diff --git a/src/app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx b/src/app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
index fd1dbda..5294d60 100644
--- a/src/app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
+++ b/src/app/(tabs)/_layout.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
 import { Tabs } from 'expo-router';
+// RN's Easing (not reanimated): the bottom-tabs scene transition runs on legacy
+// Animated.timing and may use the native driver, so the easing must be serializable.
+import { Easing } from 'react-native';
 import { TabBar, type TabItem } from '@/components/TabBar';
 import { colors } from '@/theme';
 
@@ -8,6 +11,12 @@ export default function TabsLayout() {
       screenOptions={{
         headerShown: false,
         sceneStyle: { backgroundColor: colors.bgPrimary },
+        // Directional slide + cross-fade between tabs, following tab order.
+        animation: 'shift',
+        transitionSpec: {
+          animation: 'timing',
+          config: { duration: 200, easing: Easing.out(Easing.cubic) },
+        },
       }}
       tabBar={({ state, navigation }) => {
         const items: TabItem[] = state.routes.map((route, index) => ({
diff --git a/src/components/TabBar.tsx b/src/components/TabBar.tsx
index 8a99e65..4146ff9 100644
--- a/src/components/TabBar.tsx
+++ b/src/components/TabBar.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,16 @@
-import { View, Pressable, StyleSheet } from 'react-native';
+import { useEffect } from 'react';
+import { View, Pressable, StyleSheet, type LayoutChangeEvent } from 'react-native';
 import { useSafeAreaInsets } from 'react-native-safe-area-context';
 import { Ionicons } from '@expo/vector-icons';
-import { Text } from './Text';
+import Animated, {
+  interpolateColor,
+  useAnimatedStyle,
+  useSharedValue,
+  withTiming,
+} from 'react-native-reanimated';
 import { MiniPlayer } from './MiniPlayer';
-import { colors, layout, spacing } from '@/theme';
+import { colors, fonts, layout, spacing } from '@/theme';
+import { motion } from '@/theme/motion';
 
 type IconName = keyof typeof Ionicons.glyphMap;
 
@@ -32,7 +39,34 @@ interface TabBarProps {
  */
 export function TabBar({ items, onPress }: TabBarProps) {
   const insets = useSafeAreaInsets();
+  const tabs = items.filter((item) => TAB_META[item.name]);
   const homeFocused = items.some((item) => item.name === 'index' && item.focused);
+  const count = tabs.length;
+  const activeIndex = Math.max(
+    0,
+    tabs.findIndex((item) => item.focused),
+  );
+
+  // The "playhead": a single accent bar that glides along the top edge to the
+  // active tab, travelling in the same direction as the scene transition.
+  const barWidth = useSharedValue(0);
+  const position = useSharedValue(activeIndex);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    position.value = withTiming(activeIndex, motion.snap);
+  }, [activeIndex, position]);
+
+  const indicatorStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => {
+    const segment = count > 0 ? barWidth.value / count : 0;
+    return {
+      width: segment,
+      transform: [{ translateX: position.value * segment }],
+    };
+  });
+
+  const onBarLayout = (e: LayoutChangeEvent) => {
+    barWidth.value = e.nativeEvent.layout.width;
+  };
 
   return (
     <View style={styles.wrap}>
@@ -42,25 +76,21 @@ export function TabBar({ items, onPress }: TabBarProps) {
           styles.bar,
           { paddingBottom: insets.bottom, height: layout.tabBarHeight + insets.bottom },
         ]}
+        onLayout={onBarLayout}
       >
-        {items.map((item) => {
+        <Animated.View style={[styles.indicator, indicatorStyle]} pointerEvents="none">
+          <View style={styles.indicatorBar} />
+        </Animated.View>
+        {tabs.map((item) => {
           const meta = TAB_META[item.name];
           if (!meta) return null;
-          const color = item.focused ? colors.accent : colors.textTertiary;
           return (
-            <Pressable
+            <TabButton
               key={item.key}
-              style={styles.tab}
+              meta={meta}
+              focused={item.focused}
               onPress={() => onPress(item)}
-              hitSlop={8}
-              accessibilityRole="tab"
-              accessibilityState={{ selected: item.focused }}
-            >
-              <Ionicons name={meta.icon} size={22} color={color} />
-              <Text variant="caption" style={[styles.label, { color }]}>
-                {meta.label}
-              </Text>
-            </Pressable>
+            />
           );
         })}
       </View>
@@ -68,6 +98,67 @@ export function TabBar({ items, onPress }: TabBarProps) {
   );
 }
 
+interface TabButtonProps {
+  meta: { label: string; icon: IconName };
+  focused: boolean;
+  onPress: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * A single tab. Selecting it cross-fades the icon/label colour to accent;
+ * pressing depresses the icon for tactile feedback. Reanimated only drives
+ * opacity/transform on plain Animated.Views — @expo/vector-icons' Icon is a
+ * class-wrapped Text that Animated can't drive, so colour is a cross-fade
+ * between a grey base icon and an accent one stacked on top. Spring-free per
+ * theme/motion.
+ */
+function TabButton({ meta, focused, onPress }: TabButtonProps) {
+  // 0 = inactive, 1 = active. Drives the accent fill, label colour, and bloom.
+  const progress = useSharedValue(focused ? 1 : 0);
+  // 0 = at rest, 1 = finger down.
+  const press = useSharedValue(0);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    progress.value = withTiming(focused ? 1 : 0, motion.quick);
+  }, [focused, progress]);
+
+  const depressStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
+    transform: [{ scale: 1 - press.value * 0.12 }],
+  }));
+  const accentStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({ opacity: progress.value }));
+  const labelStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
+    color: interpolateColor(
+      progress.value,
+      [0, 1],
+      [colors.textTertiary, colors.accent],
+    ),
+  }));
+
+  return (
+    <Pressable
+      style={styles.tab}
+      onPress={onPress}
+      onPressIn={() => {
+        press.value = withTiming(1, motion.quick);
+      }}
+      onPressOut={() => {
+        press.value = withTiming(0, motion.quick);
+      }}
+      hitSlop={8}
+      accessibilityRole="tab"
+      accessibilityState={{ selected: focused }}
+    >
+      <Animated.View style={depressStyle}>
+        <Ionicons name={meta.icon} size={22} color={colors.textTertiary} />
+        <Animated.View style={[StyleSheet.absoluteFill, accentStyle]}>
+          <Ionicons name={meta.icon} size={22} color={colors.accent} />
+        </Animated.View>
+      </Animated.View>
+      <Animated.Text style={[styles.label, labelStyle]}>{meta.label}</Animated.Text>
+    </Pressable>
+  );
+}
+
 const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   wrap: {
     backgroundColor: colors.bgSecondary,
@@ -78,6 +169,18 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
     borderTopColor: colors.glassBorder,
     borderTopWidth: StyleSheet.hairlineWidth,
   },
+  indicator: {
+    position: 'absolute',
+    top: 0,
+    left: 0,
+    alignItems: 'center',
+  },
+  indicatorBar: {
+    width: 28,
+    height: 3,
+    borderRadius: 999,
+    backgroundColor: colors.accent,
+  },
   tab: {
     flex: 1,
     alignItems: 'center',
@@ -87,6 +190,7 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   label: {
     marginTop: 2,
     fontSize: 10,
+    fontFamily: fonts.sans.regular,
   },
 });