Apple says itâs fixed the awful search function for emails, photos
If you are an Apple device user who has ever tried and failed to find an email message that you know youâve received, or a
If you are an Apple device user who has ever tried and failed to find an email message that you know youâve received, or a photo you know youâve taken, has Apple got news for you. The company said Monday at its WWDC 2026 event that it realized Search didnât work well. So, it has completely rebuilt it. âWeâve all had that moment where you search for something you know is there, but it just wonât show up,â Stacey Ford, vice president of OS Program Management, said during the WWDC opening keynote.
âSo on iOS, iPadOS and macOS, weâve rebuilt the foundation of search that powers Spotlight, Photos, and Mail. At its core is the Search Index, a rich catalog your device builds of all your content, so it can understand what you have and where to find it.â Ford says that the company re-architected Search so it will reindex both new and older content. Perhaps most hopeful of all, she said that the mail app will get a new âranking systemâ that should surface the mail you are looking for, whenever it was sent.
As a long-time iPhone user myself, I have my fingers crossed that Appleâs new search system will work as promised. I canât tell you how many times Iâve tried to find a travel itinerary or an email about something important that my husband (an Android user) sent me, only for the device to confidently present me with an old email that doesnât even include the terms Iâve searched for.
And, if it can help me find the photo Iâm seeking, too, hurrah!
The BriefWire