diff --git a/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/MauiProgram.cs b/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/MauiProgram.cs
index 1dd763355a..d5f9e188f5 100644
--- a/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/MauiProgram.cs
+++ b/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/MauiProgram.cs
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ public static MauiApp CreateMauiApp()
 								.UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement(static options =>
 								{
 									options.SetDefaultAndroidViewType(AndroidViewType.TextureView);
+									options.SetDefaultAndroidForegroundService(true);
 								})
 								.ConfigureMauiHandlers(static handlers =>
 								{
diff --git a/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml b/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml
index 8f95e12183..48265afc3f 100644
--- a/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/samples/CommunityToolkit.Maui.Sample/Platforms/Android/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -4,12 +4,23 @@
                  android:supportsRtl="true">
     
       <meta-data android:name="com.google.android.geo.API_KEY" android:value="PASTE-YOUR-API-KEY-HERE" />
+
+      <service android:name="communityToolkit.maui.media.services" android:stopWithTask="true" android:exported="false" android:enabled="true"
+                android:foregroundServiceType="mediaPlayback">
+        <intent-filter>
+          <action android:name="androidx.media3.session.MediaSessionService"/>
+        </intent-filter>
+      </service>
     </application>
     
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE"/>
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
     <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE"/>
 
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE"/>
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS"/>
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE_MEDIA_PLAYBACK"/>
+    <uses-permission android:name="android.permission.MEDIA_CONTENT_CONTROL"/>
     <!-- Samsung -->
     <uses-permission android:name="com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.READ"/>
     <uses-permission android:name="com.sec.android.provider.badge.permission.WRITE"/>
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/AppBuilderExtensions.shared.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/AppBuilderExtensions.shared.cs
index 3f7eb88638..e3d70f8d39 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/AppBuilderExtensions.shared.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/AppBuilderExtensions.shared.cs
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ public static MauiAppBuilder UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement(this MauiAppBui
 	{
 		// Update the default MediaElementOptions for MediaElement if Action is not null
 		options?.Invoke(new MediaElementOptions(builder));
-
+		
 		// Perform Handler configuration
 		builder.ConfigureMauiHandlers(h =>
 		{
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Handlers/MediaElementHandler.android.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Handlers/MediaElementHandler.android.cs
index bd1e00e6e7..9a1ed2e361 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Handlers/MediaElementHandler.android.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Handlers/MediaElementHandler.android.cs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ protected override MauiMediaElement CreatePlatformView()
 								VirtualView,
 								Dispatcher.GetForCurrentThread() ?? throw new InvalidOperationException($"{nameof(IDispatcher)} cannot be null"));
 
-		var (_, playerView) = MediaManager.CreatePlatformView(VirtualView.AndroidViewType);
+		var (_, playerView) = MediaManager.CreatePlatformView(VirtualView.AndroidViewType, VirtualView.IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled);
 		return new(Context, playerView);
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElement.shared.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElement.shared.cs
index 6d663135f2..d6fceec637 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElement.shared.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElement.shared.cs
@@ -225,6 +225,8 @@ internal event EventHandler StopRequested
 	/// </summary>
 	public AndroidViewType AndroidViewType { get; init; } = MediaElementOptions.DefaultAndroidViewType;
 
+	internal bool IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled { get; init; } = MediaElementOptions.IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled;
+
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Gets or sets whether the media should start playing as soon as it's loaded.
 	/// Default is <see langword="false"/>. This is a bindable property.
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElementOptions.shared.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElementOptions.shared.cs
index 48ae9649c7..0acb383fab 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElementOptions.shared.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/MediaElementOptions.shared.cs
@@ -22,8 +22,19 @@ internal MediaElementOptions(in MauiAppBuilder builder) : this()
 	/// </summary>
 	internal static AndroidViewType DefaultAndroidViewType { get; private set; } = AndroidViewType.SurfaceView;
 
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Set Android Foreground Service for MediaElement on construction
+	/// </summary>
+	internal static bool IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled { get; private set; } = true;
+
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Set Android View type for MediaElement as SurfaceView or TextureView on construction
 	/// </summary>
 	public void SetDefaultAndroidViewType(AndroidViewType androidViewType) => DefaultAndroidViewType = androidViewType;
+
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Set Android Foreground Service for MediaElement on construction
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <param name="androidForegroundServiceEnabled">Specifies whether the Android Foreground Service should be enabled for the MediaElement. Set to <c>true</c> to enable, or <c>false</c> to disable.</param>
+	public void SetDefaultAndroidForegroundService(bool androidForegroundServiceEnabled) => IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled = androidForegroundServiceEnabled;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MauiMediaElement.android.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MauiMediaElement.android.cs
index b9799a3874..381346ff17 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MauiMediaElement.android.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MauiMediaElement.android.cs
@@ -8,11 +8,6 @@
 using AndroidX.Media3.UI;
 using CommunityToolkit.Maui.Views;
 
-[assembly: UsesPermission(Android.Manifest.Permission.ForegroundServiceMediaPlayback)]
-[assembly: UsesPermission(Android.Manifest.Permission.ForegroundService)]
-[assembly: UsesPermission(Android.Manifest.Permission.MediaContentControl)]
-[assembly: UsesPermission(Android.Manifest.Permission.PostNotifications)]
-
 namespace CommunityToolkit.Maui.Core.Views;
 
 /// <summary>
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MediaManager.android.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MediaManager.android.cs
index 7da0a27ea8..24ef7be27a 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MediaManager.android.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.MediaElement/Views/MediaManager.android.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ namespace CommunityToolkit.Maui.Core.Views;
 
 public partial class MediaManager : Java.Lang.Object, IPlayerListener
 {
+	bool androidForegroundServiceEnabled;
 	const int bufferState = 2;
 	const int readyState = 3;
 	const int endedState = 4;
@@ -130,11 +131,11 @@ or PlaybackState.StateSkippingToQueueItem
 	/// <returns>The platform native counterpart of <see cref="MediaElement"/>.</returns>
 	/// <exception cref="NullReferenceException">Thrown when <see cref="Context"/> is <see langword="null"/> or when the platform view could not be created.</exception>
 	[MemberNotNull(nameof(Player), nameof(PlayerView), nameof(session))]
-	public (PlatformMediaElement platformView, PlayerView PlayerView) CreatePlatformView(AndroidViewType androidViewType)
+	public (PlatformMediaElement platformView, PlayerView PlayerView) CreatePlatformView(AndroidViewType androidViewType, bool androidForegroundServiceEnabled)
 	{
 		Player = new ExoPlayerBuilder(MauiContext.Context).Build() ?? throw new InvalidOperationException("Player cannot be null");
 		Player.AddListener(this);
-
+		this.androidForegroundServiceEnabled = androidForegroundServiceEnabled;
 		if (androidViewType is AndroidViewType.SurfaceView)
 		{
 			PlayerView = new PlayerView(MauiContext.Context)
@@ -353,7 +354,7 @@ protected virtual async partial ValueTask PlatformUpdateSource()
 			return;
 		}
 
-		if (connection is null)
+		if (connection is null && androidForegroundServiceEnabled)
 		{
 			StartService();
 		}
diff --git a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.UnitTests/Extensions/AppBuilderExtensionsTests.cs b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.UnitTests/Extensions/AppBuilderExtensionsTests.cs
index 27ef4de017..42bdd5cd30 100644
--- a/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.UnitTests/Extensions/AppBuilderExtensionsTests.cs
+++ b/src/CommunityToolkit.Maui.UnitTests/Extensions/AppBuilderExtensionsTests.cs
@@ -166,5 +166,24 @@ public void UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement_ShouldSetDefaultAndroidViewType(
 
 		MediaElementOptions.DefaultAndroidViewType.Should().Be(AndroidViewType.TextureView);
 	}
+
+	[Fact]
+	public void UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement_ShouldSetAndroidServiceByDefault()
+	{
+		var builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
+		builder.UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement();
+		MediaElementOptions.IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled.Should().Be(true);
+	}
+
+	[Fact]
+	public void UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement_ServiceCanBeDisabled()
+	{
+		var builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
+		builder.UseMauiCommunityToolkitMediaElement(static options =>
+		{
+			options.SetDefaultAndroidForegroundService(false);
+		});
+		MediaElementOptions.IsAndroidForegroundServiceEnabled.Should().Be(false);
+	}
 }
 #pragma warning restore CA1416
\ No newline at end of file