macos spotlight icon e1542458658324Apple tree has enhanced Spotlight search in macOS in recent years, with the addition of Spotlight Suggestions assuasive it to tap into a variety of online information sources similar weather and sports. Nevertheless, helping yous find apps, documents and other files stored on your Mac is still what Spotlight does best.

That's not to say its core role is infallible, however. If Spotlight can't find files that you lot know exist on your Mac, or if it stops prioritizing results based on your earlier searches, and so it's probably a sign that your system's search index is damaged somehow.

If y'all're experiencing odd behavior when using Spotlight, you should try rebuilding its search database index. There are Final commands that volition practice the chore, but you can achieve the same effect via the regular macOS user interface in simply a few quick steps. Here's how.

  1. Select Arrangement Preferences... from the Apple () bill of fare at the summit left of your screen.
    how to reindex spotlight00
  2. Click the Spotlight pane.
    how to reindex spotlight01
  3. Click the Privacy tab.
  4. Click the Add (+) button.
    how to reindex spotlight02
  5. Select the folder or disk whose index you wish to re-build, then click Choose. Alternatively, drag the folder or disk into the list. We've chosen Documents in our instance.
    how to reindex spotlight03
  6. In the same listing, click the folder or disk that you just added and then click the Remove (-) button.
    how to reindex spotlight04
  7. Click the ruby traffic light button to shut System Preferences.

One time you've completed these steps, Spotlight will begin reindexing the contents of the folder(s) or disk(s) y'all chose, which may take some fourth dimension and a few processor cycles. Depending on which version of macOS you're running, yous may encounter a rebuild progress indicator in Spotlight's menu bar item. With a bit of luck, your Spotlight problems will accept been resolved once indexing is complete.

You tin can besides perform a arrangement-broad re-alphabetize of the Spotlight database, amongst many other optimizations, using Titanium Software's free Onyx utility, which is available for all recent versions of macOS.

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