What to know

  • Apple unveiled an overhauled Spotlight interface for Mac during its WWDC 2025 keynote event.
  • The new Spotlight is part of macOS Tahoe, which features the new Liquid Glass design language.
  • This update allows users to take actions directly from Spotlight search results, making Mac workflows more efficient.

Apple has completely redesigned the Spotlight search experience on Mac as part of its macOS Tahoe announcement at WWDC 2025. The company revealed this update during its annual developer conference keynote on June 10, 2025.

The overhauled Spotlight interface represents one of the most significant changes to macOS in this update cycle. It now allows you to take actions directly from search results, eliminating the need to open applications for many common tasks.

This Spotlight update is part of Apple's broader design refresh called Liquid Glass, which the company says will inform the next decade of software development across its platforms. The new design language appears throughout macOS Tahoe as well as iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and other Apple operating systems.

During the keynote, Apple demonstrated how the new Spotlight can help you complete tasks more efficiently. The search tool now understands context better and can suggest relevant actions based on your query.

The updated Spotlight also integrates with Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system first introduced at WWDC 2024. This integration enhances search capabilities and allows for more natural language interactions.

macOS Tahoe, including the new Spotlight interface, is currently available as a developer beta. Apple plans to release a public beta in July, with the final version expected in September 2025.

This Spotlight overhaul comes alongside numerous other updates announced at WWDC 2025, including new features for iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, and visionOS 26. The iPad is getting particularly significant updates that make it function more like a Mac, including a top menu bar and enhanced app windowing.