diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/empty-project-persists.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/empty-project-persists.spec.ts
index 485155b48..470df195c 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/empty-project-persists.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/empty-project-persists.spec.ts
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ async function removeProjectFromSidebar(page: Page, projectId: string): Promise<
 async function addProjectFromPicker(page: Page, projectPath: string): Promise<string> {
   await page.getByTestId("sidebar-add-project").click();
 
-  const input = page.getByPlaceholder("Type a directory path...");
+  const input = page.getByTestId("project-picker-input");
   await expect(input).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
   await input.fill(projectPath);
   await page.keyboard.press("Enter");
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ test.describe("Project picker search", () => {
     await waitForSidebarProjectListReady(page);
     await page.getByTestId("sidebar-add-project").click();
 
-    const input = page.getByPlaceholder("Type a directory path...");
+    const input = page.getByTestId("project-picker-input");
     await expect(input).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
     await input.fill(projectPickerFixture.fuzzyQuery);
 
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ test.describe("Project picker search", () => {
     await waitForSidebarProjectListReady(page);
     await page.getByTestId("sidebar-add-project").click();
 
-    const input = page.getByPlaceholder("Type a directory path...");
+    const input = page.getByTestId("project-picker-input");
     await expect(input).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
     await input.fill("paseo-loading-state-no-match");
 
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/project-picker-desktop.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/project-picker-desktop.spec.ts
index e3ef038fb..a8e6bf4ce 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/project-picker-desktop.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/project-picker-desktop.spec.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ test("Browse owns Enter without opening the active typed path", async ({
   await gotoAppShell(page);
 
   await page.getByTestId("sidebar-add-project").click();
-  const input = page.getByPlaceholder("Type a directory path...");
+  const input = page.getByTestId("project-picker-input");
   await expect(input).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
   await input.fill(projectPickerFixture.projectPath);
 
diff --git a/packages/app/e2e/projects-settings.spec.ts b/packages/app/e2e/projects-settings.spec.ts
index c8549a596..aa1e4af6a 100644
--- a/packages/app/e2e/projects-settings.spec.ts
+++ b/packages/app/e2e/projects-settings.spec.ts
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ async function readProjectConfigFile(project: ProjectsSettingsProject): Promise<
 async function addProjectFromSidebar(page: Page, projectPath: string): Promise<string> {
   await page.getByTestId("sidebar-add-project").click();
 
-  const input = page.getByPlaceholder("Type a directory path...");
+  const input = page.getByTestId("project-picker-input");
   await expect(input).toBeVisible({ timeout: 30_000 });
   await input.fill(projectPath);
   await page.keyboard.press("Enter");
diff --git a/packages/app/src/components/project-picker-modal.tsx b/packages/app/src/components/project-picker-modal.tsx
index 9eb6f93cd..ddd192470 100644
--- a/packages/app/src/components/project-picker-modal.tsx
+++ b/packages/app/src/components/project-picker-modal.tsx
@@ -336,6 +336,7 @@ export function ProjectPickerModal() {
         <View style={panelStyle}>
           <View style={headerStyle}>
             <TextInput
+              testID="project-picker-input"
               ref={inputRef}
               value={query}
               onChangeText={handleChangeQuery}