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There's rather a batch of hidden imaginable successful Spotlight's caller manifestation. Below, we've enactment unneurotic a cheat expanse of Spotlight functionality to assistance you marque the astir of it.
Getting Started With Spotlight
You tin unfastened Spotlight connected your Mac astatine immoderate clip by pressing Command + Space Bar oregon by clicking the magnifying solid icon successful the paper bar.
The main Spotlight overlay remains the quickest mode to find astir thing connected your Mac. Type a keyword to aboveground apps, documents, emails, contacts, dictionary definitions, oregon web results. You tin resistance a record from hunt results to the desktop oregon a Finder window, oregon you tin unfastened it by double-clicking it oregon selecting it and pressing Return.
You tin besides inactive entree the other functionality that Apple has added implicit time, similar input calculations and get conversions, find formation accusation with a formation number, oregon get an up-to-date upwind forecast.
If you determination your pointer erstwhile Spotlight is open, you'll spot 4 icons look to the close of the interface: they are Apps, Files, Actions, and Clipboard. You tin click to unfastened these browse modes oregon usage keyboard shortcuts to unfastened consecutive into them and power betwixt them:
- Command + Space Bar + 1: Apps
- Command + Space Bar + 2: Files
- Command + Space Bar + 3: Actions
- Command + Space Bar + 4: Clipboard
Filter Search With Categories
You tin constrictive your Spotlight results by selecting a class that appears beneath the hunt field. Press Command + Space Bar to unfastened Spotlight, past commencement typing. As you search, dynamic categories specified arsenic Screenshots, System Settings, oregon Folders volition look – click immoderate of them to instantly filter your results.
Filter Search by Location
If you're searching for a file, you tin filter it based connected wherever the record is stored – similar iCloud Drive, for example. Type "iCloud Drive," property the Tab key, and past benignant the sanction of the record earlier pressing Return.
Reveal File Location
If the record you're looking for is highlighted successful the results, clasp the Command cardinal to uncover its determination way beneath the name. You tin besides double-click the determination to spell consecutive to it successful Finder.
Filter Search by App oregon Kind of Item
You tin specify the benignant of items you're searching for, specified arsenic apps, folders oregon PDFs. To hunt by app, benignant the app sanction (e.g. Notes, Calendar) past property the Tab key. Now benignant a word to hunt lone wrong that app.
To hunt by kind, participate "/" followed by the benignant of point oregon app. For example, to constrictive hunt results to PDFs, participate "/PDF" and property Return, past benignant your hunt terms.
Use Keywords
Apple has besides implemented keywords for specifying antithetic kinds of item. In the Spotlight hunt field, adhd the substance "kind:[type of item]" to the opening of your search. For example, to hunt for photos of Edinburgh, benignant "kind:images Edinburgh."
Spotlight supports the pursuing keywords for searching for antithetic types of item:
| Apps |
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| Contacts |
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| Folders |
|
|
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| Calendar Events |
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| Reminders |
|
| Images |
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| Movies |
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| Music |
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| Audio |
|
|
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| Settings |
|
| Bookmarks |
|
| Fonts |
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| Presentations |
|
You tin besides refine your searches utilizing circumstantial keywords specified arsenic from, to, author, with, by, tag, title, name, keyword, and contains. To usage one, benignant the keyword followed by a colon, past your hunt word – for example, author:Tim oregon title:Edinburgh.
Launching Apps
With Launchpad gone, you tin usage Spotlight's Apps browse mode to motorboat apps alternatively (Command + Space Bar + 1). The mode besides surfaces iPhone apps erstwhile iPhone Mirroring is active, truthful you tin entree them straight from your desktop.
If you prefer, you tin fell iPhone apps from this presumption via the browse mode's options fastener (three encircled dots). You tin besides alteration from Grid to List presumption from this menu. Unfortunately, you can't uninstall apps oregon rearrange them successful Spotlight similar you could bash successful Launchpad.
Actions
Actions successful Spotlight fto you bash things with apps without having to unfastened those apps. You tin nonstop emails, make shortcuts for features successful apps, acceptable timers, make Calendar events, marque reminders, and overmuch more, positive there's integration with the Shortcuts app to instrumentality things adjacent further.
For example, if you privation to nonstop a message, property Command + Space Bar + 3 to unfastened Spotlight Actions, past prime the Send Message enactment and deed Return. Type your message, deed Tab, benignant the sanction of the recipient, past prime their interaction and deed Enter again. The steps beryllium which enactment you take to run, but it's the aforesaid basal process.
Here are conscionable immoderate actions that you tin use:
- Add File to Note: Quickly adds a record connected your machine to a enactment successful the Notes app.
- Change Case: Changes the lawsuit of copied text.
- Start FaceTime call: Makes a FaceTime telephone – audio oregon video – to the idiosyncratic of your choice.
- Random Number: Picks a random fig erstwhile fixed a minimum and maximum.
- Recognise Music: Names the presently playing song.
- Remove Image Background: Removes the inheritance from a named image.
- Send Email: Sends an email connection to a recipient of your choice.
- Translate Text: Translates selected substance from a detected connection to the connection of your choice.
Quick Keys
You tin usage Spotlight Actions to bash each kinds of things without opening an app, but determination are besides speedy entree phrases you tin delegate to motorboat tasks quickly, similar "ch" for bringing up ChatGPT. Simply click the "Add speedy keys" fastener whenever you spot it successful hunt results.
If you request to, you tin reset assigned speedy keys to their defaults by clicking Reset Quick Keys successful System Settings ➝ Spotlight.
Clipboard Mode
Clipboard mode (Space Bar + Command + 4) is 1 of the astir applicable additions to macOS Tahoe. It keeps a searchable past of copied text, links, images, and files, adjacent syncing crossed your devices done Universal Clipboard. You tin transcript oregon paste items straight from this view, oregon wide past wholly for privacy. You tin spot your full past for the day, but it is constricted to the past 8 hours by default. In macOS 26.1, you tin alteration however agelong clipboard past is kept successful System Settings ➝ Spotlight.
You tin transcript from the clipboard hunt results by clicking the Copy icon, past paste the point anyplace by pressing Command + V. To erase the clipboard history, click the options fastener (three encircled dots), past take Clear History.
Spotlight History
If you unfastened Spotlight (Command + Space Bar) and commencement pressing the up arrow key, you tin spot a past of your past searches.
Customize Spotlight Settings
Head to System Settings ➝ Spotlight to fine-tune what appears successful results. You tin exclude apps and backstage folders, reset Quick Keys, and delete hunt history. New successful macOS Tahoe 26.1, you tin besides present set however agelong clipboard past is retained (30 minutes, 8 hours, 7 days), oregon disable clipboard past completely. The options mostly springiness you greater power implicit privateness and show portion keeping Spotlight uncluttered.
This article, "Do More With Spotlight successful macOS Tahoe" archetypal appeared connected MacRumors.com
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