diff --git a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
index e78996a9..0dabfa90 100644
--- a/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/AndroidManifest.xml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 
         <activity
             android:name=".activities.SearchActivity"
-            android:label="@string/search"
+            android:label=""
             android:parentActivityName=".activities.MainActivity"
             android:resizeableActivity="true">
 
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/SearchActivity.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/SearchActivity.kt
index f10dd11f..1c0269ed 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/SearchActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/simplemobiletools/smsmessenger/activities/SearchActivity.kt
@@ -8,9 +8,11 @@ import android.view.Menu
 import android.view.MenuItem
 import androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView
 import androidx.core.view.MenuItemCompat
+import com.simplemobiletools.commons.extensions.*
 import com.simplemobiletools.commons.helpers.ensureBackgroundThread
 import com.simplemobiletools.smsmessenger.R
 import com.simplemobiletools.smsmessenger.extensions.messagesDB
+import kotlinx.android.synthetic.main.activity_search.*
 
 class SearchActivity : SimpleActivity() {
     private var mIsSearchOpen = false
@@ -21,12 +23,12 @@ class SearchActivity : SimpleActivity() {
     override fun onCreate(savedInstanceState: Bundle?) {
         super.onCreate(savedInstanceState)
         setContentView(R.layout.activity_search)
+        updateTextColors(search_holder)
     }
 
     override fun onCreateOptionsMenu(menu: Menu): Boolean {
         menuInflater.inflate(R.menu.menu_search, menu)
         setupSearch(menu)
-        updateMenuItemColors(menu)
         return true
     }
 
@@ -45,6 +47,7 @@ class SearchActivity : SimpleActivity() {
                 if (mIsSearchOpen) {
                     mIsSearchOpen = false
                     mLastSearchedText = ""
+                    finish()
                 }
                 return true
             }
@@ -69,8 +72,20 @@ class SearchActivity : SimpleActivity() {
     }
 
     private fun textChanged(text: String) {
-        ensureBackgroundThread {
-            val messages = messagesDB.getMessagesWithText("%$text%")
+        search_placeholder_2.beGoneIf(text.length >= 2)
+        if (text.length >= 2) {
+            ensureBackgroundThread {
+                val messages = messagesDB.getMessagesWithText("%$text%")
+                if (text == mLastSearchedText) {
+                    runOnUiThread {
+                        search_results_list.beVisibleIf(messages.isNotEmpty())
+                        search_placeholder.beVisibleIf(messages.isEmpty())
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        } else {
+            search_placeholder.beVisible()
+            search_results_list.beGone()
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_search.xml b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_search.xml
index 1ff99510..a8e2fe2d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_search.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/layout/activity_search.xml
@@ -1,5 +1,46 @@
 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
 <RelativeLayout xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
+    xmlns:app="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res-auto"
     android:id="@+id/search_holder"
     android:layout_width="match_parent"
-    android:layout_height="match_parent" />
+    android:layout_height="match_parent">
+
+    <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyTextView
+        android:id="@+id/search_placeholder"
+        android:layout_width="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
+        android:layout_marginTop="@dimen/activity_margin"
+        android:alpha="0.8"
+        android:gravity="center"
+        android:paddingStart="@dimen/activity_margin"
+        android:paddingEnd="@dimen/activity_margin"
+        android:text="@string/no_items_found"
+        android:textSize="@dimen/bigger_text_size"
+        android:textStyle="italic" />
+
+    <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyTextView
+        android:id="@+id/search_placeholder_2"
+        android:layout_width="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="wrap_content"
+        android:layout_below="@+id/search_placeholder"
+        android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
+        android:alpha="0.8"
+        android:gravity="center"
+        android:paddingStart="@dimen/activity_margin"
+        android:paddingTop="@dimen/medium_margin"
+        android:paddingEnd="@dimen/activity_margin"
+        android:paddingBottom="@dimen/medium_margin"
+        android:text="@string/type_2_characters"
+        android:textSize="@dimen/bigger_text_size"
+        android:textStyle="italic" />
+
+    <com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyRecyclerView
+        android:id="@+id/search_results_list"
+        android:layout_width="match_parent"
+        android:layout_height="match_parent"
+        android:clipToPadding="false"
+        android:scrollbars="vertical"
+        app:layoutManager="com.simplemobiletools.commons.views.MyLinearLayoutManager" />
+
+</RelativeLayout>