How to Search on Mac

We all routinely crave instant search capabilities where we can easily find an application or any other item on our devices without being caught in endless steps and procedures. Luckily, Mac allows you to perform searches, too, similar to what we do in web browsers!

As a long-time Mac user, you’ll always have excellent built-in tools and resources in macOS to help you find what you're looking for much faster.

In this blog, I will walk you through the key steps to searching on a Mac, primarily focusing on Spotlight and Finder, alongside Apple’s other built-in services.

Before we start

 

When searching on Mac with Finder or Spotlight, remember to secure your online experience. MacKeeper’s VPN Private Connect can offer peace of mind by encrypting your data and protecting your privacy as you open searches on Mac and organize your files.

 

To use MacKeeper Private Connect, follow these simple steps:

1. Open MacKeeper.
2. Select VPN Private Connect.
3. Click Turn On.

What is a search on Mac?

A search on Mac refers to the steps you undertake to find large files on Mac, apps, folders, or other content using macOS built-in tools. One such tool is Spotlight—a macOS search tool that allows you to find anything on your Mac or the web.

There are different ways to activate Spotlight search on Mac:

1. Locate the Spotlight icon (a magnifying glass) in the top right corner of your Mac. Click on it to open the Spotlight search bar.
2. Press the CMD + Space combination on the keyboard.

Spotlight search on Mac can help you:

1. Launch apps instantly

Spotlight lets you launch apps faster using the Command + Space keyboard shortcut, type in the app's name, and press Enter to open it.

2. Web search

Spotlight does not restrict your searches to Mac files only. You can also use it to search the internet for people's names, places, and any information you need.

On top of that, Spotlight helps with weather forecasts, news, and more according to your Siri suggestions. You can also calculate additions, multiplications, or currency conversions using Spotlight.

An extra piece of advice from us:

 

As a part of your easier data management, we advise you reading our other piece devoted to the question of how to show hidden files on Mac.

How does search on Mac work?

Search on Mac in tools like Spotlight or the Finder matches the term you type in the search box with the file names on your Mac. For example, if you open search on Mac and type in a document’s name in Spotlight, your Mac will look for the file and show you all possible matches.

Here are a few steps to follow if you want to search and find on Mac using Spotlight:

1. Open Spotlight on Mac by either clicking on the Spotlight icon menu (magnifying glass in the menu bar) or pressing CMD + Space.
2. Type what you’re searching for in the search field. Results will appear as you type, with the top matches listed first.
3. You’ll see multiple results and suggestions for your search. Click on the item you want, followed by the Spotlight icon.
4. From here, decide what you can do with search results. For example, you’ll see related searches below, which allow you to search and view in Finder or Search in Web.

How to open and use search on Mac

To open and use search on Mac, you have to master how to start searching in Spotlight, Finder, or the specific method you want to use to find files on Mac. With Spotlight and Finder, you can effortlessly search and see anything, even if it’s scattered within a pile of files on your Mac.

A hint from our team:

 

Before you learn different ways to search for the necessary data on your Apple computer, pause to read how to clear disk space on Mac. Trust us, managing your search will be much easier if you have less clutter on your device.

Now, let's take a look at how you can open and use search on Mac, either in Spotlight, Finder, Messages, or Keyword search:

1. Search on Mac using Spotlight

Follow these steps to launch Spotlight and perform a simple search on Mac:

1. Click the Spotlight icon that appears like a small magnifying glass in the upper right corner of your Mac screen to open the Spotlight Search bar. Alternatively, use the CMD + Space keyboard shortcut.
2. Type in the search bar your query. This can be the name of the document or an app.
3. Click on the suggestion that matches your search intent and take your preferred action.

We should point out that Spotlight only searches for the categories of information you've enabled in the Spotlight preferences. If you don't get your search from the results, you can change the preferences in System Settings by following these simple steps:

1. Click the Apple icon in the top left corner of your Mac to open the Apple menu.
2. Select System Settings.
3. Choose Siri & Spotlight.
4. In the Spotlight search results section, deselect the content categories you don’t want to appear in the Spotlight search results.

2. Find on MacBook in Messages

In addition to finding files and documents, MacBook lets you look up specifics from a chat exchange in Messages. If you use iMessage to communicate, you should know how to search for messages on Mac in the Messages app.

Here's how to search in the Messages app:

1. Open the Messages app on your Mac.
2. Proceed to the search box in the top left of the window.
3. Type a keyword in the search bar and click ENTER.
4. You'll see the results appear below.

This simple search action will help you find conversations in your iMessage app. You can click on any chat in the results and view the highlighted text. Remember that finding anything in messages on Mac limits your results to iMessage discussions only.

Important: 

 

As you explore the best search methods on Mac, consider enhancing your overall security with a VPN. It adds an extra layer of privacy and security, ensuring that your Mac activities remain protected.

 

MacKeeper’s VPN Private Connect hides your IP address and any outgoing traffic, stopping anyone from tracking you or accessing the data on your Mac.

 

Here’s how to enable it on Mac:

1. Open MacKeeper.
2. Select VPN Private Connect.
3. Click Turn On.

3. Search on macOS with Finder

Like Spotlight, Finder is a simple macOS built-in search tool that lets you find items on your Mac directly. You can also use the tool to arrange your folders and files to suit your needs.

Here's how to launch and use Finder to search on Mac:

1. Click the Finder icon (Smiling blue/white face) in the Dock to open it.
2. A search bar in the shape of a magnifying glass icon will appear in the window in the top right corner.
3. Type a search item in the search bar and click Enter.

Finder also allows you to search for a specific item by specifying the search criteria. Here are simple steps to specify the search criteria:

1. Click the Add button (+) below the search box on the right side of the search window.
2. Click the pop-up menu on the far left to add the search parameters.
3. For instance, select Kind to search for a particular item and Name for items whose names contain a specific word or phrase.

4. Keyword search on Mac

Searching for items using keywords on your Mac is the same process as searching for anything else. It's an approach that can help you locate an item quickly, especially if you know the name of a document or file but need to know where it's located.

First, use the keyboard shortcut CMD + F, which launches Finder and does a keyword search throughout your Mac. However, searching for files in Finder works best if you add keywords to the files using tags. You can add a tag to any type of file on your Mac, like a text file or an image, and give it a name that contains a specific keyword or phrase.

A note from our experts: Tags primarily serve organizational purposes on Mac. Knowing how to use them can make a difference when searching for items on Mac. You can edit the default tags (Red, Blue, and Orange) with a preferred name and search for an item based on this keyword.

Files with the keyword in the tag will automatically appear in the search box or as a suggestion in Finder. You can select the one you want from the menu that appears.

Other apps, such as Preview, also allow you to add keywords to files, making it easy to locate these files with a simple keyword search.

A bonus tip for you:

 

Are you willing to make your search even easier? That’s possible when you know how to check how much storage you have on a Mac and control its contents mindfully. Less clutter, more clarity.

Conclusion

The macOS operating system is designed to help users effectively organize and find their files and folders. You can use Finder to browse through files, Spotlight for quick searches, Keywords to search for files in tags, and the Messages app to find a specific chat in iMessage.

You'll discover that using some of the above-discussed Mac search tips can help you get a lot done and spend less time browsing through your file storage.

But remember that finding things quickly on a Mac is just as crucial as keeping them safe from outsiders. Many Apple customers employ additional layers of protection, such as VPN, to strengthen the security of their devices and data.

No matter where you use your device, MacKeeper’s VPN Private Connect feature can help you hide and mask your identity, ensuring your files are safe from anyone attempting to intercept them, including hackers or ISPs.