diff --git a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/ReactionsToggle.tsx b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/ReactionsToggle.tsx
index cb6669d6..90097fab 100644
--- a/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/ReactionsToggle.tsx
+++ b/src/frontend/src/features/rooms/livekit/components/controls/ReactionsToggle.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 import { useTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
 import { RiEmotionLine } from '@remixicon/react'
-import { useState, useRef } from 'react'
+import { useState, useRef, useEffect } from 'react'
 import { css } from '@/styled-system/css'
 import { useRoomContext } from '@livekit/components-react'
-import { Menu, ToggleButton, Button } from '@/primitives'
+import { ToggleButton, Button } from '@/primitives'
 import { NotificationType } from '@/features/notifications/NotificationType'
 import { NotificationPayload } from '@/features/notifications/NotificationPayload'
 import {
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ export const ReactionsToggle = () => {
   const instanceIdRef = useRef(0)
   const room = useRoomContext()
 
+  const [isVisible, setIsVisible] = useState(false)
+
   const sendReaction = async (emoji: string) => {
     const encoder = new TextEncoder()
     const payload: NotificationPayload = {
@@ -53,42 +55,133 @@ export const ReactionsToggle = () => {
     }, ANIMATION_DURATION)
   }
 
+  // Custom animation implementation for the emoji toolbar
+  // Could not use a menu and its animation, because a menu would make the toolbar inaccessible by keyboard
+  // animation isn't perfect
+  const [isRendered, setIsRendered] = useState(isVisible)
+  const [opacity, setOpacity] = useState(isVisible ? 1 : 0)
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (isVisible) {
+      // Show: first render, then animate in
+      setIsRendered(true)
+      // Need to delay setting opacity to ensure CSS transition works
+      // (using requestAnimationFrame to ensure DOM has updated)
+      requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+        requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+          setOpacity(1)
+        })
+      })
+    } else if (isRendered) {
+      // Hide: first animate out, then unrender
+      setOpacity(0)
+
+      // Wait for animation to complete before removing from DOM
+      const timer = setTimeout(() => {
+        setIsRendered(false)
+      }, 200) // Match this to your animation duration
+      return () => clearTimeout(timer)
+    }
+  }, [isVisible, isRendered])
+
   return (
     <>
-      <Menu variant="dark" placement="top">
+      <div
+        className={css({
+          position: 'relative',
+        })}
+      >
         <ToggleButton
           square
           variant="primaryDark"
           aria-label={t('button')}
           tooltip={t('button')}
+          onPress={() => setIsVisible(!isVisible)}
         >
           <RiEmotionLine />
         </ToggleButton>
-        <RACToolbar
-          className={css({
-            display: 'flex',
-          })}
-        >
-          {EMOJIS.map((emoji, index) => (
-            <Button
-              key={index}
-              onPress={() => sendReaction(emoji)}
-              aria-label={t('send', { emoji })}
-              variant="quaternaryText"
-              size="sm"
+        {isRendered && (
+          <div
+            className={css({
+              position: 'absolute',
+              top: -55,
+              left: -114,
+              borderRadius: '8px',
+              padding: '0.25rem',
+              backgroundColor: 'primaryDark.50',
+              opacity: opacity,
+              transition: 'opacity 0.2s ease',
+            })}
+            onTransitionEnd={() => {
+              if (!isVisible) {
+                setIsRendered(false)
+              }
+            }}
+          >
+            <RACToolbar
+              className={css({
+                display: 'flex',
+              })}
             >
-              <span
-                className={css({
-                  fontSize: '20px',
-                })}
-              >
-                {emoji}
-              </span>
-            </Button>
-          ))}
-        </RACToolbar>
-      </Menu>
+              {EMOJIS.map((emoji, index) => (
+                <Button
+                  key={index}
+                  onPress={() => sendReaction(emoji)}
+                  aria-label={t('send', { emoji })}
+                  variant="quaternaryText"
+                  size="sm"
+                >
+                  <span
+                    className={css({
+                      fontSize: '20px',
+                    })}
+                  >
+                    {emoji}
+                  </span>
+                </Button>
+              ))}
+            </RACToolbar>
+          </div>
+        )}
+      </div>
+
       <ReactionPortals reactions={reactions} />
     </>
   )
 }
+
+// export const ReactionsToolBar = () => {
+//   const { t } = useTranslation('rooms', { keyPrefix: 'controls.reactions' })
+//
+//   const [reactions, setReactions] = useState<Reaction[]>([])
+//   const instanceIdRef = useRef(0)
+//   const room = useRoomContext()
+//
+//   const sendReaction = async (emoji: string) => {
+//     const encoder = new TextEncoder()
+//     const payload: NotificationPayload = {
+//       type: NotificationType.ReactionReceived,
+//       data: {
+//         emoji: emoji,
+//       },
+//     }
+//     const data = encoder.encode(JSON.stringify(payload))
+//     await room.localParticipant.publishData(data, { reliable: true })
+//
+//     const newReaction = {
+//       id: instanceIdRef.current++,
+//       emoji,
+//       participant: room.localParticipant,
+//     }
+//     setReactions((prev) => [...prev, newReaction])
+//
+//     // Remove this reaction after animation
+//     setTimeout(() => {
+//       setReactions((prev) =>
+//         prev.filter((instance) => instance.id !== newReaction.id)
+//       )
+//     }, ANIMATION_DURATION)
+//   }
+//
+//   return <></>
+// }