Spotlight not responding

I had the exact same issue. After looking through several forums, I finally found the right combination.

1. Safe Reboot: Do the Safe Reboot. In that mode, I was able to see that it still works. I noticed as soon as my computer rebooted into regular mode, it worked, but then once all of the "Open At Login" apps started showing up, it stopped working again. I took two more steps, and not sure if one or both steps were necessary:
2. External Monitor: I disconnected my external monitor, as was recommended in previous forums.
3. "Open at Login" Apps: Since I noticed it didn't work after my apps started loading, I searched my "Open at Login" apps (System Settings > General > Login Items), and I had an external app called "Hidden Bar" which I barely use. I turned it off, because it has search capabilities, so it could've been interfering with Spotlight.

Steps 1 + 2 seemed necessary, but Step 3 could've been the issue too, so also review any "Open at Login" apps that could be interfering too.

Hey tal1969,

We'd be happy to help out. It sounds like your Mac's Spotlight is still indexing after the recent update you installed. It can take some time for that to complete and isn't unexpected necessarily. Since it's been a couple of days since you posted, are you still having this issue or has it since resolved itself?

This is outlined further in the following support resource: Rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac - Apple Support

Keep us posted on how things are going. We want to ensure you get a solution.

Take care!

If restarting your Mac and stopping and initiating the indexing service via the activity monitor did not solve the issue, you can try the following steps:

1. Check if the spotlight feature is disabled:

Go to System Preferences > Spotlight and make sure that the "Spotlight Suggestions" and "Allow Spotlight Suggestions in Look Up" options are checked.

2. Rebuild the Spotlight index:

You can try rebuilding the Spotlight index by following these steps:

- Go to System Preferences > Spotlight

- Click on the "Privacy" tab

- Drag your hard drive from the Finder into the "Prevent Spotlight from searching these locations" list

- Wait a few moments and then remove your hard drive from the list by clicking on the "-" button

- Spotlight will then start rebuilding the index

3. Check for updates:

Make sure that your MacBook Air is up to date with the latest software updates. You can check for updates by going to System Preferences > Software Update.

4. Reset the NVRAM/PRAM:

You can try resetting the NVRAM/PRAM by following these steps:

- Shut down your MacBook Air

- Press the power button to turn on your MacBook Air and immediately press and hold the Option-Command-P-R keys

- Hold these keys down for about 20 seconds until you hear the startup sound twice

- Release the keys and let your MacBook Air start up normally

5. Create a new user account:

If the above steps don't work, you can try creating a new user account to see if the Spotlight feature works for the new user. If it works for the new user, you may need to reset your existing user account.

If none of these steps work, you may need to contact Apple Support for further assistance.