Are my Favorites (bookmarks and their folders) searchable?

[iMore Question]

iPhone's Favorites menu.

Spotlight Search doesn't seem to find Bookmarks by either the names I assign them or by their URLs.
And it doesn't find the Folder names that I file my Bookmarks in.

If I add a site to my Home Screen, then Spotlight Search will find it by the name I assigned it, but not by its URL.

I just checked the other two categories on the Favorites menu, and Spotlught doesn't seem to find Reading List items either. (Shared Links items I can't check.)

My filing hierarchy for bookmarks is pretty well done, pretty logical I mean. But searching a bookmark or folder name would be so much easier and quicker than navigating that hierarchy. Plus sometimes I do forget whete a link or where a folder is filed.

Have I missed something? Is there a way to search bookmarks and their folders?.

 

[iKath]

P.S. Safari's search function won't find bookmarks and their folders either.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Do you have Applications toggled on in Spotlight Search in settings? My bookmarks show up. Not folders though.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

Yes, and thank you... I do have "Applications" switched on in the Spotlight Search settings. I just re-tried and got the same results. I searched two ways: on the url of the bookmark; and then on the name I assigned to the bookmark. Nothing.Im using a trusty old iphone 5, too Y'know, it just occurred to me that I haven't installed the iOS 8.3 upgrade yet. Maybe that'll make the difference... I'll do the upgrade, try some searches again, and I'll report back here. Again, thank you!

 

[Ledsteplin]

Here's one.


Shows bookmarklet name and folder name.




Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

I see the difference between what we're doing. You've searched on a link you've added to your home screen. I'm able to search on those types of links, too, with Spotlught Search also. What I can't search on is the contents (folders and subfolders and links) of my Favorites. I don't expect at this point to load an image here :/ Operator problems. To manually get to them I open Safari, then tap the book-looking icon. To get to the top of the folders' hierarchy, tap the far upper left arrow of each screen until I get to the page titled Favorites, preceded by the page titled Bookmarks. (On this page, in addition to Favorites, are also listed History and Reading List and Shared Links. Anyway, the folders and eu folders and links I've installed under Favorites, are what I'd like to search on. And can find a way. I'll still install the upgrade to see if that makes a difference. Thanks so much for your time and thought on this. I'll be back.

 

[iKath]

Corrected: (On this page, in addition to Favorites, are also listed History and Reading List and Shared Links.) Anyway, the folders and subfolders and links I've created and installed under Favorites (top of the hierarchy), are what I'd like to search on. And I can't find a way. I'll still install the upgrade to see if that makes a difference. Thanks so much for your time and thought on this. I'll be back.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Corrected: (On this page, in addition to Favorites, are also listed History and Reading List and Shared Links.) Anyway, the folders and subfolders and links I've created and installed under Favorites (top of the hierarchy), are what I'd like to search on. And I can't find a way. I'll still install the upgrade to see if that makes a difference. Thanks so much for your time and thought on this. I'll be back.

You would have to switch from Google to Bing. Here's a bookmark I just made in Safari after switching to Bing. You know Apple prefers Bing now. Siri uses Bing in searches.



A bookmarklet on the screen is treated as an application. But in Safari, the bookmarks are Web searches. And only Bing is listed in Spotlight Search.

Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

Ok. Hm. I'm thinking your results are from Bing searching internet rather than searching your device (Favorites folders/links).

I switched from DuckDuckGo to Bing in Safari. And then check-marked Bing Web Results in Spotlight Search.

It didn't work for me. Will you try this one? Create a bookmark for:

URL:
[redacted]

I recreated this bookmark, using Bing this time, I retried the Spotlight Search, but it still didn't find the bookmark using the URL or using either of the two versions of the DESCRIPTIVE NAME.

Can you get this one to work...?

P.S. I just learned I'm not eligible to type out a link name in iMore yet so I had to break the one above into pieces.

 

[iKath]

Thank you ! I just responded at some length and it was routed through a moderator. So it'll ne delayed a bit.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Thank you ! I just responded at some length and it was routed through a moderator. So it'll ne delayed a bit.

Post count not high enough?


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

Yup zactly I included a link which is what wasn't allowed.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Yup zactly I included a link which is what wasn't allowed.

In the mean time, browse the site and post a few times. You'll get there.


Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

Hi again! The iMore moderator left my reply intact except for the web page specs which were deleted. Forget that reply. I'll rewrite it. Here's the rewrite:

I'm thinking the results you last posted represent Bing searching internet rather than searching your device for your Bookmarks.

I did as you suggested....
I switched search engine setting (from DuckDuckGo) to Bing in Safari.
Then I check-marked Bing Web Results in Spotlight Search.
Then I recreated a bookmark for a site page.
I retried the Spotlight Search.
It didn't find the bookmark.
(Three searches: one on the site address; and one each on two versions of the descriptive name (the original name and a modified name).

I wanted you to try the same page I did but I can't provide specs for it. To get to the page, search on "students of munich university use giant slides between floors" Multiple results come up. The "metapicture" site page is the one I used.

I bookmarked that page twice, using the original descriptive name; and then again using a changed descriptive name for my purposes "show slides to Mary"

Spotlight Search didn't find either bookmark using the site page address or the descriptive names.

Will you try this one...? Key, is it is a small random page rather than a huge major site page. I only tried the one page but I'm thinking any random page from a non-major site will illustrate what I mean.

 

[Ledsteplin]

Hi again! The iMore moderator left my reply intact except for the web page specs which were deleted. Forget that reply. I'll rewrite it. Here's the rewrite:

I'm thinking the results you last posted represent Bing searching internet rather than searching your device for your Bookmarks.

I did as you suggested....
I switched search engine setting (from DuckDuckGo) to Bing in Safari.
Then I check-marked Bing Web Results in Spotlight Search.
Then I recreated a bookmark for a site page.
I retried the Spotlight Search.
It didn't find the bookmark.
(Three searches: one on the site address; and one each on two versions of the descriptive name (the original name and a modified name).

I wanted you to try the same page I did but I can't provide specs for it. To get to the page, search on "students of munich university use giant slides between floors" Multiple results come up. The "metapicture" site page is the one I used.

I bookmarked that page twice, using the original descriptive name; and then again using a changed descriptive name for my purposes "show slides to Mary"

Spotlight Search didn't find either bookmark using the site page address or the descriptive names.

Will you try this one...? Key, is it is a small random page rather than a huge major site page. I only tried the one page but I'm thinking any random page from a non-major site will illustrate what I mean.

I turned Bing back on. Marked Bing Web Search in Spotlight Search. Searched "Metapicture". Tapped on The Meta Picture. Got the page and saved it as bookmark in one titled Google Misc. I then swiped the page out of Safari. Then searched Spotlight Search for it. Got this:



Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[Ledsteplin]

Maybe turn spotlight suggestions on. Don't know.



Sent from my ancient but trustworthy iPhone 5. ☮

 

[iKath]

I'm so glad for your ear and help with this. Thank you... I love your username by the way lol, clever.

Finally, I think I'm convinced what I want isn't possible. I'm convinced that the "Bing Web Results" results given in Spotlight, are from Bing searching internet rather than searching the device. I don't think bookmarks or their folders are searchable.

It wasn't quite conclusive for me when testing with a site's main (home) page. But it became conclusive testing with a site's secondary page (like a post page or the contact page). My Spotlight Search results were always home pages and not the secondary pages I bookmarked.

Ok, so now I have a few more questions
1) How do you add images to your replies here?
2) How do you add the content of my prior replies to your reply?
3) How do you add those red arrows to your reply !! ?
4) Being able to search one's Favorites (bookmarks, folders, reading list, and shared links) is an elementary concept I can only imagine was an oversight in development by Apple. Can you suggest a best way to submit a suggestion to Apple?

 

[iKath]

P.S.
5) How do you add a signature to posts/replies like yours about your trustworthy ancient iPhone 5 (which is what I use, too