diff --git a/src/app/country-intel.ts b/src/app/country-intel.ts
index fc31f0852d..5e59734767 100644
--- a/src/app/country-intel.ts
+++ b/src/app/country-intel.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import type {
 } from '@/components/CountryBriefPanel';
 import { CountryDeepDivePanel } from '@/components/CountryDeepDivePanel';
 import { reverseGeocode } from '@/utils/reverse-geocode';
+import { showToast } from '@/utils/toast';
 import {
   getCountryAtCoordinates,
   getCountryCentroid,
@@ -862,7 +863,7 @@ export class CountryIntelManager implements AppModule {
 
   openCountryStory(code: string, name: string): void {
     if (!dataFreshness.hasSufficientData() || this.ctx.latestClusters.length === 0) {
-      this.showToast('Data still loading — try again in a moment');
+      showToast('Data still loading — try again in a moment');
       return;
     }
     const posturePanel = this.ctx.panels['strategic-posture'] as StrategicPosturePanel | undefined;
@@ -879,16 +880,6 @@ export class CountryIntelManager implements AppModule {
     openStoryModal(data);
   }
 
-  showToast(msg: string): void {
-    document.querySelector('.toast-notification')?.remove();
-    const el = document.createElement('div');
-    el.className = 'toast-notification';
-    el.textContent = msg;
-    document.body.appendChild(el);
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => el.classList.add('visible'));
-    setTimeout(() => { el.classList.remove('visible'); setTimeout(() => el.remove(), 300); }, 3000);
-  }
-
   private getCountryStrikes(code: string, hasGeoShape: boolean): typeof this.ctx.intelligenceCache.iranEvents & object {
     if (!this.ctx.intelligenceCache.iranEvents) return [];
     const seen = new Set<string>();
diff --git a/src/app/event-handlers.ts b/src/app/event-handlers.ts
index 1c60a0a9cc..42a88f96c2 100644
--- a/src/app/event-handlers.ts
+++ b/src/app/event-handlers.ts
@@ -1082,16 +1082,6 @@ export class EventHandlerManager implements AppModule {
     }
   }
 
-  showToast(msg: string): void {
-    document.querySelector('.toast-notification')?.remove();
-    const el = document.createElement('div');
-    el.className = 'toast-notification';
-    el.textContent = msg;
-    document.body.appendChild(el);
-    requestAnimationFrame(() => el.classList.add('visible'));
-    setTimeout(() => { el.classList.remove('visible'); setTimeout(() => el.remove(), 300); }, 3000);
-  }
-
   shouldShowIntelligenceNotifications(): boolean {
     return !this.ctx.isMobile && !!this.ctx.findingsBadge?.isPopupEnabled();
   }
diff --git a/src/components/UnifiedSettings.ts b/src/components/UnifiedSettings.ts
index 23edf8ce5e..c7377ee67f 100644
--- a/src/components/UnifiedSettings.ts
+++ b/src/components/UnifiedSettings.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { SITE_VARIANT } from '@/config/variant';
 import { t } from '@/services/i18n';
 import type { MapProvider } from '@/config/basemap';
 import { escapeHtml } from '@/utils/sanitize';
+import { showToast } from '@/utils/toast';
 import type { PanelConfig } from '@/types';
 import { renderPreferences } from '@/services/preferences-content';
 
@@ -200,6 +201,7 @@ export class UnifiedSettings {
     const prefs = renderPreferences({
       isDesktopApp: this.config.isDesktopApp,
       onMapProviderChange: this.config.onMapProviderChange,
+      onSettingSaved: () => showToast(t('modals.settingsWindow.saved')),
     });
 
     this.overlay.innerHTML = `
diff --git a/src/services/preferences-content.ts b/src/services/preferences-content.ts
index 5af7199829..842efaf693 100644
--- a/src/services/preferences-content.ts
+++ b/src/services/preferences-content.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@ const DESKTOP_RELEASES_URL = 'https://github.com/koala73/worldmonitor/releases';
 export interface PreferencesHost {
   isDesktopApp: boolean;
   onMapProviderChange?: (provider: MapProvider) => void;
+  /** Called when a preference is saved (for visual feedback e.g. toast). Not called for import/export. */
+  onSettingSaved?: () => void;
 }
 
 export interface PreferencesResult {
@@ -279,44 +281,29 @@ export function renderPreferences(host: PreferencesHost): PreferencesResult {
 
         if (target.id === 'us-stream-quality') {
           setStreamQuality(target.value as StreamQuality);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-globe-visual-preset') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-globe-visual-preset') {
           setGlobeVisualPreset(target.value as GlobeVisualPreset);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-theme') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-theme') {
           setThemePreference(target.value as ThemePreference);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-font-family') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-font-family') {
           setFontFamily(target.value as FontFamily);
-          return;
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-map-provider') {
         }
-        if (target.id === 'us-map-provider') {
           const provider = target.value as MapProvider;
           setMapProvider(provider);
           renderMapThemeDropdown(container, provider);
           host.onMapProviderChange?.(provider);
           window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('map-theme-changed'));
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-map-theme') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-map-theme') {
           const provider = getMapProvider();
           setMapTheme(provider, target.value);
           window.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('map-theme-changed'));
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-live-streams-always-on') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-live-streams-always-on') {
           setLiveStreamsAlwaysOn(target.checked);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-language') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-language') {
           trackLanguageChange(target.value);
           void changeLanguage(target.value);
-          return;
-        }
-        if (target.id === 'us-cloud') {
+        } else if (target.id === 'us-cloud') {
           setAiFlowSetting('cloudLlm', target.checked);
           updateAiStatus(container);
         } else if (target.id === 'us-browser') {
@@ -330,7 +317,10 @@ export function renderPreferences(host: PreferencesHost): PreferencesResult {
           setAiFlowSetting('headlineMemory', target.checked);
         } else if (target.id === 'us-badge-anim') {
           setAiFlowSetting('badgeAnimation', target.checked);
+        } else {
+          return; // not a preference we persist (e.g. import input already returned above)
         }
+        host.onSettingSaved?.();
       }, { signal });
 
       container.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
diff --git a/src/utils/toast.ts b/src/utils/toast.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cb0e003086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/toast.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+/**
+ * Global toast notification (body-level). Use for short-lived feedback e.g. "Settings saved".
+ * For in-panel toasts with custom styling (e.g. import/export), use component-specific logic.
+ */
+export function showToast(msg: string): void {
+  document.querySelector('.toast-notification')?.remove();
+  const el = document.createElement('div');
+  el.className = 'toast-notification';
+  el.setAttribute('role', 'status');
+  el.textContent = msg;
+  document.body.appendChild(el);
+  requestAnimationFrame(() => el.classList.add('visible'));
+  setTimeout(() => {
+    el.classList.remove('visible');
+    setTimeout(() => el.remove(), 300);
+  }, 3000);
+}