Disable Spotlight search suggestions

Spotlight search suggestions sends data about your search to Apple and depending on your “location service” settings your location too. So this is no local search. Do web search only in your browser and disable search suggestions and make spotlight an local only search tool.

How to fix it

macOS 13 - 14

  1. Open “System Preferences”
  2. Go to “Siri & Spotlight”
  3. Deselect “Siri Suggestions”

macOS 10.11 – 12

  1. Go to “System Preferences” > “Spotlight”
  2. Deselect “Allow Spotlight Suggestions in Look up”
  3. AND
  4. macOS 11.0: Deselect “Siri Suggestions”
  5. macOS 10.12-10.15 :Deselect “Spotlight Suggestions” in the category list
  6. OS X 10.11: Deselect “Bing Web Searches”

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