New iOS Tweak Brings More Search Options To Spotlight, Like Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, More

Spotlight can be used to search emails, notes, contacts, and apps in folders in iOS, but not everyone uses Spotlight because let’s face it, it sucks pretty hard. A new jailbreak tweak called “SLightEnhancerSearch” might just change that. The new tweak enhances what Spotlight can do for you by adding more search options — like the App Store, Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook — to the Spotlight search function on a jailbroken iPhone.

All you have to do is install the jailbreak tweak and a new pane will be added to the Settings app. This is where you can choose what you want Spotlight to search. The tweak is available to download for free in the Cydia store, via the BigBoss repository. You can customize your search from these options:

  • Amazon
  • Google
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • Cydia Store
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • iBooks

When you enable any of these, searching in Spotlight will include these options, instead of having to open up each app individually to search them. Take a look at the video above to see exactly how it works. Here’s the thing, I’m tired of apps where I don’t need apps. I’m tired of needing an App Store and an iTunes store, an iBookstore and a Newsstand store. I’m tired of having to dive into some artificially differentiated application just to find the things I’m looking for on my iOS device. Sometimes perusing App Stores to find things is alright, but the majority of the time I know exactly what I’m looking for and have to search for an application by name to find it. The faster Apple builds this kind of search into Spotlight, the better. If I’m searching anyway, why can’t I just search in Spotlight? And don’t get me started on Siri’s inability to download applications, music, and books from Apple’s stores…

Kaylie lives in Ottawa and got her first Mac in 2007 and is now a fan for life.