diff --git a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.html b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.html
index 2bbfceb50..ea6305e60 100644
--- a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.html
+++ b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.html
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@
                 }
                 @case ('auto') {
                     <app-auto-import
+                        [initialText]="autoDetectText()"
+                        (textChanged)="autoDetectText.set($event)"
                         (candidateSelected)="onCandidateSelected($event)"
                     />
                 }
diff --git a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.ts b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.ts
index bdea15172..4e4bd7fd3 100644
--- a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.ts
+++ b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/add-playlist-dialog/add-playlist-dialog.component.ts
@@ -101,6 +101,12 @@ export class AddPlaylistDialogComponent {
     private readonly pendingPrefill =
         signal<ProviderImportCandidate | null>(null);
 
+    /**
+     * Survives the auto-detect surface being destroyed by a method switch, so
+     * returning to it after inspecting a prefilled form keeps the paste.
+     */
+    readonly autoDetectText = signal('');
+
     // Order matches the v0.22 mockup left-to-right: URL first (Most common),
     // then File, Xtream credentials, Stalker portal, raw text paste. Each
     // entry stands on its own — no nested subtypes. Labels are short and
diff --git a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.spec.ts b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d41a7b0c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,100 @@
+import { ComponentFixture, TestBed, waitForAsync } from '@angular/core/testing';
+import { provideNoopAnimations } from '@angular/platform-browser/animations';
+import { TranslateModule } from '@ngx-translate/core';
+import { ProviderImportCandidate } from '@iptvnator/shared/interfaces';
+import { AutoImportComponent } from './auto-import.component';
+
+describe('AutoImportComponent', () => {
+    let component: AutoImportComponent;
+    let fixture: ComponentFixture<AutoImportComponent>;
+
+    beforeEach(waitForAsync(() => {
+        TestBed.configureTestingModule({
+            imports: [AutoImportComponent, TranslateModule.forRoot()],
+            providers: [provideNoopAnimations()],
+        }).compileComponents();
+    }));
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+        fixture = TestBed.createComponent(AutoImportComponent);
+        component = fixture.componentInstance;
+    });
+
+    it('computes candidates from the pasted text', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        component.textControl.setValue(
+            'https://lists.example.com/main.m3u'
+        );
+
+        expect(component.candidates()).toHaveLength(1);
+        expect(component.candidates()[0].kind).toBe('m3u-url');
+    });
+
+    it('restores the dialog-held text so a method switch does not lose the paste', () => {
+        fixture.componentRef.setInput(
+            'initialText',
+            'MAC: 00:1A:79:12:34:56'
+        );
+
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        expect(component.textControl.value).toBe('MAC: 00:1A:79:12:34:56');
+        expect(component.candidates()[0]?.kind).toBe('stalker');
+    });
+
+    it('reports edits back to the dialog', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        const emitted: string[] = [];
+        component.textChanged.subscribe((value) => emitted.push(value));
+
+        component.textControl.setValue('some text');
+
+        expect(emitted).toEqual(['some text']);
+    });
+
+    it('clears the textarea and the candidates', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        component.textControl.setValue('https://lists.example.com/main.m3u');
+
+        component.clearForm();
+
+        expect(component.textControl.value).toBe('');
+        expect(component.candidates()).toHaveLength(0);
+    });
+
+    it('emits the picked candidate', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+        const emitted: ProviderImportCandidate[] = [];
+        component.candidateSelected.subscribe((candidate) =>
+            emitted.push(candidate)
+        );
+        const candidate: ProviderImportCandidate = {
+            kind: 'xtream',
+            confidence: 'high',
+            username: 'alice',
+        };
+
+        component.selectCandidate(candidate);
+
+        expect(emitted).toEqual([candidate]);
+    });
+
+    it('masks the password in the summary rows', () => {
+        fixture.detectChanges();
+
+        const rows = component.summaryRows({
+            kind: 'xtream',
+            confidence: 'high',
+            serverUrl: 'http://tv.example.com:8080',
+            username: 'alice',
+            password: 's3cret',
+        });
+
+        const passwordRow = rows.find(
+            (row) => row.labelKey === 'HOME.XTREAM_PLAYLIST.PASSWORD'
+        );
+        expect(passwordRow?.value).toBe('••••••');
+        expect(JSON.stringify(rows)).not.toContain('s3cret');
+    });
+});
diff --git a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.ts b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.ts
index 5c86bd4a7..66533af24 100644
--- a/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.ts
+++ b/libs/playlist/import/feature/src/lib/auto-import/auto-import.component.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-import { Component, computed, output } from '@angular/core';
-import { toSignal } from '@angular/core/rxjs-interop';
+import { Component, computed, input, OnInit, output } from '@angular/core';
+import { takeUntilDestroyed, toSignal } from '@angular/core/rxjs-interop';
 import { FormControl, ReactiveFormsModule } from '@angular/forms';
 import { MatButtonModule } from '@angular/material/button';
 import { MatFormFieldModule } from '@angular/material/form-field';
@@ -59,15 +59,37 @@ const CONFIDENCE_LABEL_KEYS: Record<ProviderImportConfidence, string> = {
         TranslatePipe,
     ],
 })
-export class AutoImportComponent {
+export class AutoImportComponent implements OnInit {
     readonly candidateSelected = output<ProviderImportCandidate>();
 
+    /**
+     * The pasted text lives in the DIALOG, not here: switching to a prefilled
+     * form destroys this component (`@switch`), and coming back to compare or
+     * pick another candidate must not cost the user their paste. The dialog
+     * feeds the last text back in and listens for edits.
+     */
+    readonly initialText = input('');
+    readonly textChanged = output<string>();
+
     readonly textControl = new FormControl('', { nonNullable: true });
 
     private readonly textValue = toSignal(this.textControl.valueChanges, {
         initialValue: '',
     });
 
+    constructor() {
+        this.textControl.valueChanges
+            .pipe(takeUntilDestroyed())
+            .subscribe((value) => this.textChanged.emit(value));
+    }
+
+    ngOnInit(): void {
+        const initial = this.initialText();
+        if (initial) {
+            this.textControl.setValue(initial);
+        }
+    }
+
     readonly candidates = computed(() =>
         detectProviderImportCandidates(this.textValue())
     );