"Look Up" not working from right click menu (Chrome)

[Shifts]

On my M1 Macbook Pro, I have never gotten the look up dictionary function to work. Have tried what I can think of when it comes to configuring it, and am now out of ideas. Also I get no suggestions for word definitions using the Spotlight feature (would love to have that too).

If anyone has any ideas or can spot my mistake, I am all ears. Have not tried to reset NVRAM or PRAM yet.

Right-click menu. When clicking on the menu item, the box closes and nothing happens.



Spotlight search for the same term:



Here is my Spotlight configuration. Everything is selected in this list, but I guess Definition is the relevant one:



Here are the selected dictionaries in Dictionary.app:

 

[0128672]

You are very helpful to have included screenshots. 👍

First of all, to get this out of the way, the M-chips don't offer a way to reset NVRAM (or SMC). Those functions were for Intel chip Macs. (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063)

Some ideas to narrow down the issue:

The lookups via select any word in any app and right clicking to invoke lookup works fine for me on Monterey 12.5 on an M1 Mac. Do you have this update installed?

In the Dictionary.app can you look up words? Your screen only shows a blank page.

Have you tried the lookup in a variety of apps to narrow down whether it's a specific app (i.e., Chrome) that's limiting this functionality?

Do you possibly have the dictionary restricted in the Screen Time setting?

In Settings > Keyboard > Services > Searching, is Look Up in Dictionary and Spotlight enabled? And yes these are for keyboard shortcuts, but maybe somehow it's related to the problem.



Although a bit drastic for troubleshooting the lookup function, have you considered wiping your Mac and doing a clean install?

 

[Shifts]

You are very helpful to have included screenshots. 👍

First of all, to get this out of the way, the M-chips don't offer a way to reset NVRAM (or SMC). Those functions were for Intel chip Macs. (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063)

Some ideas to narrow down the issue:

The lookups via select any word in any app and right clicking to invoke lookup works fine for me on Monterey 12.5 on an M1 Mac. Do you have this update installed?

In the Dictionary.app can you look up words? Your screen only shows a blank page.

Have you tried the lookup in a variety of apps to narrow down whether it's a specific app (i.e., Chrome) that's limiting this functionality?

Do you possibly have the dictionary restricted in the Screen Time setting?

Although a bit drastic for troubleshooting the lookup function, have you considered wiping your Mac and doing a clean install?

First off: Thank you, nice reply to my question!

No NVRAM reset on M1
Ah, I thought this could be the case but did not know. It was something I stumbled upon trying to google the solution (all solutions I saw were several years old).

Monterey 12.5 on an M1 Mac. Do you have this update installed?
Yes

In the Dictionary.app can you look up words?
Yes, that works without fault. My screen was more to show which dictionaries I have activated.

Have you tried the lookup in a variety of apps to narrow down whether it's a specific app[…]?
Good one, I didn't think about this. My tests here were solely done in Chrome. I can't see the menu option in Safari, but as soon as I put in my term into Safari's search window the dictionary works. Tested with Slack and Brave, and they both behave as Chrome. Nothing.

Do you possibly have the dictionary restricted in the Screen Time setting?
No

Although a bit drastic for troubleshooting the lookup function, have you considered wiping your Mac and doing a clean install?
😱

 

[BanditoB]

You don't have to completely wipe your Mac. You can simply reinstall MacOS over top of itself. If this doesn't address the issue, then you could try the erase and install as new option.

 

[0128672]

Ah, OK so it's just Chrome that's incompatible. Did I miss it or did you add Chrome to the thread title after responding? No matter at least we know it's Chrome.

From what I can tell it's been an issue for other Chrome users for a while now. It's possible there's a Chrome lookup setting that needs to be adjusted. There's some suggestions here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...stopped-working-in-chrome-on-mac-os-x-10-10-2.

 

[0128672]

You don't have to completely wipe your Mac. You can simply reinstall MacOS over top of itself. If this doesn't address the issue, then you could try the erase and install as new option.

I had only mentioned a wipe before we know it was only Chrome that seems incompatible. Definitely overkill now that we know.

 

[Shifts]

Ah, OK so it's just Chrome that's incompatible. Did I miss it or did you add Chrome to the thread title after responding? No matter at least we know it's Chrome.

From what I can tell it's been an issue for other Chrome users for a while now. It's possible there's a Chrome lookup setting that needs to be adjusted. There's some suggestions here: https://apple.stackexchange.com/que...stopped-working-in-chrome-on-mac-os-x-10-10-2.

Correct, I changed the title as I think those are important details. I didn't even reflect on the fact that it might be browser related when I created the thread.

Thanks for that URL, lets see if they offer any solutions for me.

 

[Shifts]

Have tested these now:

In Settings > Keyboard > Services > Searching, is Look Up in Dictionary and Spotlight enabled
Yes, no difference. Also can't see that the shortcut suggested for Spotlight is doing anything at all (shift+command+f).


System preferences > track pad> quick lookup and data detectors > Force click with one finger/tap with three fingers toggle on/off
Also tried this after seeing disabling, enabling or switching input might work. No difference.

Also tried locating the file com.apple.lookup.plist in System > Library > Preferences, but it looks like this file is no more on Monterey.

Safari and other Apple apps: Not sure what to expect here, but this right-click menu option is completely missing from Apple apps as far as I can tell. Have checked Safari and Notes and the look up option is completely missing. In Books it exists, but it is displayed a bit differently ("Look Up Selection"), and also in Keynote – doesn't work in either.

 

[BanditoB]

I was just running through a few open apps and anywhere that I can see the I-bar text cursor, I can right-click and get the lookup function. So, something is definitely not right with your system.

I'd recommend that you reinstall MacOS and see if that addresses the issue or not.

 

[0128672]

Before you reinstall, maybe someone else who uses Chrome could try to reproduce the problem. If that's the case, then reinstalling isn't going to help if it's only Chrome that behaves that way.