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 b1acc459c..534625eb2 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
@@ -332,6 +332,14 @@ class MainActivity : SimpleActivity(), DirectoryOperationsListener {
         main_menu.setupMenu()
         main_menu.updateHintText(getString(R.string.search_folders))
 
+        if (isPiePlus()) {
+            main_menu.onSearchOpenListener = {
+                if (config.searchAllFilesByDefault) {
+                    launchSearchActivity()
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         main_menu.onSearchTextChangedListener = { text ->
             setupAdapter(mDirsIgnoringSearch, text)
             directories_refresh_layout.isEnabled = text.isEmpty() && config.enablePullToRefresh
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/SettingsActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
index b4c34cc9e..ff5b877ce 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/activities/SettingsActivity.kt
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
         setupManageIncludedFolders()
         setupManageExcludedFolders()
         setupManageHiddenFolders()
+        setupSearchAllFiles()
         setupShowHiddenItems()
         setupAutoplayVideos()
         setupRememberLastVideo()
@@ -225,6 +226,16 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
         config.showHiddenMedia = settings_show_hidden_items.isChecked
     }
 
+    // show this on Android 9+ only due to a glitch on lower versions where search is automatically open on startup
+    private fun setupSearchAllFiles() {
+        settings_search_all_files_holder.beVisibleIf(isPiePlus())
+        settings_search_all_files.isChecked = config.searchAllFilesByDefault
+        settings_search_all_files_holder.setOnClickListener {
+            settings_search_all_files.toggle()
+            config.searchAllFilesByDefault = settings_search_all_files.isChecked
+        }
+    }
+
     private fun setupAutoplayVideos() {
         settings_autoplay_videos.isChecked = config.autoplayVideos
         settings_autoplay_videos_holder.setOnClickListener {
@@ -782,6 +793,7 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
                 put(LIMIT_FOLDER_TITLE, config.limitFolderTitle)
                 put(THUMBNAIL_SPACING, config.thumbnailSpacing)
                 put(FILE_ROUNDED_CORNERS, config.fileRoundedCorners)
+                put(SEARCH_ALL_FILES_BY_DEFAULT, config.searchAllFilesByDefault)
             }
 
             exportSettings(configItems)
@@ -923,6 +935,7 @@ class SettingsActivity : SimpleActivity() {
                 LIMIT_FOLDER_TITLE -> config.limitFolderTitle = value.toBoolean()
                 THUMBNAIL_SPACING -> config.thumbnailSpacing = value.toInt()
                 FILE_ROUNDED_CORNERS -> config.fileRoundedCorners = value.toBoolean()
+                SEARCH_ALL_FILES_BY_DEFAULT -> config.searchAllFilesByDefault = value.toBoolean()
                 ALBUM_COVERS -> {
                     val existingCovers = config.parseAlbumCovers()
                     val existingCoverPaths = existingCovers.map { it.path }.toMutableList() as ArrayList<String>
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Config.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Config.kt
index 9dd3c3ef5..96501c68d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Config.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Config.kt
@@ -550,4 +550,8 @@ class Config(context: Context) : BaseConfig(context) {
     var avoidShowingAllFilesPrompt: Boolean
         get() = prefs.getBoolean(AVOID_SHOWING_ALL_FILES_PROMPT, false)
         set(avoidShowingAllFilesPrompt) = prefs.edit().putBoolean(AVOID_SHOWING_ALL_FILES_PROMPT, avoidShowingAllFilesPrompt).apply()
+
+    var searchAllFilesByDefault: Boolean
+        get() = prefs.getBoolean(SEARCH_ALL_FILES_BY_DEFAULT, false)
+        set(searchAllFilesByDefault) = prefs.edit().putBoolean(SEARCH_ALL_FILES_BY_DEFAULT, searchAllFilesByDefault).apply()
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Constants.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Constants.kt
index 7ab90af63..9885df89c 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Constants.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/gallery/pro/helpers/Constants.kt
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ const val THUMBNAIL_SPACING = "thumbnail_spacing"
 const val FILE_ROUNDED_CORNERS = "file_rounded_corners"
 const val CUSTOM_FOLDERS_ORDER = "custom_folders_order"
 const val AVOID_SHOWING_ALL_FILES_PROMPT = "avoid_showing_all_files_prompt"
+const val SEARCH_ALL_FILES_BY_DEFAULT = "search_all_files_by_default"
 
 // slideshow
 const val SLIDESHOW_INTERVAL = "slideshow_interval"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
index 176afb50c..3047844cf 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_settings.xml
@@ -199,6 +199,21 @@
 
             </RelativeLayout>
 
+            <RelativeLayout
+                android:id="@+id/settings_search_all_files_holder"
+                style="@style/SettingsHolderCheckboxStyle"
+                android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                android:layout_height="wrap_content">
+
+                <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyAppCompatCheckbox
+                    android:id="@+id/settings_search_all_files"
+                    style="@style/SettingsCheckboxStyle"
+                    android:layout_width="match_parent"
+                    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+                    android:text="@string/search_all_files" />
+
+            </RelativeLayout>
+
             <include
                 android:id="@+id/settings_general_settings_divider"
                 layout="@layout/divider" />