17 Cool Tricks Apple’s Spotlight Feature Can Do

The power behind Apple’s Spotlight feature may be one of the best kept secrets for Mac, iPhone, and iPad users. First introduced back in 2004 for the Mac, the feature redefined how search on a desktop or laptop computer should be done.

Although Spotlight primarily focused on finding files back in those days, Apple didn’t sit still, expanding it in subsequent macOS updates to help you look up all sorts of useful information, and even later bringing it to iOS. Today it’s one of the most powerful features on both platforms, but we’re always amazed that many users don’t realize exactly how much you can do after calling up the diminutive search box with a quick CMD+SPACEBAR keystroke.

Spotlight is especially great for Mac users who prefer to keep their fingers on their keyboard rather than mousing around, since you can quickly launch apps, locate files, and find other relevant bits of information very quickly, and it avoids the cognitive shift of moving from keyboard to mouse. Read on to find out all of the awesome things that you can use Spotlight for on your Mac, iPhone, and iPad.