User level: Level 1 (36 points)How did Apple forget to add search to Preview in iOS 26?!?
The app’s design is pretty awful, but it is even more glaring when the default PDF viewer has no search function in iOS.
I am also not a fan of when closing a document in Preview, rather than returning it its source, like Mail, it falls back to the otherwise useless Preview app.
Posted on Oct 26, 2026 5:14 PM
User level: Level 10 (280,982 points)Oct 26, 2026 6:18 PM in response to Go_Linux
Go_Linux wrote:
How did Apple forget to add search to Preview in iOS 26?!?
I have not used iOS 26 since it was superseded by iOS 27 six weeks ago. But I can tell you the search function is currently in Preview. Note the magnifying glass icon in the lower right.
User level: Level 1 (28 points)Oct 29, 2026 8:04 PM in response to Go_Linux
Search is not on Preview on my iPhone SE 2020 in 27.0.1 or 27.2 (which I just updated to). Share is also not available. Changing my phone so that it opens files with Quick Look (go into files, press and hold on a file, then select Open With and choose "Quick Look") makes it so Preview is not used, and search and share are available. It also removes the need to go back to Files. I have read that removing the Preview app will do the same thing.
User level: Level 1 (8 points)Nov 1, 2026 10:54 AM in response to mjfromhall
Can confirm. No search anymore in preview on iOS 27.0.1.
Are they mental? There is a button to scan through all of the metadata of a pdf. But they genuinely did not put in the search button? Lmao. For me it renders the whole app useless. I have many +200 pages documents. Search, markup and export single pages or whole document are the 3 main functions a pdf reader should have. GG. Gonna have to download a third party app now I guess.
I get why people are hesitant with updating their device nowadays. When you can’t be sure crucial features aren’t getting yoinked from you, you don’t do it.
User level: Level 1 (8 points)Nov 9, 2026 6:39 PM in response to CaptainHubble
I agree it’s gone for me as well. Every update, the iOS system gets more complex and harder to use. Ie worse
User level: Level 10 (244,490 points)Nov 9, 2026 6:58 PM in response to sberman
It isn’t there in my Preview:
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256383611