Mac Tips: Cleaver use of Spotlight.
Ever since I switched to MAC, Spotlight is my favorite feature. In Mac OS X, this is a “desktop search†feature that lets you search for “something†on your computer. But unlike “Window’s search”, attention is rapidly rushing.
The spotlight just got better with the new Yosemite update. As it is now, it is displayed in the center of the screen and shows search results from the Internet (via Bing </span, the App Store and iTunes.
Spotlight base:
The traditional way of using a spotlight involves the following four steps:
1. Open Spotlight by clicking the search icon in the upper right corner of the menu bar or by pressing Cmd + SpaceBar (toggle keyboard shortcut)
2. Enter search terms such as file name or number of installations of the application on your computer
3. Use the up / down arrow keys to navigate through the search results
4. Press the Enter key to open the selected search result.
Now that you are reading this, it might seem like using a spotlight is a little work. But once you master it, you will never go back. For example, suppose you want to open a browser, then all you have to do is press cmd + space, type “safari” and press Enter. It’s much faster than using a mouse.
I’m sure most of you are already familiar with the basics of Spotlight. Right ! But there are some more tips for using a spotlight. Such as? Well, let’s find out.
Some of Cleaver’s uses for Spotlight
Convert currency
Quick search for meaning
Temperature conversion on the go
Spotlight as a calculator
Search files by extension
Copy from Spotlight: Drag the search result from Spotlight to your desktop (or anywhere else) to create a copy.
Get more information. While the focus is on helpful information on the right side of the file, if you want more information, click cmd + i in the search element.
Do an intensive search: if you hit cmd + space + option , you will see search boxes where you can modify your search with queries such as file type, author, file type, size, etc. It is also possible to save the search if you use it more often.
Open file in Finder: Traditionally, when we hit Enter in the search results in the spotlight, it opens a file, but let’s say you want that file to open in Finder. To do this, just press cmd + enter .
Find the file path: If you hold down the cmd key, you can see the file path at the bottom of the preview pane. Cmd + alt to quickly see the file path
Navigate between categories: Use the cmd + Up / Down arrow keys to navigate the categories
Stop sending search data to Apple – Your searches are being sent to Apple’s server so they can better serve you in the future. Although Apple confirms that it does not register the IP address, many consider it an invasion of privacy.
So to turn off this feature, go to Spotlight Preferences Search Results Now scroll down and uncheck Bing Spotlight Suggestions, Bookmarks & History, and Web Search.
Program Menu Search: I’m not sure if this is a focus feature, but this is the best “search technique” I’ve found.
Using final cut pro for the first time, I have no idea how to speed up a video clip. But the spotlight helped me open it from the menu. All I have to do is go to Help Search and enter my query. You can use this technique in any program. Very helpful but elegant.
Also Read: Lesser Known Mac Shortcuts
Output
The spotlight is amazing and everyone should use it. In this article, we have some tips and tricks to help you become a “power Spotlight user”. If you have any other hacks that I missed, give me a chance in the comments.