Spotlight doesn't find some apps on Mac os sequoia 15.1

A week ago I updated my MacBook Air M1 to macOS 15.1. Mostly everything has been pretty solid so far except there's this bug lately with Spotlight search where it cannot find apps and programs I have downloaded from the internet or the App Store unless I have recently opened them. It can easily find pre-installed system apps like Preview and Mail though. Searching for files and folders seems to be the same.

For example, I have Firefox (from the web) and CotEditor (from the App Store) installed but searching for those won't show them in the top results like you would expect. Instead I get generic safari web search suggestions. I have to manually open them from the launchpad or the finder and then it will show them. And if I turn off the computer and the next day turn it on again it may 'forget' that these apps exist.

Even if I literally open the /Applications directory in the Finder and search for these apps it won't show them, even though they are right there!

Example of a failed attempt:

Example of expected behavior:

This is annoying because on Sonoma I didn't have that issue and could search and instantly open any app even if I rarely use it.

Any ideas or suggestions would be appreciated. (for the record, if it makes any difference, I do not have apple intelligence turned on. ) Thanks.

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Posted on Nov 7, 2024 3:28 AM

Top-ranking reply

BDAqua

Level 10

251,435 points

Posted on Nov 19, 2024 2:35 AM

Safe Boot, when it finishes restart normally.

If still need be…

Open Terminal and run each of these one at a time

/System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Versions/A/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Versions/A/Support/lsregister -kill -r -domain local -domain system -domain user

sudo will ask you for an Admin password that won't be echoed.

Carefully type your admin password when asked & hit enter.

sudo /System/Library/Frameworks/CoreServices.framework/Frameworks/LaunchServices.framework/Support/lsregister -kill -seed -lint -r -f -v -dump -domain local -domain system -domain user -domain network

killall Dock

sudo mdutil -E /

sudo mdutil -i on /

Rebuilding a drive index can take a long time, so be prepared to wait whether you do it through the System Preference panel or the command line.

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59 replies

CEATH

Level 1

14 points

Mar 18, 2025 7:52 AM in response to questions_asker_0564

My issue is not that I can't rebuild the Spotlight search index. I can: several of the suggestions work. (The two I've tried are 1) System Settings/Spotlight/ ==> remove then re-add Applications, 2) System Settings/Spotlight/Privacy ==> add then remove Applications folder.)

My issue is that Sequoia keeps losing the index. I rebuild it, then several days laters, it is lost again. I have to rebuild the index again to get Spotlight to be able to find apps. Fixing it once is OK. Fixing it every few days, not so good.

kevinopp

Level 1

53 points

May 12, 2025 3:57 PM in response to EdimarMartins

I wrote a longer reply (probably somewhere above) and posted to an outside link that said to do exactly what you wrote, plus a few other cautious safeguards; but bottom line is that this fixed my problem as well. I actually did not even do a Restart.

Aug 3, 2025 4:13 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks so much for this !! I have been suffering with this for months, had recently did a re-install (over existing config) in the hope that would fix it, it didn't along with all the other recommended fixes. your solution above solved the problem ! thanks again

Nov 9, 2024 1:34 AM in response to questions_asker_0564

may the universe bless you broski for providing this and being such a chad, thank you!

jimicze

Level 1

16 points

Nov 17, 2024 9:11 AM in response to elchinabilov

This doesnt help. Sometimes it works, but after while it stopped showing all apps.

jimicze

Level 1

16 points

Nov 17, 2024 9:12 AM in response to questions_asker_0564

Rebuild index doesnt help in 100% cases. Not all apps are there after reindexing is done.

Punt13

Level 1

20 points

Nov 19, 2024 12:31 AM in response to questions_asker_0564

I have the same problem.

And rebuilding the index (meaning untoggling/toggling "Applications" - or adding the folder in confidentiality and removing it) doesn't help.

BDAqua

Level 10

251,435 points

Nov 24, 2024 8:48 AM in response to of34

👍

BDAqua

Level 10

251,435 points

Nov 27, 2024 12:20 PM in response to JanezD

Shouldn't cause any problems. :) 👍

Dec 2, 2024 5:00 PM in response to elchinabilov

unfortunately does work for my case at all. no matter how many times I toggle application checkbox.

Dec 12, 2024 8:21 AM in response to EdimarMartins

this trick worked for me. Phew. Big thank you !

Dec 13, 2024 8:08 AM in response to elchinabilov

it doesn't help

Dec 19, 2024 7:24 AM in response to JanezD

Thanks, this solved it for me (Sequoia 15.1). Reindexing takes a few minutes but now I can get Applications from Spotlight!

BluBass

Level 1

26 points

Dec 19, 2024 8:21 AM in response to BluBass

Update: The solution identified by @Carlotan 255834181 above resolved my issue. The indexing maintained itself even after reboot. Thank you!

Dec 22, 2024 4:18 AM in response to questions_asker_0564

At the first attempt it worked "partially" as Spotlight was catching some apps, and some not.

At the second attempt it looks like it "fully" works! 😅

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Spotlight doesn't find some apps on Mac os sequoia 15.1