diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index 6e3b756..e494c68 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -86,8 +86,9 @@ export function App() {
       const isQuit = keybind.match("quit", keyEvent);
       const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
-      // only handling top navigation here, cycle through tabs, just to high priority(player) all else to be handled in each tab
+      // unified navigation: left->right, top->bottom across all tabs
       if (nav.activeDepth() == 0) {
+        // at top level: cycle through tabs
         if (
           (isCycle && !isInverting) ||
           (isDown && !isInverting) ||
@@ -104,6 +105,7 @@ export function App() {
           nav.prevTab();
           return;
         }
+        // dive out to first pane
         if (
           (isDive && !isInverting) ||
           (isOut && isInverting) ||
@@ -112,8 +114,8 @@ export function App() {
         ) {
           nav.setActiveDepth(1);
         }
-      }
-      if (nav.activeDepth() == 1) {
+      } else {
+        // in panes: navigate between them
         if (
           (isDive && isInverting) ||
           (isOut && !isInverting) ||
@@ -121,6 +123,10 @@ export function App() {
           (isLeft && !isInverting)
         ) {
           nav.setActiveDepth(0);
+        } else if (isDown && !isInverting) {
+          nav.nextPane();
+        } else if (isUp && isInverting) {
+          nav.prevPane();
         }
       }
     },
diff --git a/src/context/NavigationContext.tsx b/src/context/NavigationContext.tsx
index 8ef851a..fed079c 100644
--- a/src/context/NavigationContext.tsx
+++ b/src/context/NavigationContext.tsx
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export const { use: useNavigation, provider: NavigationProvider } =
         ),
       );
 
-      //conveniences
+      // unified navigation: left->right, top->bottom across all tabs
       const nextTab = () => {
         if (activeTab() >= TabsCount) {
           setActiveTab(1);
@@ -31,10 +31,19 @@ export const { use: useNavigation, provider: NavigationProvider } =
           setActiveTab(TabsCount);
           return;
         }
-
         setActiveTab(activeTab() - 1);
       };
 
+      const nextPane = () => {
+        // move to next pane in same tab, wrap around
+        setActiveDepth((prev) => (prev % TabsCount) + 1);
+      };
+
+      const prevPane = () => {
+        // move to previous pane in same tab, wrap around
+        setActiveDepth((prev) => (prev - 2 + TabsCount) % TabsCount + 1);
+      };
+
       return {
         activeTab,
         activeDepth,
@@ -44,6 +53,8 @@ export const { use: useNavigation, provider: NavigationProvider } =
         setInputFocused,
         nextTab,
         prevTab,
+        nextPane,
+        prevPane,
       };
     },
   });
diff --git a/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx b/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
index ba409aa..47f9473 100644
--- a/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Discover/DiscoverPage.tsx
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ export function DiscoverPage() {
         const isUp = keybind.match("up", keyEvent);
         const isCycle = keybind.match("cycle", keyEvent);
         const isSelect = keybind.match("select", keyEvent);
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
         if (isSelect) {
           const filteredPodcasts = discoverStore.filteredPodcasts();
@@ -40,15 +41,20 @@ export function DiscoverPage() {
           return;
         }
 
+        // don't handle pane navigation here - unified in App.tsx
+        if (nav.activeDepth() !== DiscoverPagePaneType.SHOWS) return;
+
         const filteredPodcasts = discoverStore.filteredPodcasts();
         if (filteredPodcasts.length === 0) return;
 
-        if (isDown) {
+        if (isDown && !isInverting()) {
           setShowIndex((i) => (i + 1) % filteredPodcasts.length);
-        } else if (isUp) {
+        } else if (isUp && isInverting()) {
           setShowIndex((i) => (i - 1 + filteredPodcasts.length) % filteredPodcasts.length);
-        } else if (isCycle) {
+        } else if ((isCycle && !isInverting()) || (isDown && !isInverting())) {
           setShowIndex((i) => (i + 1) % filteredPodcasts.length);
+        } else if ((isCycle && isInverting()) || (isUp && isInverting())) {
+          setShowIndex((i) => (i - 1 + filteredPodcasts.length) % filteredPodcasts.length);
         }
       },
       { release: false },
diff --git a/src/pages/Feed/FeedPage.tsx b/src/pages/Feed/FeedPage.tsx
index 2badd7e..fbbd6fb 100644
--- a/src/pages/Feed/FeedPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Feed/FeedPage.tsx
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ export function FeedPage() {
         const isUp = keybind.match("up", keyEvent);
         const isCycle = keybind.match("cycle", keyEvent);
         const isSelect = keybind.match("select", keyEvent);
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
         if (isSelect) {
           const episodes = allEpisodes();
@@ -50,15 +51,20 @@ export function FeedPage() {
           return;
         }
 
+        // don't handle pane navigation here - unified in App.tsx
+        if (nav.activeDepth() !== FeedPaneType.FEED) return;
+
         const episodes = allEpisodes();
         if (episodes.length === 0) return;
 
-        if (isDown) {
+        if (isDown && !isInverting()) {
           setFocusedIndex((i) => (i + 1) % episodes.length);
-        } else if (isUp) {
+        } else if (isUp && isInverting()) {
           setFocusedIndex((i) => (i - 1 + episodes.length) % episodes.length);
-        } else if (isCycle) {
+        } else if ((isCycle && !isInverting()) || (isDown && !isInverting())) {
           setFocusedIndex((i) => (i + 1) % episodes.length);
+        } else if ((isCycle && isInverting()) || (isUp && isInverting())) {
+          setFocusedIndex((i) => (i - 1 + episodes.length) % episodes.length);
         }
       },
       { release: false },
diff --git a/src/pages/MyShows/MyShowsPage.tsx b/src/pages/MyShows/MyShowsPage.tsx
index 7a983bf..066dcf1 100644
--- a/src/pages/MyShows/MyShowsPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/MyShows/MyShowsPage.tsx
@@ -42,10 +42,10 @@ export function MyShowsPage() {
         const isUp = keybind.match("up", keyEvent);
         const isCycle = keybind.match("cycle", keyEvent);
         const isSelect = keybind.match("select", keyEvent);
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
         const shows = feedStore.getFilteredFeeds();
         const episodesList = episodes();
-        const selected = selectedShow();
 
         if (isSelect) {
           if (shows.length > 0 && showIndex() < shows.length) {
@@ -57,23 +57,18 @@ export function MyShowsPage() {
           return;
         }
 
-        if (shows.length > 0) {
-          if (isDown) {
-            setShowIndex((i) => (i + 1) % shows.length);
-          } else if (isUp) {
-            setShowIndex((i) => (i - 1 + shows.length) % shows.length);
-          } else if (isCycle) {
-            setShowIndex((i) => (i + 1) % shows.length);
-          }
-        }
+        // don't handle pane navigation here - unified in App.tsx
+        if (nav.activeDepth() !== MyShowsPaneType.EPISODES) return;
 
         if (episodesList.length > 0) {
-          if (isDown) {
+          if (isDown && !isInverting()) {
             setEpisodeIndex((i) => (i + 1) % episodesList.length);
-          } else if (isUp) {
+          } else if (isUp && isInverting()) {
             setEpisodeIndex((i) => (i - 1 + episodesList.length) % episodesList.length);
-          } else if (isCycle) {
+          } else if ((isCycle && !isInverting()) || (isDown && !isInverting())) {
             setEpisodeIndex((i) => (i + 1) % episodesList.length);
+          } else if ((isCycle && isInverting()) || (isUp && isInverting())) {
+            setEpisodeIndex((i) => (i - 1 + episodesList.length) % episodesList.length);
           }
         }
       },
diff --git a/src/pages/Player/PlayerPage.tsx b/src/pages/Player/PlayerPage.tsx
index 131cbf5..d4a4654 100644
--- a/src/pages/Player/PlayerPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Player/PlayerPage.tsx
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ export function PlayerPage() {
   onMount(() => {
     useKeyboard(
       (keyEvent: any) => {
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
+
         if (keybind.match("audio-toggle", keyEvent)) {
           audio.togglePlayback();
           return;
diff --git a/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx b/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
index fd6d14e..6b767b5 100644
--- a/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Search/SearchPage.tsx
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ export function SearchPage() {
         const isUp = keybind.match("up", keyEvent);
         const isCycle = keybind.match("cycle", keyEvent);
         const isSelect = keybind.match("select", keyEvent);
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
         if (isSelect) {
           const results = searchStore.results();
@@ -45,15 +46,20 @@ export function SearchPage() {
           return;
         }
 
+        // don't handle pane navigation here - unified in App.tsx
+        if (nav.activeDepth() !== SearchPaneType.RESULTS) return;
+
         const results = searchStore.results();
         if (results.length === 0) return;
 
-        if (isDown) {
+        if (isDown && !isInverting()) {
           setResultIndex((i) => (i + 1) % results.length);
-        } else if (isUp) {
+        } else if (isUp && isInverting()) {
           setResultIndex((i) => (i - 1 + results.length) % results.length);
-        } else if (isCycle) {
+        } else if ((isCycle && !isInverting()) || (isDown && !isInverting())) {
           setResultIndex((i) => (i + 1) % results.length);
+        } else if ((isCycle && isInverting()) || (isUp && isInverting())) {
+          setResultIndex((i) => (i - 1 + results.length) % results.length);
         }
       },
       { release: false },
diff --git a/src/pages/Settings/SettingsPage.tsx b/src/pages/Settings/SettingsPage.tsx
index 4a01730..937fb6f 100644
--- a/src/pages/Settings/SettingsPage.tsx
+++ b/src/pages/Settings/SettingsPage.tsx
@@ -45,20 +45,19 @@ export function SettingsPage() {
         const isUp = keybind.match("up", keyEvent);
         const isCycle = keybind.match("cycle", keyEvent);
         const isSelect = keybind.match("select", keyEvent);
+        const isInverting = keybind.isInverting(keyEvent);
 
-        if (isSelect) {
+        // don't handle pane navigation here - unified in App.tsx
+        if (nav.activeDepth() < 1 || nav.activeDepth() > SettingsPaneCount) return;
+
+        if (isDown && !isInverting()) {
           nav.setActiveDepth((nav.activeDepth() % SettingsPaneCount) + 1);
-          return;
-        }
-
-        const nextDepth = isDown
-          ? (nav.activeDepth() % SettingsPaneCount) + 1
-          : (nav.activeDepth() - 2 + SettingsPaneCount) % SettingsPaneCount + 1;
-
-        if (isCycle) {
+        } else if (isUp && isInverting()) {
+          nav.setActiveDepth((nav.activeDepth() - 2 + SettingsPaneCount) % SettingsPaneCount + 1);
+        } else if ((isCycle && !isInverting()) || (isDown && !isInverting())) {
           nav.setActiveDepth((nav.activeDepth() % SettingsPaneCount) + 1);
-        } else {
-          nav.setActiveDepth(nextDepth);
+        } else if ((isCycle && isInverting()) || (isUp && isInverting())) {
+          nav.setActiveDepth((nav.activeDepth() - 2 + SettingsPaneCount) % SettingsPaneCount + 1);
         }
       },
       { release: false },