diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/activities/MainActivity.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/activities/MainActivity.kt
index bbf4318..aa4c871 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/activities/MainActivity.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/activities/MainActivity.kt
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import android.os.Build
 import android.os.Bundle
 import android.os.Handler
 import android.os.Looper
+import android.view.KeyEvent
 import android.view.Menu
 import android.view.MenuItem
 import android.view.WindowManager.LayoutParams.FLAG_LAYOUT_NO_LIMITS
@@ -107,6 +108,43 @@ class MainActivity : AppCompatActivity() {
         setLanguage()
     }
 
+    /**
+     * When a printable character key is pressed on a physical keyboard while the
+     * home screen is showing, open the app list (drawer) with that character
+     * already entered into the search box. The event is consumed so the character
+     * does not also get sent to the search field on a second pass.
+     */
+    override fun dispatchKeyEvent(event: KeyEvent): Boolean {
+        if (isTypeToSearchKeyEvent(event)) {
+            val currentNavController = findNavController(R.id.nav_host_fragment_content_main)
+            if (currentNavController.currentDestination?.id == R.id.HomeFragment) {
+                val character = event.unicodeChar.toChar().toString()
+                val bundle = Bundle().apply {
+                    putString(Constants.INITIAL_SEARCH_QUERY, character)
+                }
+                val options: NavOptions? =
+                    if (preferenceHelper.disableAnimations) null
+                    else appHelper.getActionType(Constants.Swipe.Up)
+                currentNavController.navigate(R.id.DrawFragment, bundle, options)
+                return true
+            }
+        }
+        return super.dispatchKeyEvent(event)
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns true for key-down events that produce a printable character and are
+     * not part of a shortcut combination (ctrl/meta held). Shift and alt are
+     * allowed so letters, digits, punctuation, and space all trigger the search.
+     */
+    private fun isTypeToSearchKeyEvent(event: KeyEvent): Boolean {
+        if (event.action != KeyEvent.ACTION_DOWN) return false
+        if (event.isCtrlPressed || event.isMetaPressed) return false
+        // Printable characters are code point 0x20 (space) and above.
+        // This naturally excludes enter, backspace, tab, escape, DPAD keys, etc.
+        return event.unicodeChar >= 0x20
+    }
+
     @Suppress("DEPRECATION")
     private fun setLanguage() {
         val locale = preferenceHelper.appLanguage.locale()
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/drawer/DrawFragment.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/drawer/DrawFragment.kt
index 6c0eef1..c640047 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/drawer/DrawFragment.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/ui/drawer/DrawFragment.kt
@@ -107,6 +107,24 @@ class DrawFragment : Fragment(),
 
         // Initialize observation of drawer apps
         observeDrawerApps()
+
+        applyInitialSearchQuery()
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * When the drawer was opened by typing a character on the physical keyboard
+     * (see MainActivity.dispatchKeyEvent), pre-fill the search box with that
+     * character and give the search field focus so the next keystrokes continue
+     * typing into the search.
+     */
+    private fun applyInitialSearchQuery() {
+        val query = arguments?.getString(Constants.INITIAL_SEARCH_QUERY).orEmpty()
+        if (query.isEmpty()) return
+
+        binding.searchViewText.setQuery(query, false)
+        val queryField =
+            binding.searchViewText.findViewById<android.widget.EditText>(androidx.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text)
+        queryField?.requestFocus()
     }
 
     private fun setupRecyclerView() {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/utils/Constants.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/utils/Constants.kt
index 2a7d632..b7ed69e 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/utils/Constants.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/github/droidworksstudio/launcher/utils/Constants.kt
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ object Constants {
     const val SHOW_APP_ICON = "SHOW_APP_ICON"
 
     const val AUTOMATIC_KEYBOARD = "AUTOMATIC_KEYBOARD"
+    const val INITIAL_SEARCH_QUERY = "initialSearchQuery"
     const val AUTOMATIC_OPEN_APP = "AUTOMATIC_OPEN_APP"
     const val SEARCH_FROM_START = "SEARCH_FROM_START"
     const val FILTER_STRENGTH = "FILTER_STRENGTH"
diff --git a/app/src/main/res/navigation/nav_graph.xml b/app/src/main/res/navigation/nav_graph.xml
index 7d4a4a4..9220c9d 100644
--- a/app/src/main/res/navigation/nav_graph.xml
+++ b/app/src/main/res/navigation/nav_graph.xml
@@ -44,7 +44,12 @@
         android:id="@+id/DrawFragment"
         android:name="com.github.droidworksstudio.launcher.ui.drawer.DrawFragment"
         android:label="@string/draw_fragment_label"
-        tools:layout="@layout/fragment_draw" />
+        tools:layout="@layout/fragment_draw">
+        <argument
+            android:name="initialSearchQuery"
+            android:defaultValue=""
+            app:argType="string" />
+    </fragment>
 
     <fragment
         android:id="@+id/FavoriteFragment"