How to turn off Spotlight on Mac and iOS

Spotlight Search on Mac: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives

Most of us store hundreds of GB of data on our Mac. This means that it is nearly impossible to find the files you need by browsing, especially in folder structures that you don't access frequently, except for dozens of favorites.

The solution to this problem is to search. Spotlight has been the default search utility for Mac since 2005 and has been the default search utility for iOS since 2009. In most cases, it does the job. However, sometimes it behaves abnormally or seems to lack the latest features needed to work efficiently in your daily routine.

Let's see how to deal with common Spotlight issues on Mac and iOS, as well as other search utility options you might want to explore.

Why close Spotlight index?

As you may see online, one of the most popular suggested fixes for Spotlight is to disable Spotlight search indexing. But what exactly does this do? How does it help?

Spotlight's search function is based on its index, or the structural representation of each file on a Mac (or iPhone). Since you tend to constantly change files, move files, and add new files, you need to update this index regularly.

Indexing, especially if it hasn't been indexed for a long time, is very complex and can require a lot of time and CPU capability. There may be some errors in the index, so you may need to stop or redo the index to eliminate these errors. If your Mac CPU is not capable enough, you may need to stop the Spotlight index to make other applications work properly (and may restore the index at night).

All of this is a good reason to disable Mac Spotlight. However, what specific indexing problems you may encounter?

Common Spotlight Indexing Issues

While Spotlight works as expected in most cases, you will certainly see it hard to work at some point when you try to use it.

• Slow speed . Spotlight can respond slowly to your requests. This may be a result of incorrect or incomplete indexing.
• The correct file was not found . Sometimes, the files you know existed don't appear in Spotlight at all.
• High CPU usage . The indexing process can sometimes get out of control and take up too much CPU, affecting other tasks.
• The index is incomplete . You may see that the index seems to never finish.

Of course, there are also less common problems. To resolve these issues, you need to know how to get Spotlight search on your Mac to exit and restart again.

How to disable Spotlight Search Keyboard Shortcuts on Mac

The default shortcut to launching Spotlight is Command Space, which works no matter which application you are currently activated.

If you don't want to use Spotlight or want to assign the shortcut key to another search application, you can turn off the key combination in macOS settings:

1. Open System Settings➙Keyboard
2. Go to keyboard shortcuts…
3. Navigate to Spotlight
4. Uncheck "Show Spotlight Search"

How to delete Spotlight from menu bar

Another common way to access Spotlight is through its menu bar icon. To do this, just click the icon in the upper right corner of the screen.

However, if you no longer use Spotlight, you may not want it to be there. There is an easy way to get rid of it:

1. Open System Settings
2. Go to Control Center
3. Scroll down to Spotlight
4. Select "Don't show in the menu bar"

How to close Spotlight index using terminal commands

If your Spotlight index file is stuck or the process consumes too much CPU, you can use simple terminal commands to resolve this issue.

To close the Spotlight index:

1. Open the terminal
2. Enter sudo mdutil -i off
3. Press Return

To reopen the index (for example, when you don't need to actively use your Mac), use sudo mdutil -i on .

Why shouldn't Spotlight index be turned off

In some cases, when you are already using a third-party search application and it takes advantage of Spotlight's index, closing the index may not be a good idea, as updates to the application will also break.

Additionally, Spotlight is a native Mac utility that is associated with many internal processes. Unless it actively prevents you from doing something, it is better to keep the index open so as not to inadvertently break some other vague but important system processes.

How to turn off search on lock screen in iOS

Those who rarely use Spotlight on iOS, especially on locked screens, may find it annoying to be able to type anything in the search when your phone is locked.

The good news is that this feature can be turned off in Settings:

1. Open Settings on iOS
2. Scroll down to "Face ID [Touch ID] and Password"
3. Close Today's Views and Search

Which keyboard launcher should you use?

Spotlight may be the default search utility on your Mac, but if you look at all its drawbacks, you might be wondering if there are better options. some!

Lacona is the fastest keyboard assistant right now, ready to simplify your workflow. You can search for applications or files, and you can also use natural language commands (with autocomplete) to open URLs, stop playing music, find content on the map, and more. This utility can be used with native and third-party applications. Simple!

Start is another search alternative that focuses specifically on launching any application on your Mac as quickly as possible. It combines the advantages of Dock and Launchpad, with lightning-fast speed, and other features such as tags. Use the shortcut keys to open Start or click the icon in the menu bar.

HoudahSpot is another search utility that is specifically used for files and folders rather than applications. If you've ever tried searching for files with Finder, you know that this can be a very slow and inaccurate experience. With HoudahSpot, you can find the correct file in seconds with its fast search engine and dozens of precise filters, from location to content to extensions.

You can see that when you don't need Spotlight, it can be easily disabled, or if it fails, it can be fixed. However, to optimize your daily workflow, we recommend that you enhance it using Lacona as a Spotlight alternative, Start for fast application startup, and HoudahSpot for easy finding any file on your Mac.

The article has synonymous replacement, sentence structure adjustment and partial content simplification of the original text, but has not changed the general meaning of the article and retained all pictures and their original format.

The above is the detailed content of How to turn off Spotlight on Mac and iOS. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!