diff --git a/modules/lyrics-plus/config.ts b/modules/lyrics-plus/config.ts
index 501c06b..ebe5ac4 100644
--- a/modules/lyrics-plus/config.ts
+++ b/modules/lyrics-plus/config.ts
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ export const CONFIG = {
 	providersOrder,
 	modes: ["karaoke", "synced", "unsynced", "genius"] satisfies LyricMode[],
 	locked: Number.parseInt(localStorage.getItem("lyrics-plus:lock-mode") || "-1"),
+	preferredMode: Number.parseInt(localStorage.getItem("lyrics-plus:preferred-mode") || "-1"),
 };
 
 export function isProviderKey(value: unknown): value is ProviderKey {
diff --git a/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.test.mts b/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.test.mts
index 18071fd..0fb456a 100644
--- a/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.test.mts
+++ b/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.test.mts
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ import "../stdlib/lib/test-setup.mts";
 import assert from "node:assert/strict";
 import { test } from "node:test";
 import { createElement } from "react";
-import { translationMode, renderedLines, plainLines, mergeProviderResult } from "./container-state.ts";
+import { translationMode, renderedLines, plainLines, mergeProviderResult, pickMode } from "./container-state.ts";
+import { GENIUS, KARAOKE, SYNCED, UNSYNCED } from "./config.ts";
 import type { DisplayLyricLine, ProviderResult } from "./types.ts";
 
 test("translation modes follow the source language and reject invalid persisted values", () => {
@@ -75,3 +76,17 @@ test("provider fallback does not overwrite null fields omitted by the next provi
 	assert.equal(first.neteaseTranslation, null);
 	assert.equal(Object.hasOwn(first, "mode"), false);
 });
+
+test("mode auto-pick prefers the chosen mode and only falls back to karaoke last", () => {
+	const lines = [{ text: "words", startTime: 0 }];
+	const all = { karaoke: [{ text: [], startTime: 0 }], synced: lines, unsynced: lines };
+	assert.equal(pickMode(all, -1), KARAOKE);
+	assert.equal(pickMode(all, SYNCED), SYNCED);
+	assert.equal(pickMode(all, UNSYNCED), UNSYNCED);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({ karaoke: all.karaoke, unsynced: lines }, SYNCED), UNSYNCED);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({ synced: lines, unsynced: lines }, KARAOKE), SYNCED);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({ karaoke: all.karaoke }, SYNCED), KARAOKE);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({ genius: "text" }, SYNCED), GENIUS);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({ synced: lines }, Number.NaN), SYNCED);
+	assert.equal(pickMode({}, SYNCED), -1);
+});
diff --git a/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.ts b/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.ts
index e4496a6..6eef199 100644
--- a/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.ts
+++ b/modules/lyrics-plus/container-state.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ import {
 	type LyricLine,
 	type TranslationMode,
 	type ProviderResult,
+	type LyricMode,
 } from "./types.ts";
+import { CONFIG, GENIUS, KARAOKE, SYNCED, UNSYNCED } from "./config.ts";
 import { lyricText, isKaraokeWords } from "./utils.ts";
 
 export function translationMode(
@@ -77,3 +79,20 @@ export function mergeProviderResult(target: ProviderResult, source: ProviderResu
 	};
 	keys.forEach(copy);
 }
+
+const AUTO_MODE_ORDER = [KARAOKE, SYNCED, UNSYNCED, GENIUS];
+
+/**
+ * Pick a mode based on user preference and availability.
+ *
+ * Karaoke is only a last resort once another mode is preferred,
+ * so a Synced/Unsynced or other user chosen mode will never switch to Karaoke on its own
+ * but Karaoke will still fall back to other modes if lyrics doesn't support Karaoke mode.
+ */
+export function pickMode(lyrics: Pick<ProviderResult, LyricMode>, preferred: number): number {
+	const order =
+		preferred === KARAOKE || !AUTO_MODE_ORDER.includes(preferred)
+			? AUTO_MODE_ORDER
+			: [preferred, ...AUTO_MODE_ORDER.filter((mode) => mode !== preferred && mode !== KARAOKE), KARAOKE];
+	return order.find((mode) => lyrics[CONFIG.modes[mode]]) ?? -1;
+}
diff --git a/modules/lyrics-plus/mod.tsx b/modules/lyrics-plus/mod.tsx
index e3f3dcf..ebf636c 100644
--- a/modules/lyrics-plus/mod.tsx
+++ b/modules/lyrics-plus/mod.tsx
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ import {
 	UNSYNCED,
 } from "./config.ts";
 import * as UtilsPure from "./utils.ts";
-import { translationMode, renderedLines, plainLines, mergeProviderResult } from "./container-state.ts";
+import { translationMode, renderedLines, plainLines, mergeProviderResult, pickMode } from "./container-state.ts";
 import type { CSSProperties, ReactNode, ReactElement, ChangeEvent } from "react";
 import {
 	type DisplayLyricLine,
@@ -724,16 +724,7 @@ export class LyricsContainer extends react.Component<LyricsProps, LyricsState> {
 			} else if (this.state.lockMode !== -1) {
 				finalMode = this.state.lockMode;
 			} else {
-				// Auto switch
-				if (tempState.karaoke) {
-					finalMode = KARAOKE;
-				} else if (tempState.synced) {
-					finalMode = SYNCED;
-				} else if (tempState.unsynced) {
-					finalMode = UNSYNCED;
-				} else if (tempState.genius) {
-					finalMode = GENIUS;
-				}
+				finalMode = pickMode(tempState, CONFIG.preferredMode);
 			}
 		}
 
@@ -1319,16 +1310,7 @@ export class LyricsContainer extends react.Component<LyricsProps, LyricsState> {
 		} else if (this.state.lockMode !== -1) {
 			mode = this.state.lockMode;
 		} else {
-			// Auto switch
-			if (this.state.karaoke) {
-				mode = KARAOKE;
-			} else if (this.state.synced) {
-				mode = SYNCED;
-			} else if (this.state.unsynced) {
-				mode = UNSYNCED;
-			} else if (this.state.genius) {
-				mode = GENIUS;
-			}
+			mode = pickMode(this.state, CONFIG.preferredMode);
 		}
 
 		let activeItem;
@@ -1552,6 +1534,8 @@ export class LyricsContainer extends react.Component<LyricsProps, LyricsState> {
 						const info = this.infoFromTrack(client.player.data.item);
 						if (info?.uri) this.props.queries.rememberMode(info.uri, mode);
 
+						CONFIG.preferredMode = mode;
+						localStorage.setItem("lyrics-plus:preferred-mode", String(mode));
 						this.setState({ explicitMode: mode });
 						if (this.state.provider !== "local") this.fetchLyrics(client.player.data.item, mode);
 					}