diff --git a/API.md b/API.md
index be1d021f..7b5f099b 100644
--- a/API.md
+++ b/API.md
@@ -1645,6 +1645,30 @@ this.player.seek(120, 50); // Seek to 2 minutes with +/- 50 milliseconds accurac
 
 Platforms: iOS
 
+### pause
+`pause(): Promise<void>`
+
+Pause the video.
+
+Example:
+```
+this.player.pause();
+```
+
+Platforms: Android, iOS
+
+### play
+`play(): Promise<void>`
+
+Play the video.
+
+Example:
+```
+this.player.play();
+```
+
+Platforms: Android, iOS
+
 #### Static methods
 
 ### Video Decoding capabilities
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0cc755f4..d87c2de0 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 ## Changelog
 
 ## Next
+- iOS, Android: expose playback functions to ref [#3245](https://github.com/react-native-video/react-native-video/pull/3245)
 - Windows: fix build error from over-specified SDK version [#3246](https://github.com/react-native-video/react-native-video/pull/3246)
 - Windows: fix `onError` not being raised [#3247](https://github.com/react-native-video/react-native-video/pull/3247)
 - **BREAKING CHANGE**❗️Android: update isCodecSupported to return enum [#3254](https://github.com/react-native-video/react-native-video/pull/3254)
diff --git a/Video.js b/Video.js
index 3d342d02..44616b54 100644
--- a/Video.js
+++ b/Video.js
@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ const styles = StyleSheet.create({
   },
 });
 
-const { VideoDecoderProperties } = NativeModules
-export { TextTrackType, FilterType, DRMType, VideoDecoderProperties }
+const { VideoDecoderProperties } = NativeModules;
+export { TextTrackType, FilterType, DRMType, VideoDecoderProperties };
 
 export default class Video extends Component {
 
@@ -81,6 +81,18 @@ export default class Video extends Component {
     return await NativeModules.VideoManager.save(options, findNodeHandle(this._root));
   }
 
+  pause = async () => {
+    await this.setPlayerPauseState(true);
+  };
+
+  play = async () => {
+    await this.setPlayerPauseState(false);
+  };
+
+  setPlayerPauseState = async (paused) => {
+    return await NativeModules.VideoManager.setPlayerPauseState(paused, findNodeHandle(this._root));
+  };
+
   restoreUserInterfaceForPictureInPictureStopCompleted = (restored) => {
     this.setNativeProps({ restoreUserInterfaceForPIPStopCompletionHandler: restored });
   };
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
index 8ef2afca..d62b38fc 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/exoplayer/ReactExoplayerView.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.lang.Integer;
 
 @SuppressLint("ViewConstructor")
-class ReactExoplayerView extends FrameLayout implements
+public class ReactExoplayerView extends FrameLayout implements
         LifecycleEventListener,
         Player.Listener,
         BandwidthMeter.EventListener,
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoPackage.java b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoPackage.java
index 23bedad6..95afa512 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoPackage.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/ReactVideoPackage.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import com.facebook.react.bridge.NativeModule;
 import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactApplicationContext;
 import com.facebook.react.uimanager.ViewManager;
 
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
@@ -25,9 +26,12 @@ public class ReactVideoPackage implements ReactPackage {
 
     @Override
     public List<NativeModule> createNativeModules(ReactApplicationContext reactContext) {
-        return Collections.singletonList(
-                new VideoDecoderPropertiesModule(reactContext)
-        );
+        List<NativeModule> modules = new ArrayList<NativeModule>();
+
+        modules.add(new VideoDecoderPropertiesModule(reactContext));
+        modules.add(new VideoManagerModule(reactContext));
+        
+        return modules;
     }
 
     // Deprecated RN 0.47
diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/VideoManagerModule.java b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/VideoManagerModule.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..69106a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/brentvatne/react/VideoManagerModule.java
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+package com.brentvatne.react;
+
+import android.view.View;
+
+import androidx.annotation.NonNull;
+
+import com.brentvatne.exoplayer.ReactExoplayerView;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactApplicationContext;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactContextBaseJavaModule;
+import com.facebook.react.bridge.ReactMethod;
+import com.facebook.react.uimanager.UIManagerModule;
+
+public class VideoManagerModule extends ReactContextBaseJavaModule {
+    ReactApplicationContext reactContext;
+
+    @NonNull
+    @Override
+    public String getName() {
+        return "VideoManager";
+    }
+
+    @ReactMethod
+    public void setPlayerPauseState(Boolean paused, int reactTag) {
+        UIManagerModule uiManager = getReactApplicationContext().getNativeModule(UIManagerModule.class);
+        uiManager.prependUIBlock(manager -> {
+            View view = manager.resolveView(reactTag);
+
+            if (view instanceof ReactExoplayerView) {
+                ReactExoplayerView videoView = (ReactExoplayerView) view;
+                videoView.setPausedModifier(paused);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    public VideoManagerModule(ReactApplicationContext reactContext) {
+        super(reactContext);
+        this.reactContext = reactContext;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.m b/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.m
index 9bdf6101..2810f142 100644
--- a/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.m
+++ b/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.m
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(setLicenseResult:(NSString *)license
 RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(setLicenseResultError(NSString *)error
                  reactTag:(nonnull NSNumber *)reactTag)
 
+RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(setPlayerPauseState:(nonnull NSNumber *)paused
+                 reactTag:(nonnull NSNumber *)reactTag)
+
 RCT_EXTERN_METHOD(presentFullscreenPlayer
                  reactTag:(nonnull NSNumber *)reactTag)
 
diff --git a/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.swift b/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.swift
index bfdec7a4..64e5eccd 100644
--- a/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.swift
+++ b/ios/Video/RCTVideoManager.swift
@@ -71,6 +71,19 @@ class RCTVideoManager: RCTViewManager {
         })
     }
 
+    @objc(setPlayerPauseState:reactTag:)
+    func setPlayerPauseState(paused: NSNumber, reactTag: NSNumber) -> Void {
+        bridge.uiManager.prependUIBlock({_ , viewRegistry in
+            let view = viewRegistry?[reactTag]
+            if !(view is RCTVideo) {
+                RCTLogError("Invalid view returned from registry, expecting RCTVideo, got: %@", String(describing: view))
+            } else if let view = view as? RCTVideo {
+                let paused = paused.boolValue
+                view.setPaused(paused)
+            }
+        })
+    }
+
     override func constantsToExport() -> [AnyHashable : Any]? {
         return [
             "ScaleNone": AVLayerVideoGravity.resizeAspect,