This Week's Sponsor:

Kolide

Ensure that if a device isn’t secure it can’t access your apps.  It’s Device Trust for Okta.


Taking a Tour of OS X Yosemite’s Revamped Spotlight

Spotlight in OS X Yosemite is improved not only in its appearance, but also utility. The biggest and most obvious change is that Spotlight no longer resides in the right corner of your menu bar. Triggered by the usual CMD+Space keyboard shortcut, it now appears as a floating bar in the center of your screen. As you start typing, the bar will expand downward to display your results on the left and a Quick Look-esque panel on the right.

Expanded Capability

Apple has improved the number of sources that will be searched by Spotlight, rising to a total of 22 categories of data. This includes searching through everything from Applications, documents, emails, messages and even Apple Maps, Wikipedia, iTunes, and Bing Web Searches. If you want a full list of the categories of data, you can find it in System Preferences > Spotlight.

Because of the new design, you also get an instant preview of the search results, which is really useful. Essentially, if it is a document that Quick Look supports, it will be previewed in Spotlight. But Apple has also worked to support previews for other information from Maps, Wikipedia, News, or even Messages.

Options

If you want to customise Spotlight, you don’t really have any options to visually change the appearance, other than enabling OS X Yosemite’s dark mode (System Preferences > General > ‘Use dark menu bar and dock’).

But you do have options to reorder or exclude certain categories of data from Spotlight, changing the keyboard shortcut and excluding certain locations from being indexed. All of these options are available in System Preferences > Spotlight.

Examples of Spotlight Searches

 

When searching for an app, Spotlight will also display recent documents from that app (if the app supports this feature).

When searching for an app, Spotlight will also display recent documents from that app (if the app supports this feature).

Just as in previous versions of OS X, Spotlight contains a simple, but useful, calculator.

Just as in previous versions of OS X, Spotlight contains a simple, but useful, calculator.

But Spotlight now also supports doing basic unit conversions.

But Spotlight now also supports doing basic unit conversions.

If you search for a contact, Spotlight will pull their full details and even let you make a phone call with one click.

If you search for a contact, Spotlight will pull their full details and even let you make a phone call with one click.

Spotlight supports previewing a wide range of document formats. Third-party apps can also support this feature (such as MindNode).

Spotlight supports previewing a wide range of document formats. Third-party apps can also support this feature (such as MindNode).

Spotlight supports searching for locations and landmarks and will display an Apple Maps preview and details.

Spotlight supports searching for locations and landmarks and will display an Apple Maps preview and details.

This also works for restaurants and other points of interest that are included with Apple Maps.

This also works for restaurants and other points of interest that are included with Apple Maps.

You can even search for a System Preference and Spotlight will point you directly to it.

You can even search for a System Preference and Spotlight will point you directly to it.

Spotlight not only supports searching Wikipedia, but it will create a preview of the relevant Wikipedia entry.

Spotlight not only supports searching Wikipedia, but it will create a preview of the relevant Wikipedia entry.

Spotlight can search the iTunes, iBooks, and App Stores.

Spotlight can search the iTunes, iBooks, and App Stores.

...that includes popular podcasts...

…that includes popular podcasts…

...and, of course, the Mac App Store.

…and, of course, the Mac App Store.

Unlock More with Club MacStories

Founded in 2015, Club MacStories has delivered exclusive content every week for over six years.

In that time, members have enjoyed nearly 400 weekly and monthly newsletters packed with more of your favorite MacStories writing as well as Club-only podcasts, eBooks, discounts on apps, icons, and services. Join today, and you’ll get everything new that we publish every week, plus access to our entire archive of back issues and downloadable perks.

The Club expanded in 2021 with Club MacStories+ and Club Premier. Club MacStories+ members enjoy even more exclusive stories, a vibrant Discord community, a rotating roster of app discounts, and more. And, with Club Premier, you get everything we offer at every Club level plus an extended, ad-free version of our podcast AppStories that is delivered early each week in high-bitrate audio.

Choose the Club plan that’s right for you:

  • Club MacStories: Weekly and monthly newsletters via email and the web that are brimming with app collections, tips, automation workflows, longform writing, a Club-only podcast, periodic giveaways, and more;
  • Club MacStories+: Everything that Club MacStories offers, plus exclusive content like Federico’s Automation Academy and John’s Macintosh Desktop Experience, a powerful web app for searching and exploring over 6 years of content and creating custom RSS feeds of Club content, an active Discord community, and a rotating collection of discounts, and more;
  • Club Premier: Everything in from our other plans and AppStories+, an extended version of our flagship podcast that’s delivered early, ad-free, and in high-bitrate audio.