Finder Search Not working properly

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Level 1

66 points

Finder Search Not working properly

Ever since installing Tahoe 26 on my MacBook Pro M1 Max, the finder search all it shows me is apps on my computer and iPhone 13. It won't find any files. Any pictures I used to be able to type in one letter and it would bring up all kinds of stuff you type in the second letter it would narrow the search down you type in the name. It would show you everything with that name you type in a date it would show you everything on your computer with that date, including emails this literally everything from the date you type in. Somebody told me I should re-index spotlight so to settings for Spotlight in the privacy window I added my hard drive for like a minute and then I removed it and then the index process and started. I have a 2tb drive there's almost 1 tb available, and I have 32 GB of RAM in the Activity Monitor it shows MDS and MD Worker is in process, it's been about eight hours and it's maybe a quarter of the way through it's process. When I do a spotlight search that seems to be working, but that also doesn't show any files on my computer. So in a find a window or use Spotlight, I'm not seeing anything from desktop documents downloads recent, all I see is applications. Has anyone else having this trouble? I've had this 2021 MBPro new since early 2022 have not had any issues with the MacBook at all until the Tahoe 26 update. also should I have done a reindexing and can this create any problems. I haven't had any trouble on my iPhone with the iOS 26, although I hate the picture app. It is very difficult to navigate now. There is.

MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 26.0

Posted on Sep 17, 2025 7:08 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

neuroanatomist

Level 9

57,585 points

Sep 17, 2025 8:22 PM in response to bikeman5

Wait for Spotlight to complete the indexing, reboot your Mac, and see if the issue is corrected. If not, go to Applications > Utilities > Activity Monitor, select the Spotlight and spotlightknowledged processes and Force Quit them by clicking the (X) at the top left of the window. They will restart automatically.

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Answer 2

bikeman5 Author

Level 1

66 points

Sep 17, 2025 8:58 PM in response to neuroanatomist

The indexing finished in Finder still wasn't doing anything so I rebooted and everything seems to be back to normal. Thank you.

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Answer 3

Sep 17, 2025 7:27 PM in response to bikeman5

Do you mean Spotlight search? If so, you need to click the Files button to the right of the search window, or press Command-2. If you don't, it remains on the first choice and that's Appllications.

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

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Answer 4

bikeman5 Author

Level 1

66 points

Sep 17, 2025 8:09 PM in response to neuroanatomist

I generally use Finder and hardly ever use Spotlight. In Finder, it's not showing me anything other than applications when I search for anything if I choose This Mac, it just shows applications if I choose a specific folder, it doesn't show anything, it's not finding any files, pictures. It's not showing anything I have stored on my hard drive it's not finding anything other than the Apple applications. I don't have any third-party apps, other than Microsoft Word. If I open Microsoft Word and do a search, it'll find any document I did. I then checked Spotlight and yes, even if I select the files button it won't find any files. It just shows nothing as if my documents folder is empty. I open my email. I can do an email search that's working. The hard drive is still reindexing, because I did the hard drive I'm not sure if it's been through the documents folder, it's still not showing anything I directly search for in documents, desktop or downloads. It won't show in the folder. It just shows that it's empty, which it isn't. Let's say I had a folder called car repairs. If I search for that folder in documents or downloads or desktop, even searching This Mac. It doesn't show anything in Finder window is not finding anything in the Spotlight search is not finding any files. That's currently a 1/3 of the way through my indexing process. And now that you mentioned that those buttons in Spotlight search. apps files and actions. It's action as if the find a window should have them buttons as well but when I open the Finder window, I don't see apps files, or actions.

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Answer 5

Sep 22, 2025 8:42 PM in response to neuroanatomist

Glad it worked out? I looks like we're all having the same issues, ME included. The SEARCH in Finder can not find the most basic NAMES of items, neither can Spotlight.

This is only happening on my M4 Mac mini running TAHOE. I upgraded a WEEK ago when Tahoe came out. File Vault is turned OFF and the M4 MM stays ON all the time (other than a couple of restarts).

My M1 MBA, M1 MacStudio, M2 Mac Minis, M1 Mac Mini running Sequoia or any of my older Macs running Monterey or Mojave (yes, I have many and use em all) have this indexing issue.

Restarts don't work.

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