diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/RetryableInitAudioSink.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/RetryableInitAudioSink.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d06ce153ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/RetryableInitAudioSink.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.components.voice
+
+import android.content.Context
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioCapabilities
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioSink
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.DefaultAudioSink
+import org.signal.core.util.logging.Log
+import java.nio.ByteBuffer
+
+/**
+ * Certain devices, including the incredibly popular Samsung A51, often fail to create a proper audio sink when switching from "media" mode to "communication" mode.
+ * It does eventually recover, but it needs to be given ample opportunity to.
+ * This class wraps the final DefaultAudioSink to provide exactly that functionality.
+ */
+class RetryableInitAudioSink(
+  context: Context,
+  enableFloatOutput: Boolean,
+  enableAudioTrackPlaybackParams: Boolean,
+  enableOffload: Boolean,
+  val delegate: AudioSink = DefaultAudioSink.Builder()
+    .setAudioCapabilities(AudioCapabilities.getCapabilities(context))
+    .setEnableFloatOutput(enableFloatOutput)
+    .setEnableAudioTrackPlaybackParams(enableAudioTrackPlaybackParams)
+    .setOffloadMode(if (enableOffload) DefaultAudioSink.OFFLOAD_MODE_ENABLED_GAPLESS_REQUIRED else DefaultAudioSink.OFFLOAD_MODE_DISABLED)
+    .build()
+) : AudioSink by delegate {
+
+  private var retriesLeft = INITIAL_RETRY_COUNT
+
+  override fun handleBuffer(buffer: ByteBuffer, presentationTimeUs: Long, encodedAccessUnitCount: Int): Boolean {
+    return try {
+      val bufferHandled = delegate.handleBuffer(buffer, presentationTimeUs, encodedAccessUnitCount)
+      if (bufferHandled) {
+        retriesLeft = INITIAL_RETRY_COUNT
+      }
+      bufferHandled
+    } catch (e: AudioSink.InitializationException) {
+      Log.w(TAG, "Could not handle this buffer due to an initialization exception. $retriesLeft retries remaining.", e)
+      if (retriesLeft > 0) {
+        retriesLeft--
+        false
+      } else {
+        throw e
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  companion object {
+    private val TAG = Log.tag(RetryableInitAudioSink::class.java)
+    const val INITIAL_RETRY_COUNT = 5
+  }
+}
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackController.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackController.kt
index 256e32a7f5..4a600a80a9 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlaybackController.kt
@@ -4,16 +4,16 @@ import android.media.AudioManager
 import android.os.Bundle
 import android.os.ResultReceiver
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.PlaybackParameters
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.Player
-import com.google.android.exoplayer2.SimpleExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioAttributes
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ext.mediasession.MediaSessionConnector
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.util.Util
 import org.signal.core.util.logging.Log
 
 class VoiceNotePlaybackController(
-  private val player: SimpleExoPlayer,
+  private val player: ExoPlayer,
   private val voiceNotePlaybackParameters: VoiceNotePlaybackParameters
 ) : MediaSessionConnector.CommandReceiver {
 
@@ -42,7 +42,6 @@ class VoiceNotePlaybackController(
 
         player.playWhenReady = false
         player.setAudioAttributes(attributes, newStreamType == AudioManager.STREAM_MUSIC)
-
         if (newStreamType == AudioManager.STREAM_VOICE_CALL) {
           player.playWhenReady = true
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlayer.kt b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlayer.kt
index 52796c9b73..c3a91f3abc 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlayer.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/components/voice/VoiceNotePlayer.kt
@@ -3,14 +3,17 @@ package org.thoughtcrime.securesms.components.voice
 import android.content.Context
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.C
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.DefaultLoadControl
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.DefaultRenderersFactory
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.ForwardingPlayer
-import com.google.android.exoplayer2.SimpleExoPlayer
 import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioAttributes
+import com.google.android.exoplayer2.audio.AudioSink
 import org.thoughtcrime.securesms.video.exo.SignalMediaSourceFactory
 
 class VoiceNotePlayer @JvmOverloads constructor(
   context: Context,
-  val internalPlayer: SimpleExoPlayer = SimpleExoPlayer.Builder(context)
+  val internalPlayer: ExoPlayer = ExoPlayer.Builder(context)
+    .setRenderersFactory(WorkaroundRenderersFactory(context))
     .setMediaSourceFactory(SignalMediaSourceFactory(context))
     .setLoadControl(
       DefaultLoadControl.Builder()
@@ -39,3 +42,12 @@ class VoiceNotePlayer @JvmOverloads constructor(
     }
   }
 }
+
+/**
+ * @see RetryableInitAudioSink
+ */
+class WorkaroundRenderersFactory(val context: Context) : DefaultRenderersFactory(context) {
+  override fun buildAudioSink(context: Context, enableFloatOutput: Boolean, enableAudioTrackPlaybackParams: Boolean, enableOffload: Boolean): AudioSink? {
+    return RetryableInitAudioSink(context, enableFloatOutput, enableAudioTrackPlaybackParams, enableOffload)
+  }
+}