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rwright
User level: Level 1 (15 points)

New search feature in macOS not working and files cannot be opened

why does apple have to always break something that works? I've just spent over an hour trying to get the new search feature to work in golden gate to no avail. I'm looking for a file the search says there are 11, yet it can't open all 11 at once and when I try to open each one I get an error message saying "it can't open the file" I know my initial question can't be answered but my real question is


how do i get search to work in this stupid os? Issues associated with this question:

  1. I need to see all the files and the stupid search window doesn't stay open
  2. app seems to search for the app to open but can't open the file
  3. all of the files on my computer can be opened if I used the old search feature
  4. trying to use finder doesn't produce the files, instead of 11 I get over 50 using the same search term


Apple hasn't added a search feature for golden gate yet :-(


HELP

Posted on Nov 9, 2026 6:53 AM

1 reply

neuroanatomist
User level: Level 9 (72,871 points)

Nov 9, 2026 7:04 AM in response to rwright

Spotlight's features have been 'enhanced', more so if you opt into the Siri AI capability.


To get search to work for files in Spotlight, you need to click the Files button to the right of the search window, or press Command-2. If you don't, you'll see results from the Internet and elsewhere.



More info from Apple: Find what you need with Spotlight on Mac


Make sure that System Settings > Spotlight is set to show results from Documents and Folders.



Also note that you can use the search box in any Finder window to search for files.



Some users have needed to rebuild the Spotlight index for the above steps to work properly.

Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

 

If that doesn’t work, Copy/Paste this into Terminal. sudo will ask for your password. Just type the password and hit return. It won't show anything on screen. Those two commands essentially nuke all the Spotlight records then force a reindex. You may need to restart or log out/in after running the commands.

sudo mdutil -X /; sudo mdutil -i on /

 

Spotlight re-indexes your Mac after a macOS update, and this process can take some time.

 

About Spotlight indexing and search results on Apple devices - Apple Support

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256391348