Hands-On Apple (Video)

HOA 181: Spotlight Search in macOS Sequoia

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Unlock the Full Power of Spotlight Search in macOS Sequoia


Mikah Sargent takes you on a comprehensive tour of Spotlight, macOS Sequoia's built-in search powerhouse that does far more than just find files. Learn how to access, customize, and troubleshoot this essential Mac feature to boost your productivity.

  • Accessing Spotlight - Three different ways to open Spotlight: clicking the magnifying glass in the menu bar, using Command+Space keyboard shortcut, or pressing the dedicated Spotlight key (F4) on many Mac keyboards.
  • Search capabilities - Spotlight displays results organized by category including files, websites, images, music, and more, with indicators showing which results will take you to web sources.
  • Navigation tricks - Use arrow keys to move through results, double-click to open items, and hold down the Command key to reveal a file's location in Finder.
  • Settings searches - Search for system settings like "VoiceOver" to quickly access specific preference panes without navigating through menus.
  • Quick actions - Spotlight offers contextual actions for certain searches, like sending an email when you search for an email address.
  • File management - Drag files directly from Spotlight results to the desktop or Finder windows, and use "Search in Finder" for more specific file searches.
  • Calculations and conversions - Instantly perform math calculations, convert temperatures, currencies (like yen to USD), and measurements (feet to inches) right in the search field.
  • Time zone lookups - Quickly check local time in different cities around the world.
  • Customizing search categories - Control which categories appear in results by adjusting Spotlight preferences in System Settings.
  • Privacy options - Turn off Siri suggestions or disable location services to limit Spotlight's scope, and use Search Privacy settings to exclude specific folders or drives from searches.
  • Troubleshooting Spotlight - Fix problems by rebuilding the Spotlight index through a simple but effective technique involving temporarily excluding your entire hard drive.

    • Search for anything with Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/search-with-spotlight-mchlp1008/mac


    Choose suggestion categories for Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/choose-suggestion-categories-for-spotlight-mchl3e00eae9/15.0/mac/15.0

    Prevent Spotlight searches in files on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/prevent-spotlight-searches-in-files-mchl1bb43b84/15.0/mac/15.0

    Turn off Siri Suggestions for Spotlight on Mac - Apple Support - https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/turn-off-siri-suggestions-for-spotlight-mchl62db64f5/15.0/mac/15.0#apdd1e1b05619144

    These show notes have been truncated due to length. For the full show notes, visit https://twit.tv/shows/hands-on-apple/episodes/181

    Host: Mikah Sargent

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