IPhone 12 pro max search engine

[Alkali]

Hi, my friends.
I have this small disturbing problem with main screen search engine.
If I am searching for a particular contact and type the name on spotlight search, it will not always return with correct answer, at times it will open another application I.e message, email and the like and not the one I wanted. I have to close that one and try again before the correct answer came on.
Please help me

 

[Just_Me_D]

Depending on what you allow, searching via Spotlight will provide you with results, whether it be from your list of contacts, your installed apps, etcetera. If you click on a result that is associated with an app then the app will launch. Otherwise, it should not.

 

[Alkali]

Depending on what you allow, searching via Spotlight will provide you with results, whether it be from your list of contacts, your installed apps, etcetera. If you click on a result that is associated with an app then the app will launch. Otherwise, it should not.

Thanks very much. I mostly search for contacts only but why should it me show other results. Suppose I search for a contact named JOHN why open emails or messaging?
Please help further.

 

[Up_And_Away]

First try general troubleshooting (reboot, confirm os is up to date, confirm disk space is not very close to full, sign out then back into iCloud if applicable). With that said, I don’t believe your device’s behavior is abnormal. If I understand you correctly, you want your search results confined to only specific info/app. That’s an action and result you perform within the app itself. I want to find John only within my contacts: open contacts and search for John. I want to only find emails from John: open email and search for John. You certainly can use spotlight to search for John’s contact or email but expect that it will likely give you John from contacts, emails, web search, pictures, texts, even seemingly odd suggestions (john: slang for a bathroom). Spotlight behavior itself will have a bit of black box behavior (black box = why it works that way is based on algorithms known only in the dastardly secret halls of Apple). Spotlight results varying based upon what you were recently doing on your device probably should be expected.

I hope that helps, BOL.

 

[Just_Me_D]

Thanks very much. I mostly search for contacts only but why should it me show other results. Suppose I search for a contact named JOHN why open emails or messaging?
Please help further.

Unless I’m mistaken, you should be able to go to Settings→ Siri & Search and then scroll down to where you see the app list. Select each app you don’t want to show in the search result and then disable the toggle next to “Show App in Search”.

 

[Alkali]

I think I have to explain further. When I type a name let's say DAVID in spotlight search, I will see several names that include David listed underneath, so if I want to go further by clicking on SEARCH IN APPLICATION, it will most certainly opens another previously used contact and not names that include David for me to choose from.

The problem is not with the spotlight search persay but with SEARCH IN APPLICATION that will not list all names that have DAVID but opens up another contact details altogether.

But most of the time it will open all names with David as I liked.

I think there may be a BUG or something that allows it to work correctly some time incorrectly at other times. I have the latest ios

 

[Up_And_Away]

thanks Just_Me_D, I did not know there was a menu for granular control of search results. Much appreciated relaying that point of knowledge.

 

[Just_Me_D]

thanks Just_Me_D, I did not know there was a menu for granular control of search results. Much appreciated relaying that point of knowledge.

You’re very welcome

 

[Alkali]

Please, any solution to this problem?

 

[Just_Me_D]

I think I have to explain further. When I type a name let's say DAVID in spotlight search, I will see several names that include David listed underneath, so if I want to go further by clicking on SEARCH IN APPLICATION, it will most certainly opens another previously used contact and not names that include David for me to choose from.

The problem is not with the spotlight search persay but with SEARCH IN APPLICATION that will not list all names that have DAVID but opens up another contact details altogether.

But most of the time it will open all names with David as I liked.

I think there may be a BUG or something that allows it to work correctly some time incorrectly at other times. I have the latest ios

I don’t think it’s an issue with the search function in and of itself. It’s designed to provide you with quick top level results based on the information you provide. If you need a deeper search, especially via apps, you will probably need to use the search function within the app.