cannot search messages after upgrading to iOS8!!!

surprisingly, i just left my phone connected to WIFI and it all came back. it solved the issue. i can now use the search bar to search some of my old SMS.

For all that got this feature back somehow, I'm jealous. Hopefully, a more consistent fix is on its way.

same here.... iPhone 6 iOS8

After trying everything suggested here and countless other options, I elected to "Erase All Content & Settings" and set back up through my iCloud back up. It's not saomething I necessarily wanted to do, and it took a while, but after all was said and done, I am now able to search through my messages. This has been the only thing that I have seen work. If you need to search through your texts and iMessages as badly as I have had to, I suggest doing this. Hope it works for you.

Apple had me restore my phone but suggested not to do the backup to avoid bringing over bad coding. I've lost a lot but think I may have to use the old back up to get things back.

What phone do you have? Ive tried everything but that. I have a 6 plus.

After updating to 8.0.2 successfully, everything is fine EXCEPT that I still can NOT search Messages. I have an iPhone 6, so maybe this problem is limited to the 6. Real bummer. Apple is so sloppy these days.

Same here. I just asked the same question. iphone5

Same Problem here. The solution was mentioned in the blog. I tried it and it worked.

Had same problem on an iPhone 5C iOS 8.0.2.

Tried to change the language - did not solve the problem.

Toggled iMessage off in Settings - Messages. That made the in-app search function work again.

Toggled iMessage back on and search is still working.

But the search results are not entirely consistent. There are messages, that the in-app search will not find but Spotlight on the home screen will.

Why??

Same problem on 5S; 8.0.2 didn't solve the issue.

search in messages only seems to search the messages after iOS 8 upgrade.

Waiting for 8.0.3!!!

I also did everything on my iPhone 5 from changing language to resetting all settings. Nothing worked, but iOS 8.0.2 fixed it. Moreover spotlight search in messages is far more improved.

Same problem on 5; 8.0.2 didn't solve the issue. 😮

Switching languages worked for me after a few switches back and forth. Fingers crossed.

After relentlessly switching languages back and forth out of sheer anger and desperation (Lol), it finally worked for me. But I did something different at the last time. After switching to Spanish, I waited 30 seconds. Then toggled off and on Messages in Spotlight. Then while still in Spanish, did a search and it started to search of all 1.3GB of Messages worth that I have. Switched back to English, started to search, it seems to restart the indexing all over again, but rebuilt pretty fast and now all is back to normal - meaning I can search all of my 1.3GB of Messages again. I know, I have tons of texts, but that's another topic. Finally, I removed the Spanish keyboard. I'm a happy Apple customer again.