New Spotlight Apps search in macOS 26 doesn't show any results, no matter what I type in

If a restart doesn't work, you will need to delete the Spotlight Index completely and restart.

In Terminal, copy/paste these two commands in order and then restart:

sudo mdutil -X /
sudo mdutil -i on /

sudo elevates your privileges so you can delete the index with the mdutil -X command.

sudo will ask for your admin password, but won't echo anything on the screen when you type it in. Just type the password and hit return.

For the past several years I have been in the habit of launching applications by opening Spotlight and typing the first few characters of an application name to find it. After installing Tahoe that no longer worked. I tried opening the Applications browser in Spotlight and searching in there but that brought up strange results and not the Apps I wanted.

After reading previous posts in this thread checked Spotlight privacy settings and found MacintoshHD was listed for exclusion. I have no idea how or why that happened but I removed it from the list and added an external drive that I don't want indexed.

Now Spotlight is working as it did previously to launch applications.

I had the same issue and fixed the problem by following these steps:

1. Open System Settings → Spotlight.
2. Make sure the switch for “Apps” under Results from System is turned on.
3. If it is already enabled, try turning it off, then on again, and restart your Mac.

The last step is a must-have one.

I had this issue on a new install after a month (i.e. the user wasn't transferred from another computer). It was only for my user, but none of the above tricks, and a bunch more from Apple Support seemed to fix the problem. Luckily since the computer was new, I was able to actually use Apple Support.

Here is what finally fixed it for me… standard disclaimers apply.

Go to ~/Library/Metadata/CoreSpotlight/

Delete everything

Reboot

I would only do this if your standard mdutil and spotlight add/remove tricks don't work.

Of course the fact those "Spotlight tricks" have existed for years should tell you everything you need to know about Spotlight.

I had the same problem. I found that under System Settings > Spotlight, the switch to allow Apps in search results was turned off. I turned it on and now the Apps search works properly.

GQ-X wrote:

even in screen after i pressed Cmd + 1, it shows nothing when i type 's'. at least it should show safari

Your spotlight index is either incomplete corrupt or otherwise unavailable. You need to re-index Spotlight. There are some third-party metadata importers that have caused spotlight to freeze up when generating the index so if re-indexing doesn’t solve the problem you may have something else involve that is preventing it from generating the index.

I am using Tahoe 26.0 and my initial Spotlight window does not look like yours. Your Utilities and Productivity & Finance tabs are switched from my default Applications view and I have a window of applications, not a translucent panel. Are you still running beta Tahoe code?

Backspace your Photo Booth search term, press cmd+1 and enter Photo Booth again. You should see that application icon highlighted.

Try a shutdown (Apple menu) then start back up (that's different than a restart).

Spotlight search definitely has issues, for example the irony shown here:

As for getting Launchpad back, “we” are users like you and have no power to implement any suggestions. To have Apple consider your feedback, submit it here:

Feedback - macOS - Apple

There are some things that hang up a spotlight index so the external drive theory could be true. The GUI method of rebuilding the index only vacuums the database, it doesn’t really delete the entire index. When you reinstall or upgrade an OS it deletes the folder and rebuild it. That is what the -X option does. Starting around Sonoma, I have seen it seemingly hang up where it doesn’t show all the apps in the search and I think it has to do with the recreation of that folder and its content.

When I was fixing one of my Max that had this problem, I had to delete the folder several times, but then I just did a normal GUI index while it was still behaving improperly and then a restart and it all seemed to work fine after that.

tewmwm2 wrote:

I have OS 26.0.1 on my Mac mini. Spotlight returns results from the Internet but no longer finds file names. How do I make it find files on my hard drives and iCloud?

To search for files in Spotlight, you need to click the Files button to the right of the search window, or press Command-2. If you don't, it remains on the first choice and that's Applications.

Make sure that System Settings > Spotlight is set to show results from Documents and Folders.

Also note that you can use the search box in any Finder window to search for files.

Some users have needed to rebuild the Spotlight index for the above steps to work properly.

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

You can exclude external drives from being indexed in System Settings > Spotlight > Search Privacy.

There is a workaround for me. I have to choose a category below then enter some word, otherwise no results come out.

TwiceInEveryMoment wrote:

https://discussions.apple.com/content/attachment/a0cb3a18-ed28-4c18-959e-fb169b32a2a4

Ever since upgrading to Tahoe, the Applications search has never worked right. No matter what I type in the search box, no results come up for Apps. Even typing something like "photo booth" or "safari" yields an empty results box.

I tried rebooting my Mac, after which an "Indexing..." message appears in Spotlight and the search started working!.... for about two hours. Then when I tried it just now, it's back to the same behavior as before.

Can we just.... have Launchpad back? At least that actually worked.

Cmd + spacebar  will invoke Spotlight 

Mouse over A for Applications or ⌘ + 1

Mouse over second icon for Files or ⌘ + 2

Mouse over third icon for Actions or ⌘ + 3

Mouse over fourth icon for Clipboard or ⌘  + 4

Using the ⌘ + 1 in may case 

It brings up a host of applications that came pre-installed with macOS 26 Tahoe and other Third Party Applications like “Ad and Stuff “ / Carbon Copy Cloner / Etrecheck Pro, Firefox and others 

It also brought up iPhone Applications which I have since removed from macOS 26 Tahoe

ie American Express. Apple Store, Camera, Files, Health etc

Tahoe Spotlight does appear to be taking inspiration form this old photo:

All we can do is report, report, report: Feedback - macOS - Apple

The "Apps" app replacing LaunchPad, which I used a lot, is joined a the hip to Spotlight's bugs. Cluttered interface with no way to organized the apps.

Owl-53 wrote:

Dictionary malfunction - ouch

From this thread:

Spotlight Dictionary Malfunction - Apple Community

Obviously there were significant changes to the Spotlight code in absorbing the function of Launchpad, and evidently there are still bugs to be worked out. Hopefully by the .1 or .2 (tbka the Marathon Update) update it will be properly sorted.