Spotlight Status

Question

Level 1

15 points

Spotlight Status

Whenever I enter a search term in the top right Spotlight box of a Finder window and hit enter, Spotlight begins searching for my files. However, there's no feedback. I can't tell if spotlight has begun the search or if it has finished. I would expect a spinning circle to indicate my search is in progress, but instead, it does nothing. Fortunately, Spotlight never seems to have failed to begin searching, but after it starts and there are no files listed, it's impossible to tell if there are zero results or if it just hasn't finished. If I do get files, Spotlight shows them as they're found, so even if I see 2 files, there may be more. There's no way to tell.

Is something wrong with search on my Mac?

MacBook Pro with Retina display, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Jan 7, 2016 7:47 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Jan 7, 2016 7:58 PM in response to czechpistol

When you open the Spotlight search dialog if you don't see the "Index..." progress bar the files have already been indexed. This make your search pretty much instantaneous. There is no spinning wheel.

Reply

Answer 2

czechpistol Author

Level 1

15 points

Jan 7, 2016 8:06 PM in response to Duane

I use this a great deal when searching network servers which aren't indexed. If I enter my search term in the spotlight search (the one you get hitting command-space), it won't find anything because those servers aren't indexed. However, if I open a Finder window, navigate to the network server and enter a search in the Finder window (see image below) and hit enter, it just stares at me until the first file is found.

Reply

Answer 3

Duane

Level 10

124,293 points

Jan 8, 2016 6:48 AM in response to czechpistol

Yes, that is how it operates. I haven't seen any search progress indication other than the indexing progress I mentioned above.

Reply

Answer 4

Aug 19, 2016 11:11 AM in response to Duane

No, this is not at all true. The searching is anything but instantaneous. When you hit enter, Spotlight disappears. It is exactly as if it has crashed. As an professional industrial designer I can tell you that human-focused feedback is very important. It needs to be added, even if the computer doesn't need it. Who cares what the computer needs? It's not looking for anything. The Spotlight field where you enter your search criteria should NOT disappear from the screen after a user action (i.e., hitting "Enter") and there should be a progress bar to fill in the lag time while Spotlight is searching. Is should show you where the file is located (it doesn't) and the "Show all in Finder" should be it's own button, not part of the search list where it is now. Whose idea was that? It's not a result from the search. All in all, the Apple version of a search engine is a great example of horrible industrial design. One of many examples since Apple fired its competent designers and replaced them with whoever is filling that vacuum.

Reply