The iPhone has so many built-in features that it can be hard to know all of them, let alone how to use them. Search is one of those features available in iOS that you may not know of yet. It's also available on macOS, though it's known as Spotlight there. It allows you to search for anything across your device.
With Search or Spotlight, it's easy to look up anything on your iPhone, saving you lots of time juggling between different apps.
Here's how you can use Search on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.
How to Use Search on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch
Search works the same on an iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. It's a quick way to find anything, not just on your device, but also on the web.
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use Search:
- From your Home Screen, swipe down from the middle of the screen.
- A search bar should appear. Type an appropriate keyword for what you're looking for.
- As you start typing, Search will showcase the matching results in real-time.
- Tap on a search result to open it.
To see more results from an app, tap Show More. Alternatively, select Search in App. You can also scroll down to look for an app in the App Store using Search App Store or a location using Search Maps. Depending on what you're looking for, Search will showcase a wide variety of apps to open.
What Can You Find With Search on an iPhone?
Search is a handy feature on the iPhone. With it, you can find anything locally stored on your iPhone and on the web. You can use Search to find messages, apps, media files, documents, contacts, pictures, and more.
You can also use Search to look for a specific setting inside your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, directly skipping all the hoops that you'd have to jump through when using the dedicated Settings app. In addition, you can also use Search to look for content on the web.
In other words, Search can help you find just about anything. If you can't see results from a specific app, open the Settings app, select Siri & Search, find the app of interest and tap it. Ensure toggles for Show App in Search, Suggest App, and Show Content in Search are all enabled.
Search Faster on Your iPhone
Search is a nifty feature baked into iOS that allows you to launch an app, find a setting, and even look up anything on the web. It's readily accessible from your Home Screen, which makes it even better.
Search is also available on Mac, under the name of Spotlight, and it's even more helpful there since you probably keep more files on your Mac than on your iPhone.
