Update: <Tab>q to exit any mode and go back to normal mode. Telescope opens in normal mode by default. Press q to close Telescope windows

lua/custom/plugins/telescope.lua

@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ return {
 		-- See `:help telescope` and `:help telescope.setup()`
 		require('telescope').setup {
 			defaults = {
+				initial_mode = 'normal', -- Start in normal mode instead of insert
 				mappings = {
 					i = {
 						['<C-u>'] = false,
@@ -130,6 +131,7 @@ return {
 		vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>sf', function()
 			require('telescope.builtin').find_files {
 				attach_mappings = function(_, map)
+					map('n', 'q', actions.close)
 					map('i', '<CR>', function(prompt_bufnr)
 						smart_open(prompt_bufnr)
 					end)
@@ -152,6 +154,7 @@ return {
 		vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader>?', function()
 			require('telescope.builtin').oldfiles {
 				attach_mappings = function(_, map)
+					map('n', 'q', actions.close)
 					map('i', '<CR>', function(prompt_bufnr)
 						smart_open(prompt_bufnr)
 					end)
@@ -174,6 +177,7 @@ return {
 		vim.keymap.set('n', '<leader><leader>', function()
 			require('telescope.builtin').buffers {
 				attach_mappings = function(_, map)
+					map('n', 'q', actions.close)
 					map('i', '<CR>', function(prompt_bufnr)
 						smart_open(prompt_bufnr)
 					end)
@@ -228,6 +232,10 @@ return {
 			require('telescope.builtin').current_buffer_fuzzy_find(require('telescope.themes').get_dropdown {
 				winblend = 10,
 				previewer = false,
+				attach_mappings = function(prompt_bufnr, map)
+					map('n', 'q', actions.close)
+					return true
+				end,
 			})
 		end, { desc = '[/] Fuzzily search in current buffer' })
 		local function telescope_live_grep_open_files()
@@ -246,6 +254,7 @@ return {
 			end
 			require('telescope.builtin').git_files {
 				attach_mappings = function(_, map)
+					map('n', 'q', actions.close)
 					local actions = require 'telescope.actions'
 					local action_state = require 'telescope.actions.state'
 

lua/keymaps.lua

@@ -328,8 +328,24 @@ local function smart_open_file(path)
 	-- 3. Otherwise → open in a new tab
 	vim.cmd('tabedit ' .. vim.fn.fnameescape(path))
 end
--- Remap gf to use smart_open_file
+
+-- [[ Remap gf to use smart_open_file ]]
 vim.keymap.set('n', 'gf', function()
 	local path = vim.fn.expand '<cfile>' -- get file under cursor
 	smart_open_file(path)
 end, { desc = 'Smart gf: open file under cursor in new tab or reuse buffer' })
+
+-- [[ Function to exit insert/visual/command/terminal modes ]]
+local function tab_q_escape()
+	local mode = vim.api.nvim_get_mode().mode
+	if mode:match '[iIcR]' then
+		return vim.api.nvim_replace_termcodes('<Esc>', true, false, true)
+	elseif mode:match '[vV\x16]' then
+		return vim.api.nvim_replace_termcodes('<Esc>', true, false, true)
+	elseif mode:match 't' then
+		return vim.api.nvim_replace_termcodes('<C-\\><C-n>', true, false, true)
+	else
+		return '' -- normal mode, do nothing
+	end
+end
+vim.keymap.set({ 'i', 'v', 't', 'n' }, '<Tab>q', tab_q_escape, { noremap = true, expr = true, silent = true })