diff --git a/static/css/app.css b/static/css/app.css
index b13c066..ae7f56b 100644
--- a/static/css/app.css
+++ b/static/css/app.css
@@ -1653,6 +1653,24 @@ body.dnd-mode .timer-display {
 /* PDF invert */
 #reader-overlay.pdf-inverted .pdf-page { filter:invert(1); }
 
+/* ---- Immersive reader mode ---- */
+.navbar         { transition: transform 0.35s ease; }
+.now-playing-bar{ transition: transform 0.35s ease; }
+.reader-overlay { transition: top 0.35s ease, bottom 0.35s ease; }
+.reader-header  { overflow: hidden; max-height: 60px;
+                  transition: max-height 0.35s ease, padding-top 0.35s ease, padding-bottom 0.35s ease; }
+
+body.reader-immersive .navbar          { transform: translateY(-100%); }
+body.reader-immersive .now-playing-bar { transform: translateY(100%); }
+body.reader-immersive .reader-overlay  { top: 0; bottom: 0; }
+body.reader-immersive .reader-header   { max-height: 0; padding-top: 0; padding-bottom: 0; }
+
+body.reader-immersive.reader-show-top .navbar         { transform: none; }
+body.reader-immersive.reader-show-top .reader-overlay { top: var(--nav-h); }
+body.reader-immersive.reader-show-top .reader-header  { max-height: 60px; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px; }
+
+body.reader-immersive.reader-show-bottom .now-playing-bar { transform: none; }
+body.reader-immersive.reader-show-bottom .reader-overlay  { bottom: var(--bar-h); }
 
 /* PDF paginated */
 .reader-content.pdf-paginated { overflow:hidden !important; display:flex; align-items:center; justify-content:center; }
diff --git a/static/js/app.js b/static/js/app.js
index 5e81111..944c100 100644
--- a/static/js/app.js
+++ b/static/js/app.js
@@ -2911,6 +2911,67 @@ async function renderPdf(arrayBuffer, contentEl, scaleOverride) {
   return {title: pdfTitle, author: pdfAuthor, toc, numPages: pdf.numPages};
 }
 
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Immersive reader mode — bars slide out after 5 s, return on edge hover/tap
+// ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+let _immTimer = null;
+let _immTopShowing  = false;
+let _immBottomShowing = false;
+const _IMM_DELAY = 5000;
+const _IMM_EDGE  = 60; // px from top/bottom edge
+
+function _immMouseMove(e) {
+  // When bars are already showing, extend threshold to cover their actual height
+  const topThreshold = _immTopShowing
+    ? (document.querySelector('.navbar')?.offsetHeight ?? 0) +
+      (document.querySelector('.reader-header')?.offsetHeight ?? 0) + 12
+    : _IMM_EDGE;
+  const bottomThreshold = _immBottomShowing
+    ? (document.querySelector('.now-playing-bar')?.offsetHeight ?? 0) + 12
+    : _IMM_EDGE;
+
+  const atTop    = e.clientY < topThreshold;
+  const atBottom = e.clientY > window.innerHeight - bottomThreshold;
+  if (atTop !== _immTopShowing) {
+    _immTopShowing = atTop;
+    document.body.classList.toggle('reader-show-top', atTop);
+  }
+  if (atBottom !== _immBottomShowing) {
+    _immBottomShowing = atBottom;
+    document.body.classList.toggle('reader-show-bottom', atBottom);
+  }
+}
+
+function _immTouch(e) {
+  const y = (e.touches[0] ?? e.changedTouches[0])?.clientY;
+  if (y == null) return;
+  if (y < _IMM_EDGE) {
+    document.body.classList.add('reader-show-top');
+    clearTimeout(_immTimer);
+    _immTimer = setTimeout(() => document.body.classList.remove('reader-show-top'), 3000);
+  } else if (y > window.innerHeight - _IMM_EDGE) {
+    document.body.classList.add('reader-show-bottom');
+    clearTimeout(_immTimer);
+    _immTimer = setTimeout(() => document.body.classList.remove('reader-show-bottom'), 3000);
+  }
+}
+
+function enterReaderImmersiveMode() {
+  clearTimeout(_immTimer);
+  _immTimer = setTimeout(() => document.body.classList.add('reader-immersive'), _IMM_DELAY);
+  window.addEventListener('mousemove', _immMouseMove);
+  window.addEventListener('touchstart', _immTouch, { passive: true });
+}
+
+function exitReaderImmersiveMode() {
+  clearTimeout(_immTimer);
+  _immTimer = null;
+  document.body.classList.remove('reader-immersive', 'reader-show-top', 'reader-show-bottom');
+  _immTopShowing = false;
+  _immBottomShowing = false;
+  window.removeEventListener('mousemove', _immMouseMove);
+  window.removeEventListener('touchstart', _immTouch);
+}
 
 async function openBook(bookId) {
   const overlay = $('reader-overlay');
@@ -3099,6 +3160,8 @@ async function openBook(bookId) {
       }
     }
 
+    enterReaderImmersiveMode();
+
   } catch (e) {
     overlay.style.display = 'none';
     alert(`Failed to open book: ${e.message}`);
@@ -3188,6 +3251,7 @@ async function saveReaderProgress() {
 }
 
 function closeReader() {
+  exitReaderImmersiveMode();
   // Save progress BEFORE hiding — scrollHeight/clientHeight return 0 once display:none
   saveReaderProgress();
   if (bookmarksDirty) saveBookmarks();