This post is applicable for Simpletext 4 on iPad and iPhone running iOS 15.

I’ve received several queries recently regarding the search capabilities of Simpletext. Specifically, on whether you can just type in a word in the search bar and be presented with all the files that contain that word. The short answer is, yes, you can. But there’s more to it, so I thought it would be useful for me to publish a blog post on this topic.

There are two types of search in Simpletext.

Search for Text in the Editor

In the Editor, you can invoke the search bar by tapping on More > Search on the keyboard bar. If you’re using a physical keyboard, you can also use the familiar Command-F keyboard shortcut. Just type in the search field and your search term will be highlighted immediately. You can tap on the arrow keys to jump to the next search result, just like how other apps like Safari and Notes does it. And when you’re done, just tap on the Done button to dismiss the search bar.

Search for Files in the File Browser

Apart from being monotone, the file browser looks just like Apple’s Files app. This is because Simpletext adopts the native document browser class, which has all the features of Files app built in, including search. However, when you type in the search bar, it only searches the file name, as shown in the first image above. To search the content, you have to tap on “Contains [Search Term]” right below the search bar. You’ll then be presented with all the files that contain your search term, as shown in the second image above. Do note that this option only appears after you’ve typed in a few letters in the search field.

And that’s all to it! I hope this post clarifies some of the queries you may have on searching in Simpletext. Happy writing!