Spotlight is the gateway to everything on my iPhone. From looking up contacts to toggling obscure features, I use Spotlight all day to get things done. But during many of us use it, I don't think most use Spotlight to its fullest potential. Yes, it's a way to hunt for things on your iPhone, but it's additionally a "launcher" for automations, a calculator, a prosperity converter, and a way to run tasks inner your favorite apps. If you have an iPhone, these are 10 Spotlight hunt hacks you should know.
Bypass the Clock app to set timers, alarms, or to use the stopwatch
The Clock app lets you set timers, alarms, and set a stopwatch, too. Normally, you'd initiate the Clock app to admission all those features on your iPhone, but Spotlight lets you bypass that. Open Spotlight on your iPhone, and hunt for "Clock." The top results volition be: Clock, Set Timer, Add Alarm, and Stopwatch. Tap any of the final three buttons to run those features from your iPhone's Dynamic Island.
Tapping "Set Timer" shows a slider to choose the timer's length. Similarly, "Add Alarm" lets you set an alert without beginning Clock, and "Stopwatch" immediately starts the count, and equal lets you intermission or set a lap period without beginning the app.
Locate content in photos and screenshots via Spotlight search
Your iPhone has built-in OCR (optical character recognition), which method that it can identify, select, and copy content in photos and screenshots. Spotlight lets you hunt for content in images without beginning the Photos app. Just blaze up Spotlight and hunt for a term or a phrase. The "Photos" division of results volition display you all images containing your hunt term.
Convert units and currencies without beginning websites or apps
I grew up in a nation that follows the metric system, and I fair can't cover my caput about Imperial units used in the U.S. and U.K. Every period I peruse item that mentions gallons, fluid ounces, miles, stones, or another units that should've been former in the 19th century, I use Spotlight to change them quickly. Try searching for "1 inch to cm," or akin conditions alongside distinct units, and the outcome volition display at the top.
For prosperity conversions, category the prosperity sign followed by the amount, and Spotlight volition change it to your local prosperity by default. Try searching for "£120" or "$240," and the converted prosperity volition display up in the results. You can additionally try a additional particular query specified as "£360 to USD" to change to a prosperity of your choice.
Perform calculations in Spotlight's hunt box
I rarely open the calculator on my iPhone. When I need to execute essential math, I blaze up Spotlight and category the calculation. It plant alongside addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, and equal percentages. The syntax for calculations is straightforward in Spotlight, but to get percentages, you'll desire to try item akin "20% x 180." This is awesome for calculating tips or splitting bills.
Type any date to create a calendar admission or to discover photos
You can use Spotlight to quickly add calendar entries. Activate Spotlight on your iPhone, category a forthcoming date, and tap the Add clasp in the Event widget. This volition open a Calendar admission page, and authorize you to add the event without beginning the Calendar app. You can additionally hunt for particular months from the past, specified as "October 2024" to appearance for photos, messages, and emails from that month. The results display up in neatly organized sections under all app's name, and tapping a outcome takes you to particular photos, messages, or emails.
Type "Record" to commencement a sound recording
Spotlight additionally allows you to commencement a sound record quickly. Type "Record" to disclose results connected to the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. Tap the Record clasp to document a sound note, and it'll display a timer and a halt record clasp in your iPhone's Dynamic Island.
Download videos from Instagram, Threads, or YouTube immediately from Spotlight
If you use iPhone automations to download videos from Instagram, Threads, or YouTube, you can run these immediately from Spotlight. Just hunt "Download" in Spotlight, and the shortcuts named "Download Instagram," "Download Threads," and "YouTube Download" volition appear in the results. As lengthy as you have a video URL from one of those sites copied to the clipboard, tapping the corresponding shortcuts volition immediately commencement downloading the video. This is ideal for times whenever you obtain a social media nexus in a messaging app. You can copy it, afterward run the automation via Spotlight.
Use Spotlight to allow greyscale manner whenever you desire to eliminate distractions
I use this automation all day to decrease my smartphone usage. Searching for "Color Filters" lets me toggle that environment immediately from Spotlight, and enables greyscale manner whenever I need to concentration on work. Disabling this characteristic is fair as easy. If you use any another characteristic that is buried profound in iOS settings, you can use Spotlight to hunt for it, and toggle it as needed.
Type "Focus" to toggle assorted DND modes on your iPhone
The hunt bar is not the most apparent location for switching between distinct Focus modes on your iPhone, but it plant fairly well. Just category "Focus" in Spotlight search, and it'll catalog multiple DND modes, allowing you to toggle the one you need. These results appear in the "Settings" division in Spotlight's hunt results.
Check iOS Settings to conceal apps and satisfied from Spotlight
You can additionally conceal apps and hunt results from Spotlight. This is a fine way to keep courtship apps or delicate data distant from results. To set this up, go to Settings > Search on your iPhone. Under "Before Searching," tap the drop-down list next to "Suggest Apps." Choose "Don't suggest" if you desire to conceal all app suggestions from Spotlight. Instead, you can use your iPhone's App Library to discover and initiate apps faster.
If that feels a bit extreme, scroll downward to discover idiosyncratic apps you desire to conceal from Spotlight. Tap the app's name, and disable "Show App in Search." To conceal results from that app in Spotlight, disable "Show Content in Search" on the identical page. You'll have to do this formerly per app.
Pranay Parab is an autonomous tech newsman based in Mumbai, India. He covers tech for Lifehacker, and specializes in tutorials and in-depth features.
