Spotlight Search: Show Apps Without Full Indexing On MacOS

Hey guys! Ever felt like Spotlight, macOS's built-in search tool, is a bit of a resource hog? You're not alone. Many users, including yours truly, have experienced situations where the mds and mdutil processes (related to Spotlight indexing) decide to go on a CPU-guzzling spree. This can be particularly annoying if you only really want Spotlight for one specific thing, like quickly launching applications, and don't need it indexing every single file on your drive. So, how do you get the best of both worlds: fast app launching via Spotlight without the performance hit of full-system indexing? Let's dive in!

Understanding the Spotlight Indexing Dilemma

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let's quickly understand why Spotlight indexing can be a pain. Spotlight works by creating an index of all the files and folders on your Mac. This index allows it to quickly search and retrieve results when you type something into the search bar. However, creating and maintaining this index requires significant system resources, especially on machines with large storage drives filled with tons of files. This is where the mds processes come in. These processes are responsible for scanning your files, extracting metadata, and updating the Spotlight index. When they go haywire, your CPU usage can skyrocket, making your Mac feel sluggish and unresponsive. Disabling Spotlight indexing altogether using commands like mdutil -a -i off and mdutil -a -E can solve the CPU usage issue, but then you lose the ability to quickly launch applications using Spotlight, which is a feature many of us rely on daily. So, what's the alternative? The trick is to selectively control what Spotlight indexes, focusing only on the Applications folder while excluding everything else. This way, you get the benefit of fast app launching without the overhead of indexing your entire filesystem.

Step-by-Step Guide to Selective Spotlight Indexing

Alright, let's get our hands dirty and configure Spotlight to only index the Applications folder. Follow these steps:

1. Re-enable Spotlight Indexing (If Disabled)

If you've previously disabled Spotlight indexing using the mdutil command, you'll need to re-enable it. Open Terminal (you can find it in /Applications/Utilities) and run the following command:

sudo mdutil -a -i on

You'll be prompted for your administrator password. Enter it and press Return. This command tells macOS to turn Spotlight indexing back on for all volumes.

2. Add Your Hard Drive to the Privacy List

Now, we're going to add your entire hard drive to Spotlight's privacy list. This will effectively prevent Spotlight from indexing anything on your drive by default. Don't worry, we'll selectively re-enable indexing for the Applications folder later. To add your hard drive to the privacy list, open System Preferences, click on "Spotlight", and then select the "Privacy" tab. Click the "+" button and navigate to your hard drive (usually named "Macintosh HD" unless you've renamed it). Select your hard drive and click "Choose". Alternatively, you can simply drag your hard drive icon from the Finder into the Privacy list.

3. Remove the Applications Folder from the Privacy List

This is the crucial step. We're going to remove the Applications folder from the Privacy list, which will tell Spotlight to specifically index it. Click the "+" button in the Spotlight Privacy pane again. This time, navigate to your Applications folder (it's usually located at the root level of your hard drive). Select the Applications folder and click "Choose". If you already have the Applications folder in your dock, another way to do this is dragging and dropping the Applications folder from the dock into the Privacy list, and then selecting it and hitting the minus button. By removing the Applications folder from the Privacy list, you're instructing Spotlight to index only this folder and nothing else (since your entire hard drive is still in the Privacy list).

4. Verify the Configuration

To verify that your configuration is working correctly, open Spotlight (by pressing Command + Spacebar) and type the name of an application that's located in your Applications folder. If Spotlight finds the application and displays it in the search results, then you've successfully configured selective indexing. You can also check Activity Monitor (located in /Applications/Utilities) to see if the mds processes are behaving themselves. They should be using significantly less CPU than before.

Fine-Tuning and Troubleshooting

Sometimes, even after following these steps, Spotlight might still exhibit some weird behavior. Here are a few tips for fine-tuning and troubleshooting:

• Rebuilding the Index: If Spotlight doesn't seem to be finding applications even after you've removed the Applications folder from the Privacy list, you might need to rebuild the index. To do this, add your Applications folder to the Privacy list, wait a few minutes, and then remove it again. This will force Spotlight to re-index the folder.
• Checking File Permissions: Make sure that the files in your Applications folder have the correct permissions. Incorrect permissions can prevent Spotlight from indexing them. You can use the chmod command in Terminal to adjust file permissions if necessary.
• Excluding Specific Applications: If you have certain applications that you don't want Spotlight to index (perhaps they're rarely used or contain sensitive information), you can add them to the Privacy list individually. This will prevent Spotlight from indexing those specific applications while still indexing the rest of the Applications folder.
• Monitoring CPU Usage: Keep an eye on Activity Monitor to monitor the CPU usage of the mds processes. If you notice that they're spiking again, try restarting your Mac. Sometimes, a simple restart can resolve temporary glitches.

Why This Method Works

So, why does this method work? It all comes down to how Spotlight handles the Privacy list. When you add a folder (or an entire volume) to the Privacy list, you're telling Spotlight to exclude it from indexing. However, this exclusion can be overridden by removing a subfolder from the Privacy list. In our case, we're adding the entire hard drive to the Privacy list to prevent Spotlight from indexing everything by default. Then, we're removing the Applications folder from the Privacy list to specifically allow Spotlight to index it. This creates a selective indexing configuration where Spotlight only indexes the Applications folder and ignores everything else.

Alternatives to Spotlight

While Spotlight is a powerful and convenient search tool, it's not the only option available on macOS. If you're still experiencing performance issues with Spotlight even after trying these steps, you might want to consider using an alternative application launcher. Here are a few popular alternatives:

• Alfred: Alfred is a powerful productivity application that offers a wide range of features, including application launching, file searching, system commands, and more. It's highly customizable and can be extended with workflows.
• Raycast: Raycast is a relative newcomer to the macOS launcher scene, but it's quickly gaining popularity due to its clean interface, fast performance, and extensive feature set. It also supports extensions, allowing you to integrate it with other applications and services.
• LaunchBar: LaunchBar is another long-standing macOS launcher that's known for its speed and efficiency. It offers a variety of features, including application launching, file searching, clipboard management, and more.

These alternative launchers often provide more granular control over indexing and search behavior, which can be helpful if you're trying to minimize system resource usage.

Conclusion: Spotlight Your Apps, Not Your System!

By following these steps, you can effectively configure Spotlight to only index your Applications folder, giving you the best of both worlds: fast app launching without the performance overhead of full-system indexing. This can significantly improve your Mac's performance, especially if you have a large storage drive with lots of files. Remember to fine-tune your configuration and monitor CPU usage to ensure that everything is working as expected. And if you're still having trouble, don't hesitate to explore alternative application launchers. Happy searching!