Spotlight not showing many Apple apps

[boylerman]

I've searched but haven't found a solution to my problem. 14" 2022 MacBook Pro running the latest version of Ventura. Spotlight doesn't show many of the default Apple applications. For instance, if I type Messages into Spotlight, it will never show up as an app. Same is true for just about every Apple app with the exception of Safari which does show up. 3rd party apps work correctly.

I have tried rebuilding the spotlight index by adding and removing the drive from the excluded folders, and that did not work. In desperation, I even reinstalled Ventura, but that too didn't fix my issue.

Looking for suggestions. My only other recourse is to erase the drive and start over from scratch which I really don't want to do.

 

[diego.caraballo]

I've searched but haven't found a solution to my problem. 14" 2022 MacBook Pro running the latest version of Ventura. Spotlight doesn't show many of the default Apple applications. For instance, if I type Messages into Spotlight, it will never show up as an app. Same is true for just about every Apple app with the exception of Safari which does show up. 3rd party apps work correctly.

I have tried rebuilding the spotlight index by adding and removing the drive from the excluded folders, and that did not work. In desperation, I even reinstalled Ventura, but that too didn't fix my issue.

Looking for suggestions. My only other recourse is to erase the drive and start over from scratch which I really don't want to do.

Had this issue for a while.
Take a look at this:

Applications Don't Show Up in Spotlight

Spotlight has stopped showing any results for my Applications. I've tried reindexing and removing the index so it rebuilds it. No change. I've tried adding Applications to the Privacy tab and remov...

apple.stackexchange.com

You can try:

sudo mdutil -a -i off
sudo mdutil -a -i on

Or:

sudo mdutil -a -i off /
sudo mdutil -a -i off /System/Volumes/Data
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

sudo rm -Rf /System/Volumes/Data/.Spotlight-V100/

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist
sudo mdutil -a -i on /
sudo mdutil -a -i on /System/Volumes/Data

 

[boylerman]

Had this issue for a while.
Take a look at this:

Applications Don't Show Up in Spotlight

Spotlight has stopped showing any results for my Applications. I've tried reindexing and removing the index so it rebuilds it. No change. I've tried adding Applications to the Privacy tab and remov...

apple.stackexchange.com

You can try:

sudo mdutil -a -i off
sudo mdutil -a -i on

Or:

sudo mdutil -a -i off /
sudo mdutil -a -i off /System/Volumes/Data
sudo launchctl unload -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist

sudo rm -Rf /System/Volumes/Data/.Spotlight-V100/

sudo launchctl load -w /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.metadata.mds.plist
sudo mdutil -a -i on /
sudo mdutil -a -i on /System/Volumes/Data

Oh my word, that worked!

"sudo mdutil -a -i off
sudo mdutil -a -I on"

Did the trick, and all my applications now work. Thank you!

 

[gabem82]

You can try:

sudo mdutil -a -i off
sudo mdutil -a -i on

Apologies for the reply to a very aged post, but I had to thank you because this fixed it for me in Sequoia after HOURS of searching for a solution. I love when things just randomly break, and then it takes the collective power of the internet community to fix them...

THANK YOU @diego.caraballo, you absolute legend.