Everything You Should Know About Spotlight Search

Spotlight is a built-in search feature in MacOS and iOS operating systems. This desktop search utility is designed to allow users to quickly locate items such as documents, images, songs, and movies. Apart from this, spotlight search shows suggestion results like Maps, iTunes, Wikipedia and Bookmarks.

In other words, this incredible tool creates an index with contents from your Mac’s hard drive to give you quick results before you finish typing.

In this post, we are going to discuss everything you should know about spotlight search. So, let’s get started!

How to Use Spotlight Search on A Mac

Spotlight is a beneficial feature that helps you to locate your files and folders quickly.

Step 1: Click on a small magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner of the menu bar or simultaneously, press Command Key + Space.

Step 2: Enter the query, you want to search for.

Image Credit: macworld

The moment you type, you will notice spotlight will show related information on your screen. However, if spotlight is not able to search what you have typed in there, it may be because the information is hidden to keep it private. But most of time Spotlight will bring all the results before you complete your query.

How to Customize Your Spotlight Search Results on A Mac

It is possible to customize your Spotlight results and search the way you want to search information and files on your Mac.

Step 1: Click on Apple icon from the top left corner of the screen and select ‘System Preferences’ from the drop-down list.

Step 2: From System Preferences window, click on Spotlight from the first-row.

Step 3: A list will appear. You can customize what Spotlight shows by check marking beside the category in the list.

Image Credit: mac-how-to.gadgethacks.com

How to Hide Content from Spotlight Search

When you share your computer with your family or roommates, it is nearly impossible to hide your personal data and information such as files, folders, documents, and pictures. However, if you’re using a Mac, you can customize the Spotlight settings in a way that it will never search those locations where you have your data saved.

Step 1: Click on Apple icon from the left-hand side top corner of your screen.

Step 2: Select the second option “System Preferences’ from the drop-down list.

Step 3:  A system preferences window will appear on your screen, click on Spotlight.

Note: You will see Spotlight icon in the first row.

Step 4: On Spotlight window, hit on Privacy tab and then click on the Add button (+) at the bottom left of the window.

Step 5: Select the files and folders you want to hide from Spotlight search and click Choose.

Spotlight is simple and easy to use but in case you’ve any question and issue while using it, you can visit your nearest Apple store or lets us know in the comments section.