6 Ways to Fix Spotlight Search Not Working On iPhone and iPad

Quick Tips

• If your iPhone is running low on storage space, Spotlight Search may not work as expected.
• Your iPhone may have problems loading a third-party keyboard, therby not letting you type on Spotlight Search. Uninstall the keyboard, or switch to the default one.
• You can also try uninstalling the Shortcuts app, or removing any widgets from the Shortcuts app on your home screen to fix the problem.

Before you begin, try restarting your iPhone or updating it to the latest version to get rid of any bugs that are affecting Spotlight Search.

Fix 1: Remove Shortcut Widgets

Some bugs are fixed in mysterious ways – and as per several community forums, removing the Shortcuts widget on your home screen is one way to fix the problem.

Swipe right from the first page of your home screen. Long-press on the Shortcuts widget, tap on Remove Widget and confirm your action.

Also Read: How to fix Spotlight Search not working on Mac.

Fix 2: Disable ‘Show Home Controls’

Here’s another fix that may not be directly related to Spotlight Search, but several community forums suggest that it may help.

Step 1: Open the Settings app. Select Control Centre.

Step 2: Turn off the toggle for Show Home Controls.

Fix 3: Check Storage Space

Spotlight Search has to index every single file or folder and the process might get sluggish, or may not work at all if you are running out of storage space. Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage and check the remaining storage space.

If your iPhone is running low on storage, you can uninstall apps, delete redundant photos, or clear the ‘Other’ storage.

Fix 4: Change Default Language

At times, Spotlight Search may have some trouble working with the set default language. Therefore, you can try and change the default language.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select General > Language and Region.

Step 2: Tap on Add Language. Select a language that you are familiar with. If you prefer English, you can always select an alternate version.

Step 3: Now, you can confirm using the selected language as a primary language for your iPhone.

Fix 5: Remove Third-Party Keyboards

I also faced the issue of the keyboard not loading up while we used the search bar. This mainly occurred when using a third-party keyboard.

Step 1: Open the Settings app select General and go to Keyboard.

Step 2: Select Keyboards and open the third-party keyboard. Turn off the toggle for Allow Full Access.

Fix 6: Disable and Enable Search for Apps

When you turn off and turn on Spotlight Search in the Settings app, you refresh the feature which may clear the bug affecting it.

Step 1: Open the Settings app and select Siri & Search.

Step 2: There is no toggle to disable Spotlight Search entirely. However, you can disable it on a per-app basis. Hence, select an app from the list, turn off the toggle for Show App in Search, and turn it back on.

If none of the above methods work, you can try resetting your iPhone.