diff --git a/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/CategoryPage.qml b/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/CategoryPage.qml
--- a/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/CategoryPage.qml
+++ b/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/CategoryPage.qml
@@ -28,11 +28,18 @@
 {
     id: view
     property alias model: emojiModel.sourceModel
+    property string searchText: ""
     property alias category: filter.category
     property bool showSearch: false
     leftPadding: 0
     rightPadding: 0
 
+    Keys.onPressed: {
+        if(event.text.length > 0 && event.modifiers === Qt.NoModifier) {
+            window.startSearch(event.text)
+        }
+    }
+
     titleDelegate: RowLayout {
         Layout.fillWidth: true
         Layout.preferredWidth: view.width
@@ -45,6 +52,7 @@
             id: searchField
             Layout.fillWidth: true
             placeholderText: i18n("Search...")
+            text: view.searchText
             visible: view.showSearch
             onTextChanged: {
                 emojiModel.search = text
diff --git a/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/emojier.qml b/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/emojier.qml
--- a/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/emojier.qml
+++ b/applets/kimpanel/backend/ibus/emojier/ui/emojier.qml
@@ -50,6 +50,10 @@
         window.showPassiveNotification(i18n("%1 copied to the clipboard", thing))
     }
 
+    function startSearch(typedText) {
+        window.pageStack.replace("qrc:/ui/CategoryPage.qml", {title: i18n("Search"), category: "", model: emoji, showSearch: true, searchText: typedText})
+    }
+
     onVisibilityChanged: {
         if (visible)
             globalDrawer.actions[recentEmojiModel.count === 0 ? 1 : 0].trigger()