iOS 27 expands Spotlight with local search index

Those who installed the first developer beta of iOS 27 sometimes saw the same notice in the Settings app for weeks: the device was rebuilding its search index in the background. The display disappeared again in later beta versions. This is part of Apple's larger overhaul of Spotlight, which is set to arrive on iPhone, iPad and Mac with the final release.

Search is being expanded to cover additional data types and updated more extensively. According to Apple, Spotlight indexes files, folders, apps, documents, emails, SMS and iMessage, contacts, photos, music, podcasts, notes and system settings, among other things. New data is supposed to be indexed immediately. Semantic search is part of the preparations for the new AI-powered Siri AI; EU users who do not initially receive this feature are also expected to benefit from more reliable search.

According to Apple's support document, the search index is stored locally on the device. It is not synced with Apple servers or other devices belonging to the user. During the initial build, however, users will need to be patient: depending on the amount of data, indexing can take hours to days. Subsequent incremental updates are significantly faster.

In practical terms, this means that anyone with a large number of emails, photos and documents stored on an iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro or Mac will get a more comprehensive local search index once the process is complete. According to Apple, it will be faster if the device is not being used or is connected to power; Wi-Fi or Ethernet can help, for example, when downloading email data. A notice in the Settings app or the Mac's Spotlight window shows the progress.

The feature is therefore not yet a silent instant start for every device. It is being introduced with iOS 27 and tested in developer betas; the duration figures come from Apple, and there is no independent real-world test. In case of problems, Apple recommends installing the latest updates and also provides an option to trigger reindexing again.