9 Hidden Search Tips to Make Using Your Samsung Phone Faster

You probably tap the search bar on your phone dozens of times a day, but if you only do it to find and open apps, you're missing out on a lot. If you have a Samsung phone, the search bar in the app drawer can do a lot more than just launch apps.

 

9. Search contacts

Find, message, and call people faster

 

Type a name into the search bar in the app drawer, and the contact will appear right in the results. Tap it, and you'll be taken straight to the Contacts app. In the App options section of the search results, you'll see the WhatsApp option , so you can jump right into the conversation. If you scroll a little further, the Phone section neatly shows your call history with that particular contact.

8. Search YouTube, Maps, and Play Store

Skip launching the app and go straight to the content

 

The search bar on your phone is also a shortcut to Google 's biggest apps . Instead of opening YouTube , Maps, or the Play Store separately, you can just type what you're looking for into the search bar and go straight to it.

Same goes for apps and locations. If you want to download a specific app from the Play Store or Galaxy Store, type in the app name and the search bar will take you directly to that app's page. Similarly, you can also search for directions or start navigating to saved locations right away.

7. Set alarms and timers instantly

Speed ​​up timers and alarms

 

When you search for an app in the app drawer, Samsung phones also show useful shortcuts. For example, if you type Clock , you'll see handy shortcuts like Set Timer , Add Alarm  , or even Start Stopwatch .

6. Search for important documents

Locate files and PDFs in seconds

Type in the name of the file you need and it will appear in the results without you having to open another app. Even better, if you don't remember the exact file name, you can still find it by searching for text within the document itself.

 

Whether it's a PDF or Word document, the search bar on your phone can help you find it in seconds.

5. Go to specific settings

No need to search in menus

Scrolling through endless menus just to adjust one option in your phone's settings can be tiring. A better way is to search for the setting directly from the app drawer. Type SIM Manager , Date and Time , or even the name of a helpful accessibility setting and you'll be taken straight to the page you're looking for.

4. Quick access to downloads and screenshots

One-touch shortcut to recent files

 

If there's one thing you find yourself constantly searching for on your phone, it's your downloads. Normally, that means opening the Files app and browsing through folders. But the search bar on Samsung phones makes it much simpler.

Tap the search bar and you'll see the Downloads shortcut . Tap that and you'll be taken straight to the Downloads folder inside the Files app.

3. Open hidden apps

Samsung phones let you hide apps from the app drawer, which is great for keeping some apps private or simply cleaning up your home screen. But hiding them doesn't mean you have to bother bringing them back up every time you want to use them.

Searching the app drawer can help you do that. Just type the name of the hidden app into the search bar. You won't see a regular app shortcut, but the app will appear in the App info section . Tap it and it will take you to the app's info page in Settings.

2. Delete or hide search history

Keep your searches private and tidy

 

To clean up, tap the search bar and find Recent searches . From here, you can delete individual entries by tapping the X next to each one. If you want to start over, tap Clear all to delete your entire search history at once.

1. Exclude specific apps from search

Enjoy a faster, cleaner search experience

By default, searching in the app drawer shows relevant suggestions from all compatible apps on your phone. But not every app has to appear in those results—maybe you don't want suggestions from Samsung Music or Netflix every time you type.

Samsung makes it easy to control which apps appear. Open the search bar, tap the three-dot menu, and select Choose apps to search in . You'll see a list of all your apps, and you can turn off the toggles next to any apps you don't want to appear in search results.

This simple step keeps your search results cleaner and more focused, helping you find what you need faster without distraction.