diff --git a/.changeset/tidy-boxes-sell.md b/.changeset/tidy-boxes-sell.md
index 52d95fd8f8..82ee16af57 100644
--- a/.changeset/tidy-boxes-sell.md
+++ b/.changeset/tidy-boxes-sell.md
@@ -1,5 +1,18 @@
 ---
-'@backstage/plugin-search': patch
+'@backstage/plugin-search': minor
 ---
 
-SearchModal invoke search only when visible
+**BREAKING**: `useSearch` doesn't return anymore `open` and `toggleModal`.
+The two properties have been moved to the `useSearchModal` hook.
+
+```
+import { SearchModal, useSearchModal } from '@backstage/plugin-search';
+
+const Foo = () => {
+  const { state, setOpen, toggleModal } = useSearchModal();
+
+  return (
+    <SearchModal {...state} toggleModal={toggleModal} />
+  );
+};
+```
diff --git a/docs/features/search/getting-started.md b/docs/features/search/getting-started.md
index 285e399cb4..7c3717e22e 100644
--- a/docs/features/search/getting-started.md
+++ b/docs/features/search/getting-started.md
@@ -114,15 +114,13 @@ const routes = (
 In `Root.tsx`, add the `SidebarSearchModal` component:
 
 ```bash
-import { SidebarSearchModal, SearchContextProvider } from '@backstage/plugin-search';
+import { SidebarSearchModal } from '@backstage/plugin-search';
 
 export const Root = ({ children }: PropsWithChildren<{}>) => (
   <SidebarPage>
     <Sidebar>
       <SidebarLogo />
-      <SearchContextProvider>
-        <SidebarSearchModal />
-      </SearchContextProvider>
+      <SidebarSearchModal />
       <SidebarDivider />
 ...
 ```
diff --git a/plugins/search/api-report.md b/plugins/search/api-report.md
index 7533085fce..10ce787a6c 100644
--- a/plugins/search/api-report.md
+++ b/plugins/search/api-report.md
@@ -327,4 +327,14 @@ export type SidebarSearchProps = {
 //
 // @public (undocumented)
 export const useSearch: () => SearchContextValue;
+
+// @public
+export function useSearchModal(initialState?: boolean): {
+  state: {
+    hidden: boolean;
+    open: boolean;
+  };
+  toggleModal: () => void;
+  setOpen: (open: boolean) => void;
+};
 ```
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/SearchModal.stories.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/SearchModal.stories.tsx
index 1cf0506acb..aa0ad0479a 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/SearchModal.stories.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/SearchModal.stories.tsx
@@ -16,10 +16,11 @@
 
 import { wrapInTestApp } from '@backstage/test-utils';
 import { Button } from '@material-ui/core';
-import React, { ComponentType, useState } from 'react';
+import React, { ComponentType } from 'react';
 import { rootRouteRef } from '../../plugin';
 import { SearchApiProvider } from '../SearchContext/SearchContextForStorybook.stories';
 import { SearchModal } from './SearchModal';
+import { useSearchModal } from './useSearchModal';
 
 const mockResults = {
   results: [
@@ -65,23 +66,14 @@ export default {
 };
 
 export const Default = () => {
-  const [state, setState] = useState({ hidden: true, opened: false });
-  const handleToggleModal = () =>
-    setState(previousState => ({
-      opened: true,
-      hidden: !previousState.hidden,
-    }));
+  const { state, toggleModal } = useSearchModal();
 
   return (
     <>
-      <Button variant="contained" color="primary" onClick={handleToggleModal}>
+      <Button variant="contained" color="primary" onClick={toggleModal}>
         Toggle Search Modal
       </Button>
-      <SearchModal
-        open={state.opened}
-        hidden={state.hidden}
-        toggleModal={handleToggleModal}
-      />
+      <SearchModal {...state} toggleModal={toggleModal} />
     </>
   );
 };
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/index.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/index.tsx
index ec0053951d..646dff0a62 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/index.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/index.tsx
@@ -15,3 +15,4 @@
  */
 export { SearchModal } from './SearchModal';
 export type { SearchModalProps } from './SearchModal';
+export { useSearchModal } from './useSearchModal';
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.test.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7ec43c7bb6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2022 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react-hooks';
+import { useSearchModal } from './useSearchModal';
+
+describe('useSearchModal', () => {
+  it.each([
+    [true, { open: true, hidden: false }],
+    [false, { open: false, hidden: true }],
+  ])(
+    'should return the correct state when initial state is %s',
+    (initialState, result) => {
+      const rendered = renderHook(() => useSearchModal(initialState));
+
+      expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual(result);
+    },
+  );
+
+  it('should properly toggle the state', () => {
+    const rendered = renderHook(() => useSearchModal());
+    act(() => rendered.result.current.toggleModal());
+
+    expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual({
+      open: true,
+      hidden: false,
+    });
+
+    act(() => rendered.result.current.toggleModal());
+    expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual({
+      open: true,
+      hidden: true,
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should properly change the state', () => {
+    const rendered = renderHook(() => useSearchModal());
+
+    act(() => rendered.result.current.setOpen(false));
+    expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual({
+      open: false,
+      hidden: true,
+    });
+
+    act(() => rendered.result.current.setOpen(true));
+    expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual({
+      open: true,
+      hidden: false,
+    });
+
+    act(() => rendered.result.current.setOpen(false));
+    expect(rendered.result.current.state).toEqual({
+      open: true,
+      hidden: true,
+    });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3871687d1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SearchModal/useSearchModal.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,54 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2022 The Backstage Authors
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+import { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+
+/**
+ * Use this hook to manage the state of {@link SearchModal}
+ * and change its visibility.
+ *
+ * @public
+ *
+ * @param initialState - pass `true` to make the modal initially visible
+ * @returns an object containing the state of the modal together with
+ * functions for changing the visibility of the modal.
+ */
+export function useSearchModal(initialState = false) {
+  const [state, setState] = useState({
+    hidden: !initialState,
+    open: initialState,
+  });
+
+  const toggleModal = useCallback(
+    () =>
+      setState(prevState => ({
+        open: true,
+        hidden: !prevState.hidden,
+      })),
+    [],
+  );
+
+  const setOpen = useCallback(
+    (open: boolean) =>
+      setState(prevState => ({
+        open: prevState.open || open,
+        hidden: !open,
+      })),
+    [],
+  );
+
+  return { state, toggleModal, setOpen };
+}
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/components/SidebarSearchModal/SidebarSearchModal.tsx b/plugins/search/src/components/SidebarSearchModal/SidebarSearchModal.tsx
index 077ad1016e..bbf4eef4e4 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/components/SidebarSearchModal/SidebarSearchModal.tsx
+++ b/plugins/search/src/components/SidebarSearchModal/SidebarSearchModal.tsx
@@ -13,42 +13,29 @@
  * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
  * limitations under the License.
  */
-import React, { useCallback, useState } from 'react';
+import React from 'react';
 import SearchIcon from '@material-ui/icons/Search';
 import { SidebarItem } from '@backstage/core-components';
 import { IconComponent } from '@backstage/core-plugin-api';
-import { SearchModal } from '../SearchModal';
+import { SearchModal, useSearchModal } from '../SearchModal';
 
 export type SidebarSearchModalProps = {
   icon?: IconComponent;
 };
 
 export const SidebarSearchModal = (props: SidebarSearchModalProps) => {
-  const [state, setState] = useState({ hidden: true, opened: false });
+  const { state, toggleModal } = useSearchModal();
   const Icon = props.icon ? props.icon : SearchIcon;
 
-  const handleToggleModal = useCallback(
-    () =>
-      setState(previousState => ({
-        opened: true,
-        hidden: !previousState.hidden,
-      })),
-    [],
-  );
-
   return (
     <>
       <SidebarItem
         className="search-icon"
         icon={Icon}
         text="Search"
-        onClick={handleToggleModal}
-      />
-      <SearchModal
-        open={state.opened}
-        hidden={state.hidden}
-        toggleModal={handleToggleModal}
+        onClick={toggleModal}
       />
+      <SearchModal {...state} toggleModal={toggleModal} />
     </>
   );
 };
diff --git a/plugins/search/src/index.ts b/plugins/search/src/index.ts
index 18fbb2a713..cef0355fb4 100644
--- a/plugins/search/src/index.ts
+++ b/plugins/search/src/index.ts
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ export type {
   SearchFilterComponentProps,
   SearchFilterWrapperProps,
 } from './components/SearchFilter';
-export { SearchModal } from './components/SearchModal';
+export { SearchModal, useSearchModal } from './components/SearchModal';
 export type { SearchModalProps } from './components/SearchModal';
 export { SearchPage as Router } from './components/SearchPage';
 export { SearchResultPager } from './components/SearchResultPager';