Level 1

23 points

Spotlight Search Not Working on iOS 12.1

Hi,

I’ve recently updated to iOS 12.1 on my iPhone 8 Plus, although this issue was also present in iOS 12 (I updated to try and solve the issue).

Basically, whenever I got to spotlight search and search for anything, I get no results - the same issue occurs in settings when I try to search for a setting. I've done some googling and can't seem to find anybody reporting the same issue as me.

I also have an iPhone 6, running on iOS 12, and spotlight search and search in settings works perfectly.

I have attached a screenshot of trying to use spotlight search to find the app Amazon, which I have downloaded on my device. After pressing search, the Siri suggestions stay, and nothing appears. After about 5 seconds, the Siri suggestions completely dissapear and the options to search web, app store, and maps appear about 5-10 seconds later.

I found some suggestions of changing the language region, restarting the device, and then switching it back again. This did not work.

Any help would be much appreciated,

Thanks,

Jake

iPhone 8 Plus, iOS 12.1

Posted on Nov 11, 2018 12:38 AM

Top-ranking reply

janericster

Level 1

69 points

Posted on May 6, 2019 9:10 AM

UPDATE (FIXED FOR ME):

So after talking with Apple Support, I tried one last thing: a FULL factory reset, then plug the phone into my Mac and restore by downloading the iOS 12 software through iTunes and THEN do a full restore from the backup.

After 4 days of use, the search is fully functional (which has never happened since I got the phone).

Note that doing a factory reset and restore using the iPhone by itself did NOT work. Rather, you have to restore from iTunes so that it downloads a fresh copy of the iOS software and reinstall it.

I can now finally swipe down and type one letter and the search immediately displays all apps on my phone beginning with that letter as it should have all along.

Search in Mail also finally works.

NOTE regarding backup: I did an encrypted backup to my MacBook Pro to make it go faster AND to save all of my passwords to save time. This also restored my MDM profile for work which eliminates the need to reinstall that. The entire process to backup, restore phone to factory preset, download iOS and restore from encrypted backup took about 2 hours. Well worth getting my full search back in my opinion.

View in context

79 replies

Dec 31, 2018 2:28 PM in response to One53

I'm also having this problem on my new iPhone XS Max. The search function in Calendar only brings up events from 2018 and 2019 when the events I'm searching for go back to 1997. A calendar is useless without the ability to search it for events. Searching in Spotlight produces only the the 2018 and 2019 events as well. What is going on?!

Lownote

Houston, TX

Jan 15, 2019 8:11 AM in response to Jeff Collier

Hi Jeff, did you get this fixed? My problem started much more recently than yours although upgrade to 12.1.2 over the air was done when Apple released it. Interestingly, I connected my phone to iTunes and it said that there was an update available 12.1.2 !! I did a reset all settings and the problem came back very soon (i.e. less than an hour) and the I did a reset all settings again but have not turned on Face ID and Passcode - it has been nearly 24 hours and the problem has not come back. When the problem first happened, a restart would fix it but as soon as the phone locked the the problem would be there on unlocking. The problem can't be Face ID as various models have been reported....

i have sent in a bug report.

Alancito

Level 7

29,946 points

Dec 2, 2018 11:54 AM in response to robnguyen

robnguyen wrote: "Same problem!"

Rob ~ Let Apple know here:

Feedback - iPhone - Apple

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Dec 28, 2018 8:50 PM in response to brentgrab

Try following these steps. I had the same problem, and this resolved it for me.

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/8575180

brentgrab

Level 2

369 points

Jan 8, 2019 8:18 PM in response to jstortz

Getting a host of new issues since the update. Battery drains FAST. Battery charges SLOW. Apps freeze and phone locks up into a black screen with a circle hourglass for 5 minutes and then reboots. This is a disaster. Reported multiple times but no fix yet.

Jan 18, 2019 10:25 AM in response to hingandling

OK - I did not turn on Passcode or Face ID for the last few days and search has worked fine. Just now, I thought I will turn on Passcode first and then test. Indeed turning it on brings the problem back. As soon as the phone locks and so the passcode needs to be entered to access, the search problem comes back. Turn off passcode, restart the phone and search works fine even after phone locks. Might have to do a factory reset and see if that fixes it.

Jan 24, 2019 5:41 PM in response to lietsche

Tried everything suggested and finally after two months of this I erased iPhone restored back to factory then restored from iTunes backup and thankfully, spotlight search is back to finding everything without delay. I had almost given up and was looking at other phones because I use spotlight almost every time I use my iPhone. I have the 7plus and did not want to give it up. It took about two hours out of my day but worth it.

Feb 15, 2019 8:15 AM in response to Jeff Collier

Apple "Recommends" this answer yet it wasn't actually a fix. If you read Jeff Collier's follow up post from Nov 30, 2018 it states that the reset and restore solution lasted 48 hours and then the issue came back. THERE IS NOT SOLUTION TO THIS BUG. It is endlessly aggravating as the Spotlight Search tool is the primary way I access apps on my phone. One user in this thread mentioned it is aggravating enough, and Apple's response and lack of fix is lacking such that it is rationale for moving to an different platform other than iOS. I am beginning to concur, especially since this latest update to 12.1.4 STILL did not resolve the issue. I was so hopeful ... yet those hopes have been dashed again. APPLE please help.

Qubits

Level 1

38 points

Mar 4, 2019 8:31 AM in response to S-Mu

I confirm that it wasn't fixed by installing iOS 12.2 Beta 3. After that I erased and reset my iphone and restored from back up. i got search back again. maybe that's the only solution.... I am not sure what happened that for a few of us messed up seraches.

ornit2

Level 1

4 points

May 24, 2019 9:59 PM in response to myeek

At last, Thanks @jakerussel1 - This solved the problem! And so simply and easily!

looks like many old apps appeared “off”:

just manually click each one and turned on “show app”.

Must be some bug in background compatibility of the OS upgrade.

Aug 6, 2019 12:31 PM in response to vercose

As I posted a while ago, I had the exact same issues with the search. It would come and go and only be temporarily fixed after using all of those workarounds.

If it keeps coming back, the only solution that I have seen is to do a full iOS backup, wipe and restore using iTunes. See my message earlier in this thread. I did it a couple of months ago and it has worked great ever since.

Cacrouch

Level 1

9 points

Nov 17, 2018 4:42 AM in response to jakerussell1

Exact same issue here. Did you ever get it fixed?

jakerussell1 Author

Level 1

23 points

Nov 17, 2018 5:48 AM in response to Cacrouch

No, still got the same issue but I have noticed it very occasionally does work - but I haven't noticed a pattern as to when it does and doesn't. Seems very odd.

Cacrouch

Level 1

9 points

Nov 27, 2018 8:34 AM in response to Jeff Collier

It’s pretty irritating. Please let us know if a new install works. I may have to do that myself.

Dec 2, 2018 11:50 AM in response to jakerussell1

Same problem!

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Spotlight Search Not Working on iOS 12.1