Spotlight Search Gets Major Upgrade in macOS Tahoe, Adds AI, Quick Actions, and Deep App Integration
Apple has unveiled a sweeping overhaul of its Spotlight search feature with the introduction of macOS Tahoe, marking the most significant upgrade to the tool since its inception. The announcement, made at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, highlights Spotlight’s transformation from a simple search bar into a powerful productivity hub leveraging artificial intelligence and deep system integration.
AI-Powered Relevance and Personalization
Spotlight now uses Apple Intelligence to rank search results based on contextual relevance, learning from user routines and current activities. This means files, folders, messages, and events are surfaced more intelligently, and the tool can even suggest actions or content users are likely to need next.
Quick Actions and Keyboard Shortcuts
The revamped Spotlight enables users to execute hundreds of actions directly from the search bar. Tasks such as sending emails, creating notes, setting reminders, or playing podcasts can be performed without switching apps. New “Quick Keys” allow for rapid task execution—typing “sm” sends a message, while “ar” adds a reminder. Users can also assign custom shortcuts for personalized workflows.
Deep App and Cloud Integration
Spotlight’s capabilities now extend into third-party apps, thanks to the App Intents API, allowing developers to make their apps discoverable and actionable from within Spotlight. Users can browse and search not just local files, but also content stored in third-party cloud services like Google Drive. The new browse view lets users scan recent apps, documents, and clipboard history, making it easier to locate content even when they’re unsure what they need.
Unified Command Layer Across Devices
Spotlight’s new features are available across both Mac and iPhone, with support for launching apps and performing actions on either device. The tool can be invoked within other applications, allowing users to interact with app-specific controls—such as adjusting photo filters or accessing menu items—directly from Spotlight.
Productivity and Workflow Enhancements
The update introduces clipboard history, enabling users to retrieve previously copied text or images. Spotlight’s context-aware design also means it can suggest routine actions and prepopulate frequently accessed items, streamlining daily workflows for both casual users and power users alike.
Visual Redesign and Personalization
Alongside functional upgrades, Spotlight benefits from macOS Tahoe’s new “Liquid Glass” aesthetic, featuring translucent and frosted glass-like motifs across the interface. Users can also personalize their experience with custom app icons, folder colors, emojis, and rearrangeable Control Center layouts.
Apple’s overhaul of Spotlight in macOS Tahoe positions the tool as a central command hub for the Mac ecosystem, aiming to make searching, browsing, and performing tasks faster and more intuitive than ever before. The update will be available to users when macOS Tahoe launches later this year.