Apple says these three things can speed up the new Spotlight indexing

Apple has released a support document detailing how users can expedite the Spotlight indexing process on their devices, including the upcoming iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 updates. Spotlight indexing is a system that creates and maintains a searchable catalog of data stored on the device, enabling quick access to apps, files, messages, photos, contacts, settings, and other content during searches. The index is stored locally on each device, requiring separate completion on each Apple device owned by the user.

In an effort to prepare for the major iOS 27 release, Apple had already begun optimizing the Spotlight index with iOS 26.6 updates. Now, the company has published a support article with tips to accelerate the indexing process, particularly the initial phase, which can be time-consuming for users with extensive data. Depending on the data volume on a device, Spotlight indexing may take hours or even days, but subsequent updates are significantly faster.

According to Apple, indexing time can be reduced when the device is idle, connected to power, and linked to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to download necessary data for indexing. Mac users can monitor the indexing progress via an indicator in the top of the Spotlight or Siri window after pressing Command-Space. On iPhones, iPads, and other devices, users may instead see a notification in the Settings app indicating that Search and Siri are still optimizing. Additionally, Mail may display a separate notification when email indexing has not yet completed.

Apple provides a link to its full support document, which also covers troubleshooting steps if users encounter unexpected search results. For more Apple news, readers can explore 9to5Mac on YouTube.