If you’ve one of the lucky ones to have gotten your hands on the initial beta of iOS 7, you may have had a “WTH?” moment when searching for Spotlight search. Worry not, oh intrepid pioneer! Spotlight hasn’t disappeared, it’s merely been, um, relocated. (And by the way, “WTH” stands for “what the heck”, we’re a family site, for gosh sakes!)
Whereas previous versions of iOS, including iOS 6, relegates the global search utility to its own panel, accessible only by swiping left or clicking the home button while on the home page, iOS 7 makes the feature available on any app screen by swiping down from anywhere in the app field.
ll you need to do to access Spotlight is to simply use a “pull down” gesture from an area other than the dock. You’ll then find the familiar “Search iPhone” box, ready to accept search terms to find apps, files, email messages, etc. Just tap anywhere outside of the text box or keyboard area, and everything goes back to the original view.
As AppleInsider points out, users with smaller hands who might be reaching to pull down the Notification Center may find themselves in Spotlight search instead. But as a MacTrast editor, (we’re known to have notoriously small hands), I found that I just have to shift my hand a little and only stretch my thumb SLIGHTLY out of the socket to be able to pull down the Notification Center. Your experience and mileage may vary, not applicable in the state of West Virginia.
