The Spotlight is very helpful for searching purpose of MacOS and iOS users. If it stops to work, then you may face problem in searching. And if this happens with your device then nothing to worry. Here in this article, we are providing you with the total procedures of how to solve Spotlight search not working Mac issue. Hope by studying this article, you can perform this problem-solving tasks on your own and fix the issue.
Procedures For Solving Mac Spotlight Not Working Error
If you are stuck with the Spotlight search not working Mac issue, then you can perform the below mentioned tasks one after the other.
Procedure 1: Close System User Interface Server
This is the easiest and workable method for solving this issue. And to begin with this, at first, open the iOS finder box and then by using this search for Applications folder to launch Activity Monitor. After the Applications folder gets open, go to the “Utilities” option. Now, from the Utilities folder, select on Activity Monitor.
Further, from this Activity Monitor window search for the System UI Server by scrolling down the list. You can also search for it by using the search bar. As you get it (System UI Server), click on it. Now, from this popping window select on the Quit button. After performing this the above-said tasks, the menu bar along with the dock will start to reload. And this indicates that this process is done perfectly. Now, start the Spotlight and check whether Spotlight search not working Mac problem get resolved.
Procedure 2: Disk Utility Check Up Process
Disk utility works as a disk diagnostic tools, this functions well when your system starts malfunctioning. This tool can also perform the minute problem-solving task.
To start this process, at first, restart your system. During this, as you hear the chime sound, then press both the Command and the letter R at the same time until the “Utilities” window gets open. Now, from this window, select on the Disk Utility and then tap on the startup disk. Then, from the upper menu panel, click on the First Aid tab. On doing this the “Would you like to run First Aid on Macintosh HD?” message will pop up, click on Run. This will scan your device and run the problem-solving process. Perform this above-said process several times until the First Aid “not all errors were fixed” message get disappeared. As this process ends, then reboot your Mac and check if Spotlight Search works.
Procedure 3: Change The Desktop Display Resolution
Though this seems like an unrelated solution process, actually it also works in solving Spotlight search not working Mac issue. So, let us now check this process in the below lines.
Navigate to the Mac System Preferences and then choose the Display option. Then, enter your choice at the resolution which is smaller than the current setting value by dropping down the menu arrow beside Resolution. In general, 640×480 will be the workable Resolution choice. Next, return to the real resolution so that you can recover this change. After that, examine the Spotlight feature working status.
Procedure 4: Regulate Spotlight Preferences
By using the Spotlight feature if you are not getting the corresponding search result then it may be due to the insufficient Spotlight preferences. And to solve this, perform this below-instructed tasks.
At first, open the System Preference and from here click on the Spotlight option. Next, tap on the Search Results tab. Now, you will be able to see all the preference options. Then, verify that all the checkboxes beside this below said options are active.
- Applications
- Bookmarks & History
- Calculator
- Contacts
- Definition
- Documents
- Folders
- Fonts
- Images
- Mail & Messages
- Movies
- Music
Also, make sure that the “Allow Spotlight Suggestions in Look up” checkbox is active. After performing this activity, navigate to the Privacy tab.
And if any required result is not present in the Search results tab, then from this Privacy tab you can perform this adding task. And for this, click on the Add (+) symbol which is present in the lower portion of this Privacy window. And then, add your wish startup disk or any other folders.
Alternatively, you can also remove the unnecessary folders by selecting them and pressing the Ctrl key and then hit on the Remove (-) symbol which was again placed on the bottom of this window. After performing all these tasks, close this System Preferences window. On doing this, the Spotlight will begin to process the re-indexing task with the selected folders.
Check Spotlight Re-indexing Process
The re-indexing bar does not help in getting any information about a progress bar or messages. Though you will be able to acknowledge the Spotlight running process with the help of the Activity Monitor. To perform this, at first, open the Finder and then with the help of this, search for the Activity Monitor. After that, open it (Activity Monitor) then from here open the Applications folder and click on Utilities and run the App.
Further, click on the Search bar of this new popping window and type “mdworker” on it. As this will open the Activity Monitor, then you will be able to see all the Spotlight associated re-indexing process on your screen. And if you are not able to see any Spotlight activity on it (Activity Monitor) then try to re-open Spotlight on your device. This is a time-consuming activity. And the required time depends upon the number of files which are getting stored in the selected disk or folder.
All these are the workable procedures to perform if you are facing the “Mac Spotlight not working” issue. Hope by studying this article in details, you will be able to perform these tasks on your own.
