Fix: Slow Spotlight Search on iPhone and iPad

Fix Slow Spotlight Search on iPhone and iPad- Spotlight Search is just a lazy way for iPhone users with a lot of apps to find what they need quickly. Also, Apple is smart enough to find the apps even if you only typed part of their name in the Search bar.

And as Apple users, we are lucky to be used to a place where everything works well and quickly. But recently, a lot of iPhone users have complained about how slow the iPhone’s spotlight search is. The problem seems to only happen on iOS 16 devices.

Even people who just recently updated to iOS 16 have had the same problem. Worst of all, there are no official solutions to this problem yet. So, if you’ve had the same problem and are looking for a good solution, you’re in the right place. In this article, we’ll look at some of the best ways to fix the problem of your iPhone’s Spotlight search being slow.

Fix: Slow Spotlight Search on iPhone and iPad

Toggle Search off and on

  1. Go to iPhone Settings and tap Siri & Search.
  2. Scroll down and turn off all the switches you see in the screenshot below.
  3. Restart your iPhone.
  4. Go back to Siri & Search settings and turn on the switches. After this, Spotlight Search should work as intended.

Restart your iPhone

  1. Restart your iPhone normally or force restart it.
  2. To restart your iPhone, press the volume up/down button and the side button simultaneously.
  3. Continue holding both buttons until the ‘Slide to power off’ screen appears.
  4. Drag the slider to the right to power off the iPhone.
  5. Wait for the phone to completely shut down.
  6. Turn on your iPhone by pressing the side button.
  7. Keep holding the side button until you see the Apple logo on the screen.
  8. Check if Spotlight Search is functioning better after the restart.
Fix Slow Spotlight Search on iPhone and iPad

Disable Spotlight Search for iOS apps

  1. Open iPhone Settings.
  2. Tap Siri & Search.
  3. Scroll down, and tap an application from the list.
  4. Toggle off the following options:
    • Learn from this App
    • Show in Search
    • Show App
    • Suggest Shortcuts* 
    • Show Siri Suggestions
  5. Repeat the above for every application in the list.
  6. Now, check if Spotlight Search works.
  7. If not, then enable the Siri & Search for some apps and test the Spotlight search until you find the app causing issues with Spotlight Search on your iPhone.

Remove Shortcuts widget

  1. Swipe to view the Home Screen widgets.
  2. Scroll down to locate the Shortcuts widget.
  3. Tap on the Edit button.
  4. Tap the red icon located next to the Shortcuts widget.
  5. This will remove the Shortcuts widget from the Home Screen.

FAQs

How do you get Spotlight Search on iPad?

Spotlight Search on your Apple® iPad® is used to search for contacts, email, messages, calendars, etc. Swipe down from the middle of the Home Screen. If unavailable, from a Home screen, swipe to the right to access Spotlight Search. From the ‘Search’ field (at the top), enter the search text.

Why is my Spotlight Search slow?

If your Spotlight search on iPhone become slow, it might have something to do with it. Step 1: Go to Settings>Siri & Search>Suggestions From Apple. Step 2: Toggle off the button next to Allow Notifications, Show in App Library, Show When Sharing, Show When Listening.

Why is my search engine so slow on my iPhone?

One reason Safari feels slow can be due to background tasks. Turning off automatic iOS updates and app updates might help. Secondly, disabling Background App Refresh may also boost the Safari performance. To switch off automatic app update, tap on iTunes & App Store inside the Settings app.

George Southwell
George Southwell
George Southwell is a seasoned content editor at Bollyinside, renowned for his expertise in simplifying complex tech topics. Specializing in "Tips and Tricks" articles, he excels in breaking down iPhone, Android, hardware, and software insights. George's insatiable curiosity fuels his hobby of testing the latest tech updates, keeping him on the cutting edge.

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