How to Rebuild the Spotlight Index

Spotlight is the name of macOS' enhanced search feature, and it is one of the most frequently used tools by Mac users. It enables users to easily find all sorts of files such as documents, emails, media, and more. However, sometimes Spotlight may start showing weird results such as missing certain files even though you know you have them on your device. To solve the problem, you need to rebuild the Spotlight index. Here is how to do it:

Rebuild the Index via the macOS Preferences

Open the Apple Menu and go to System Preferences. Select the Spotlight icon, and then open the 'Privacy' tab. Press the 'Plus' button, and select all folders that you wish to rebuild in Spotlight's index. To cover all data, simply select 'Macintosh HD.' After you add the folder and confirm it, then press the 'Minus' icon to complete the task.

Rebuild the Index via the macOS Terminal

Alternatively, you can complete the task via the macOS Terminal. Open the Terminal utility, and type in the following commandsudo mdutil -i on /. You will be prompted to enter your administrator password. If you see the message saying 'Indexing Enabled,' then you have completed the rebuilding process.