diff --git a/lib/mpv/player/player.dart b/lib/mpv/player/player.dart
index e69a85cfd..38cf45436 100644
--- a/lib/mpv/player/player.dart
+++ b/lib/mpv/player/player.dart
@@ -379,13 +379,13 @@ abstract class Player {
   ///
   /// Returns a platform-specific implementation:
   /// - macOS/iOS: [PlayerNative] using MPVKit/libmpv with Metal rendering
-  /// - Android: [PlayerAndroid] using ExoPlayer (default) or [PlayerNative] using MPV (fallback)
+  /// - Android: [PlayerNative] using MPV (default) or [PlayerAndroid] using ExoPlayer (opt-in)
   /// - Windows: [PlayerWindows] using libmpv with native window embedding
   /// - Linux: [PlayerLinux] using libmpv on a native Wayland video plane
   ///
   /// On Android, pass [useExoPlayer] to override the default:
-  /// - true: Use ExoPlayer (default, better hardware support)
-  /// - false: Use MPV (more features, ASS subtitle rendering)
+  /// - false: Use MPV (default, more features, ASS subtitle rendering)
+  /// - true: Use ExoPlayer (the escape hatch for devices MPV mishandles)
   ///
   /// [hardwareDecoding] is the session's hardware-decoding setting. The
   /// Android mpv backend uses it to pick its initial video output — the fork's
@@ -394,13 +394,13 @@ abstract class Player {
   /// MpvPlayerCore.initialVideoOutput; #2010).
   factory Player({bool? useExoPlayer, bool hardwareDecoding = true}) {
     if (Platform.isAndroid) {
-      // Default to ExoPlayer on Android, with MPV as fallback
+      // Default to MPV on Android, with ExoPlayer as the opt-in alternative.
       // The caller should pass useExoPlayer based on SettingsService.useExoPlayer.
-      final useExo = useExoPlayer ?? true;
+      final useExo = useExoPlayer ?? false;
       if (useExo) {
-        return PlayerAndroid(); // ExoPlayer (default)
+        return PlayerAndroid(); // ExoPlayer (opt-in)
       }
-      return PlayerNative(hardwareDecoding: hardwareDecoding); // MPV fallback
+      return PlayerNative(hardwareDecoding: hardwareDecoding); // MPV (default)
     }
     if (Platform.isMacOS || Platform.isIOS) {
       return PlayerNative();
diff --git a/lib/services/settings_service.dart b/lib/services/settings_service.dart
index 0bd1d968a..c7c18747e 100644
--- a/lib/services/settings_service.dart
+++ b/lib/services/settings_service.dart
@@ -510,7 +510,9 @@ class SettingsService extends BaseSharedPreferencesService {
     defaultValue: SpecialsOrdering.respectServer,
   );
 
-  static const useExoPlayer = BoolPref('use_exoplayer', defaultValue: true);
+  /// mpv is the default Android backend; ExoPlayer remains selectable as the
+  /// escape hatch while it still ships.
+  static const useExoPlayer = BoolPref('use_exoplayer');
   static const startupSection = EnumPref<NavigationTabId>(
     'startup_section',
     values: NavigationTabId.values,