Spotlight Search Not Working On Mac? Here’s the Fix!

Spotlight Search is a powerful search tool on macOS that helps you find apps, folders, and files. 

However, it can be annoying when it doesn’t show you what you want. Sadly, this is the case for several macOS users who can’t look up files from Spotlight Search. 

In this guide, I’ll show you how to get Spotlight Search working again on your Mac.

1. Wait for Spotlight Indexing to Finish

Spotlight Search automatically reindexes after an update to account for new files, apps, and features. 

If you just updated your system, allow Spotlight Search to finish indexing your storage first.

Depending on your storage and files, indexing can take anywhere from several hours to up to 2 days, depending on how many files you have on your Mac. 

2. Refresh Spotlight Search

A bug or error may have occurred on Spotlight Search, causing it to malfunction or not show desired results. 

To rule this out, refresh the service by disabling/enabling it:

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings. 
2. Scroll down from the side menu and access Siri & Spotlight. 
3. Find Spotlight, and under Search Results, uncheck everything. 

4. Restart your Mac. 
5. Go back to Siri & Spotlight and check all the entries. 

Try Spotlight Search again to check if the problem is solved. 

Related: How to Fix Spotlight Search Not Working On iPhone and iPad

3. Use Command + Space Shortcut

If Spotlight Search does not appear when opening from the Control Center, you can try using the Command + Space shortcut. 

You can also try holding the Spotlight icon from the Control Center until Spotlight Search shows at the center of your screen. 

4. Rebuild Spotlight Index

Spotlight is a selection-based search system that uses an index of all files on your system to load them quickly. 

However, this index can get corrupted and cause Spotlight Search to malfunction. 

To rebuild Spotlight’s index using System Settings, you need to: 

1. Go to Apple Menu > System Settings. 
2. Now, click on Siri & Spotlight from the side menu. 

3. Scroll down and click on Spotlight Privacy. 

4. Drag your disk or folder to the list of locations that Spotlight is prevented from searching. 

5. Restart your Mac. 
6. Return to Spotlight Privacy.
7. Select the folder or drive you added and click the (-) icon to remove it. 
8. Click Done, and Spotlight will reindex your folder or drive.

You can also use the Terminal to rebuild Spotlight’s index: 

1. Press Command + Space and look for Terminal. 
2. Open the Terminal. 
3. Type sudo -i and hit Enter to run the command. 
4. Enter your password. 
5. Now, run these commands one by one: 

mdutil -Ea 

mdutil -ai off

mdutil -ai on

Once you see a message that says “Indexing Enabled,” you’re done. Test Spotlight Search afterward to confirm if it works. 

Related: How to Fix External Hard Drive Not Mounting After macOS Ventura Update

5. Restart SystemUI Server

The SystemUI Server manages system menu items, including search content in Spotlight.

Restarting this process should address any issues with the software that causes Spotlight Search to malfunction. 

Here’s what you need to do: 

1. Open Finder on your Mac. 
2. Now, go to Application > Utilities. 
3. Launch the Activity Monitor. 

4. Type “sys” in the search box at the upper right corner. 
5. Locate the SystemUI Server process.

6. Double-click on it and choose Quit. 

This automatically restarts the SystemUI Server process. Once again, try using Spotlight Search and see if it’s working.

6. Update Your Mac to Latest Version

The version of macOS you’re using might have an issue related to Spotlight Search or indexing. 

If none of the solutions above worked, try updating your Mac. 

1. In the upper left corner of your screen, click the Apple icon to open the Apple Menu. 
2. Now, click on System Settings. 
3. Inside settings, navigate to General > Software Update. 
4. If a new version is detected, follow the prompts to install the update. 

If this guide helped you, please share it.