How to use Spotlight to search for files, images and more on your iPhone or iPad - TechRepublic

Finding items with Spotlight connected iOS and iPadOS isn’t hard if you cognize the close tricks.

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Your iPhone and iPad connection the Spotlight instrumentality to assistance you hunt for contented connected your device, but with iOS and iPadOS 16, Apple has enhanced the hunt diagnostic to connection much options and capabilities.

SEE: iCloud vs. OneDrive: Which is champion for Mac, iPad and iPhone users? (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

With the update, you tin present much easy hunt from the Home screen, find images by antithetic criteria, and spot a richer array of details based connected a search. Depending connected the hunt term, you tin besides tally definite actions straight from the results.

What you’ll request to usage Spotlight

First, marque definite you’re moving iOS 16 oregon iPadOS 16 oregon higher connected your device. Go to Settings, prime General, and past prime Software Update. You’ll beryllium told that the OS is up to day oregon prompted to download and instal the latest update.

Review your hunt settings

Next, reappraisal your hunt settings to spot if determination are immoderate you mightiness privation to change. On your iPhone oregon iPad, spell to Settings and prime Siri & Search.

The Before Searching conception indicates that suggestions and recently-accessed contented volition look erstwhile you trigger the Spotlight hunt feature. The Content From Apple conception indicates that Apple contented volition look astatine the Look Up and Spotlight screens. You tin crook disconnected immoderate of these switches, but for present permission them each enabled.

Down further, the surface lists each the apps installed connected your device. By default, each the apps are included successful your Spotlight searches to find their content. If determination are immoderate apps that you privation to exclude from your searches, prime it and crook disconnected the power for Show App In Search (Figure A).

Figure A

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Search from the Home screen

On immoderate Home screen, swipe down connected the surface oregon pat the Search icon adjacent the bottommost to show the Siri Suggestions and the hunt field. Type oregon talk a connection oregon word successful the Search tract for the contented you privation to find.

Swipe down the surface to spot the suggested results crossed antithetic apps and locations, past pat the fastener for Show More Results to spot further results. Swipe down to the bottommost to the conception for Search In Apps. Tap a circumstantial introduction to find results successful that app (Figure B).

Figure B

Image: Lance Whitney/TechRepublic

Go to a setting

A hunt effect for an enactment oregon task successful iOS oregon iPadOS tin instrumentality you to the circumstantial mounting for that item.

In the Spotlight Search field, benignant a connection oregon word for a task you privation to execute successful the OS, specified arsenic connecting to a instrumentality via Bluetooth oregon controlling notifications. Type “bluetooth” oregon “notifications.” Click the hunt effect with the System Settings icon successful beforehand of it, and you’ll beryllium taken to that circumstantial mounting wherever you tin activate oregon alteration it (Figure C).

Figure C

Image: Lance Whitney/TechRepublic

Search for images

Next, you tin look for photos and different images related to your hunt term, some connected the web and connected your device. In the hunt field, benignant a connection oregon operation that lends itself to images. Scroll down done the hunt results to spot web images, photos connected your iPhone oregon iPad, and images from apps. Tap an representation to presumption it successful a larger model (Figure D).

Figure D

Image: Lance Whitney/TechRepublic

Find affluent results

Finally, you tin find affluent results for specified items arsenic actors, musicians, movies, TV shows, businesses and sports. Such results connection a wealthiness of details connected your hunt word without you having to hunt astir connected the web.

To effort this, participate a sanction related to 1 of these areas. The effect you privation should beryllium the archetypal 1 connected the list. Click that 1 to spot the affluent assortment of accusation disposable (Figure E).

Figure E

Image: Lance Whitney/TechRepublic

The spotlight stays connected Spotlight with this usher connected however to usage it to hunt for files, images and much successful the macOS Ventura.