Entity Picker should retain previous input and suggestions after deselecting

[Byrdie31]

Problem

When using an entity picker (e.g., in automations or cards), I often type a prefix like sensor.pi5 to filter the list. That works fine. But if I select an entity and then realize it's not the one I need — and remove or deselect it — the input field resets completely.

I now have to retype the whole prefix again to get the same filtered suggestions. That’s frustrating when working with long or structured entity names, especially with many template sensors.

Expected behavior

After removing the selected entity (or clearing the field), the entity picker should:

• Either restore the previous input
• Or automatically reopen the last suggestion list based on what was typed before
• Or at least remember the last search string via undo (Ctrl+Z or similar)

Why this matters

This would improve UX and speed up repetitive configuration tasks. It’s especially useful for users with large setups, long naming conventions, or many similarly named entities.

Example

Steps to reproduce:

1. Open an entity picker
2. Type sensor.pi5_ → get list of matches
3. Select a suggestion
4. Change your mind, remove it
5. You now need to type sensor.pi5_ again — even though nothing changed in your intent

Additional context

Other users have mentioned similar experiences in the forums:

• https://community.home-assistant.io/t/entity-picker-retain-search-terms-after-unselecting/463773

Thanks for your great work on the frontend! This would be a small but meaningful improvement.