wip

apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/ChatListView.swift

@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ struct ChatListView: View {
     @State private var userPickerShown: Bool = false
     @State private var sheet: SomeSheet<AnyView>? = nil
     @StateObject private var chatTagsModel = ChatTagsModel.shared
+    @StateObject private var directorySearch = DirectorySearchModel()
     @State private var scrollToItemId: ChatItem.ID? = nil
 
     // iOS 15 is required it to show/hide toolbar while chat is hidden/visible
@@ -382,35 +383,75 @@ struct ChatListView: View {
 
     @ViewBuilder private var chatList: some View {
         if shouldShowOnboarding {
-            ConnectOnboardingView()
-                .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
-                .modifier(ThemedBackground())
+            // the onboarding content stays, but below a live search bar rather than instead of
+            // it: a user with no conversations is exactly who needs to find some
+            VStack(spacing: 0) {
+                ChatListSearchBar(
+                    searchMode: $searchMode,
+                    searchFocussed: $searchFocussed,
+                    searchText: $searchText,
+                    searchShowingSimplexLink: $searchShowingSimplexLink,
+                    searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink: $searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink,
+                    parentSheet: $sheet,
+                    directorySearch: directorySearch
+                )
+                .padding(.horizontal)
+                if directorySearch.entries.isEmpty && !directorySearch.loading {
+                    ConnectOnboardingView()
+                } else {
+                    directorySearchList()
+                }
+            }
+            .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+            .modifier(ThemedBackground())
         } else {
             chatListContent
         }
     }
 
+    // the directory results on their own, for the onboarding state where there is no chat list
+    @ViewBuilder private func directorySearchList() -> some View {
+        List {
+            ForEach(directorySearch.entries) { entry in
+                DirectorySearchRow(entry: entry)
+                    .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
+                    .onTapGesture {
+                        guard let link = entry.connectLink else { return }
+                        searchFocussed = false
+                        planAndConnect(link, theme: theme, dismiss: false, cleanup: nil)
+                    }
+            }
+            if directorySearch.failed {
+                directoryRetryRow()
+            } else if directorySearch.hasMore {
+                directoryShowMoreRow()
+            }
+        }
+        .listStyle(.plain)
+    }
+
     private var chatListContent: some View {
         let cs = filteredChats()
         return ZStack {
             ScrollViewReader { scrollProxy in
                 List {
-                    if !chatModel.chats.isEmpty {
-                        ChatListSearchBar(
-                            searchMode: $searchMode,
-                            searchFocussed: $searchFocussed,
-                            searchText: $searchText,
-                            searchShowingSimplexLink: $searchShowingSimplexLink,
-                            searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink: $searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink,
-                            parentSheet: $sheet
-                        )
-                        .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
-                        .listRowSeparator(.hidden)
-                        .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
-                        .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
-                        .padding(.top, oneHandUI ? 8 : 0)
-                        .id("searchBar")
-                    }
+                    // always shown: the search field is now the way to discover chats, not only
+                    // to filter the ones that already exist
+                    ChatListSearchBar(
+                        searchMode: $searchMode,
+                        searchFocussed: $searchFocussed,
+                        searchText: $searchText,
+                        searchShowingSimplexLink: $searchShowingSimplexLink,
+                        searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink: $searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink,
+                        parentSheet: $sheet,
+                        directorySearch: directorySearch
+                    )
+                    .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+                    .listRowSeparator(.hidden)
+                    .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
+                    .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+                    .padding(.top, oneHandUI ? 8 : 0)
+                    .id("searchBar")
                     if !oneHandUICardShown {
                         OneHandUICard()
                             .padding(.vertical, 6)
@@ -437,6 +478,28 @@ struct ChatListView: View {
                             .disabled(chatModel.chatRunning != true || chatModel.deletedChats.contains(chat.chatInfo.id))
                         }
                     }
+                    if !directorySearch.entries.isEmpty || directorySearch.loading || directorySearch.failed {
+                        Section {
+                            ForEach(directorySearch.entries) { entry in
+                                DirectorySearchRow(entry: entry)
+                                    .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+                                    .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
+                                    .onTapGesture {
+                                        guard let link = entry.connectLink else { return }
+                                        searchFocussed = false
+                                        planAndConnect(link, theme: theme, dismiss: false, cleanup: nil)
+                                    }
+                            }
+                            if directorySearch.failed {
+                                directoryRetryRow()
+                            } else if directorySearch.hasMore {
+                                directoryShowMoreRow()
+                            }
+                        } header: {
+                            Text("Directory")
+                                .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+                        }
+                    }
                     if !addressCreationCardShown && hasConversations {
                         ConnectBannerCard()
                             .padding(.vertical, 6)
@@ -463,13 +526,37 @@ struct ChatListView: View {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            if cs.isEmpty && !chatModel.chats.isEmpty {
+            // the overlay covers the list, so it must not appear while directory results are shown
+            if cs.isEmpty && !chatModel.chats.isEmpty && directorySearch.entries.isEmpty && !directorySearch.loading {
                 noChatsView()
                     .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
                     .foregroundColor(.secondary)
             }
         }
     }
+
+    @ViewBuilder private func directoryShowMoreRow() -> some View {
+        Button {
+            Task { await directorySearch.loadMore() }
+        } label: {
+            Text("Show more")
+                .foregroundColor(theme.colors.primary)
+        }
+        .disabled(directorySearch.loading)
+        .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+        .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
+    }
+
+    @ViewBuilder private func directoryRetryRow() -> some View {
+        Button {
+            Task { await directorySearch.search(searchText) }
+        } label: {
+            Text("Search failed, tap to retry")
+                .foregroundColor(theme.colors.primary)
+        }
+        .scaleEffect(x: 1, y: oneHandUI ? -1 : 1, anchor: .center)
+        .listRowBackground(Color.clear)
+    }
     
     @ViewBuilder private func noChatsView() -> some View {
         if searchString().isEmpty {
@@ -638,7 +725,9 @@ struct ChatListSearchBar: View {
     @Binding var searchShowingSimplexLink: Bool
     @Binding var searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink: Set<String>
     @Binding var parentSheet: SomeSheet<AnyView>?
+    @ObservedObject var directorySearch: DirectorySearchModel
     @AppStorage(GROUP_DEFAULT_ONE_HAND_UI, store: groupDefaults) private var oneHandUI = true
+    @AppStorage(DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_SEARCH_ALERT_SHOWN) private var directorySearchAlertShown = false
     @State private var ignoreSearchTextChange = false
     // when the search text is a SimpleX name, the string to connect to (with @/# preserved); nil otherwise
     @State private var connectNameCandidate: String? = nil
@@ -656,6 +745,9 @@ struct ChatListSearchBar: View {
                     searchFocussed: $searchFocussed,
                     dismiss: false
                 )
+                searchInDirectoryRow()
+            } else if oneHandUI, !searchTrimmed.isEmpty {
+                searchInDirectoryRow()
             } else {
                 ScrollView([.horizontal], showsIndicators: false) { TagsView(parentSheet: $parentSheet, searchText: $searchText) }
             }
@@ -667,6 +759,8 @@ struct ChatListSearchBar: View {
                         .disabled(searchShowingSimplexLink)
                         .focused($searchFocussed)
                         .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+                        .submitLabel(.search)
+                        .onSubmit(runDirectorySearch)
                     if connectProgressManager.showConnectProgress != nil {
                         ProgressView()
                     }
@@ -702,10 +796,20 @@ struct ChatListSearchBar: View {
                     dismiss: false
                 )
             }
+            if !oneHandUI, !searchTrimmed.isEmpty {
+                searchInDirectoryRow()
+            }
         }
         .onChange(of: searchFocussed) { sf in
             withAnimation { searchMode = sf }
         }
+        .onChange(of: searchText) { _ in
+            // results belong to the text that produced them
+            directorySearch.reset()
+        }
+        .onChange(of: m.currentUser?.userId) { _ in
+            directorySearch.reset()
+        }
         .onChange(of: searchText) { t in
             if ignoreSearchTextChange {
                 ignoreSearchTextChange = false
@@ -795,6 +899,33 @@ struct ChatListSearchBar: View {
             filterKnownGroup: { searchChatFilteredBySimplexLink = [$0.id] }
         )
     }
+
+    private var searchTrimmed: String {
+        searchText.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
+    }
+
+    @ViewBuilder private func searchInDirectoryRow() -> some View {
+        // a SimpleX link connects on its own, so the directory is not offered for one
+        if !searchShowingSimplexLink {
+            SearchInDirectoryRow(
+                searchText: searchTrimmed,
+                searchFocussed: $searchFocussed,
+                onSearch: runDirectorySearch
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
+    // The search text leaves the device, so the first time it does the user is asked first.
+    private func runDirectorySearch() {
+        let text = searchTrimmed
+        guard !text.isEmpty, !searchShowingSimplexLink else { return }
+        let search = { Task { await directorySearch.search(text) } }
+        if directorySearchAlertShown {
+            search()
+        } else {
+            showDirectorySearchAlert(onSearch: search)
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // Row shown when the search text is a SimpleX name — in place of the list tags in the chat list, below

apps/ios/Shared/Views/ChatList/DirectorySearchView.swift

@@ -0,0 +1,171 @@
+//
+//  DirectorySearchView.swift
+//  SimpleX
+//
+//  Created by spaced4ndy on 13.08.2026.
+//  Copyright © 2026 SimpleX Chat. All rights reserved.
+//
+
+import SwiftUI
+import SimpleXChat
+
+// Results of searching the directory over the service RPC. They are not chats and are never
+// persisted: they live as long as the search text does.
+@MainActor
+class DirectorySearchModel: ObservableObject {
+    @Published private(set) var entries: [DirectorySearchEntry] = []
+    @Published private(set) var loading = false
+    @Published private(set) var failed = false
+    // set once a search has actually run, so the empty state can tell "not searched yet" from
+    // "searched and found nothing"
+    @Published private(set) var searched = false
+
+    private var cursor: JSONValue? = nil
+    private var searchedText = ""
+    // bumped on every reset, so a reply that arrives after the text, profile or host changed
+    // cannot repopulate a list the user has moved on from
+    private var generation = 0
+
+    var hasMore: Bool { cursor != nil }
+
+    func reset() {
+        generation += 1
+        entries = []
+        cursor = nil
+        loading = false
+        failed = false
+        searched = false
+        searchedText = ""
+    }
+
+    func search(_ text: String) async {
+        let text = text.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespaces)
+        guard !text.isEmpty else { return }
+        reset()
+        searchedText = text
+        await request(append: false)
+    }
+
+    func loadMore() async {
+        guard cursor != nil, !loading else { return }
+        await request(append: true)
+    }
+
+    private func request(append: Bool) async {
+        let gen = generation
+        loading = true
+        failed = false
+        ConnectProgressManager.shared.startConnectProgress(
+            NSLocalizedString("Searching directory…", comment: "in progress text"),
+            owner: .directorySearch
+        ) { [weak self] in
+            Task { @MainActor in self?.reset() }
+        }
+        let r = await apiSearchDirectory(searchedText, cursor: cursor)
+        ConnectProgressManager.shared.stopConnectProgress(.directorySearch)
+        guard gen == generation else { return }
+        loading = false
+        searched = true
+        guard let r else {
+            failed = true
+            return
+        }
+        cursor = r.cursor
+        // the link is the identity of a result, so a row cannot appear twice across pages
+        let known = Set(entries.map { $0.id })
+        let fresh = r.entries.filter { !known.contains($0.id) }
+        entries = append ? entries + fresh : fresh
+    }
+}
+
+// Offered whenever there is search text, next to the connect-by-name row. Tapping it sends the
+// text to the directory.
+struct SearchInDirectoryRow: View {
+    @EnvironmentObject var theme: AppTheme
+    var searchText: String
+    @FocusState.Binding var searchFocussed: Bool
+    var onSearch: () -> Void
+
+    var body: some View {
+        HStack(spacing: 4) {
+            Image(systemName: "magnifyingglass")
+                .foregroundColor(theme.colors.primary)
+            Text("Search in Directory")
+                .foregroundColor(theme.colors.primary)
+            Spacer()
+        }
+        .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
+        .contentShape(Rectangle())
+        .onTapGesture {
+            searchFocussed = false
+            onSearch()
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+struct DirectorySearchRow: View {
+    @EnvironmentObject var theme: AppTheme
+    var entry: DirectorySearchEntry
+
+    var body: some View {
+        HStack(spacing: 8) {
+            ProfileImage(imageStr: entry.image, size: 42)
+            VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 2) {
+                HStack(spacing: 4) {
+                    Text(displayName).fontWeight(.bold).lineLimit(1)
+                    if let simplexName = entry.simplexName {
+                        // the directory's claim, shown as plain text: connecting uses the link
+                        Text(simplexName)
+                            .foregroundColor(theme.colors.secondary)
+                            .lineLimit(1)
+                    }
+                }
+                if let descr = entry.shortDescr, !descr.isEmpty {
+                    Text(descr)
+                        .foregroundColor(theme.colors.secondary)
+                        .lineLimit(2)
+                }
+                Text(membersText)
+                    .font(.caption)
+                    .foregroundColor(theme.colors.secondary)
+            }
+            Spacer()
+        }
+        .frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
+        .contentShape(Rectangle())
+    }
+
+    private var displayName: String { "#" + entry.displayName }
+
+    private var membersText: String {
+        String.localizedStringWithFormat(
+            NSLocalizedString("%d members", comment: "directory search result"),
+            Int(entry.entryType.summary.currentMembers)
+        )
+    }
+}
+
+// Shown before the first directory search of the session: the search text leaves the device,
+// so the user is told before it does, not after.
+func showDirectorySearchAlert(onSearch: @escaping () -> Void) {
+    showAlert(
+        NSLocalizedString("Search in Directory?", comment: "alert title"),
+        message: NSLocalizedString("The text in the search field will be sent to SimpleX Directory to find public groups and channels.\n\nNo contact is created and your profile is not sent.", comment: "alert message"),
+        actions: {[
+            UIAlertAction(title: NSLocalizedString("Cancel", comment: "alert action"), style: .cancel),
+            UIAlertAction(
+                title: NSLocalizedString("Search", comment: "alert action"),
+                style: .default,
+                handler: { _ in onSearch() }
+            ),
+            UIAlertAction(
+                title: NSLocalizedString("Search and don't show again", comment: "alert action"),
+                style: .default,
+                handler: { _ in
+                    UserDefaults.standard.set(true, forKey: DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_SEARCH_ALERT_SHOWN)
+                    onSearch()
+                }
+            )
+        ]}
+    )
+}

apps/ios/Shared/Views/UserSettings/SettingsView.swift

@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ let DEFAULT_CHAT_ITEM_ROUNDNESS = "chatItemRoundness"
 let DEFAULT_CHAT_ITEM_TAIL = "chatItemTail"
 let DEFAULT_ONE_HAND_UI_CARD_SHOWN = "oneHandUICardShown"
 let DEFAULT_ADDRESS_CREATION_CARD_SHOWN = "addressCreationCardShown"
+let DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_SEARCH_ALERT_SHOWN = "directorySearchAlertShown"
 let DEFAULT_TOOLBAR_MATERIAL = "toolbarMaterial"
 let DEFAULT_CONNECT_VIA_LINK_TAB = "connectViaLinkTab"
 let DEFAULT_LIVE_MESSAGE_ALERT_SHOWN = "liveMessageAlertShown"
@@ -117,6 +118,7 @@ let appDefaults: [String: Any] = [
     DEFAULT_CHAT_ITEM_TAIL: true,
     DEFAULT_ONE_HAND_UI_CARD_SHOWN: false,
     DEFAULT_ADDRESS_CREATION_CARD_SHOWN: false,
+    DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_SEARCH_ALERT_SHOWN: false,
     DEFAULT_TOOLBAR_MATERIAL: ToolbarMaterial.defaultMaterial,
     DEFAULT_CONNECT_VIA_LINK_TAB: ConnectViaLinkTab.scan.rawValue,
     DEFAULT_LIVE_MESSAGE_ALERT_SHOWN: false,
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@ let hintDefaults = [
     DEFAULT_LA_NOTICE_SHOWN,
     DEFAULT_ONE_HAND_UI_CARD_SHOWN,
     DEFAULT_ADDRESS_CREATION_CARD_SHOWN,
+    DEFAULT_DIRECTORY_SEARCH_ALERT_SHOWN,
     DEFAULT_LIVE_MESSAGE_ALERT_SHOWN,
     DEFAULT_SIGN_MESSAGE_ALERT_SHOWN,
     DEFAULT_SHOW_HIDDEN_PROFILES_NOTICE,