diff --git a/src/Core/Runtime/Il2Cpp/Il2CppReflection.cs b/src/Core/Runtime/Il2Cpp/Il2CppReflection.cs
index 1816c17..7a96665 100644
--- a/src/Core/Runtime/Il2Cpp/Il2CppReflection.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Runtime/Il2Cpp/Il2CppReflection.cs
@@ -154,21 +154,24 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime.Il2Cpp
         /// <returns>The object, as the type (or a normal C# object) if successful or the input value if not.</returns>
         public static object Il2CppCast(object obj, Type castTo)
         {
-            if (!(obj is Il2CppSystem.Object ilObj))
+            if (!(obj is Il2CppSystem.Object cppObj))
                 return obj;
 
             if (!Il2CppTypeNotNull(castTo, out IntPtr castToPtr))
                 return obj;
 
-            IntPtr castFromPtr = il2cpp_object_get_class(ilObj.Pointer);
+            IntPtr castFromPtr = il2cpp_object_get_class(cppObj.Pointer);
 
             if (!il2cpp_class_is_assignable_from(castToPtr, castFromPtr))
                 return null;
 
             if (RuntimeSpecificsStore.IsInjected(castToPtr))
-                return UnhollowerBaseLib.Runtime.ClassInjectorBase.GetMonoObjectFromIl2CppPointer(ilObj.Pointer);
+                return UnhollowerBaseLib.Runtime.ClassInjectorBase.GetMonoObjectFromIl2CppPointer(cppObj.Pointer);
 
-            return Activator.CreateInstance(castTo, ilObj.Pointer);
+            if (castTo == typeof(string))
+                return cppObj.ToString();
+
+            return Activator.CreateInstance(castTo, cppObj.Pointer);
         }
 
         /// <summary>
@@ -319,6 +322,14 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime.Il2Cpp
             return false;
         }
 
+        public override void BoxStringToType(ref object value, Type castTo)
+        {
+            if (castTo == typeof(Il2CppSystem.String))
+                value = (Il2CppSystem.String)(value as string);
+            else
+                value = (Il2CppSystem.Object)(value as string);
+        }
+
         // ~~~~~~~~~~ not used ~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
         // cached il2cpp unbox methods
diff --git a/src/Core/Runtime/Mono/MonoReflection.cs b/src/Core/Runtime/Mono/MonoReflection.cs
index 7a96427..2c2c3c1 100644
--- a/src/Core/Runtime/Mono/MonoReflection.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Runtime/Mono/MonoReflection.cs
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime.Mono
 
         public override string ProcessTypeNameInString(Type type, string theString, ref string typeName)
             => theString;
+
+        // not necessary
+        public override void BoxStringToType(ref object _string, Type castTo) { }
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/src/Core/Runtime/ReflectionProvider.cs b/src/Core/Runtime/ReflectionProvider.cs
index 90b874f..769eb98 100644
--- a/src/Core/Runtime/ReflectionProvider.cs
+++ b/src/Core/Runtime/ReflectionProvider.cs
@@ -25,5 +25,7 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime
         public abstract string ProcessTypeNameInString(Type type, string theString, ref string typeName);
 
         public abstract bool LoadModule(string module);
+
+        public abstract void BoxStringToType(ref object _string, Type castTo);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/Core/TestClass.cs b/src/Core/TestClass.cs
index eebe35a..e0ee4cc 100644
--- a/src/Core/TestClass.cs
+++ b/src/Core/TestClass.cs
@@ -5,9 +5,14 @@ using System.Text;
 
 namespace UnityExplorer
 {
-#if CPP
     public static class TestClass
     {
+#if CPP
+        public static string testStringOne = "Test";
+        public static Il2CppSystem.Object testStringTwo = "string boxed as cpp object";
+        public static Il2CppSystem.String testStringThree = "string boxed as cpp string";
+        public static string nullString = null;
+
         public static Il2CppSystem.Collections.Hashtable testHashset;
 
         static TestClass()
@@ -17,6 +22,6 @@ namespace UnityExplorer
             testHashset.Add("key2", "itemTwo");
             testHashset.Add("key3", "itemThree");
         }
-    }
 #endif
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/ExplorerCore.cs b/src/ExplorerCore.cs
index cf65894..3f050dc 100644
--- a/src/ExplorerCore.cs
+++ b/src/ExplorerCore.cs
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ using UnityExplorer.Core.Config;
 using UnityExplorer.Core.Input;
 using UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime;
 using UnityExplorer.UI;
+using UnityExplorer.UI.Inspectors;
 using UnityExplorer.UI.Main;
 
 namespace UnityExplorer
@@ -12,7 +13,7 @@ namespace UnityExplorer
     public class ExplorerCore
     {
         public const string NAME = "UnityExplorer";
-        public const string VERSION = "3.3.5";
+        public const string VERSION = "3.3.6";
         public const string AUTHOR = "Sinai";
         public const string GUID = "com.sinai.unityexplorer";
 
diff --git a/src/UI/InteractiveValues/InteractiveString.cs b/src/UI/InteractiveValues/InteractiveString.cs
index d453c36..81316a6 100644
--- a/src/UI/InteractiveValues/InteractiveString.cs
+++ b/src/UI/InteractiveValues/InteractiveString.cs
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ using UnityExplorer.Core.Unity;
 using UnityExplorer.UI;
 using UnityExplorer.UI.Utility;
 using UnityExplorer.UI.CacheObject;
+using UnityExplorer.Core.Runtime;
 
 namespace UnityExplorer.UI.InteractiveValues
 {
@@ -27,8 +28,8 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.UI.InteractiveValues
             // strings boxed as Il2CppSystem.Objects can behave weirdly.
             // GetActualType will find they are a string, but if its boxed
             // then we need to unbox it like this...
-            if (!(Value is string))
-                Value = ((Il2CppSystem.Object)Value).ToString();
+            if (!(Value is string) && Value is Il2CppSystem.Object cppobj)
+                Value = cppobj.ToString();
 #endif
 
             base.OnValueUpdated();
@@ -96,10 +97,18 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.UI.InteractiveValues
             m_labelLayout.flexibleWidth = 0;
         }
 
-        internal void OnApplyClicked()
+        internal void SetValueFromInput()
         {
             Value = m_valueInput.text;
+
+            if (!typeof(string).IsAssignableFrom(Owner.FallbackType))
+                ReflectionProvider.Instance.BoxStringToType(ref Value, Owner.FallbackType);
+            
             Owner.SetValue();
+
+            // revert back to string now
+            OnValueUpdated();
+
             RefreshUIForValue();
         }
 
@@ -170,7 +179,7 @@ namespace UnityExplorer.UI.InteractiveValues
 
             if (Owner.CanWrite)
             {
-                var apply = UIFactory.CreateButton(groupObj, "ApplyButton", "Apply", OnApplyClicked, new Color(0.2f, 0.2f, 0.2f));
+                var apply = UIFactory.CreateButton(groupObj, "ApplyButton", "Apply", SetValueFromInput, new Color(0.2f, 0.2f, 0.2f));
                 UIFactory.SetLayoutElement(apply.gameObject, minWidth: 50, minHeight: 25, flexibleWidth: 0);
             }
             else