Spotlight search won't find apps (iPhone 6/iOS 8.1.2)

We are now into 2017. Using my iPhone 7, on iOS 10.3.2 - I still just experienced this problem. I didn't try the "email yourself" fix, but I did change keyboards as one poster suggested, and it solved the problem for me. I haven't tried a reboot to see if it breaks again, because frankly, I don't have time to do Apple's testing for them.

Apple: You charge a premium price so we can have a premium device, the least you could do is work common bugs out of your Operating System. To have the same, fairly common bug show up in iOS 10, that existed in iOS 8, seems unacceptable. Maybe it's just me?

<end of rant>

Jay

For me the solution was:

1. in Settings —> Siri&Search first I turned off for each app the Siri, one by one...

2. Then i restarted the phone (maybe it wouldnt have been necessary)

3. Settings —> Siri&Search first I turned on for each app the Siri, one by one again

—

Result: Now if i type in spotlignt 2-3 letters of my app‘s names, already the right results appear

Howdy Bpasters,

If I understand correctly, you have verified that Apps are on enabled for Spotlight searching, but they just do not appear when you search for something. I would start by quitting the Settings app on your phone:

iOS: Force an app to close

Double-click the Home button.

Swipe left or right until you have located the app you wish to close.

Swipe the app up to close it.

When you have done that Reset the device and test the issue again:

iOS: Turning off and on (restarting) and resetting

If the issue persists, backup your device to iTunes and then restore it as a new device and verify that it works.

How to erase your iOS device and then set it up as a new device or restore it from backups

If it does, then restore your backup to either verify it still works and the software just needed reinstalled, or isolate the issue to the backup file itself.

Thank you for using Apple Support Communities.

Take care,

Sterling

I took the advice of another poster to send myself an e-mail from iCloud to my Apple e-mail. I opened the e-mail on my phone (5s) and voila, the apps showed up again in Spotlight. Seriously a bug....

Sterling, where as I appreciate the effort made by Apple employees on the support forums providing support to these types of issues, it is incredibly frustrating when the core of the response of an Apple introduced bug from a service pack or a hotfix is for the users to rebuild their machines or devices.

I say this because I recently had to rebuild my Mac Pro after a memory leak was introduced in Yosemite for iPhoto, it occurred not immediately but in fact about 3 weeks after I upgraded, yet I was told a rebuild was the solution. That effort took a good deal of time to accomplish, with no real guarantee that this issue won't suddenly repeat as randomly as it did the first time.

Now today, despite installing 8.1.2 shortly after release a few weeks ago, I have suddenly seen my apps are not available in Spotlight searching on my iPhone and again the recommendation is to rebuild !!

In an entire eco system governed and controlled by Apple, why should users have to rebuild devices. If multiple users are seeing these issues surely it is far easier for Apples development teams to identify a solution and release a fix than multiple users rebuilding devices with no guarantee it won't repeat itself.

Like BPasters on this post I have the same issue. 'Opolis' would appreciate if you elaborate on your solution. I did get it briefly resolved by turning of apps in Spotlight search then fully rebooting my machine (holding home and power button) but the issue has since returned.

Regards

M Durbs

I can't tell you why it works, but it does. Go to your iCloud e-mail and send yourself an email addressed to your iCloud e-mail account. You can do this on your phone, or on a computer. When you open it on your phone, it somehow corrects the problem of Spotlight not finding Apps when you search. It lasts until you turn off your phone and turn it back on again, at which time you need to do the e-mail again. If you don't turn off your phone (and I almost never do), it seems to be a fix. This is clearly a bug and until Apple fixes it, all the rebuilds in the world are not going to prevent it from recurring. Why rebuild, when you can send an e-mail in 10 seconds that fixes the problem, at least for a while?

Thank you so much, this works great!

Again...no idea why but thanks for the quick fix🙂

Well said, MDurb

I've been a long time apple user- and am growing increasingly frustrated with the little bugs. I feel like apple is becoming the quirky PC I left behind years ago. Reformatting the device, force quitting all apps, sending yourself an email- are all not real solutions to the actual problem, which is- This OS has some serious bugs (will stay on topic here).

I'm adding my name to the list of frustrated users who experience spotlight search fails.

Apple- please fix the problem and provide a real solution.

Forgot to mention- this is happening for music (artists, songs, and albums) not just apps. 😕

That's an aol script tech support reply from the 90's.

Software that worked in prior releases breaks on subsequent release.

It really looks like Apple's QA department is under new management and doesn't know how to do regression testing.

Hey sterling r, that response is unacceptable. As other posters have noted, both Apple stability and Apple Support has really gone downhill.

This spotlight problem has been an issue for several months, and still no fix. It happened on my old iphone 5s, my new iphone 6, and on my ipad Air. Rebuilding works -- temporarily. The problem *always* comes back, yet rebuilding the phone takes a lot of time... (and yes, I also started completely from scratch, no backup restore, when I first got my iphone 6, yet the problem started happening despite it being brand new and unrestored.)

Get your act together, Apple, you have really slipped.

Having the same problem with two separate iPhone 6's. This is unacceptable. I thought Apple was known for quality? Unless an update is released soon to fix the myriad of bugs, I'm returning both phones and going back to Android.

"Sterling r has left the conversation after hitting copy and past from his 3 step procedure book" lol.

Please make make sure you let the development team know

I Just noticed this issue on my 6. I went into spotlight and I unselected Applications and then selected it again after a few minutes. Apps are showing up in searches once again. Very odd issue indeed.

Dan

I've tried this one and it seemed to work UNTIL you reboot your iPhone. The same issue is happening again after the reboot. It is getting very disturbing because I shut off my phone every night when I go to bed.

One more comment on this issue, I have two iPhone 6 and one iPhone 6 Plus. After testing with 3 of them, it happened to be only 1 of them has this issue. Anyone got any ideas on why?

Kev