diff --git a/packages/app-expo/app.config.js b/packages/app-expo/app.config.js
index e5c3dd82..60668be9 100644
--- a/packages/app-expo/app.config.js
+++ b/packages/app-expo/app.config.js
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ module.exports = {
       permissions: [
         "android.permission.CAMERA",
         "android.permission.RECORD_AUDIO",
+        "android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE",
         "android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK",
+        "android.permission.WAKE_LOCK",
         "android.permission.MODIFY_AUDIO_SETTINGS",
       ],
     },
diff --git a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/expo-speech-player.ts b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/expo-speech-player.ts
index a81ad536..a7fa2386 100644
--- a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/expo-speech-player.ts
+++ b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/expo-speech-player.ts
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import type { ITTSPlayer, TTSConfig } from "@readany/core/tts";
  * the system kills it.
  */
 import * as Speech from "expo-speech";
-import { AppState, type AppStateStatus, type NativeEventSubscription } from "react-native";
+import { AppState, type AppStateStatus, type NativeEventSubscription, Platform } from "react-native";
 
 export class ExpoSpeechTTSPlayer implements ITTSPlayer {
   onStateChange?: (state: "playing" | "paused" | "stopped") => void;
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ export class ExpoSpeechTTSPlayer implements ITTSPlayer {
   private _appStateSubscription: NativeEventSubscription | null = null;
 
   private _handleAppStateChange = (nextAppState: AppStateStatus): void => {
-    if (nextAppState === "background") {
+    // Only stop on iOS — Apple's TextToSpeech.framework crashes if speech is
+    // active when backgrounded. Android handles background speech fine.
+    if (Platform.OS === "ios" && nextAppState === "background") {
       if (!this._stopped) {
         this.stop();
       }
diff --git a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-dashscope-player.ts b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-dashscope-player.ts
index 4920153a..b054cd31 100644
--- a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-dashscope-player.ts
+++ b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-dashscope-player.ts
@@ -519,10 +519,9 @@ export class TrackPlayerDashScopeTTSPlayer implements ITTSPlayer {
       },
     );
 
-    // On iOS, keep the audio session alive by inserting a silent track.
-    if (Platform.OS === "ios") {
-      void this._insertSilenceKeepAlive();
-    }
+    // Keep the audio session alive by inserting a silent track.
+    // Prevents OS from killing playback during network stalls on both platforms.
+    void this._insertSilenceKeepAlive();
   }
 
   private async _insertSilenceKeepAlive(): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-edge-player.ts b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-edge-player.ts
index f30880f9..1f636d19 100644
--- a/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-edge-player.ts
+++ b/packages/app-expo/src/lib/platform/track-player-edge-player.ts
@@ -531,11 +531,10 @@ export class TrackPlayerEdgeTTSPlayer implements ITTSPlayer {
       total: this._chunks.length,
     });
 
-    // On iOS, keep the audio session alive by inserting a silent track.
-    // This prevents the OS from suspending JS when audio stops between real tracks.
-    if (Platform.OS === "ios") {
-      void this._insertSilenceKeepAlive();
-    }
+    // Keep the audio session alive by inserting a silent track.
+    // iOS: Prevents OS from suspending JS when audio stops between real tracks.
+    // Android: Maintains audio focus and prevents system from killing playback during network stalls.
+    void this._insertSilenceKeepAlive();
   }
 
   private async _insertSilenceKeepAlive(): Promise<void> {