macOS Tahoe Spotlight: A power boost for your Mac’s search

Apple’s Tahoe update isn’t just a visual refresh. Along with a new Journal app and a customizable Control Center, Spotlight—the long-standing Mac launcher—has gained a host of power-user features. Here’s a practical guide to unlocking the new capabilities.

Setup your keyboard shortcut Before you start tweaking Spotlight, make sure you can summon it easily. By default, CMD + Space should open Spotlight, but if it doesn’t, adjust the setting.

• Open System Settings and search for Spotlight.
• In the sidebar, choose Keyboard settings.
• Ensure the “Show Spotlight search” option is enabled.

Launch some apps Spotlight shines when you’re hunting for apps. Typing quickly brings up a ranked list; you can navigate with the arrow keys and press Return to launch anything from the results.

Select what Spotlight surfaces Tahoe lets you control what Spotlight can search. In System Settings, Spotlight’s section lets you toggle results by category (apps, files, etc.). Want to skip certain folders (like a Google Drive directory)? This is the place to refine what Spotlight will surface.

Enable Clipboard History Clipboard history is a handy addition, though it’s off by default. Find the toggle for Clipboard Search at the bottom of the Spotlight area in System Settings. Turn it on and Spotlight will keep clipboard items for up to eight hours, accessible with CMD + 4.

Why it isn’t on by default: it can store personal data and pasteable content, so Apple suggests weighing privacy implications if you share your Mac.

New Spotlight toolbar and filters A subtle toolbar appears as you type, acting as a contextual filter to narrow your results (for example, focusing on folders or files). You can trigger these filters with a slash (/) command on your keyboard, which makes it easy to zero in on what you want.

Experiment with keyboard shortcuts Spotlight puts key shortcuts front and center. Use CMD with the number keys to jump to different result types:

• CMD + 1: Applications for quick launching
• CMD + 2: Files
• CMD + 3: Actions and Shortcuts
• CMD + 4: Clipboard History

You can also press the Up arrow to view your search history.

Have fun with Shortcuts Shortcuts remain a great way to automate tasks, and Tahoe makes triggering them from Spotlight even more convenient. If you’ve got a specific workflow (like a meeting mode) saved as a Shortcuts automation, you can trigger it right from Spotlight without wading through a flood of results.

If you’d like more hands-on tips or deeper dives into macOS Tahoe’s updates, keep an eye on TechRadar for hands-on guides and expert coverage.

Lloyd Coombes is a tech and fitness writer who covers Apple, computing, and gaming topics. He tests the latest MacBooks and iPhones and writes about how you can optimize your setup.