The search engine built into the iPhone and iPad operating system is full of resources. It promises to go more than just searching for files and will save you precious time in using your smartphone.
Too little used on iOS, Spotlight, the search engine for the operating system of iPhone and iPad, also present on macOS, is nevertheless extremely practical. Behind its apparent simplicity, Spotlight holds many secrets and is able to accomplish much more than simply finding a lost app in your files.
To activate, simply swipe down from the iPhone home screen. The iOS search engine is not only available through this, since you can also use it within Mail, Messages, Music, and even from Settings.
1. Quickly call a contact
In principle, to call a contact, you are used to opening the Phone Application, before making a call from recent calls, or by searching for a contact from the dedicated tab.
Now, by simply deploying Spotlight, type in the contact name and directly press the button to initiate a FaceTime call, write a message, or initiate an audio call.
2. Obtain the result of a calculation
Are you angry with mental arithmetic? No need to search for the calculator in your iPhone, Spotlight can display the result at a moment’s notice.
Simply enter the operation you want to perform, using the correct syntax such as parentheses, depending on the calculation priorities to be applied. Spotlight should be the result of the calculation as you type it.
3. Convert currencies and units
Shopping in a foreign currency can hold many surprises. To make sure you don’t go wrong when converting between two currencies, ask Spotlight to do the conversion for you. Type the amount in the source currency, followed by “in [devise finale]”. For example: £ 89 in €.
In the same way, it is possible to obtain the conversion from one unit to another, convenient for distances, weights, etc.
4. Search Wikipedia
Do you frequently use the Wikipedia encyclopedia to discover or search for content? You no longer need to open your web browser and go to the online encyclopedia site since Spotlight is able to display a short summary of the result proposed by Wikipedia, and open the full page if you want to know more.
5. Display the weather forecast
Rather than opening the Weather app and adding the name of a city to get today’s or upcoming weather forecast, type your query directly into Spotlight.
Enter, for example, “weather tomorrow” followed by the name of the city for which you want to see the weather, and Spotlight will display it instantly.
Long press on the result to find out more, and tap on the result to view the details directly in the Weather app. If the city you are looking for is not saved, Météo will offer to save it for later access to forecast weather reports.
6. Find a nearby location
Spotlight can also take care of quickly finding a nearby location. Do you need a pharmacy? Type your query into Spotlight to get the closest suggestions.
You can launch the route to the place in Maps, but also call the establishment you are looking for when its contact details are available.
7. Get sports results
If you haven’t followed the previous weekend’s sports scores, Spotlight will be happy to refresh your memory without having to query your web browser.
Enter Score, followed by your team’s name to instantly get the match score.
8. Consult the summary of a film
The iOS search engine can also help you choose a movie for your TV night.
Fill in the name of a movie in Spotlight and tap on the Movies suggestion result to get a detailed sheet with a summary.
9. Quickly access some settings
Spotlight is also housed in several native iOS applications, as well as in Settings. Open these and swipe down to reveal the search engine.
You just have to enter the name of the parameter you are looking for to access it quickly without having to go through the various menus.
10. Start playing music
Finally, the iOS search engine will be very useful to quickly start playing a song in Music. Enter the artist name and the title to play to see it immediately appear in the suggested results and start playing.
