diff --git a/examples/basic/src/VideoPlayer.tsx b/examples/basic/src/VideoPlayer.tsx
index 7b858627b0..c44ee37253 100644
--- a/examples/basic/src/VideoPlayer.tsx
+++ b/examples/basic/src/VideoPlayer.tsx
@@ -104,6 +104,9 @@ class VideoPlayer extends Component {
 
   seekerWidth = 0;
 
+  // internal usage change to index if you want to select tracks by index instead of lang
+  textTracksSelectionBy = 'lang';
+
   srcAllPlatformList = [
     {
       description: 'local file landscape',
@@ -300,7 +303,10 @@ class VideoPlayer extends Component {
     if (selectedTrack?.language) {
       this.setState({
         textTracks: data.textTracks,
-        selectedTextTrack: {
+        selectedTextTrack: this.textTracksSelectionBy === 'index' ? {
+          type: 'index',
+          value: selectedTrack?.index,
+        }: {
           type: 'language',
           value: selectedTrack?.language,
         },
@@ -804,7 +810,7 @@ class VideoPlayer extends Component {
                       console.log('on value change ' + itemValue);
                       this.setState({
                         selectedTextTrack: {
-                          type: 'language',
+                          type: this.textTracksSelectionBy === 'index' ? 'index': 'language',
                           value: itemValue,
                         },
                       });
@@ -814,13 +820,21 @@ class VideoPlayer extends Component {
                       if (!track) {
                         return;
                       }
-                      return (
-                        <Picker.Item
-                          label={track.language}
-                          value={track.language}
-                          key={track.language}
-                        />
-                      );
+                      if (this.textTracksSelectionBy === 'index') {
+                        return (
+                          <Picker.Item
+                            label={`${track.index}`}
+                            value={track.index}
+                            key={track.index}
+                          />);
+                      } else {
+                        return (
+                          <Picker.Item
+                            label={track.language}
+                            value={track.language}
+                            key={track.language}
+                          />);
+                      }
                     })}
                   </Picker>
                 )}
diff --git a/ios/Video/DataStructures/SelectedTrackCriteria.swift b/ios/Video/DataStructures/SelectedTrackCriteria.swift
index 41d68affc4..b4217817af 100644
--- a/ios/Video/DataStructures/SelectedTrackCriteria.swift
+++ b/ios/Video/DataStructures/SelectedTrackCriteria.swift
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 struct SelectedTrackCriteria {
     let type: String
-    let value: Any?
+    let value: String?
 
     let json: NSDictionary?
 
@@ -13,6 +13,6 @@ struct SelectedTrackCriteria {
         }
         self.json = json
         self.type = json["type"] as? String ?? ""
-        self.value = json["value"]
+        self.value = json["value"] as? String
     }
 }
diff --git a/ios/Video/Features/RCTPlayerOperations.swift b/ios/Video/Features/RCTPlayerOperations.swift
index 3f25515923..9c80c85f3e 100644
--- a/ios/Video/Features/RCTPlayerOperations.swift
+++ b/ios/Video/Features/RCTPlayerOperations.swift
@@ -45,9 +45,11 @@ enum RCTPlayerOperations {
                 }
             }
         } else if type == "index" {
-            if let value = criteria?.value, let index = value as? Int {
-                if textTracks.count > index {
-                    selectedTrackIndex = index
+            if let value = criteria?.value { // check value is provided
+                if let indexValue = Int(value as String) { // ensure value is an integer an String to Snt
+                    if textTracks.count > indexValue { // ensure value is in group range
+                        selectedTrackIndex = indexValue
+                    }
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -106,9 +108,11 @@ enum RCTPlayerOperations {
             // } else if ([type isEqualToString:@"default"]) {
             //  option = group.defaultOption; */
         } else if type == "index" {
-            if let value = criteria?.value, let index = value as? Int {
-                if group.options.count > index {
-                    mediaOption = group.options[index]
+            if let value = criteria?.value { // check value is provided
+                if let indexValue = Int(value as String) { // ensure value is an integer an String to Snt
+                    if group.options.count > indexValue { // ensure value is in group range
+                        mediaOption = group.options[indexValue]
+                    }
                 }
             }
         } else { // default. invalid type or "system"