diff --git a/src/components/Explore/ExploreV2/screens/UniversalSearch.tsx b/src/components/Explore/ExploreV2/screens/UniversalSearch.tsx
index 37e48bb65..392128144 100644
--- a/src/components/Explore/ExploreV2/screens/UniversalSearch.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Explore/ExploreV2/screens/UniversalSearch.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import React, { useCallback, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import type { ListRenderItem, TextInput as RNTextInput } from "react-native";
 import { FlatList, Keyboard } from "react-native";
 import useCurrentUser from "sharedHooks/useCurrentUser";
-import useDebouncedValue from "sharedHooks/useDebouncedValue";
+import useSearchField from "sharedHooks/useSearchField";
 import useTranslation from "sharedHooks/useTranslation";
 import type { UniversalSearchResultItem } from "sharedHooks/useUniversalSearch";
 import useUniversalSearch from "sharedHooks/useUniversalSearch";
@@ -60,52 +60,33 @@ const UniversalSearch = ( ) => {
   const commonNameIsPrimary = currentUser?.prefers_common_names !== false
     && currentUser?.prefers_scientific_name_first !== true;
 
-  const [subjectText, setSubjectText] = useState( "" );
-  const [locationText, setLocationText] = useState( "" );
-  const [filledFromSelection, setFilledFromSelection] = useState( false );
-  // The debounced value that actually drives the autocomplete query. Cleared on
-  // selection so a chosen suggestion doesn't re-trigger a result list.
   const {
-    debouncedValue: debouncedQuery,
-    debounce: debounceQuery,
-    setImmediately: setQueryImmediately,
-  } = useDebouncedValue( "" );
+    text: subjectText,
+    debouncedQuery: subjectQuery,
+    hasQuery: subjectHasQuery,
+    onChangeText: onChangeSubjectText,
+    handleFocus: focusSubjectField,
+    commit: commitSubject,
+    clear: clearSubject,
+  } = useSearchField( );
+  const [locationText, setLocationText] = useState( "" );
 
   const locationInputRef = useRef<RNTextInput>( null );
 
-  const { results, isLoading, refetch } = useUniversalSearch( debouncedQuery );
+  const { results, isLoading, refetch } = useUniversalSearch( subjectQuery );
 
   const bothFilled = subjectText.length > 0 && locationText.length > 0;
 
-  const hasQuery = debouncedQuery.trim( ).length > 0;
-
-  const handleSubjectTextChange = useCallback( ( text: string ) => {
-    setSubjectText( text );
-    setFilledFromSelection( false );
-    debounceQuery( text );
-  }, [debounceQuery] );
-
-  const handleSubjectFocus = useCallback( ( ) => {
-    if ( !filledFromSelection ) { return; }
-    setSubjectText( "" );
-    setFilledFromSelection( false );
-    setQueryImmediately( "" );
-  }, [filledFromSelection, setQueryImmediately] );
-
   const handleSelect = useCallback( ( subject: ExploreV2Subject ) => {
-    setSubjectText( subjectToText( subject, commonNameIsPrimary ) );
-    setFilledFromSelection( true );
-    setQueryImmediately( "" );
+    commitSubject( subjectToText( subject, commonNameIsPrimary ) );
     dispatch( { type: EXPLORE_V2_ACTION.SET_SUBJECT, subject } );
     locationInputRef.current?.focus( );
-  }, [commonNameIsPrimary, dispatch, setQueryImmediately] );
+  }, [commitSubject, commonNameIsPrimary, dispatch] );
 
   const handleReset = useCallback( ( ) => {
-    setSubjectText( "" );
+    clearSubject( );
     setLocationText( "" );
-    setFilledFromSelection( false );
-    setQueryImmediately( "" );
-  }, [setQueryImmediately] );
+  }, [clearSubject] );
 
   const handleSearch = useCallback( ( ) => {
     // TODO MOB-1338 follow-up: run the search (default to all organisms /
@@ -139,8 +120,8 @@ const UniversalSearch = ( ) => {
                   autoFocus
                   className="flex-1 ml-2 text-md font-Lato-Regular"
                   numberOfLines={1}
-                  onChangeText={handleSubjectTextChange}
-                  onFocus={handleSubjectFocus}
+                  onChangeText={onChangeSubjectText}
+                  onFocus={focusSubjectField}
                   placeholder={t( "Search-for-species-user-or-project" )}
                   placeholderTextColor={colors.mediumGray}
                   testID="UniversalSearch.subjectInput"
@@ -188,7 +169,7 @@ const UniversalSearch = ( ) => {
       <View className="flex-1">
         {/* Only surface results for an active query */}
         <FlatList
-          data={hasQuery
+          data={subjectHasQuery
             ? results
             : []}
           keyboardShouldPersistTaps="handled"
@@ -197,7 +178,7 @@ const UniversalSearch = ( ) => {
           ListEmptyComponent={(
             <EmptySearchResults
               isLoading={isLoading}
-              searchQuery={debouncedQuery}
+              searchQuery={subjectQuery}
               refetch={refetch}
             />
           )}
diff --git a/src/sharedHooks/useSearchField.ts b/src/sharedHooks/useSearchField.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..024e4fba2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sharedHooks/useSearchField.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+import { useCallback, useState } from "react";
+import useDebouncedValue from "sharedHooks/useDebouncedValue";
+
+export interface SearchField {
+  // The controlled input value.
+  text: string;
+  // The debounced value that drives the autocomplete query. Cleared on selection
+  // so a chosen suggestion doesn't re-trigger a result list.
+  debouncedQuery: string;
+  // Whether there's a non-empty query to surface results for.
+  hasQuery: boolean;
+  // Wire to the input's onChangeText.
+  onChangeText: ( text: string ) => void;
+  // Wire to the input's onFocus: clears a previously-committed value so the user
+  // gets a fresh search when they tap back in.
+  handleFocus: ( ) => void;
+  // Fill the field from a chosen suggestion (without re-triggering a query).
+  commit: ( text: string ) => void;
+  // Clear the field entirely (e.g. on reset).
+  clear: ( ) => void;
+}
+
+// The shared state machine behind a debounced autocomplete search input: text +
+// debounced query + "fill on select, clear on re-focus". The Universal Search
+// subject field is an instance of this.
+const useSearchField = ( ): SearchField => {
+  const [text, setText] = useState( "" );
+  const [filledFromSelection, setFilledFromSelection] = useState( false );
+  const {
+    debouncedValue: debouncedQuery,
+    debounce,
+    setImmediately,
+  } = useDebouncedValue( "" );
+
+  const onChangeText = useCallback( ( next: string ) => {
+    setText( next );
+    setFilledFromSelection( false );
+    debounce( next );
+  }, [debounce] );
+
+  const handleFocus = useCallback( ( ) => {
+    if ( !filledFromSelection ) { return; }
+    setText( "" );
+    setFilledFromSelection( false );
+    setImmediately( "" );
+  }, [filledFromSelection, setImmediately] );
+
+  const commit = useCallback( ( next: string ) => {
+    setText( next );
+    setFilledFromSelection( true );
+    setImmediately( "" );
+  }, [setImmediately] );
+
+  const clear = useCallback( ( ) => {
+    setText( "" );
+    setFilledFromSelection( false );
+    setImmediately( "" );
+  }, [setImmediately] );
+
+  return {
+    text,
+    debouncedQuery,
+    hasQuery: debouncedQuery.trim( ).length > 0,
+    onChangeText,
+    handleFocus,
+    commit,
+    clear,
+  };
+};
+
+export default useSearchField;