diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/MainActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/MainActivity.kt
index 5fff99950..ade0db791 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/MainActivity.kt
@@ -151,6 +151,10 @@ class MainActivity : SimpleActivity(), DirectoryOperationsListener {
 
         updateWidgets()
         registerFileUpdateListener()
+
+        directories_switch_searching.setOnClickListener {
+            launchSearchActivity()
+        }
     }
 
     override fun onStart() {
@@ -198,6 +202,8 @@ class MainActivity : SimpleActivity(), DirectoryOperationsListener {
         invalidateOptionsMenu()
         directories_empty_text_label.setTextColor(config.textColor)
         directories_empty_text.setTextColor(getAdjustedPrimaryColor())
+        directories_switch_searching.setTextColor(getAdjustedPrimaryColor())
+        directories_switch_searching.underlineText()
 
         if (mIsPasswordProtectionPending && !mWasProtectionHandled) {
             handleAppPasswordProtection {
@@ -351,6 +357,7 @@ class MainActivity : SimpleActivity(), DirectoryOperationsListener {
 
         MenuItemCompat.setOnActionExpandListener(mSearchMenuItem, object : MenuItemCompat.OnActionExpandListener {
             override fun onMenuItemActionExpand(item: MenuItem?): Boolean {
+                directories_switch_searching.beVisible()
                 mIsSearchOpen = true
                 directories_refresh_layout.isEnabled = false
                 return true
@@ -359,6 +366,7 @@ class MainActivity : SimpleActivity(), DirectoryOperationsListener {
             // this triggers on device rotation too, avoid doing anything
             override fun onMenuItemActionCollapse(item: MenuItem?): Boolean {
                 if (mIsSearchOpen) {
+                    directories_switch_searching.beGone()
                     mIsSearchOpen = false
                     directories_refresh_layout.isEnabled = config.enablePullToRefresh
                     setupAdapter(mDirs, "")
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
index bbf53b09e..6b728133f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_main.xml
@@ -11,10 +11,21 @@
         android:layout_width="match_parent"
         android:layout_height="wrap_content">
 
+        <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyTextView
+            android:id="@+id/directories_switch_searching"
+            android:layout_width="match_parent"
+            android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+            android:background="?attr/selectableItemBackgroundBorderless"
+            android:gravity="center"
+            android:padding="@dimen/activity_margin"
+            android:text="@string/switch_to_file_search"
+            android:visibility="gone"/>
+
         <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyTextView
             android:id="@+id/directories_empty_text_label"
             android:layout_width="match_parent"
             android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+            android:layout_below="@+id/directories_switch_searching"
             android:gravity="center_horizontal"
             android:paddingLeft="@dimen/big_margin"
             android:paddingTop="@dimen/activity_margin"
@@ -39,6 +50,7 @@
             android:id="@+id/directories_grid"
             android:layout_width="match_parent"
             android:layout_height="match_parent"
+            android:layout_below="@+id/directories_switch_searching"
             android:scrollbars="none"
             app:layoutManager="com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyGridLayoutManager"
             app:spanCount="@integer/directory_columns_vertical_scroll"/>
@@ -47,6 +59,7 @@
             android:id="@+id/directories_vertical_fastscroller"
             android:layout_width="wrap_content"
             android:layout_height="match_parent"
+            android:layout_below="@+id/directories_switch_searching"
             android:layout_alignParentEnd="true"
             android:paddingStart="@dimen/normal_margin"
             android:visibility="gone">