Besides Macs, Spotlight search can be accessed on your iPhone or iPad’s home screen, and it has now become more powerful web and on-device search in iOS 9. Spotlight isn’t just for Apple’s own apps, but can search content from all apps on the device and provide the suggestions before you search.
Spotlight Search Access
For accessing the Spotlight search interface on your device, go to the iPhone or iPad’s home screen and swipe towards right to find it on the left of the primary home screen. You can also access it by tapping in the apps grid on homescreen and swiping towards downwards. You can see app suggestions when you pull down to search.
Proactive Siri
Spotlight offers recommendations for the content and apps that you want to use, and Apple has planned to change Siri similar to Google Now or Cortana-style assistant, which suggests information. The spotlight screen provides suggestions of apps you may want to use or the contacts you may want to open. You’ll be able to also find the links to nearby locations like Bars, Shopping, restaurants et al, or Apple’s News app or into Apple Maps.
Search
Click on the search button on the top screen, which lets you type or voice search by tapping the microphone icon. Spotlight searcher uses Apple’s own Spotlight recommendations service along with Bing to offer the links to web pages, map locations and other content. In iOS9, content offered by apps on your iPhone or iPad. Spotlight search aids in seeking the email, messages, music, including the apps installed on device. It also allows you to search web, search app store and search maps without wasting your time in opening the web browser.
Customize Spotlight Search
The other interesting aspect is it lets you to customize the Spotlight interface, if you aren’t satisfied by the feature recommendations. It lets you control and disable the Spotlight searches, preventing certain apps from appearing. For customization of Spotlight Search, Go to settings app, tap Spotlight Search; turn on or off Siri Suggestions; You can further select the apps under Search Results tab. The two special types of results- Bing Web Search, Spotlight Suggestions will control the web search results which aren’t offered by individual apps. You can either enable or disable them.
