iPhone and iPad have a built-in smart search feature called Spotlight, which is designed to search apps, files, and the web to help you find what you're looking for quickly. Apple is improving it with every update and iOS 16 is no exception. Here's what's new in Spotlight search in the ‌iOS 16‌ update.


Home screen search

Usually, the Spotlight search feature is accessed by swiping down from the home screen to bring up the search interface, but Apple decided to add a button called “Search” at the bottom of the “Home screen”, in place of the pre-existing dots to let you know how many pages you have available, you can click a button Search This is to enter the Spotlight search interface.

The button is right above the dock, and there is an option to disable it in the Home Screen section of Settings.


Search for images in various applications

Not only that, Spotlight search can find locations, people, text, pets, objects, landscapes, and more, but it can search images in the Photos, Messages, Notes, and Files apps, as well as the Photos app in ‌iOS 16‌.


Quick Actions

Apple has updated Spotlight to support quick actions, which are functions that can be done directly from the search interface, and you can see options such as: start the timer, activate focus, launch a shortcut, and Spotlight search can also help you find available shortcuts for any application.


Siri suggestion improvements

Apple has updated Siri Suggestions to take into account context when presenting apps you might want to use. This makes the apps and actions suggested in Spotlight search more relevant to what you might be doing at the moment.

Siri Suggestions can do things like suggest directions when you have an upcoming meeting, suggest you call someone for their birthday, show your favorite apps you use at certain times of the day, or bring up recent searches so you can come back. to previous results more quickly.


live activities

Spotlight search can be used to start a live activity that will appear on the lock screen. Live Activities are interactive notifications that stay up to date, allowing you to monitor things happening in real time right from the lock screen.

If you're following a sports game, for example, you can see the updated score on the lock screen, or if you're waiting for a ride with Uber, you can monitor the approach of your driver.


Expanded rich results

Apple is improving search results and making them richer so that it displays information such as data about a famous person when you search for their name, and the feature will now display additional information for companies, sports leagues, sports teams, and more.


Improvements to App Clip

App Clips are modified versions of apps that allow you to use limited functionality of the app without having to do a full installation. Spotlight search integrates with App Clips, and provides App Clip suggestions when you're in a relevant location.

In ‌iOS 16‌, Apple uses precise location suggestions to improve App Clip suggestions in Spotlight, but location-based suggestions can be disabled as always through Privacy in Settings.

What do you think of the Spotlight search improvements in the iOS 16 update? Tell us in the comments.

Source:

macrumors

Related articles