diff --git a/public/locales/en/files.json b/public/locales/en/files.json
index fed7e94c3..dd96da470 100644
--- a/public/locales/en/files.json
+++ b/public/locales/en/files.json
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     "copy": "Copy selected item(s)",
     "paste": "Paste item(s)",
     "cut": "Cut selected item(s)",
+    "toggleSearch": "Toggle search filter",
     "showShortcuts": "Show keyboard shortcuts"
   },
   "pinningModal": {
diff --git a/src/files/FilesPage.js b/src/files/FilesPage.js
index 6516588ca..3051a3bb2 100644
--- a/src/files/FilesPage.js
+++ b/src/files/FilesPage.js
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ const FilesPage = ({
     setViewMode(newMode)
   }
 
-  const toggleSearch = () => setShowSearch(prev => {
+  // Toggle search filter visibility. When hiding, clear the filter text.
+  const toggleSearch = useCallback(() => setShowSearch(prev => {
     if (prev) filterRef.current = ''
     return !prev
-  })
+  }), [])
 
   useEffect(() => {
     doFetchPinningServices()
@@ -81,11 +82,25 @@ const FilesPage = ({
         e.preventDefault()
         showModal(SHORTCUTS)
       }
+
+      if (e.key === '/') {
+        e.preventDefault()
+        if (showSearch) {
+          // Search is visible but input lost focus, re-focus it.
+          document.getElementById('search-filter-input')?.focus()
+        } else {
+          // Open search and focus the input after React renders it.
+          toggleSearch()
+          requestAnimationFrame(() => {
+            document.getElementById('search-filter-input')?.focus()
+          })
+        }
+      }
     }
 
     document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown)
     return () => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown)
-  }, [])
+  }, [toggleSearch, showSearch])
 
   // Persist view mode changes to localStorage
   useEffect(() => {
diff --git a/src/files/modals/shortcut-modal/shortcut-modal.js b/src/files/modals/shortcut-modal/shortcut-modal.js
index d77b91372..c851601ec 100644
--- a/src/files/modals/shortcut-modal/shortcut-modal.js
+++ b/src/files/modals/shortcut-modal/shortcut-modal.js
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@ const ShortcutModal = ({ onLeave, className, ...props }) => {
   ]
 
   const otherShortcuts = [
+    { shortcut: '/', description: t('shortcutModal.toggleSearch') },
     { shortcut: ['Shift', '?'], description: t('shortcutModal.showShortcuts') }
   ]
 
diff --git a/src/files/search-filter/SearchFilter.tsx b/src/files/search-filter/SearchFilter.tsx
index 365a84bd9..47f236d92 100644
--- a/src/files/search-filter/SearchFilter.tsx
+++ b/src/files/search-filter/SearchFilter.tsx
@@ -25,15 +25,25 @@ const SearchFilter = ({ initialValue = '', onFilterChange, filteredCount, totalC
     onFilterChange('')
   }, [onFilterChange])
 
+  // Allow users to quickly clear the filter text by pressing Escape,
+  // so the full file listing is restored without needing to click the clear button.
+  const handleKeyDown = useCallback((e: React.KeyboardEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+    if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+      clearFilter()
+    }
+  }, [clearFilter])
+
   return (
     <div className={classnames('flex items-center pa2 bg-snow-muted', className)}>
       <div className='flex items-center relative flex-auto'>
         <input
+          id='search-filter-input'
           className='input-reset ba b--black-20 pa2 db w-100 br1'
           type='text'
           placeholder={t('searchFiles')}
           value={filter}
           onChange={handleFilterChange}
+          onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
           aria-label={t('searchFiles')}
         />
         {filter && (
diff --git a/src/peers/PeersPage.js b/src/peers/PeersPage.js
index 4f2bcc266..bf4c184d6 100644
--- a/src/peers/PeersPage.js
+++ b/src/peers/PeersPage.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import React from 'react'
+import React, { useEffect } from 'react'
 import { connect } from 'redux-bundler-react'
 import { Helmet } from 'react-helmet'
 import { withTranslation } from 'react-i18next'
@@ -15,7 +15,22 @@ import AddConnection from './AddConnection/AddConnection.js'
 import CliTutorMode from '../components/cli-tutor-mode/CliTutorMode.js'
 import { cliCmdKeys, cliCommandList } from '../bundles/files/consts.js'
 
-const PeersPage = ({ t, toursEnabled, handleJoyrideCallback }) => (
+const PeersPage = ({ t, toursEnabled, handleJoyrideCallback }) => {
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const handleKeyDown = (e) => {
+      if (e.target.tagName === 'INPUT' || e.target.tagName === 'TEXTAREA') {
+        return
+      }
+      if (e.key === '/') {
+        e.preventDefault()
+        document.getElementById('peers-filter-input')?.focus()
+      }
+    }
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown)
+    return () => document.removeEventListener('keydown', handleKeyDown)
+  }, [])
+
+  return (
   <div data-id='PeersPage' className='overflow-hidden'>
     <Helmet>
       <title>{t('title')} | IPFS</title>
@@ -41,7 +56,8 @@ const PeersPage = ({ t, toursEnabled, handleJoyrideCallback }) => (
       locale={getJoyrideLocales(t)}
       showProgress />
   </div>
-)
+  )
+}
 
 export default connect(
   'selectToursEnabled',
diff --git a/src/peers/PeersTable/PeersTable.js b/src/peers/PeersTable/PeersTable.js
index e63bdd9a8..42494e9d1 100644
--- a/src/peers/PeersTable/PeersTable.js
+++ b/src/peers/PeersTable/PeersTable.js
@@ -117,14 +117,23 @@ const rowClassRenderer = ({ index }, peers = [], selectedPeers) => {
   return classNames('bb b--near-white peersTableItem', index === -1 && 'bg-near-white', shouldAddHoverEffect && 'bg-light-gray')
 }
 
-const FilterInput = ({ setFilter, t, filteredCount }) => {
+const FilterInput = ({ filter, setFilter, t, filteredCount }) => {
+  const handleKeyDown = (e) => {
+    if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+      setFilter('')
+    }
+  }
+
   return (
     <div className='flex items-center justify-between pa2'>
       <input
+        id='peers-filter-input'
         className='input-reset ba b--black-20 pa2 mb2 db w-100'
         type='text'
         placeholder='Filter peers'
+        value={filter}
         onChange={(e) => setFilter(e.target.value)}
+        onKeyDown={handleKeyDown}
       />
       {/* Now to display the total number of peers filtered out on the right side of the inside of the input */}
       <div className='f4 charcoal-muted absolute top-1 right-1'>{filteredCount}</div>
@@ -187,7 +196,7 @@ export const PeersTable = ({ className, t, peerLocationsForSwarm, selectedPeers
 
   return (
     <div className={`bg-white-70 center ${className}`} style={{ height: `${tableHeight}px`, maxWidth: 1764 }}>
-        <FilterInput setFilter={filterCb} t={t} filteredCount={sortedList.length} />
+        <FilterInput filter={filter} setFilter={filterCb} t={t} filteredCount={sortedList.length} />
         { awaitedPeerLocationsForSwarm && <AutoSizer disableHeight>
           {({ width }) => (
             <>
diff --git a/test/e2e/files.test.js b/test/e2e/files.test.js
index 9786ee26d..0bbc5aac7 100644
--- a/test/e2e/files.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e/files.test.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { test, expect } from './setup/coverage.js'
 import { fixtureData } from './fixtures/index.js'
-import { files, explore, dismissImportNotification } from './setup/locators.js'
+import { files, explore, nav, dismissImportNotification } from './setup/locators.js'
 import { selectViewMode, toggleSearchFilter } from '../helpers/grid'
 import all from 'it-all'
 import filesize from 'filesize'
@@ -404,6 +404,90 @@ test.describe('Files screen', () => {
       await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: appleFile })).toBeVisible()
     })
 
+    test('pressing Escape clears the filter', async ({ page }) => {
+      await selectViewMode(page, 'list')
+      await toggleSearchFilter(page, true)
+
+      await files.searchInput(page).fill('orange')
+
+      // only the orange file should be visible
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: orangeFile })).toBeVisible()
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: appleFile })).not.toBeVisible()
+
+      // press Escape while focused on the search input
+      await files.searchInput(page).press('Escape')
+
+      // filter should be cleared and both files visible again
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toHaveValue('')
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: orangeFile })).toBeVisible()
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: appleFile })).toBeVisible()
+    })
+
+    test('pressing / opens search and auto-focuses input', async ({ page }) => {
+      await selectViewMode(page, 'list')
+
+      // search should be hidden initially
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).not.toBeVisible()
+
+      // press / to open search (focus must not be in an input)
+      await page.keyboard.press('/')
+
+      // search input should appear and be focused
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeVisible()
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeFocused()
+
+      // type a filter term directly (input is focused)
+      await page.keyboard.type('orange')
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: orangeFile })).toBeVisible()
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: appleFile })).not.toBeVisible()
+    })
+
+    test('pressing / re-focuses input when search is visible but not focused', async ({ page }) => {
+      await selectViewMode(page, 'list')
+      await toggleSearchFilter(page, true)
+
+      await files.searchInput(page).fill('orange')
+      await expect(page.getByTestId('file-row').filter({ hasText: orangeFile })).toBeVisible()
+
+      // move focus out of the search input
+      await files.searchInput(page).blur()
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).not.toBeFocused()
+
+      // press / should re-focus the input, not hide search
+      await page.keyboard.press('/')
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeVisible()
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeFocused()
+
+      // filter text should still be intact
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toHaveValue('orange')
+    })
+
+    test('pressing / focuses search after navigating away and back', async ({ page }) => {
+      await selectViewMode(page, 'list')
+      await toggleSearchFilter(page, true)
+
+      // confirm search input is visible
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeVisible()
+
+      // navigate to Status page
+      await nav.status(page).click()
+      await page.waitForURL('/#/')
+
+      // navigate back to Files
+      await nav.files(page).click()
+      await page.waitForURL('/#/files')
+
+      // search input should still be visible (persisted in localStorage)
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeVisible()
+
+      // but it should NOT be focused on page load
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).not.toBeFocused()
+
+      // press / to focus the search input
+      await page.keyboard.press('/')
+      await expect(files.searchInput(page)).toBeFocused()
+    })
+
     test('no matches message', async ({ page }) => {
       await toggleSearchFilter(page, true)
 
diff --git a/test/e2e/peers.test.js b/test/e2e/peers.test.js
index 0916d9160..e5cc8ae3a 100644
--- a/test/e2e/peers.test.js
+++ b/test/e2e/peers.test.js
@@ -42,4 +42,25 @@ test.describe('Peers screen', () => {
   test('should have a peer from a "Local Network"', async ({ page }) => {
     await expect(peers.localNetwork(page).first()).toBeVisible()
   })
+
+  test('pressing / focuses the filter input', async ({ page }) => {
+    await expect(peers.filterInput(page)).toBeVisible()
+    await expect(peers.filterInput(page)).not.toBeFocused()
+
+    await page.keyboard.press('/')
+    await expect(peers.filterInput(page)).toBeFocused()
+  })
+
+  test('pressing Escape clears the filter input', async ({ page }) => {
+    const filterInput = peers.filterInput(page)
+    await expect(filterInput).toBeVisible()
+
+    // type a filter term
+    await filterInput.fill('nonexistent-peer-xyz')
+    await expect(filterInput).toHaveValue('nonexistent-peer-xyz')
+
+    // press Escape to clear
+    await filterInput.press('Escape')
+    await expect(filterInput).toHaveValue('')
+  })
 })
diff --git a/test/e2e/setup/locators.js b/test/e2e/setup/locators.js
index a52b2a9ab..1ebdb8544 100644
--- a/test/e2e/setup/locators.js
+++ b/test/e2e/setup/locators.js
@@ -70,7 +70,8 @@ export const peers = {
   modal: (page) => page.getByTestId('ipfs-modal'),
   multiAddrInput: (page) => page.locator('input[name="maddr"]'),
   successIndicator: (page) => page.locator('.bg-green'),
-  localNetwork: (page) => page.getByText('Local Network')
+  localNetwork: (page) => page.getByText('Local Network'),
+  filterInput: (page) => page.locator('#peers-filter-input')
 }
 
 // Explore page locators