Enter an application name and hit ⏎ Return on the result to launch an application directly from Spotlight.


The application must already be installed to your hard disk.
Predictive text will often allow you to launch an application before typing the entire name.
 Relevant search terms will return results for locally stored media (images, video, music), document types, email, calendar, or file tags.


If you are looking for a certain phrase or subject in an email, Spotlight can match word strings in its results.
You can search for images by their name, filetype (e.g. .jpg), or even ID tags. Look the for the “Images” option in the search results.
 Spotlight uses Bing search and location tagging to return searches from wikipedia, maps, or relevant websites.


The search engine used by Spotlight cannot be changed.
 Enter simple math functions or unit conversions (e.g. 100mm to inches) and see the result in Spotlight without having to navigate to any webpage.
 When entering a word, look for the “Look up” option within the list of results. This will give you a dictionary definition of the word without ever having to leave the Spotlight interface.
Search and launch Applications.
Search files and documents.
Search the web.
Perform basic calculations.
Look up word definitions.
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