(Credit: Apple/PCMag)
I'll admit that I use Macs only occasionally and am far more comfortable working in Windows. However, one feature that I immediately took to on macOS was the Cmd-Spacebar shortcut for bringing up the system-wide Spotlight search panel. From Spotlight's sliver of a box that appears across the top center of the screen, you can launch apps, open documents, and search for information or settings. That single keyboard shortcut has become indispensable to me; it's extremely convenient for quickly getting to what I want.
At WWDC, Apple senior manager Raja Bose showed off new capabilities for Spotlight on macOS that catapult it well past what's possible with the Windows Search tool. Microsoft recently added a semantic search capability, which lets you find what you want using natural language and search based on objects within images. However, this works only on Copilot+ PCs with a neural processing unit (NPU) for AI computation. More importantly, even these features can't touch the depth of functionality Apple just announced for Spotlight.
Spotlight Gets Actionable
The big change with Spotlight in macOS 26 Tahoe is that it will be able to actually perform tasks for you. For example, simply typing "Send" in Spotlight brings up the Mail app icon and prompts you for recipients and a subject. But the feature extends well beyond emails. You can tell Spotlight to add an event to your calendar, create a folder, edit an image, play a podcast, and much more. Apple is making APIs available to developers, too, so that they can add this type of Spotlight functionality to their apps.
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)Granular Filters Focus Your Results
The new Spotlight panel will show buttons to the right of the search box that let you limit your results to Apps, Files, Actions, and the Clipboard. Windows Search has had similar filter options at the top of its panel for years. But it's the parameters after you enter the search term in Spotlight that make it stand out—they're far more specific. For example, you might see parameters to limit your results to emails, PDFs, or spreadsheets. In Windows, you get only the broader Apps, Documents, and Web categories.
Finally, Spotlight can find menu items within a running app and take you to that specific function. Windows Search doesn't have anything comparable.
Quick Keys Save You Time
(Credit: Apple/PCMag)This new feature reminds me of something available in some productivity apps and web browsers: Type a couple of letters, and you get an action. In the case above, typing "ar" translates to Add Reminder. Tons of these Quick Keys are available, and you can customize them to your taste. Windows Search sadly lacks any such convenience.
Windows Should Watch Out
My colleagues at PCMag are used to me complaining about macOS. But Spotlight is worth the applause. When macOS Tahoe fully launches in the fall, Spotlight will have totally unique features—most notably Actions—that render Windows Search merely serviceable in comparison.
Microsoft had better get serious about improving search in its flagship software, or Apple could start to claw market share away. Search improvements for Copilot+ PCs are a good sign, but Microsoft would do well to try to match Spotlight's new functionality in Windows 11 (and beyond).