Spotlight is the gateway to everything on my iPhone. From looking up contacts to toggling obscure features, I use Spotlight every day to get things done. But while many of us use it, I don't think most use Spotlight to its fullest potential. Yes, it's a way to search for things on your iPhone, but it's also a "launcher" for automations, a calculator, a currency converter, and a way to run tasks inside your favorite apps. If you have an iPhone, these are 10 Spotlight search hacks you should know.
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Locate text in photos and screenshots via Spotlight search
Your iPhone has built-in OCR (optical character recognition), which means that it can identify, select, and copy text in photos and screenshots. Spotlight lets you search for text in images without opening the Photos app. Just fire up Spotlight and search for a word or a phrase. The "Photos" section of results will show you all images containing your search term.
Convert units and currencies without opening websites or apps
Credit: Pranay ParabFor currency conversions, type the currency symbol followed by the amount, and Spotlight will convert it to your local currency by default. Try searching for "£120" or "$240," and the converted currency will show up in the results. You can also try a more specific query such as "£360 to USD" to convert to a currency of your choice.
Type any date to create a calendar entry or to find photos
You can use Spotlight to quickly add calendar entries. Activate Spotlight on your iPhone, type a future date, and tap the Add button in the Event widget. This will open a Calendar entry page, and allow you to add the event without opening the Calendar app. You can also search for specific months from the past, such as "October 2024" to look for photos, messages, and emails from that month. The results show up in neatly organized sections under each app's name, and tapping a result takes you to specific photos, messages, or emails.
Type "Record" to start a voice recording
Credit: Pranay ParabIf you use iPhone automations to download videos from Instagram, Threads, or YouTube, you can run these directly from Spotlight. Just search "Download" in Spotlight, and the shortcuts named "Download Instagram," "Download Threads," and "YouTube Download" will appear in the results. As long as you have a video URL from one of those sites copied to the clipboard, tapping the respective shortcuts will instantly begin downloading the video. This is perfect for times when you receive a social media link in a messaging app. You can copy it, then run the automation via Spotlight.
Use Spotlight to enable greyscale mode when you want to eliminate distractions
The search bar is not the most obvious place for switching between different Focus modes on your iPhone, but it works quite well. Just type "Focus" in Spotlight search, and it'll list multiple DND modes, allowing you to toggle the one you need. These results appear in the "Settings" section in Spotlight's search results.
Check iOS Settings to hide apps and content from Spotlight
Search on your iPhone. Under "Before Searching," tap the drop-down menu next to "Suggest Apps." Choose "Don't suggest" if you want to hide all app suggestions from Spotlight. Instead, you can use your iPhone's App Library to find and launch apps faster.
If that feels a bit extreme, scroll down to find individual apps you want to hide from Spotlight. Tap the app's name, and disable "Show App in Search." To hide results from that app in Spotlight, disable "Show Content in Search" on the same page. You'll have to do this once per app.
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