diff --git a/src/iOS/POI/POIFeaturePickerViewController.swift b/src/iOS/POI/POIFeaturePickerViewController.swift
index 161003f33..a2bf554f3 100644
--- a/src/iOS/POI/POIFeaturePickerViewController.swift
+++ b/src/iOS/POI/POIFeaturePickerViewController.swift
@@ -71,6 +71,37 @@ class POIFeaturePickerViewController: UITableViewController, UISearchBarDelegate
 		}
 	}
 
+	override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
+		super.viewWillAppear(animated)
+		restorePreservedSearchIfNeeded()
+	}
+
+	/// Re-applies the in-memory search query and reloads the table (used when restoring state and from `UISearchBarDelegate`).
+	private func refreshSearchResults(for searchText: String) {
+		if searchText.isEmpty {
+			searchArray = []
+		} else {
+			let geometry = currentSelectionGeometry()
+			searchArray = PresetsDatabase.shared.featuresInCategory(
+				parentCategory,
+				matching: searchText,
+				geometry: geometry,
+				location: AppDelegate.shared.mainView.currentRegion)
+		}
+		tableView.reloadData()
+	}
+
+	private func restorePreservedSearchIfNeeded() {
+		guard let tabController = tabBarController as? POITabBarController,
+		      let preserved = tabController.preservedFeatureTypeSearchText,
+		      !preserved.isEmpty
+		else { return }
+		if searchBar.text != preserved {
+			searchBar.text = preserved
+		}
+		refreshSearchResults(for: preserved)
+	}
+
 	override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, heightForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> CGFloat {
 		return UITableView.automaticDimension
 	}
@@ -241,19 +272,10 @@ class POIFeaturePickerViewController: UITableViewController, UISearchBarDelegate
 	}
 
 	func searchBar(_ searchBar: UISearchBar, textDidChange searchText: String) {
-		if searchText.count == 0 {
-			// no search
-			searchArray = []
-		} else {
-			// searching
-			let geometry = currentSelectionGeometry()
-			searchArray = PresetsDatabase.shared.featuresInCategory(
-				parentCategory,
-				matching: searchText,
-				geometry: geometry,
-				location: AppDelegate.shared.mainView.currentRegion)
+		if let tabController = tabBarController as? POITabBarController {
+			tabController.preservedFeatureTypeSearchText = searchText.isEmpty ? nil : searchText
 		}
-		tableView.reloadData()
+		refreshSearchResults(for: searchText)
 	}
 
 	@IBAction func configure(_ sender: Any) {
diff --git a/src/iOS/POI/POITabBarController.swift b/src/iOS/POI/POITabBarController.swift
index ca4c67ef3..cbd406b14 100644
--- a/src/iOS/POI/POITabBarController.swift
+++ b/src/iOS/POI/POITabBarController.swift
@@ -11,6 +11,8 @@ class POITabBarController: UITabBarController {
 	var keyValueDict = [String: String]()
 	var relationList: [OsmRelation] = []
 	var selection: OsmBaseObject?
+	/// Type-picker search query kept for the lifetime of this editor session.
+	var preservedFeatureTypeSearchText: String?
 
 	override func viewDidLoad() {
 		super.viewDidLoad()
@@ -46,6 +48,13 @@ class POITabBarController: UITabBarController {
 		}
 	}
 
+	override func viewWillDisappear(_ animated: Bool) {
+		super.viewWillDisappear(animated)
+		if isBeingDismissed || isMovingFromParent {
+			preservedFeatureTypeSearchText = nil
+		}
+	}
+
 	override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
 		super.viewDidAppear(animated)