[Mobile] Faster access to search bar in mobile app

Platform

iOS
Android

Obsidian Mobile version: v1.3.0


Feature Request: Faster access to search bar in the mobile app. Currently,it takes 1-2 taps around the screen to navigate to find the search button, and then you tap the search button.

Ideally, the search button should always be visible so you can tap and start searching.

I’ll also use this opportunity to add a vote for an iOS Widget, which could have quick access to a search bar.

3 Likes

While waiting for improvement you may find the Commander plugin useful. (I haven’t tried it yet, but apparently it’s the successor to the Customizable Sidebar plugin that I’ve been using.)

1 Like

Oh cool, thank you, I’ll check that out!
Btw for some reason the link to “Commander” in your post wasn’t working for me, so here it is just in case anyone else comes by this thread: GitHub - phibr0/obsidian-commander: Commander - Obsidian Plugin | Add Commands to every part of Obsidian's user interface

Swiping up would make sense to open search considering that swiping down opens the command pallette. Is there an official feature request for this? Do you know something?

It’s the ‘+’ in the bottom toolbar (one tap).

The hamburger on the right if you have Quick Switcher enabled and shown there (two taps).

You can also put it in your mobile toolbar above the keyboard (one tap if it’s in the front/left of the toolbar).

Lots of options.

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The + sign only searches through filenames :frowning: I wanted a vault search. I have to tap the hamburger and select from there the Search vault command (added with Commander plugin).

I was thinking that a built-in search-the-vault gesture would make sense, it’s a very basic thing everyone does. As is the Open command pallete, which already has a gesture.

Thanks for the suggestions, I’ll try the last for sure, I guess this can be done with Commander.

Ah, I see. Apologies :bowing_man: Should have my coffee and carefully read the big title at the top before I post.

One thing I’ve done is pin my left sidebar items to the command palette. That gets to global search ("Search: search in all files) pretty quick. Swipe down, one tap.

2 Likes

I use search (& mobile) quite a lot as well. Not sure if this is helpful or not but what I have done is set my mobile quick actions to search

By doing so I have avoided the clicking issues you mentioned (drove me nuts too :slightly_smiling_face:)
Now I just swipe down without clicking & I start my search. I have found this very fluid & productive

3 Likes

I find it strange that you can’t add Search to the “ribbon” toolbar on mobile, that would help a lot here.

You can using the Commander community plugin Cawlin mentioned above.

Speeding the transition animation made the 2 taps a lot more tolerable for me.

1 Like

Found this related thread on the same feature request, so just adding it here for visibility.
[Faster Switching between Files, Search, Tags, Bookmarks in the sidebar on mobile]

On the android app, every time I have to open the side tab, switch to search, find what I want, then press the side tab again in order to go back to my notes.

Solution: put a search icon next to the gear icon in the side tab.

1 Like