If searching your Mac returns unexpected results
If you search your Mac and get unexpected search results, try these suggestions.
Check the text you entered in the search field
Make sure the word or phrase is spelled correctly.
To search for an exact phrase, enclose it in quotation marks. For example, enter “trip to Paris” to find items that contain that exact phrase. If you don’t use quotation marks, the search results include items that contain those words in any order.
Check the location you’re searching
If you began your search in Spotlight, the search results can include email, calendar events, information from other apps, and more. If you began your search in a Finder window, the search results include only files and folders on the internal disk.
Check settings in Spotlight settings
You may have excluded items from Spotlight searches. To check, go to the System Settings app
, then click Spotlight
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.) In “Search results,” items whose checkboxes are unselected aren’t included in search results. See Select result categories for Spotlight.
You may have excluded certain folders or disks from Spotlight searches. To check, go to the System Settings app
You may have turned off Location Services for Siri Suggestions. See Turn Siri Suggestions on or off.
For more information about Spotlight settings, see Spotlight settings.
Check archives and backups
To find a file in an archive, such as a disk image or a zip file, double-click the archive to open it, then search again.
If you’re using Time Machine to back up your Mac, use Spotlight with Time Machine to find and recover files in backups.
Check to see if Spotlight is indexing
Spotlight relies on a regularly updated search index of the data stored on your device. This is a local, private index that never leaves your device: it’s never shared with Apple or your other devices. Indexing occurs when you first set up your device, after you install a software update or upgrade, or as data changes on your device, including when you install new apps that allow their content to be indexed.
To check if Spotlight is indexing, press Command-Space bar to open Spotlight. If Spotlight is indexing, an indexing progress indicator appears at the top of the Spotlight window.
For more information, see the Apple Support article About Spotlight Indexing and search results on Apple devices.