diff --git a/backend/app/services/downloader.py b/backend/app/services/downloader.py
index 2186a4e..90c14f1 100644
--- a/backend/app/services/downloader.py
+++ b/backend/app/services/downloader.py
@@ -39,17 +39,38 @@ def cleanup_task(task_id: str):
 
 
 def _make_hook(task_id: str):
-    """yt-dlp progress hook with real-time tracking and cancel support."""
+    """yt-dlp progress hook: handles DASH multi-phase + HLS fragments + cancel."""
+    state = {"phase": 0}          # counts "finished" events (video phase, audio phase…)
+    PHASE_WEIGHTS = [0.80, 0.19]  # phase-0 → 0-80%, phase-1 → 80-99%
+
     def hook(d):
         flag = _cancel_flags.get(task_id)
         if flag and flag.is_set():
             raise yt_dlp.utils.DownloadCancelled("Cancelled by user")
+
         if d["status"] == "downloading":
             total = d.get("total_bytes") or d.get("total_bytes_estimate") or 0
-            done = d.get("downloaded_bytes", 0)
-            _download_progress[task_id] = int(done * 100 / total) if total else 0
+            done  = d.get("downloaded_bytes", 0)
+
+            if total > 0:
+                phase_pct = done / total                        # 0.0–1.0
+            else:
+                # HLS / unknown size: use fragment index
+                fc = d.get("fragment_count") or 0
+                fi = d.get("fragment_index") or 0
+                phase_pct = (fi / fc) if fc > 0 else 0.5       # 0.5 = "working"
+
+            ph = min(state["phase"], len(PHASE_WEIGHTS) - 1)
+            base = sum(PHASE_WEIGHTS[:ph]) * 100
+            span = PHASE_WEIGHTS[ph] * 100
+            pct  = int(base + phase_pct * span)
+            _download_progress[task_id] = max(1, pct)          # at least 1 to show activity
+
         elif d["status"] == "finished":
-            _download_progress[task_id] = 99  # merging, not 100 yet
+            state["phase"] += 1
+            done_pct = int(sum(PHASE_WEIGHTS[:state["phase"]]) * 100)
+            _download_progress[task_id] = min(done_pct, 99)
+
     return hook
 
 VIDEO_BASE_PATH = os.getenv("VIDEO_BASE_PATH", "/home/xdl/xdl_videos")
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/Admin.vue b/frontend/src/views/Admin.vue
index 18bc946..9c32595 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/Admin.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/Admin.vue
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@
 
               <!-- Downloading: circular progress ring + cancel X -->
               <div v-if="v.status === 'downloading'" class="thumb-overlay ring-overlay">
-                <svg class="ring" viewBox="0 0 44 44">
+                <svg class="ring" :class="{ 'ring-spin': v.progress <= 1 }" viewBox="0 0 44 44">
                   <circle class="ring-bg" cx="22" cy="22" r="18" />
                   <circle class="ring-fill" cx="22" cy="22" r="18"
-                    :stroke-dasharray="`${(v.progress / 100) * 113} 113`" />
+                    :stroke-dasharray="v.progress > 1 ? `${(v.progress / 100) * 113} 113` : '30 113'" />
                 </svg>
-                <span class="ring-pct">{{ v.progress }}%</span>
+                <span class="ring-pct">{{ v.progress > 1 ? v.progress + '%' : '…' }}</span>
                 <button class="ring-cancel" @click.stop="cancelDownload(v)" title="Cancel">✕</button>
               </div>
 
@@ -529,6 +529,8 @@ onUnmounted(() => { if (pollTimer) clearInterval(pollTimer) })
   gap: 0.2rem; background: rgba(0,0,0,0.72); border-radius: 6px;
 }
 .ring { width: 36px; height: 36px; transform: rotate(-90deg); }
+.ring-spin { animation: spin 1.2s linear infinite; }
+@keyframes spin { to { transform: rotate(270deg); } }
 .ring-bg { fill: none; stroke: #333; stroke-width: 4; }
 .ring-fill { fill: none; stroke: #1da1f2; stroke-width: 4; stroke-linecap: round; transition: stroke-dasharray 0.4s; }
 .ring-pct { font-size: 0.65rem; color: #7fdbff; font-weight: 600; margin-top: -2px; }
diff --git a/frontend/src/views/Home.vue b/frontend/src/views/Home.vue
index cabe5bb..9afdadc 100644
--- a/frontend/src/views/Home.vue
+++ b/frontend/src/views/Home.vue
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
       <div class="progress-bar">
         <div class="progress-fill" :style="{ width: progress + '%' }"></div>
       </div>
-      <p>{{ statusText }}</p>
+      <p>{{ statusText.replace('0%', '…') }}</p>
       <a v-if="downloadReady" :href="downloadUrl" class="download-link" download>💾 Save to device</a>
     </div>
   </div>
@@ -193,7 +193,14 @@ h1 { font-size: 2rem; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; }
 .cancel-btn:hover { background: rgba(231,76,60,0.1); }
 .task-status { margin-top: 1.5rem; }
 .progress-bar { height: 8px; background: #333; border-radius: 4px; overflow: hidden; margin-bottom: 0.5rem; }
-.progress-fill { height: 100%; background: #1da1f2; transition: width 0.3s; }
+.progress-fill { height: 100%; background: #1da1f2; transition: width 0.5s; }
+.progress-bar:has(.progress-fill[style="width: 0%"]),
+.progress-bar:has(.progress-fill[style="width: 1%"]) {
+  background: linear-gradient(90deg, #1a1a2e 25%, #1da1f2 50%, #1a1a2e 75%);
+  background-size: 200% 100%;
+  animation: shimmer 1.5s infinite;
+}
+@keyframes shimmer { to { background-position: -200% 0; } }
 .download-link {
   display: inline-block; margin-top: 0.5rem; padding: 0.8rem 2rem;
   background: #27ae60; color: #fff; border-radius: 8px; text-decoration: none; font-weight: 600;