diff --git a/src/blocks/carousel/__tests__/edit.test.tsx b/src/blocks/carousel/__tests__/edit.test.tsx
index fc90528..80ebf80 100644
--- a/src/blocks/carousel/__tests__/edit.test.tsx
+++ b/src/blocks/carousel/__tests__/edit.test.tsx
@@ -407,7 +407,9 @@ describe( 'useTabs toggle', () => {
 
 		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( true );
 
-		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( expect.objectContaining( { useTabs: true } ) );
+		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { useTabs: true, transition: 'slide', autoScroll: false } ),
+		);
 		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
 			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-tab-list' } ),
 			0,
@@ -436,18 +438,92 @@ describe( 'useTabs toggle', () => {
 
 		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( true );
 
-		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( expect.objectContaining( { useTabs: true } ) );
+		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { useTabs: true, transition: 'slide', autoScroll: false } ),
+		);
 		expect( mockInsertBlock ).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
 	} );
 
-	it( 'removes all tab list blocks (including nested ones) when toggling Use as Tabs OFF', () => {
+	it( 'removes tab list blocks and re-inserts full nav group container when toggling Use as Tabs OFF and no nav blocks exist', () => {
 		mockBlocks = [
 			{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-tab-list', clientId: 'top-tab-list', innerBlocks: [] },
+			{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-viewport', clientId: 'viewport-1', innerBlocks: [] },
+		];
+		const setAttributes = jest.fn();
+
+		render(
+			<Edit
+				attributes={ { ...createAttributes(), useTabs: true } }
+				setAttributes={ setAttributes }
+				clientId="test-client-id"
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		const toggleCall = ( ToggleControl as unknown as jest.Mock ).mock.calls.find(
+			( [ props ] ) => props.label === 'Use as Tabs',
+		);
+
+		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( false );
+
+		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( { useTabs: false } );
+		expect( mockRemoveBlocks ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( [ 'top-tab-list' ] );
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'core/group' } ),
+			undefined,
+			'test-client-id',
+		);
+	} );
+
+	it( 'removes navigation group row containers and navigation blocks when toggling Use as Tabs ON', () => {
+		mockBlocks = [
+			{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-viewport', clientId: 'viewport-1', innerBlocks: [] },
 			{
 				name: 'core/group',
 				clientId: 'group-1',
 				innerBlocks: [
-					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-tab-list', clientId: 'nested-tab-list', innerBlocks: [] },
+					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls', clientId: 'nested-controls', innerBlocks: [] },
+					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter', clientId: 'nested-counter', innerBlocks: [] },
+					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots', clientId: 'nested-dots', innerBlocks: [] },
+				],
+			},
+		];
+		const setAttributes = jest.fn();
+
+		render(
+			<Edit
+				attributes={ createAttributes() }
+				setAttributes={ setAttributes }
+				clientId="test-client-id"
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		const toggleCall = ( ToggleControl as unknown as jest.Mock ).mock.calls.find(
+			( [ props ] ) => props.label === 'Use as Tabs',
+		);
+
+		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( true );
+
+		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( expect.objectContaining( { useTabs: true } ) );
+		const removedIds = mockRemoveBlocks.mock.calls[ 0 ][ 0 ];
+		expect( removedIds ).toHaveLength( 4 );
+		expect( removedIds ).toEqual(
+			expect.arrayContaining( [
+				'group-1',
+				'nested-controls',
+				'nested-counter',
+				'nested-dots',
+			] ),
+		);
+	} );
+
+	it( 'restores missing nav blocks into the core/group that actually contains nav elements, ignoring unrelated groups', () => {
+		mockBlocks = [
+			{ name: 'core/group', clientId: 'unrelated-group', innerBlocks: [] },
+			{
+				name: 'core/group',
+				clientId: 'nav-group-1',
+				innerBlocks: [
+					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots', clientId: 'existing-dots', innerBlocks: [] },
 				],
 			},
 		];
@@ -467,7 +543,61 @@ describe( 'useTabs toggle', () => {
 
 		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( false );
 
-		expect( setAttributes ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( { useTabs: false } );
-		expect( mockRemoveBlocks ).toHaveBeenCalledWith( [ 'top-tab-list', 'nested-tab-list' ] );
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' } ),
+			undefined,
+			'nav-group-1',
+		);
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' } ),
+			undefined,
+			'nav-group-1',
+		);
+	} );
+
+	it( 're-inserts only missing nav blocks (counter and dots) when controls already exist in a nav group', () => {
+		mockBlocks = [
+			{
+				name: 'core/group',
+				clientId: 'nav-group-1',
+				innerBlocks: [
+					{ name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls', clientId: 'existing-controls', innerBlocks: [] },
+				],
+			},
+		];
+		const setAttributes = jest.fn();
+
+		render(
+			<Edit
+				attributes={ { ...createAttributes(), useTabs: true } }
+				setAttributes={ setAttributes }
+				clientId="test-client-id"
+			/>,
+		);
+
+		const toggleCall = ( ToggleControl as unknown as jest.Mock ).mock.calls.find(
+			( [ props ] ) => props.label === 'Use as Tabs',
+		);
+
+		toggleCall[ 0 ].onChange( false );
+
+		// Controls already exist — should NOT be inserted again
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).not.toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' } ),
+			expect.anything(),
+			expect.anything(),
+		);
+
+		// Missing counter and dots SHOULD be inserted into nav-group-1
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' } ),
+			undefined,
+			'nav-group-1',
+		);
+		expect( mockInsertBlock ).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+			expect.objectContaining( { name: 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots' } ),
+			undefined,
+			'nav-group-1',
+		);
 	} );
 } );
diff --git a/src/blocks/carousel/edit.tsx b/src/blocks/carousel/edit.tsx
index 08a2cd6..9232051 100644
--- a/src/blocks/carousel/edit.tsx
+++ b/src/blocks/carousel/edit.tsx
@@ -342,12 +342,14 @@ export default function Edit( {
 		if ( value ) {
 			setAttributes( {
 				useTabs: true,
+				transition: 'slide',
 				loop: false,
 				dragFree: false,
 				carouselAlign: 'start',
 				containScroll: 'trimSnaps',
 				slidesToScroll: '1',
 				autoplay: false,
+				autoScroll: false,
 				axis: 'x',
 			} );
 			const tabListExists = findBlockDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-tab-list' );
@@ -359,6 +361,29 @@ export default function Edit( {
 					clientId,
 				);
 			}
+			// Find nav row containers (core/group containing navigation blocks) as well as any standalone nav blocks
+			const navGroupBlocks = innerBlocks.filter(
+				( b ) =>
+					b.name === 'core/group' &&
+					( findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' ) ||
+						findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' ) ||
+						findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots' ) ),
+			);
+			const looseNavBlocks = [
+				...findAllBlocksDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' ),
+				...findAllBlocksDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' ),
+				...findAllBlocksDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots' ),
+			];
+
+			const idsToRemove = Array.from(
+				new Set( [
+					...navGroupBlocks.map( ( b ) => b.clientId ),
+					...looseNavBlocks.map( ( b ) => b.clientId ),
+				] ),
+			);
+			if ( idsToRemove.length > 0 ) {
+				removeBlocks( idsToRemove );
+			}
 		} else {
 			setAttributes( { useTabs: false } );
 			const tabListBlocks = findAllBlocksDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-tab-list' );
@@ -366,6 +391,46 @@ export default function Edit( {
 			if ( tabListIds.length > 0 ) {
 				removeBlocks( tabListIds );
 			}
+
+			const controlsExist = findBlockDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' );
+			const counterExist = findBlockDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' );
+			const dotsExist = findBlockDeep( innerBlocks, 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots' );
+
+			if ( ! controlsExist && ! counterExist && ! dotsExist ) {
+				// No navigation blocks exist — insert full nav group row container
+				insertBlock( createNavGroup(), undefined, clientId );
+			} else if ( ! controlsExist || ! counterExist || ! dotsExist ) {
+				const navGroup = innerBlocks.find(
+					( b ) =>
+						b.name === 'core/group' &&
+						( findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls' ) ||
+							findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter' ) ||
+							findBlockDeep( b.innerBlocks ?? [], 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots' ) ),
+				);
+				const targetParentId = navGroup ? navGroup.clientId : clientId;
+
+				if ( ! controlsExist ) {
+					insertBlock(
+						createBlock( 'rt-carousel/carousel-controls', {} ),
+						undefined,
+						targetParentId,
+					);
+				}
+				if ( ! counterExist ) {
+					insertBlock(
+						createBlock( 'rt-carousel/carousel-counter', {} ),
+						undefined,
+						targetParentId,
+					);
+				}
+				if ( ! dotsExist ) {
+					insertBlock(
+						createBlock( 'rt-carousel/carousel-dots', {} ),
+						undefined,
+						targetParentId,
+					);
+				}
+			}
 		}
 	};
 
@@ -373,26 +438,6 @@ export default function Edit( {
 		<>
 			<InspectorControls>
 				<PanelBody title={ useTabs ? __( 'Tab Settings', 'rt-carousel' ) : __( 'Carousel Settings', 'rt-carousel' ) }>
-					<SelectControl
-						label={ __( 'Transition', 'rt-carousel' ) }
-						value={ transition }
-						disabled={ autoScroll }
-						options={ [
-							{ label: __( 'Slide', 'rt-carousel' ), value: 'slide' },
-							{ label: __( 'Fade', 'rt-carousel' ), value: 'fade' },
-						] }
-						onChange={ ( value ) =>
-							setAttributes( { transition: value as CarouselAttributes[ 'transition' ] } )
-						}
-						help={
-							autoScroll
-								? __( 'Auto Scroll does not support transitions.', 'rt-carousel' )
-								: __(
-									'Choose how slides transition: sliding horizontally or cross-fading.',
-									'rt-carousel',
-								)
-						}
-					/>
 					<ToggleControl
 						label={ __( 'Use as Tabs', 'rt-carousel' ) }
 						checked={ useTabs }
@@ -404,6 +449,26 @@ export default function Edit( {
 					/>
 					{ ! useTabs && (
 						<>
+							<SelectControl
+								label={ __( 'Transition', 'rt-carousel' ) }
+								value={ transition }
+								disabled={ autoScroll }
+								options={ [
+									{ label: __( 'Slide', 'rt-carousel' ), value: 'slide' },
+									{ label: __( 'Fade', 'rt-carousel' ), value: 'fade' },
+								] }
+								onChange={ ( value ) =>
+									setAttributes( { transition: value as CarouselAttributes[ 'transition' ] } )
+								}
+								help={
+									autoScroll
+										? __( 'Auto Scroll does not support transitions.', 'rt-carousel' )
+										: __(
+											'Choose how slides transition: sliding horizontally or cross-fading.',
+											'rt-carousel',
+										)
+								}
+							/>
 							<ToggleControl
 								label={ __( 'Loop', 'rt-carousel' ) }
 								checked={ loop }