diff --git a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Socials.cs b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Socials.cs
index b713db3..5a9955c 100644
--- a/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Socials.cs
+++ b/ViewModels/MainViewModel.Socials.cs
@@ -149,7 +149,11 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
             _socials);
         // Live preview: the drawer edits the REAL config, so colour/opacity/shadow land on the
         // preview immediately instead of waiting for Save. Cancel restores the snapshot below.
-        _socialsBeforeEdit = _socials;
+        // Snapshot the VALUES, not the object: the drawer edits the live config in place for the
+        // preview, so holding the reference would "restore" the very object that was mutated.
+        _appearanceBeforeEdit = _socials is null ? null : (
+            _socials.BarEnabled, _socials.BarTextColor, _socials.BarBackgroundEnabled,
+            _socials.BarBackgroundColor, _socials.BarBackgroundOpacity, _socials.BarTextShadow);
         dialog.PropertyChanged += (_, e) =>
         {
             if (e.PropertyName is null) return;
@@ -164,9 +168,17 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
         };
         dialog.CancelRequested += () =>
         {
-            _socials = _socialsBeforeEdit;
-            NotifySocialsChanged();
-            OnPropertyChanged(nameof(SocialBarVisible));
+            if (_socials is { } live && _appearanceBeforeEdit is { } before)
+            {
+                live.BarEnabled = before.BarEnabled;
+                live.BarTextColor = before.TextColor;
+                live.BarBackgroundEnabled = before.BackgroundEnabled;
+                live.BarBackgroundColor = before.BackgroundColor;
+                live.BarBackgroundOpacity = before.BackgroundOpacity;
+                live.BarTextShadow = before.TextShadow;
+                NotifySocialsChanged();
+                OnPropertyChanged(nameof(SocialBarVisible));
+            }
             CloseSocialsDrawer();
         };
         SocialsDrawer = dialog;
@@ -178,7 +190,8 @@ public partial class MainViewModel
         OnPropertyChanged(nameof(SocialsDrawerOpen));
     }
 
-    private SocialsConfig? _socialsBeforeEdit;
+    private (bool BarEnabled, string TextColor, bool BackgroundEnabled, string BackgroundColor,
+             double BackgroundOpacity, bool TextShadow)? _appearanceBeforeEdit;
 
     private static bool IsAppearanceProperty(string name) => name is
         nameof(SocialsDialogViewModel.BarEnabled) or nameof(SocialsDialogViewModel.BarTextColor)
diff --git a/ytLive.Tests/SocialsPreviewTests.cs b/ytLive.Tests/SocialsPreviewTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2802293
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ytLive.Tests/SocialsPreviewTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+using System;
+using System.IO;
+using System.Linq;
+using System.Windows;
+using System.Windows.Controls;
+using System.Windows.Media;
+using System.Windows.Media.Effects;
+using Microsoft.Data.Sqlite;
+using Xunit;
+using Xunit.Sdk;
+using ytLive.Controls;
+using ytLive.Models;
+using ytLive.Services;
+using ytLive.ViewModels;
+
+namespace ytLive.Tests;
+
+/// <summary>The hole that let two regressions reach the creator on 2026-10-30: the Socials drawer's
+/// appearance controls were tested against the RENDERER, while the preview is its own XAML tree —
+/// so a control could paint nothing, or hide the bar entirely, with every test green.
+///
+/// <para>This drives the real drawer on a real MainWindow and reads the real preview elements:
+/// the bar stays visible when the plate is off, the text colour reaches the glyphs, the plate
+/// carries its colour and opacity, the shadow switches on, and Cancel restores the pre-edit
+/// look.</para></summary>
+[Collection("RealApp")]
+public class SocialsPreviewTests
+{
+    private readonly RealAppHost _app;
+
+    public SocialsPreviewTests(RealAppHost app) => _app = app;
+
+    [Fact]
+    public void The_preview_bar_follows_the_drawer_controls() => _app.Run(Run);
+
+    private static void Run()
+    {
+        var tempDb = Path.Combine(Path.GetTempPath(), $"ytLlive-socialspreview-{Guid.NewGuid():N}.db");
+        MainViewModel.LayoutPathOverride = tempDb;
+        MainWindow? window = null;
+
+        try
+        {
+            var seeded = new SocialsConfig { BarEnabled = true };
+            seeded.Entries.Add(new SocialEntry
+            {
+                Service = SocialService.YouTube, Handle = "creator",
+                ProfileUrl = "https://youtube.com/@creator",
+            });
+            using (var store = new LayoutStore(tempDb))
+                store.Save(Array.Empty<Scene>(), null, seeded);
+            SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+
+            window = new MainWindow();
+            var vm = (MainViewModel)window.DataContext!;
+            window.Show();
+            window.UpdateLayout();
+
+            var preview = (PreviewPane)window.FindName("PreviewPane")!;
+            var bar = (FrameworkElement)preview.FindName("SocialBarElement")!;
+            var plate = FindChild<Border>(bar)!;
+            var label = FindChild<TextBlock>(bar)!;
+
+            Assert.Equal(Visibility.Visible, bar.Visibility);
+
+            // 1. Drawer edits land on the preview live — no Save needed.
+            vm.OpenSocialDialogCommand.Execute(null);
+            var drawer = vm.SocialsDrawer!;
+            drawer.BarTextColor = "#FF0000";
+            window.UpdateLayout();
+            Assert.Equal(Colors.Red, ((SolidColorBrush)label.Foreground).Color);
+
+            // 2. Plate off (the default) = transparent plate, NOT a hidden bar.
+            Assert.Equal(0, ((SolidColorBrush)plate.Background).Color.A);
+            Assert.Equal(Visibility.Visible, bar.Visibility);
+
+            drawer.BarBackgroundEnabled = true;
+            drawer.BarBackgroundColor = "#0000FF";
+            drawer.BarBackgroundOpacity = 0.5;
+            window.UpdateLayout();
+            var bg = ((SolidColorBrush)plate.Background).Color;
+            Assert.Equal(Colors.Blue, Color.FromRgb(bg.R, bg.G, bg.B));
+            Assert.InRange(bg.A, 120, 135);                       // 50% of 255
+            Assert.Equal(new Thickness(18, 6, 18, 6), plate.Padding);
+
+            // 3. The shadow is a real effect on the glyph, and off by default.
+            Assert.Null(label.Effect);
+            drawer.BarTextShadow = true;
+            window.UpdateLayout();
+            Assert.IsType<DropShadowEffect>(label.Effect);
+
+            // 4. Cancel restores the pre-edit look (white text, no plate).
+            drawer.CancelCommand.Execute(null);
+            window.UpdateLayout();
+            Assert.Equal(Colors.White, ((SolidColorBrush)label.Foreground).Color);
+            Assert.Equal(0, ((SolidColorBrush)plate.Background).Color.A);
+        }
+        catch (Exception ex)
+        {
+            throw new XunitException(ex.ToString());   // the host otherwise hides the real stack
+        }
+        finally
+        {
+            window?.Close();
+            MainViewModel.LayoutPathOverride = null;
+            SqliteConnection.ClearAllPools();
+            try { File.Delete(tempDb); } catch { /* best-effort */ }
+        }
+    }
+
+    private static T? FindChild<T>(DependencyObject root) where T : DependencyObject
+    {
+        for (var i = 0; i < VisualTreeHelper.GetChildrenCount(root); i++)
+        {
+            var child = VisualTreeHelper.GetChild(root, i);
+            if (child is T match) return match;
+            var deeper = FindChild<T>(child);
+            if (deeper != null) return deeper;
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+}