")}
-              className="text-lg font-bold tracking-tight select-none cursor-pointer rounded-md -mx-1 px-1 hover:bg-card hover:opacity-90 transition"
-              title={t("header.feed")}
-            >
-              Sift<span className="text-accent">lode</span>
-            </button>
-          )}
-          <button
-            onClick={onToggleCollapse}
-            title={pinned ? t("nav.unpin") : t("nav.pin")}
-            aria-label={pinned ? t("nav.unpin") : t("nav.pin")}
-            className="p-1 rounded-md text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card transition"
-          >
-            {pinned ? <PinOff className="w-4 h-4" /> : <Pin className="w-4 h-4" />}
-          </button>
-        </div>
-
         <div
           ref={listFade.ref}
           className="flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-y-auto no-scrollbar flex flex-col gap-1"
           style={listFade.style}
         >
           {userItems.map(renderItem)}
-          {systemItems.length > 0 &&
-            (slim ? (
-              // Collapsed rail: a short, thicker centred rule is the clearest "new section" cue
-              // when there's no room for a label.
-              <div className="my-2 mx-auto w-7 border-t-2 border-border" />
-            ) : (
-              <div className="mt-4 mb-1 px-2.5 flex items-center gap-2">
-                <span className="text-3xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wider text-muted/70">
-                  {t("nav.adminSection")}
-                </span>
-                <span className="flex-1 border-t border-border" />
-              </div>
-            ))}
+          {systemItems.length > 0 && (
+            // A short, thicker centred rule is the clearest "new section" cue on an icon-only rail.
+            <div className="my-2 mx-auto w-7 border-t-2 border-border" />
+          )}
           {systemItems.map(renderItem)}
         </div>
 
         <div className="mt-2 pt-2 border-t border-border flex flex-col gap-1">
-          <div
-            className={`flex items-center justify-center gap-2 pb-2 mb-1 border-b border-border ${
-              slim ? "flex-col" : "flex-row"
-            }`}
-          >
+          <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center gap-2 pb-2 mb-1 border-b border-border">
             <LanguageSwitcher variant="rail" value={language} onChange={onChangeLanguage} />
             <button
               onClick={onOpenAbout}
@@ -301,23 +238,25 @@ export default function NavSidebar({
               <LogOut className="w-5 h-5" />
             </button>
           </div>
-          <button
-            data-testid="nav-settings"
-            onClick={() => setPage("settings")}
-            title={slim ? t("header.account.settings") : undefined}
-            aria-current={page === "settings" ? "page" : undefined}
-            className={`${rowBase} ${slim ? "justify-center px-0" : ""} is-current`}
-          >
-            <Settings className="w-4.5 h-4.5 shrink-0" />
-            {!slim && <span className="truncate">{t("header.account.settings")}</span>}
-          </button>
+          <Tooltip hint={t("header.account.settings")} side="right" always openDelay={350}>
+            <button
+              data-testid="nav-settings"
+              onClick={() => setPage("settings")}
+              aria-label={t("header.account.settings")}
+              aria-current={page === "settings" ? "page" : undefined}
+              className={`${rowBase} justify-center px-0 is-current`}
+            >
+              <Settings className="w-4.5 h-4.5 shrink-0" />
+            </button>
+          </Tooltip>
 
           <div>
             <button
               ref={acctPop.refs.setReference}
               {...acctPop.getReferenceProps()}
-              title={slim ? `${name} · ${roleLabel}` : undefined}
-              className={`${rowBase} ${slim ? "justify-center px-0" : ""} text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card`}
+              title={`${name} · ${roleLabel}`}
+              aria-label={`${name} · ${roleLabel}`}
+              className={`${rowBase} justify-center px-0 text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-card`}
             >
               <span className="relative shrink-0">
                 <AvatarImg
@@ -326,11 +265,6 @@ export default function NavSidebar({
                   className="w-5.5 h-5.5 rounded-full text-3xs"
                 />
               </span>
-              {!slim && (
-                <span title={roleLabel} className="truncate flex-1 text-left">
-                  {name}
-                </span>
-              )}
             </button>
 
             <PopoverSurface
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
index 67d3d226..02892b03 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexBrowse.tsx
@@ -473,7 +473,7 @@ function PlexPosterCard({
             onOpen();
           }
         }}
-        className="relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden bg-card border border-border cursor-pointer"
+        className="glass-card glass-hover relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden transition-all duration-200 cursor-pointer"
       >
         <img
           src={card.thumb}
@@ -566,7 +566,7 @@ function PlexPosterCard({
         className="mt-1.5 rounded-lg px-2 py-1.5 cursor-pointer"
         style={{ background: "color-mix(in srgb, var(--card) 60%, transparent)" }}
       >
-        <div className="text-sm font-medium line-clamp-2 leading-tight hover:text-accent">
+        <div className="text-sm font-medium line-clamp-2 leading-tight min-h-[2lh] hover:text-accent">
           {card.title}
         </div>
         <div className="text-xs text-muted">
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ function SeasonCard({
             onOpen();
           }
         }}
-        className="relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden bg-card border border-border cursor-pointer"
+        className="glass-card glass-hover relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden transition-all duration-200 cursor-pointer"
       >
         <img
           src={se.thumb}
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ function RelatedStrip({ related, onOpen }: { related: PlexCard[]; onOpen: (id: s
             onClick={() => onOpen(r.id)}
             className="group w-[130px] shrink-0 text-left"
           >
-            <div className="relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden bg-card border border-border">
+            <div className="glass-card glass-hover relative aspect-2/3 rounded-xl overflow-hidden transition-all duration-200">
               <img
                 src={r.thumb}
                 alt=""
@@ -862,7 +862,9 @@ function RelatedStrip({ related, onOpen }: { related: PlexCard[]; onOpen: (id: s
                 </span>
               )}
             </div>
-            <div className="mt-1.5 text-sm font-medium line-clamp-2 leading-tight">{r.title}</div>
+            <div className="mt-1.5 text-sm font-medium line-clamp-2 leading-tight min-h-[2lh]">
+              {r.title}
+            </div>
           </button>
         ))}
       </div>
@@ -1240,6 +1242,10 @@ function PlexSeasonView({
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false);
 
   const seasonKeys = se?.episodes.map((e) => e.id) ?? [];
+  // Play-through queue spans the WHOLE show (all seasons, in order) so a season's last episode rolls
+  // straight into the next season's first — the same cross-season order the show page already uses.
+  // seasonKeys stays only for the season-scoped "add to playlist" action.
+  const allKeys = (d?.seasons ?? []).flatMap((s) => s.episodes.map((e) => e.id));
   const watched = se?.status === "watched";
   const { artBg, showCast, toggleArtBg, toggleCast } = useDetailPrefs();
   useArtBackdrop(d?.show.art, artBg);
@@ -1282,7 +1288,7 @@ function PlexSeasonView({
               />
             </div>
             <button
-              onClick={() => se.resume && onPlay(se.resume.id, seasonKeys)}
+              onClick={() => se.resume && onPlay(se.resume.id, allKeys)}
               disabled={!se.resume}
               className="group/poster relative w-28 sm:w-40 shrink-0 self-start"
               title={se.status === "new" ? t("plex.play") : t("plex.resume")}
@@ -1313,7 +1319,7 @@ function PlexSeasonView({
                 {se.resume && (
                   <ActionBtn
                     primary
-                    onClick={() => onPlay(se.resume!.id, seasonKeys)}
+                    onClick={() => onPlay(se.resume!.id, allKeys)}
                     icon={Play}
                     label={se.status === "new" ? t("plex.play") : t("plex.resume")}
                     sub={epLabel(se.resume)}
@@ -1321,7 +1327,7 @@ function PlexSeasonView({
                 )}
                 {se.first && se.status !== "new" && (
                   <ActionBtn
-                    onClick={() => onPlay(se.first!.id, seasonKeys)}
+                    onClick={() => onPlay(se.first!.id, allKeys)}
                     icon={RotateCcw}
                     label={t("plex.series.playFromStart")}
                   />
@@ -1358,7 +1364,7 @@ function PlexSeasonView({
               <EpisodeCard
                 key={ep.id}
                 ep={ep}
-                onPlay={() => onPlay(ep.id, seasonKeys)}
+                onPlay={() => onPlay(ep.id, allKeys)}
                 onAdd={() => setAddTarget({ kind: "single", ratingKey: ep.id, title: ep.title })}
                 onToggleWatched={() => markEpisode(ep)}
               />
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
index 04889c2c..a9d6e464 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PlexPlayer.tsx
@@ -767,10 +767,13 @@ export default function PlexPlayer({ itemId, onClose, queue }: Props) {
       if (absRef.current <= 0) return;
       api.plexSetState(id, "watched").catch(() => {});
       if (nextId) go(nextId);
+      // Nothing queued next → dismiss the player back to the previous page (same as Stop/Escape),
+      // instead of stranding a black, ended <video> on screen.
+      else onClose();
     };
     video.addEventListener("ended", onEnded);
     return () => video.removeEventListener("ended", onEnded);
-  }, [id, nextId, go]);
+  }, [id, nextId, go, onClose]);
 
   // Reveal the controls and re-arm the auto-hide timer (on mouse move OR any key).
   const wake = useCallback(() => {
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/PriorityStepper.tsx b/frontend/src/components/PriorityStepper.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..24b83c70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/components/PriorityStepper.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,162 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
+import { ArrowDown, ArrowUp } from "lucide-react";
+import { useTranslation } from "react-i18next";
+import Tooltip from "./Tooltip";
+
+function PriorityStepButton({
+  delta,
+  Icon,
+  label,
+  onHoldStart,
+  onStop,
+  onTap,
+}: {
+  delta: number;
+  Icon: typeof ArrowUp;
+  label: string;
+  onHoldStart: (delta: number) => void;
+  onStop: () => void;
+  onTap: (delta: number) => void;
+}) {
+  return (
+    <button
+      onPointerDown={(e) => {
+        // Keep receiving pointer events even if the pointer drifts off the small button mid-hold.
+        try {
+          e.currentTarget.setPointerCapture(e.pointerId);
+        } catch {
+          /* invalid pointer id (e.g. synthetic events) — capture is a nicety, not required */
+        }
+        onHoldStart(delta);
+      }}
+      onPointerUp={onStop}
+      onPointerCancel={onStop}
+      onClick={() => onTap(delta)}
+      className="text-muted hover:text-accent leading-none"
+      aria-label={label}
+    >
+      <Icon className="w-3.5 h-3.5" />
+    </button>
+  );
+}
+
+/**
+ * A press-and-hold-repeat priority control with an inline-editable value (negatives allowed).
+ * Shared by the channel manager table (a cell) and the channel detail page (a header control), so
+ * the two never drift. The caller owns persistence: `onPriority(delta)` nudges by ±1 (with hold
+ * auto-repeat), `onSet(value)` writes a typed-in absolute value.
+ */
+export function PriorityStepper({
+  priority,
+  onPriority,
+  onSet,
+}: {
+  priority: number;
+  onPriority: (delta: number) => void;
+  onSet: (value: number) => void;
+}) {
+  const { t } = useTranslation();
+  const [editing, setEditing] = useState(false);
+  const [draft, setDraft] = useState("");
+  const holdDelay = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
+  const holdRepeat = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null>(null);
+  const suppressClick = useRef(false);
+
+  const stop = useCallback(() => {
+    if (holdDelay.current) clearTimeout(holdDelay.current);
+    if (holdRepeat.current) clearTimeout(holdRepeat.current);
+    holdDelay.current = holdRepeat.current = null;
+  }, []);
+  useEffect(() => stop, [stop]); // clear any running timers on unmount
+
+  // Hold past a threshold → auto-repeat at an accelerating rate, and suppress the trailing click so
+  // a hold doesn't double-count its final notch. A quick tap never crosses the threshold, so it
+  // falls through to onClick — which also keeps the keyboard path (Enter/Space) working.
+  const start = (delta: number) => {
+    suppressClick.current = false;
+    holdDelay.current = setTimeout(() => {
+      suppressClick.current = true;
+      let rate = 140;
+      const tick = () => {
+        onPriority(delta);
+        rate = Math.max(40, rate - 12);
+        holdRepeat.current = setTimeout(tick, rate);
+      };
+      tick();
+    }, 350);
+  };
+  const onTap = (delta: number) => {
+    if (suppressClick.current) {
+      suppressClick.current = false;
+      return;
+    }
+    onPriority(delta);
+  };
+
+  const commitEdit = () => {
+    const parsed = parseInt(draft, 10);
+    if (!Number.isNaN(parsed) && parsed !== priority) onSet(parsed);
+    setEditing(false);
+  };
+  const beginEdit = () => {
+    setDraft(String(priority));
+    setEditing(true);
+  };
+
+  // The value sits to the LEFT of the arrows (not between them) so the cursor — which rests on the
+  // arrows while you press-and-hold — never covers the live value you're setting. Clicking the value
+  // opens an inline edit to type any integer directly (negatives allowed).
+  return (
+    <Tooltip hint={t("channels.row.priorityHint")}>
+      <div className="inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 cursor-help">
+        {/* The number keeps its footprint (w-6) whether displayed or editing; the input is absolutely
+          positioned OVER it (out of flow) so opening the editor never changes the row height/width —
+          it just overlays, extending left for a longer number. */}
+        <span className="relative inline-block w-6 h-5 text-right leading-5">
+          <button
+            onClick={beginEdit}
+            aria-label={t("channels.row.editPriority")}
+            title={t("channels.row.editPriority")}
+            className={`text-sm font-medium tabular-nums hover:text-accent ${editing ? "invisible" : ""}`}
+          >
+            {priority}
+          </button>
+          {editing && (
+            <input
+              type="number"
+              value={draft}
+              autoFocus
+              onFocus={(e) => e.currentTarget.select()}
+              onChange={(e) => setDraft(e.target.value)}
+              onBlur={commitEdit}
+              onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                if (e.key === "Enter") commitEdit();
+                else if (e.key === "Escape") setEditing(false);
+              }}
+              aria-label={t("channels.row.priorityHint")}
+              className="absolute top-1/2 right-0 -translate-y-1/2 w-14 h-6 text-sm font-medium tabular-nums text-right bg-card border border-accent rounded-sm px-1 outline-hidden z-popover [appearance:textfield] [&::-webkit-inner-spin-button]:appearance-none"
+            />
+          )}
+        </span>
+        <span className="inline-flex flex-col">
+          <PriorityStepButton
+            delta={1}
+            Icon={ArrowUp}
+            label={t("channels.row.raisePriority")}
+            onHoldStart={start}
+            onStop={stop}
+            onTap={onTap}
+          />
+          <PriorityStepButton
+            delta={-1}
+            Icon={ArrowDown}
+            label={t("channels.row.lowerPriority")}
+            onHoldStart={start}
+            onStop={stop}
+            onTap={onTap}
+          />
+        </span>
+      </div>
+    </Tooltip>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/SidePanel.tsx b/frontend/src/components/SidePanel.tsx
index 60e0d5bc..192e7601 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/SidePanel.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/SidePanel.tsx
@@ -46,7 +46,11 @@ export default function SidePanel({
     // Layout slot: reserves only the tab's gutter when unpinned, so the expanded card overlays
     // content instead of pushing it. Pinned reserves the full width (in-flow), as before.
     <div
-      {...peek.handlers}
+      // Focus is tracked container-wide (keyboard: tab anywhere inside holds it open). HOVER is NOT
+      // on this full-height slot — that made the whole column next to the nav rail a live target, so
+      // merely approaching the rail popped the panel open. Hover now lives only on the visible tab
+      // handle + the expanded card below, so only pointing AT the tab opens it.
+      {...peek.focusHandlers}
       className={`hidden md:block relative shrink-0 transition-[width] ${pinned ? "w-67" : "w-9"}`}
     >
       {/* The tab: a small handle flush against the nav rail, flat on the docked edge. It stays
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@ export default function SidePanel({
           this square-cornered tab sits right under that arc, so it would otherwise bleed through.
           `opacity-0` (not `invisible`/`hidden`) keeps it hoverable and focusable. */}
       <button
+        {...peek.hoverHandlers}
         onClick={onToggleCollapse}
         aria-label={pinned ? t("sidebar.unpin") : t("sidebar.pin")}
         className={`glass glass-hover absolute top-3 left-0 z-paneltab flex flex-col items-center gap-2 px-1.5 py-3 rounded-l-none rounded-r-xl transition-opacity ${
@@ -77,7 +82,10 @@ export default function SidePanel({
       </button>
 
       {expanded && (
-        <aside className="glass absolute top-3 bottom-3 left-0 z-panel w-64 rounded-2xl flex flex-col overflow-hidden">
+        <aside
+          {...peek.hoverHandlers}
+          className="glass absolute top-3 bottom-3 left-0 z-panel w-64 rounded-2xl flex flex-col overflow-hidden"
+        >
           {/* Row 1 — identity only: pin, icon, title (flexes + truncates last), count, customize.
               Module actions live on their own row below so the title always has room. */}
           <div className="flex items-center gap-1.5 px-3 py-2.5 border-b border-border/60 flex-none">
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Tooltip.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
index 2e6831d8..28fcc658 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Tooltip.tsx
@@ -2,22 +2,29 @@ import { useState, useSyncExternalStore } from "react";
 import { PopoverSurface, useAnchoredPopover } from "./AnchoredPopover";
 import { hintsEnabled, subscribeHints } from "../lib/hints";
 
-type Side = "top" | "bottom";
+type Side = "top" | "bottom" | "left" | "right";
 
-/** Wrap any element to show a short glass hint caption on hover — but only while the
+/** Wrap any element to show a short glass hint caption on hover — by default only while the
  *  app-wide hints toggle (Settings → Appearance) is on. Anchored by the R8 popover platform, so it
  *  is never clipped by an overflow/stacking ancestor, flips when the preferred side runs out of room
- *  and slides back inside the viewport near an edge. */
+ *  and slides back inside the viewport near an edge.
+ *  `always` bypasses the hints toggle (for a label that IS the primary affordance, e.g. the slim nav
+ *  rail's flyout names); `openDelay` waits before showing (a rest-on-the-icon feel). */
 export default function Tooltip({
   hint,
   side = "top",
+  always = false,
+  openDelay = 0,
   children,
 }: {
   hint: string;
   side?: Side;
+  always?: boolean;
+  openDelay?: number;
   children: React.ReactNode;
 }) {
-  const enabled = useSyncExternalStore(subscribeHints, hintsEnabled, hintsEnabled);
+  const hintsOn = useSyncExternalStore(subscribeHints, hintsEnabled, hintsEnabled);
+  const enabled = always || hintsOn;
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
   const pop = useAnchoredPopover({
     open: open && enabled && !!hint,
@@ -25,9 +32,9 @@ export default function Tooltip({
     mode: "hover",
     placement: side,
     offset: 8,
-    // Show/hide on contact, as the pre-platform tooltip did — the platform's 120/140 ms hover-intent
-    // default suits interactive cards but makes a fast sweep across an icon row surface no hints.
-    hoverDelay: { open: 0, close: 0 },
+    // Show/hide on contact by default (as the pre-platform tooltip did); `openDelay` adds a
+    // rest-before-show for labels that shouldn't flash on a fast sweep across an icon row.
+    hoverDelay: { open: openDelay, close: 0 },
   });
 
   if (!enabled || !hint) return <>{children}</>;
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx b/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
index 0c90c1b4..749045c5 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/VideoCard.tsx
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ function Thumb({
           decoding="async"
           width={1280}
           height={720}
-          className="w-full h-full object-cover"
+          className="w-full h-full object-cover transition-transform duration-200 group-hover:scale-105"
         />
       ) : (
         <div className="w-full h-full" />
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ function VideoCard({
       data-testid="video-card"
       data-video-id={video.id}
       className={clsx(
-        "cv-card group glass-card glass-hover rounded-2xl transition-all duration-150 hover:-translate-y-1",
+        "cv-card group glass-card glass-hover rounded-2xl transition-all duration-150",
         "flex flex-col",
         spec.dense ? "p-2" : "p-2.5",
         watched && "opacity-55",
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/api/channels.ts b/frontend/src/lib/api/channels.ts
index 1ed889b2..b8417f85 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/api/channels.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/api/channels.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ export interface ChannelDetail {
   blocked: boolean;
   stored_videos: number;
   deep_requested: boolean;
+  priority: number;
   backfill_done: boolean;
   from_explore: boolean;
   details_synced: boolean;
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/plexDetailUi.tsx b/frontend/src/lib/plexDetailUi.tsx
index 838e5c06..0ab08d91 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/plexDetailUi.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/plexDetailUi.tsx
@@ -77,13 +77,18 @@ export function Filterable({
   );
 }
 
-// Paint the item's art as a faint FIXED backdrop on the page's <main> scroll container (HTPC-style),
-// so the glass panels float over it. Cleared on unmount / when disabled / when there's no art.
+// Paint the item's art as a faint FULL-VIEWPORT backdrop (HTPC-style) so the glass chrome floats over
+// it. Painted on the app root (#root) — which is exactly the viewport and sits BEHIND the transparent
+// nav / header / content — so the art fills the whole page edge-to-edge (under the rail + floating
+// header too), not just the inset <main> box. (A `position:fixed` layer at negative z-index does NOT
+// work here: the body's opaque background is painted over it, so it's invisible; #root's background,
+// being a real ancestor of the content, is the reliable full-viewport layer.) `attachment:fixed`
+// keeps it viewport-anchored while the content scrolls. Cleared on unmount / disable / no art.
 export function useArtBackdrop(art: string | null | undefined, enabled: boolean) {
   useLayoutEffect(() => {
-    const main = document.querySelector("main");
-    if (!main) return;
-    const s = main.style;
+    const el = document.getElementById("root");
+    if (!el) return;
+    const s = el.style;
     const clear = () => {
       s.backgroundImage = "";
       s.backgroundSize = "";
@@ -92,6 +97,7 @@ export function useArtBackdrop(art: string | null | undefined, enabled: boolean)
       s.backgroundAttachment = "";
     };
     if (enabled && art) {
+      // The faint --bg overlay keeps it subtle and text-safe (same tuning the old paint used).
       s.backgroundImage =
         `linear-gradient(color-mix(in srgb, var(--bg) 60%, transparent), ` +
         `color-mix(in srgb, var(--bg) 64%, transparent)), url("${art}")`;
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
index e8fabff9..dac29f9a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/releaseNotes.ts
@@ -14,6 +14,21 @@ export interface ReleaseEntry {
 }
 
 export const RELEASE_NOTES: ReleaseEntry[] = [
+  {
+    version: "0.61.0",
+    date: "2026-08-11",
+    features: [
+      "You can now set a channel's feed priority right from its own page — the same stepper as the channel manager, with press-and-hold to change it quickly or click the number to type a value.",
+      "Playing a Plex series now rolls straight into the next season: when a season's last episode ends, the following season's first episode plays automatically.",
+    ],
+    fixes: [
+      "Refreshed hover on the feed and Plex cards: the thumbnail or poster now gently zooms in place instead of the whole card lifting, and Plex posters gained the same depth and title alignment as video cards.",
+      "The left navigation is now a slim icon rail — each icon shows its name in a small label when you hover it or tab to it with the keyboard.",
+      "The filter sidebar no longer springs open just because you moved the pointer toward the navigation; it opens only when you actually point at its tab.",
+      "With a background image on, Plex artwork now fills the whole screen behind the app instead of only the content area.",
+      "When a video finishes and nothing is queued next, the player returns to the previous page instead of leaving a black screen.",
+    ],
+  },
   {
     version: "0.60.10",
     date: "2026-08-11",
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/storage.ts b/frontend/src/lib/storage.ts
index 9ae24969..393e7462 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/storage.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/storage.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@ export const LS = {
   auditTable: "siftlode.auditTable",
   statsTab: "siftlode.statsTab",
   adminUsersTab: "siftlode.adminUsersTab",
-  navCollapsed: "siftlode.navCollapsed",
   filterCollapsed: "siftlode.filterCollapsed",
   playlist: "siftlode.playlist",
   plSort: "siftlode.plSort",
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/useChannelPriority.ts b/frontend/src/lib/useChannelPriority.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53db8b38
--- /dev/null
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/useChannelPriority.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef } from "react";
+import { api } from "./api";
+
+/** The shared feed-priority flow used by both the channel manager and the channel detail page:
+ *  an optimistic bump/set with a debounced server flush (~400ms after the last notch) so a
+ *  press-and-hold sends ONE request, not one per step, and pending flushes fire on unmount so a
+ *  last-moment bump isn't lost. The cache-shape-specific bits are injected (the manager maps over a
+ *  ManagedChannel[]; the detail patches one ChannelDetail), so the two call sites can't drift — the
+ *  same drift the sibling `useChannelTagActions` hook prevents for tags.
+ *
+ *  Timers are keyed by channel id, so a pending flush survives the caller switching channels: it
+ *  fires later and reads the right cache via `read(id)`, rather than needing the caller to flush on
+ *  every id change. `read`/`optimistic`/`onSuccess`/`onError` are read through a ref so the returned
+ *  callbacks stay stable — the unmount flush then runs only on unmount, never on every render. */
+export function useChannelPriority(opts: {
+  /** Current priority for this channel from whichever cache the caller owns (undefined if absent). */
+  read: (channelId: string) => number | undefined;
+  /** Apply the optimistic priority to the caller's cache. */
+  optimistic: (channelId: string, next: number) => void;
+  /** Called after the server write lands (e.g. invalidate sibling caches). Optional. */
+  onSuccess?: (channelId: string) => void;
+  /** Called if the server write fails — revert by refetching the owning cache. */
+  onError: (channelId: string) => void;
+  /** Debounce window in ms; defaults to 400. */
+  delay?: number;
+}) {
+  const timers = useRef<Map<string, ReturnType<typeof setTimeout>>>(new Map());
+  const optsRef = useRef(opts);
+  optsRef.current = opts;
+
+  const flush = useCallback((channelId: string) => {
+    const latest = optsRef.current.read(channelId);
+    if (latest == null) return;
+    api
+      .updateChannel(channelId, { priority: latest })
+      .then(() => optsRef.current.onSuccess?.(channelId))
+      .catch(() => optsRef.current.onError(channelId));
+  }, []);
+
+  // Set an absolute priority (used by both the arrows — via bumpPriority — and the inline edit),
+  // optimistically + a debounced flush.
+  const setPriority = useCallback(
+    (channelId: string, next: number) => {
+      optsRef.current.optimistic(channelId, next);
+      const pending = timers.current.get(channelId);
+      if (pending) clearTimeout(pending);
+      timers.current.set(
+        channelId,
+        setTimeout(() => {
+          timers.current.delete(channelId);
+          flush(channelId);
+        }, optsRef.current.delay ?? 400),
+      );
+    },
+    [flush],
+  );
+
+  // Read the LATEST value from the cache each step (not a render closure) so a hold-repeat
+  // accumulates correctly.
+  const bumpPriority = useCallback(
+    (channelId: string, delta: number) => {
+      setPriority(channelId, (optsRef.current.read(channelId) ?? 0) + delta);
+    },
+    [setPriority],
+  );
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const pending = timers.current;
+    return () => {
+      pending.forEach((timer, channelId) => {
+        clearTimeout(timer);
+        flush(channelId);
+      });
+      pending.clear();
+    };
+  }, [flush]);
+
+  return { setPriority, bumpPriority };
+}
diff --git a/frontend/src/lib/useHoverFocusWithin.ts b/frontend/src/lib/useHoverFocusWithin.ts
index 308b7d0f..3f27423d 100644
--- a/frontend/src/lib/useHoverFocusWithin.ts
+++ b/frontend/src/lib/useHoverFocusWithin.ts
@@ -1,29 +1,37 @@
-import { useEffect, useState, type FocusEvent } from "react";
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState, type FocusEvent } from "react";
 
 /**
- * "Peek open on hover or keyboard focus" for a container — the shared brain behind the nav rail
- * and the floating side panels, which sit slim until you point at them or tab into them.
+ * "Peek open on hover or keyboard focus" for a floating panel — the shared brain behind the side
+ * panels, which sit slim until you point at them or tab into them.
  *
- * Spread `handlers` on the container; `active` is true while the pointer is over it (or any
- * descendant) or focus is inside it.
+ * Returns `active` plus THREE handler groups so a consumer can scope hover and focus independently:
+ *   - `hoverHandlers` — pointer enter/leave, with a short GRACE period on leave so the pointer can
+ *     cross a gap between two separate peek regions (e.g. the docked tab and the expanded card, which
+ *     are separate absolutely-positioned elements) without the panel collapsing mid-move. Put these on
+ *     ONLY the visible affordances (the tab handle + the card), so approaching empty gutter next to the
+ *     panel does not pop it open.
+ *   - `focusHandlers` — focus/blur, tracked through the REACT tree so a portaled child menu still
+ *     counts as "inside". Put these on the outer container so keyboard focus anywhere within holds it.
+ *   - `handlers` — both groups merged, for the simple single-element case.
  *
- * Focus is tracked through the REACT tree, so a portaled menu rendered by a child (the language
- * switcher, the account popover) still counts as "inside" and holds the container open while you
- * use it. The one case that misses: such a portal unmounts while focused, and browsers fire NO blur
- * when a focused node is removed — focus silently falls to the body and `active` would latch on
- * forever. Hence the document-level safety net: when focus has landed nowhere, clear it.
+ * The one focus case that misses: a portaled menu unmounts while focused — browsers fire NO blur when
+ * a focused node is removed, so focus silently falls to the body and would latch `focused` on forever.
+ * Hence the document-level safety net: when focus has landed nowhere, clear it.
  */
-export function useHoverFocusWithin(): {
-  active: boolean;
-  handlers: {
-    onMouseEnter: () => void;
-    onMouseLeave: () => void;
-    onFocus: () => void;
-    onBlur: (e: FocusEvent) => void;
-  };
-} {
+export function useHoverFocusWithin() {
   const [hovered, setHovered] = useState(false);
   const [focused, setFocused] = useState(false);
+  const leaveTimer = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined>(undefined);
+
+  const enter = useCallback(() => {
+    clearTimeout(leaveTimer.current);
+    setHovered(true);
+  }, []);
+  const leaveSoon = useCallback(() => {
+    clearTimeout(leaveTimer.current);
+    leaveTimer.current = setTimeout(() => setHovered(false), 120);
+  }, []);
+  useEffect(() => () => clearTimeout(leaveTimer.current), []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     let timer: number | undefined;
@@ -46,15 +54,18 @@ export function useHoverFocusWithin(): {
     };
   }, []);
 
-  return {
-    active: hovered || focused,
-    handlers: {
-      onMouseEnter: () => setHovered(true),
-      onMouseLeave: () => setHovered(false),
-      onFocus: () => setFocused(true),
-      onBlur: (e: FocusEvent) => {
-        if (!e.currentTarget.contains(e.relatedTarget as Node)) setFocused(false);
-      },
+  const hoverHandlers = { onMouseEnter: enter, onMouseLeave: leaveSoon };
+  const focusHandlers = {
+    onFocus: () => setFocused(true),
+    onBlur: (e: FocusEvent) => {
+      if (!e.currentTarget.contains(e.relatedTarget as Node)) setFocused(false);
     },
   };
+
+  return {
+    active: hovered || focused,
+    hoverHandlers,
+    focusHandlers,
+    handlers: { ...hoverHandlers, ...focusHandlers },
+  };
 }