diff --git a/core/automation/api.py b/core/automation/api.py
index a6f78afe..a99e08ce 100644
--- a/core/automation/api.py
+++ b/core/automation/api.py
@@ -225,6 +225,13 @@ def update_automation(
     if cycle_path:
         return {'error': f'Signal cycle detected: {cycle_path}. This would cause an infinite loop.'}, 400
 
+    trigger_changed = (
+        'trigger_type' in update_fields
+        or 'trigger_config' in update_fields
+    )
+    if trigger_changed:
+        update_fields['next_run'] = None
+
     success = database.update_automation(automation_id, **update_fields)
     if not success:
         return {'error': 'Automation not found'}, 404
diff --git a/webui/static/helper.js b/webui/static/helper.js
index 3f9568f6..1e304a8b 100644
--- a/webui/static/helper.js
+++ b/webui/static/helper.js
@@ -3413,6 +3413,11 @@ function closeHelperSearch() {
 // projects that span multiple commits before shipping. Strip the flag at
 // release time and add a real `date:` line at the top of the version block.
 const WHATS_NEW = {
+    '2.6.2': [
+        { date: 'May 24, 2026 — 2.6.2 release' },
+        { title: 'Fix: Auto-Sync "next in 8h" timezone bug', desc: 'scheduled Auto-Sync playlists were all showing "next in 8h" regardless of the interval — Every 1 hour, Every 1 day, anything. backend stores next-run as a naive UTC string and the frontend was parsing it as local time, which on Pacific time offset the displayed countdown by ~8 hours. Auto-Sync now uses the existing UTC-aware parser the rest of the Automations page already uses. as a separate correctness fix, the automation update endpoint also now blanks the stored next-run whenever the trigger type or trigger config changes, so the engine recomputes from scratch instead of preserving a leftover timestamp from the previous schedule.' },
+        { title: 'Auto-Sync modal restyled to your accent color', desc: 'the Playlist Auto-Sync manager now picks up your chosen accent (the same one used everywhere else in the app) instead of the hardcoded sky-blue palette it shipped with. tabs, drop zones, scheduled-playlist chips, scrollbars, and the modal glow all follow the accent theme. drop targets also light up clearly while dragging.' },
+    ],
     '2.6.1': [
         { date: 'May 24, 2026 — 2.6.1 release' },
         { title: 'React Import page polish', desc: 'Import now runs through the React route stack with album, singles, and auto-import tabs plus the state fixes needed for reliable Vite builds.' },
diff --git a/webui/static/stats-automations.js b/webui/static/stats-automations.js
index 25bc01ce..fa22d51b 100644
--- a/webui/static/stats-automations.js
+++ b/webui/static/stats-automations.js
@@ -818,7 +818,7 @@ function renderAutoSyncSchedulePanel(playlists, playlistSchedules) {
     const bucketHtml = AUTO_SYNC_BUCKETS.map(hours => {
         const assigned = schedulablePlaylists.filter(p => playlistSchedules[p.id]?.hours === hours);
         return `
-            <div class="auto-sync-column" data-hours="${hours}" ondragover="autoSyncDragOver(event)" ondrop="autoSyncDrop(event, ${hours})">
+            <div class="auto-sync-column" data-hours="${hours}" ondragover="autoSyncDragOver(event)" ondragleave="autoSyncDragLeave(event)" ondrop="autoSyncDrop(event, ${hours})">
                 <div class="auto-sync-column-head">
                     <span>${autoSyncBucketLabel(hours)}</span>
                     <small>${assigned.length} playlist${assigned.length === 1 ? '' : 's'}</small>
@@ -911,7 +911,7 @@ function autoSyncScheduledCardHtml(playlist, schedule) {
 
 function autoSyncNextRunLabel(nextRun) {
     if (!nextRun) return '';
-    const ts = new Date(nextRun).getTime();
+    const ts = _autoParseUTC(nextRun);
     if (!Number.isFinite(ts)) return '';
     const diff = ts - Date.now();
     if (diff <= 0) return 'due now';
@@ -932,10 +932,23 @@ function autoSyncDragStart(event) {
 function autoSyncDragOver(event) {
     event.preventDefault();
     event.dataTransfer.dropEffect = 'move';
+    const col = event.currentTarget;
+    if (col && !col.classList.contains('drag-over')) {
+        col.classList.add('drag-over');
+    }
+}
+
+function autoSyncDragLeave(event) {
+    const col = event.currentTarget;
+    if (!col) return;
+    if (col.contains(event.relatedTarget)) return;
+    col.classList.remove('drag-over');
 }
 
 async function autoSyncDrop(event, hours) {
     event.preventDefault();
+    const col = event.currentTarget;
+    if (col) col.classList.remove('drag-over');
     const playlistId = parseInt(event.dataTransfer.getData('text/plain'), 10);
     if (!playlistId) return;
     await saveAutoSyncPlaylistSchedule(playlistId, hours);
diff --git a/webui/static/style.css b/webui/static/style.css
index d32f772d..f2784d42 100644
--- a/webui/static/style.css
+++ b/webui/static/style.css
@@ -11179,9 +11179,15 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 .sync-history-btn:hover { color: rgb(var(--accent-rgb)); background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.1); border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.3); }
 
 .auto-sync-manager-btn {
-    color: #7dd3fc;
-    border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.28);
-    background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.1);
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-light-rgb));
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.32);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.12);
+}
+
+.auto-sync-manager-btn:hover {
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.5);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.2);
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-neon-rgb));
 }
 
 .auto-sync-overlay {
@@ -11198,10 +11204,14 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 .auto-sync-modal {
     width: min(1500px, calc(100vw - 40px));
     height: min(860px, calc(100vh - 40px));
-    background: rgba(17, 19, 27, 0.98);
-    border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.12);
-    border-radius: 8px;
-    box-shadow: 0 28px 80px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
+    background:
+        radial-gradient(circle at top right, rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.08) 0%, transparent 60%),
+        rgba(17, 19, 27, 0.98);
+    border: 1px solid rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.2);
+    border-radius: 10px;
+    box-shadow:
+        0 28px 80px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5),
+        0 0 60px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.08);
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
     overflow: hidden;
@@ -11219,10 +11229,11 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 
 .auto-sync-eyebrow {
     margin-bottom: 6px;
-    color: #7dd3fc;
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-light-rgb));
     font-size: 11px;
     font-weight: 800;
     text-transform: uppercase;
+    letter-spacing: 0.06em;
 }
 
 .auto-sync-header h3 {
@@ -11308,9 +11319,10 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 
 .auto-sync-tabs button:hover,
 .auto-sync-tabs button.active {
-    border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.35);
-    background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.12);
-    color: #e0f2fe;
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.4);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.14);
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-neon-rgb));
+    box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.08), 0 2px 10px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.12);
 }
 
 .auto-sync-tab-panel {
@@ -11331,8 +11343,8 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
     justify-content: space-between;
     gap: 16px;
     padding: 12px 18px;
-    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.07);
-    background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.035);
+    border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.16);
+    background: linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.08) 0%, rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.03) 60%, transparent 100%);
     flex-shrink: 0;
 }
 
@@ -11423,12 +11435,14 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 
 .auto-sync-playlist:hover,
 .auto-sync-scheduled-card:hover {
-    border-color: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.32);
-    background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.08);
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.4);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.1);
+    box-shadow: 0 4px 14px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.12);
 }
 
 .auto-sync-playlist.scheduled {
-    border-color: rgba(34, 197, 94, 0.22);
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.3);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.05);
 }
 
 .auto-sync-playlist.unavailable {
@@ -11480,8 +11494,9 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 }
 
 .auto-sync-scheduled-timing span {
-    background: rgba(56, 189, 248, 0.14);
-    color: #7dd3fc;
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.18);
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-light-rgb));
+    border: 1px solid rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.25);
 }
 
 .auto-sync-scheduled-timing small {
@@ -11510,6 +11525,13 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
     background: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.025);
     display: flex;
     flex-direction: column;
+    transition: border-color 0.15s ease, background 0.15s ease, box-shadow 0.15s ease;
+}
+
+.auto-sync-column.drag-over {
+    border-color: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.6);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.08);
+    box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.3), 0 6px 20px rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.15);
 }
 
 .auto-sync-column-head {
@@ -11524,7 +11546,7 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 }
 
 .auto-sync-column-head small {
-    color: #7dd3fc;
+    color: rgb(var(--accent-light-rgb));
     font-size: 11px;
     font-weight: 700;
 }
@@ -11548,10 +11570,17 @@ body.helper-mode-active #dashboard-activity-feed:hover {
 .auto-sync-board::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb,
 .auto-sync-source-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb,
 .auto-sync-automation-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb {
-    background: rgba(125, 211, 252, 0.22);
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.3);
     border-radius: 999px;
 }
 
+.auto-sync-column-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover,
+.auto-sync-board::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover,
+.auto-sync-source-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover,
+.auto-sync-automation-list::-webkit-scrollbar-thumb:hover {
+    background: rgba(var(--accent-rgb), 0.5);
+}
+
 .auto-sync-drop-hint,
 .auto-sync-empty,
 .auto-sync-loading,