diff --git a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.android.tsx b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.android.tsx
index 9d0ea67007..d9f8857075 100644
--- a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.android.tsx
+++ b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.android.tsx
@@ -13,7 +13,9 @@ import Animated, {
   useSharedValue,
   withSpring,
 } from 'react-native-reanimated'
-import {Image} from 'expo-image'
+import {Image, ImageStyle} from 'expo-image'
+
+const AnimatedImage = Animated.createAnimatedComponent(Image)
 
 import {useImageDimensions} from '#/lib/media/image-sizes'
 import type {Dimensions as ImageDimensions, ImageSource} from '../../@types'
@@ -47,6 +49,7 @@ type Props = {
   isScrollViewBeingDragged: boolean
   showControls: boolean
   dismissSwipePan: PanGesture
+  animatedStyle: ImageStyle | null
 }
 const ImageItem = ({
   imageSrc,
@@ -54,6 +57,7 @@ const ImageItem = ({
   onZoom,
   isScrollViewBeingDragged,
   dismissSwipePan,
+  animatedStyle,
 }: Props) => {
   const [isScaled, setIsScaled] = useState(false)
   const [imageAspect, imageDimensions] = useImageDimensions({
@@ -95,7 +99,7 @@ const ImageItem = ({
     onZoom(nextIsScaled)
   }
 
-  const animatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
+  const animatedContainerStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
     // Apply the active adjustments on top of the committed transform before the gestures.
     // This is matrix multiplication, so operations are applied in the reverse order.
     let t = createTransform()
@@ -293,35 +297,39 @@ const ImageItem = ({
       )
 
   return (
-    <Animated.View
-      ref={containerRef}
-      // Necessary to make opacity work for both children together.
-      renderToHardwareTextureAndroid
-      style={[styles.container, animatedStyle, {}]}>
-      <ActivityIndicator size="small" color="#FFF" style={styles.loading} />
-      <GestureDetector gesture={composedGesture}>
-        <Image
-          contentFit="contain"
-          source={{uri: imageSrc.uri}}
-          placeholderContentFit="contain"
-          placeholder={{uri: imageSrc.thumbUri}}
-          style={{
-            width: SCREEN.width,
-            height: imageAspect ? SCREEN.width / imageAspect : undefined,
-            borderRadius:
-              imageSrc.type === 'circle-avi'
-                ? SCREEN.width / 2
-                : imageSrc.type === 'rect-avi'
-                ? 20
-                : 0,
-          }}
-          accessibilityLabel={imageSrc.alt}
-          accessibilityHint=""
-          accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
-          cachePolicy="memory"
-        />
-      </GestureDetector>
-    </Animated.View>
+    <GestureDetector gesture={composedGesture}>
+      <Animated.View
+        ref={containerRef}
+        style={[styles.container, animatedContainerStyle, {}]}>
+        <Animated.View
+          style={[
+            animatedStyle,
+            {
+              width: SCREEN.width,
+              height: imageAspect ? SCREEN.width / imageAspect : undefined,
+              borderRadius:
+                imageSrc.type === 'circle-avi'
+                  ? SCREEN.width / 2
+                  : imageSrc.type === 'rect-avi'
+                  ? 20
+                  : 0,
+            },
+          ]}>
+          <ActivityIndicator size="small" color="#FFF" style={styles.loading} />
+          <AnimatedImage
+            contentFit="contain"
+            source={{uri: imageSrc.uri}}
+            placeholderContentFit="contain"
+            placeholder={{uri: imageSrc.thumbUri}}
+            style={{flex: 1}}
+            accessibilityLabel={imageSrc.alt}
+            accessibilityHint=""
+            accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
+            cachePolicy="memory"
+          />
+        </Animated.View>
+      </Animated.View>
+    </GestureDetector>
   )
 }
 
diff --git a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.ios.tsx b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.ios.tsx
index daad19bef3..5641bf6f77 100644
--- a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.ios.tsx
+++ b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.ios.tsx
@@ -14,12 +14,14 @@ import {
   PanGesture,
 } from 'react-native-gesture-handler'
 import Animated, {runOnJS, useAnimatedRef} from 'react-native-reanimated'
-import {Image} from 'expo-image'
+import {Image, ImageStyle} from 'expo-image'
 
 import {useAnimatedScrollHandler} from '#/lib/hooks/useAnimatedScrollHandler_FIXED'
 import {useImageDimensions} from '#/lib/media/image-sizes'
 import {ImageSource} from '../../@types'
 
+const AnimatedImage = Animated.createAnimatedComponent(Image)
+
 const SCREEN = Dimensions.get('screen')
 const MAX_ORIGINAL_IMAGE_ZOOM = 2
 const MIN_DOUBLE_TAP_SCALE = 2
@@ -32,6 +34,7 @@ type Props = {
   isScrollViewBeingDragged: boolean
   showControls: boolean
   dismissSwipePan: PanGesture | null
+  animatedStyle: ImageStyle | null
 }
 
 const ImageItem = ({
@@ -40,6 +43,7 @@ const ImageItem = ({
   onZoom,
   showControls,
   dismissSwipePan,
+  animatedStyle,
 }: Props) => {
   const scrollViewRef = useAnimatedRef<Animated.ScrollView>()
 
@@ -128,27 +132,33 @@ const ImageItem = ({
         onScroll={scrollHandler}
         bounces={scaled}
         centerContent>
-        <ActivityIndicator size="small" color="#FFF" style={styles.loading} />
-        <Image
-          contentFit="contain"
-          source={{uri: imageSrc.uri}}
-          placeholderContentFit="contain"
-          placeholder={{uri: imageSrc.thumbUri}}
-          style={{
-            width: SCREEN.width,
-            height: imageAspect ? SCREEN.width / imageAspect : undefined,
-            borderRadius:
-              imageSrc.type === 'circle-avi'
-                ? SCREEN.width / 2
-                : imageSrc.type === 'rect-avi'
-                ? 20
-                : 0,
-          }}
-          accessibilityLabel={imageSrc.alt}
-          accessibilityHint=""
-          enableLiveTextInteraction={showControls && !scaled}
-          accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
-        />
+        <Animated.View
+          style={[
+            animatedStyle,
+            {
+              width: SCREEN.width,
+              height: imageAspect ? SCREEN.width / imageAspect : undefined,
+              borderRadius:
+                imageSrc.type === 'circle-avi'
+                  ? SCREEN.width / 2
+                  : imageSrc.type === 'rect-avi'
+                  ? 20
+                  : 0,
+            },
+          ]}>
+          <ActivityIndicator size="small" color="#FFF" style={styles.loading} />
+          <AnimatedImage
+            contentFit="cover"
+            source={{uri: imageSrc.uri}}
+            placeholderContentFit="cover"
+            placeholder={{uri: imageSrc.thumbUri}}
+            accessibilityLabel={imageSrc.alt}
+            accessibilityHint=""
+            enableLiveTextInteraction={showControls && !scaled}
+            accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors
+            style={{flex: 1}}
+          />
+        </Animated.View>
       </Animated.ScrollView>
     </GestureDetector>
   )
diff --git a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.tsx b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.tsx
index a08abc18b4..7d8a8bedd4 100644
--- a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.tsx
+++ b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/components/ImageItem/ImageItem.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import React from 'react'
 import {View} from 'react-native'
 import {PanGesture} from 'react-native-gesture-handler'
+import {ImageStyle} from 'expo-image'
 
 import {ImageSource} from '../../@types'
 
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ type Props = {
   isScrollViewBeingDragged: boolean
   showControls: boolean
   dismissSwipePan: PanGesture | null
+  animatedStyle: ImageStyle | null
 }
 
 const ImageItem = (_props: Props) => {
diff --git a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/index.tsx b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/index.tsx
index ee402bd7ba..c84076d98b 100644
--- a/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/index.tsx
+++ b/src/view/com/lightbox/ImageViewing/index.tsx
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ function ImageViewing({
   const [imageIndex, setImageIndex] = useState(initialImageIndex)
   const [showControls, setShowControls] = useState(true)
   const dismissSwipeTranslateY = useSharedValue(0)
+  const isFlyingAway = useSharedValue(false)
 
   const animatedHeaderStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
     const show = showControls && dismissSwipeTranslateY.value === 0
@@ -98,10 +99,16 @@ function ImageViewing({
     }
   })
 
+  const containerStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
+    if (openProgress.value < 1 || isFlyingAway.value) {
+      return {pointerEvents: 'none'}
+    }
+    return {pointerEvents: 'auto'}
+  })
+
   const activeImageStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
     if (openProgress.value === 1 || dismissSwipeTranslateY.value !== 0) {
       return {
-        pointerEvents: 'auto',
         transform: [{translateY: dismissSwipeTranslateY.value}],
       }
     }
@@ -114,12 +121,10 @@ function ImageViewing({
         image.dimensions,
       )
       return {
-        pointerEvents: 'none',
         transform: interpolatedTransform,
       }
     }
     return {
-      pointerEvents: 'auto',
       transform: [],
     }
   })
@@ -136,6 +141,7 @@ function ImageViewing({
     .onEnd(e => {
       'worklet'
       if (Math.abs(e.velocityY) > 1000) {
+        isFlyingAway.value = true
         dismissSwipeTranslateY.value = withDecay({
           velocity: e.velocityY,
           velocityFactor: Math.max(3000 / Math.abs(e.velocityY), 1), // Speed up if it's too slow.
@@ -198,7 +204,7 @@ function ImageViewing({
       edges={edges}
       aria-modal
       accessibilityViewIsModal>
-      <View style={[styles.container]}>
+      <Animated.View style={[styles.container, containerStyle]}>
         <Animated.View style={[styles.backdrop, backdropStyle]} />
         <Animated.View style={[styles.header, animatedHeaderStyle]}>
           <ImageDefaultHeader onRequestClose={onRequestClose} />
@@ -216,9 +222,7 @@ function ImageViewing({
           overdrag={true}
           style={styles.pager}>
           {images.map((imageSrc, i) => (
-            <Animated.View
-              key={imageSrc.uri}
-              style={imageIndex === i ? activeImageStyle : null}>
+            <View key={imageSrc.uri}>
               <ImageItem
                 onTap={onTap}
                 onZoom={onZoom}
@@ -226,11 +230,12 @@ function ImageViewing({
                 onRequestClose={onRequestClose}
                 isScrollViewBeingDragged={isDragging}
                 showControls={showControls}
+                animatedStyle={imageIndex === i ? activeImageStyle : null}
                 dismissSwipePan={
                   imageIndex === i && !isDragging ? dismissSwipePan : null
                 }
               />
-            </Animated.View>
+            </View>
           ))}
         </PagerView>
         <Animated.View style={[styles.footer, animatedFooterStyle]}>
@@ -241,7 +246,7 @@ function ImageViewing({
             onPressShare={onPressShare}
           />
         </Animated.View>
-      </View>
+      </Animated.View>
     </SafeAreaView>
   )
 }