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Spotlight is the gateway to everything on my iPhone. From looking up contacts to toggling obscure features, I use Spotlight every day to get things done. But while many of us use it, I don't think most use Spotlight to its fullest potential. Yes, it's a way to search for things on your iPhone, but it's also a "launcher" for automations, a calculator, a currency converter, and a way to run tasks inside your favorite apps. If you have an iPhone, these are 10 Spotlight search hacks you should know.

Bypass the Clock app to set timers, alarms, or to use the stopwatch

The Clock app lets you set timers, alarms, and set a stopwatch, too. Normally, you'd launch the Clock app to access all those features on your iPhone, but Spotlight lets you bypass that. Open Spotlight on your iPhone, and search for "Clock." The top results will be: Clock, Set Timer, Add Alarm, and Stopwatch. Tap any of the last three buttons to run those features from your iPhone's Dynamic Island.

Tapping "Set Timer" shows a slider to choose the timer's length. Similarly, "Add Alarm" lets you set an alarm without opening Clock, and "Stopwatch" immediately starts the count, and even lets you pause or set a lap time without opening the app.

Locate text in photos and screenshots via Spotlight search

Your iPhone has built-in OCR (optical character recognition), which means that it can identify, select, and copy text in photos and screenshots. Spotlight lets you search for text in images without opening the Photos app. Just fire up Spotlight and search for a word or a phrase. The "Photos" section of results will show you all images containing your search term.

Convert units and currencies without opening websites or apps

I grew up in a country that follows the metric system, and I just can't wrap my head around Imperial units used in the U.S. and U.K. Every time I read something that mentions gallons, fluid ounces, miles, stones, or other units that should've been retired in the 19th century, I use Spotlight to convert them quickly. Try searching for "1 inch to cm," or similar terms with different units, and the result will display at the top.

For currency conversions, type the currency symbol followed by the amount, and Spotlight will convert it to your local currency by default. Try searching for "£120" or "$240," and the converted currency will show up in the results. You can also try a more specific query such as "£360 to USD" to convert to a currency of your choice.

Perform calculations in Spotlight's search box

I rarely open the calculator on my iPhone. When I need to perform basic math, I fire up Spotlight and type the calculation. It works with addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, and even percentages. The syntax for calculations is straightforward in Spotlight, but to get percentages, you'll want to try something like "20% x 180." This is great for calculating tips or splitting bills.

Type any date to create a calendar entry or to find photos

You can use Spotlight to quickly add calendar entries. Activate Spotlight on your iPhone, type a future date, and tap the Add button in the Event widget. This will open a Calendar entry page, and allow you to add the event without opening the Calendar app. You can also search for specific months from the past, such as "October 2024" to look for photos, messages, and emails from that month. The results show up in neatly organized sections under each app's name, and tapping a result takes you to specific photos, messages, or emails.

Type "Record" to start a voice recording

Spotlight also allows you to start a voice recording quickly. Type "Record" to reveal results related to the Voice Memos app on your iPhone. Tap the Record button to record a voice note, and it'll show a timer and a stop recording button in your iPhone's Dynamic Island.

Download videos from Instagram, Threads, or YouTube directly from Spotlight

If you use iPhone automations to download videos from Instagram, Threads, or YouTube, you can run these directly from Spotlight. Just search "Download" in Spotlight, and the shortcuts named "Download Instagram," "Download Threads," and "YouTube Download" will appear in the results. As long as you have a video URL from one of those sites copied to the clipboard, tapping the respective shortcuts will instantly begin downloading the video. This is perfect for times when you receive a social media link in a messaging app. You can copy it, then run the automation via Spotlight.

Use Spotlight to enable greyscale mode when you want to eliminate distractions

I use this automation every day to reduce my smartphone usage. Searching for "Color Filters" lets me toggle that setting directly from Spotlight, and enables greyscale mode when I need to focus on work. Disabling this feature is just as easy. If you use any other feature that is buried deep in iOS settings, you can use Spotlight to search for it, and toggle it as needed.

Type "Focus" to toggle various DND modes on your iPhone

The search bar is not the most obvious place for switching between different Focus modes on your iPhone, but it works quite well. Just type "Focus" in Spotlight search, and it'll list multiple DND modes, allowing you to toggle the one you need. These results appear in the "Settings" section in Spotlight's search results.

Check iOS Settings to hide apps and content from Spotlight

You can also hide apps and search results from Spotlight. This is a good way to keep dating apps or sensitive data away from results. To set this up, go to Settings > Search on your iPhone. Under "Before Searching," tap the drop-down menu next to "Suggest Apps." Choose "Don't suggest" if you want to hide all app suggestions from Spotlight. Instead, you can use your iPhone's App Library to find and launch apps faster.

If that feels a bit extreme, scroll down to find individual apps you want to hide from Spotlight. Tap the app's name, and disable "Show App in Search." To hide results from that app in Spotlight, disable "Show Content in Search" on the same page. You'll have to do this once per app.

Apple has released updates for iPhones, iPads, and Macs to fix a flaw that could let an attacker run code when a device processes a malicious file. Apple says it may have been used in highly targeted attacks against iPhone users running versions of iOS before iOS 27.

The fix is in iOS and iPadOS 26.7.1, as well as macOS Sequoia 15.8.1 and macOS Tahoe 26.7.1. Check Software Update on each of your Apple devices and install the latest version offered.

Updates for your particular device

The table below shows which relevant updates are available and links to Apple’s security information for each one.

Update	Available for
iOS 26.7.1 and iPadOS 26.7.1	iPhone 11 and later, iPad Pro 12.9-inch 3rd generation and later, iPad Pro 11-inch 1st generation and later, iPad Air 3rd generation and later, iPad 8th generation and later, and iPad mini 5th generation and later
macOS Tahoe 26.7.1	macOS Tahoe
macOS Sequoia 15.8.1	macOS Sequoia

How to update your Apple devices

How to update your iPhone or iPad

To check if you’re using the latest software version, go to Settings > General > Software Update. You’ll see if an update is available and be guided through installing it.

Turn on Automatic Updates if you haven’t already—you’ll find it on the same screen.

How to update macOS on any version

To update macOS on any supported Mac, use Software Update:

• Click the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen.
• Choose System Settings (or System Preferences on older versions).
• Select General in the sidebar, then click Software Update on the right. On older macOS, look for Software Update directly.
• Your Mac will check for updates automatically. If updates are available, click Update Now (or Upgrade Now for major new versions) and follow the on-screen instructions. Before you upgrade to macOS Tahoe 26, read Apple’s instructions.
• Enter your administrator password if prompted, then let your Mac finish the update. It may need to restart.
• Make sure your Mac stays plugged in and connected to the internet until the update is done.

Technical details

The bug, CVE-2026-86950, affects CoreGraphics, an Apple framework used throughout its operating systems and apps to display and process visual content such as images and PDFs.

It’s an out-of-bounds write issue, which Apple addressed with improved bounds checking. This type of bug happens when software writes data beyond the limits of its allocated area of memory. It can overwrite other data in memory, interfere with the normal operation of the program, cause a crash, or even let an attacker take control of the affected process. In this case, processing a maliciously crafted file may lead to an attacker running their own code.

Apple says it is aware of a report that the issue may have been exploited in an “extremely sophisticated attack” against specific people using versions of iOS before iOS 27. Although the reported attack was highly targeted, other attackers could try to exploit the flaw now that it has been disclosed. 

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