Apps Not Showing On Spotline Search Mac

  

Do not worry, macOS will restart the process again, automatically within seconds. Check to see if Spotlight is working now. If you are not happy about the Spotlight search results, go to Apple menu System Preferences, click Spotlight, then click the Search Results tab. This is where you can change your Spotlight settings. Turn off Spotlight or Search for individual apps. You might be able to jump-start Spotlight or Search by turning it off and on again. Do this for every single app on your device by going to Settings Siri & Search. Tap your app names at the bottom of the screen and turn off all the following buttons: Learn from this App; Show in Search.

Feb 24, 2018 The additional functionality of the Spotlight search on iOS 11 is a prime reason for apps to not show up properly in the suggestions. Usually, turning this feature off should fix the issue. RudyTeam Member. Thanks for the update. A way more simple fix is to add 1Password to the Privacy list of the Spotlight System Preference, close it, and then open the Spotlight System Preference, and remove it from the Privacy list again. After that, 1Password immediately re-appears again.

Spotlight search not working or displaying inaccurate results, how to fix?

Spotlight is a built-in search system used to find and open applications and various types of file. It also contains several Internet browsing options. When Apple released this feature, it became very popular and, today, most experienced Mac users work regularly with Spotlight. Despite this popularity, glitches can occur with this search engine. Results may become inaccurate or Spotlight is unable to find files, even though the data is present in computer storage. Also, a search query may be entered, but no results shown, other than perhaps an inactive search field - there is no response to any query entered.

These and other issues were reported on various technical support forums, including common cases whereby Spotlight exhibited problems after an operating system update or upgrade. This is a result of a corrupted Spotlight index for storage (a section or all storage). Fortunately, there are several methods available to re-index storage and other steps to troubleshoot Spotlight issues. In this article, we describe the most common methods to resolve these issues.

Table of Contents:

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Close SystemUIServer

Start by simply resetting a particular process. This quick and easy step often solves spotlight related issues. First, launch Activity Monitor by opening Finder and going to the Applications folder. Then, go to Utilities and choose Activity Monitor. In the window, look for SystemUIServer in the list, or use a search field to find it quickly. Select this process and then click on the quit process button. When you close this process, the menu bar and dock will reload within a few moments - this is a sign that the process has been reset. Check if Spotlight issues are fixed.

Use Disk Utility to check your startup disk

Disk utility contains startup disk diagnostic tools, which are useful when encountering various issues. This tool is often enough to solve these problems. Enter recovery mode by restarting the Mac. Immediately when you hear startup chime, hold down Command and R until the macOS Utilities appears. Select Disk utility from the prompted menu, choose the startup disk, and click the First Aid icon at the top of the screen. Click Run to launch the repair tool, which checks and repairs the disk. If First Aid reports that not all errors were fixed, launch it again and repeat these steps several times. Finally, reboot the Mac and check if Spotlight Search works.

Change Desktop resolution

This may seem like an odd solution, but many people report that it is useful when encountering the problem when a search form does not appear with a highlighted Spotlight menu icon. Go to Mac's System Preferences, open Display, and select a resolution smaller than the current value. Note that 640 x 480 should always work. Once the resolution is changed, return to the native resolution so that your screen display is back to its original state. Then, test the Spotlight feature - this often solves the problem.

Adjust Spotlight preferences

If you cannot find the required results, ensure that Spotlight preferences are correct. Open Mac's System Preferences and select Spotlight. Check the Search Results tab to ensure all required results are enabled via the checkbox beside each title.

Next, ensure Spotlight is not excluding required folders or applications by opening the Privacy tab. If everything seems correct, click the Add (+) icon under the list and select the startup disk or any folders for which results are not showing in Spotlight search. Alternatively, just drag folders you wish to be re-indexed into the list and agree with the warning messages. Once you have selected all folders or the entire disk, click to select them and click the Remove (-) button at the bottom of the list. Finally quit System Preferences and Spotlight will begin the re-indexing process for the listed folders or drive.

Check Spotlight re-indexing process

The re-indexing process does not display a progress bar or messages, however, you can check if Spotlight is still running the process via Activity Monitor. First, launch Activity Monitor by opening Finder and going to the Applications folder. Then open Utilities and run the app. When the new window prompts, use the search field and type in 'mdworker'. Activity Monitor will display all Spotlight related re-indexing processes. This list will confirm that the re-indexing process is running. When their are no longer any active processes in Activity monitor, try to use Spotlight again. Bear in mind that this process may take some time. The duration required depends on the amount of files stored in the selected folders or disk.

Manually launch re-indexing process via Terminal

If Activity Monitor does find any active 'mdworker' processes after adjusting Spotlight preferences, you can manually launch the re-indexing process by using Terminal. Launch Mac's command line by opening Finder and going to the Applications folder. Then open Utilities and Run Terminal. When the command line window prompts, type the following command and hit return: 'sudo mdutil -E'. Confirm your action by entering administrator account password. This command will start the re-indexing process for all Mac drives, including plugged external drives. If you wish to re-index a specific drive only, use the following command: 'sudo mdutil -E /Volumes/(name of specific drive)'. As mentioned before, the re-indexing process may take some time depending on the amount of data stored on the drive. Therefore, you must wait until Terminal become active again. Once the process is complete, open Spotlight to check if the problem is resolved.

Detailed usage guide of Spotlight you may find in this article.

Video Showing how to solve Spotlight not working issue:

Lots of people have found the Spotlight or Search is not working on their iPhone or iPad. This problem often starts after upgrading to a new device or updating the operating software. Without Spotlight or Search, it’s harder to find what you’re looking for on your device.

The Spotlight or Search function on your iPhone or iPad is a powerful tool. Use it to quickly find contacts, messages, apps, and other content from your device. Drag down from the Home screen or swipe right from the Notification Center to access it. You can even use it to search the web!

If Spotlight or Search stopped working on your iPhone or iPad, use the tips in this post to fix it.

Contents

  • 1 Quick tips
  • 2 Why is Spotlight or Search not working on my iPhone?
  • 3 How do I fix Spotlight or Search not working on my iPhone?
  • 4 Did you find these tips useful?

Quick tips

  • Close all apps and restart
  • Update your iOS or iPadOS
  • Temporarily change your device’s language
  • Toggle off Siri Suggestions and learning
  • Try removing the Shortcuts widget from your Home Screen

Related:

Why is Spotlight or Search not working on my iPhone?

There are two possible causes for Spotlight or Search problems: hardware and software.

If you have an older device, the processor might struggle to keep up with new software releases. Typically, Apple stops licensing software updates for older devices. But you still might find your iPhone is getting slow even if you can still update it.

More often, the Spotlight or Search function stops working because of a software problem. This might be a bug in iOS or iPadOS that Apple needs to fix. Or it might be an issue with the software on your device in particular.

Whatever the reason, you can fix Spotlight or Search problems using the troubleshooting solutions in this post.

Spotlight or Search may need to re-index your content after upgrading

When you upgrade your iPhone or iPad, the new device needs to index all your content before it turns up in the search results. Sometimes this takes a couple of days. You should leave your iPhone or iPad plugged in as much as possible during this period.

You might also find that your device needs to re-index your data after updating the software. Make sure you allow a couple of days before using the steps below to fix any underlying problems.

How do I fix Spotlight or Search not working on my iPhone?

Use the steps outlined below to troubleshoot Spotlight or Search problems in iOS or iPadOS. Test your device again after each step to see if the Spotlight or Search function is working. And let us know in the comments what fixes it for you!

1. Close every app and restart your device

This is the first thing to try if anything stops working on your iPhone or iPad. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen or double-click the Home button, then swipe every app off the top of the screen to close it.

After you close all the apps, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button with either volume button. Slide to power off your iPhone or iPad, then wait at least 30 seconds before restarting it.

2. Update to the latest release of iOS or iPadOS

A lot of the time, a problem like Spotlight or Search not working is the result of software bugs on your iPhone or iPad. When this happens, Apple eventually releases new updates to patch the bugs. You just need to wait for that update.

Make sure you update your device to the latest version of iOS or iPadOS so you get all the latest fixes. Connect your iPhone or iPad to a working Internet connection, then go Settings > General > Software Update.

3. Temporarily change the language on your device

This seems like a weird one, but it has proven to be an effective solution for a lot of people with this problem. Temporarily change the language on your iPhone or iPad, then change it back again.

To do this, go to Settings > General > Language & Region. If your language is set to English, change it to a different English-speaking region such as Australia, Canada, or the UK.

After you change the language, swipe up from the bottom of the screen or double-click the Home button and close the Settings app. Then change the language back to normal.

4. Turn off Spotlight or Search for individual apps

You might be able to jump-start Spotlight or Search by turning it off and on again. Do this for every single app on your device by going to Settings > Siri & Search. Tap your app names at the bottom of the screen and turn off all the following buttons:

Apps Not Showing On Spotlight Search Mac Book

  • Learn from this App
  • Show in Search
  • Suggest Shortcuts
  • Show App
  • Show Siri Suggestions

After you turn everything off, try the Spotlight or Search feature again. Then return to the Siri & Search settings and turn on the above options for a couple of apps. Test Spotlight, then turn more apps on and repeat.

If you have an older device, you might want to limit Spotlight or Search to only the important apps.

5. Remove Shortcuts widgets from the Home screen

Shortcuts are a great tool for adding new functionality to your iPhone or iPad. Especially if you use those Shortcuts with the Home screen widget.

Apps Not Showing On Spotlight Search Mac Pro

Unfortunately, some users found this widget made Spotlight or Search stop working. You should turn it off to see if it helps. Go to your Home screen and swipe right to see the widgets. Scroll to the bottom and tap Edit, then remove Shortcuts.

6. Erase and restore your device using a computer

Failing all else, you can fix most problems on your iPhone or iPad by reinstalling the software and restoring it from a backup. We recommend you do this using a computer. Otherwise, your iPhone or iPad won’t reinstall the software properly.

Make a backup of your iPhone or iPad before you start. Connect it to a computer and select Back Up Now in iTunes or Finder. Then follow these instructions to put your device in Recovery Mode.

Select Restore Backup in Finder or iTunes and choose the backup you just made. It might take a little while to restore everything on your iPhone or iPad, but Spotlight or Search should work again after you do so.

Did you find these tips useful?

Mac spotlight search not showing apps

We use your feedback and comments to keep updating our posts, making them even better for future readers. Is Spotlight or Search still not working on your iPhone or iPad? Or did one of our suggestions help you fix it?

Please share your experiences in the comments!

Dan is a freelance writer based in South West England.

Apps Not Showing On Spotline Search Mac Os

He spent two years supervising repairs as a Genius Admin for Apple Retail and uses that knowledge to keep our troubleshooting guides up to date.

Mac Spotlight Not Working

Long before that, Dan turned to Apple products from a musical background. Having owned iPods for years, he bought a MacBook to learn sound recording and production. It was using those skills that he gained a first-class Bachelor of Science in Sound Technology.

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