Ask Different (Apple)
Q&A for power users of Apple hardware and software
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0
votes
2
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560
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right click menu - select search
Is there any way to customise the right click mouse menu that pops up over a highlighted word or phrase? I normally use Firefox, occasionally Safari or Brave. Normally DuckDuckGo to search, occasionally Google. But if I highlight something, for example in an iMessage, and right click I'll always get...
Is there any way to customise the right click mouse menu that pops up over a highlighted word or phrase?
I normally use Firefox, occasionally Safari or Brave. Normally DuckDuckGo to search, occasionally Google.
But if I highlight something, for example in an iMessage, and right click I'll always get "Search Google for ...." if search is set to Google in Safari. Or "Search DuckDuckGo for .... " if that's how Safari is set.
So at the very least I'd like two options available - for two different search engines as in "Search Google for ...."/"Search DuckDuckGo for .... ".
Valhalla would be the ability to select the browser too.
Is it possible?
aka_pseudonym
(9 rep)
Jun 4, 2020, 09:19 PM
• Last activity: Jul 11, 2025, 06:03 AM
18
votes
7
answers
39528
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How can I add a new search engine to Safari without any 3rd party add-ons?
I know add-ons such as Glims can do this, but I would rather stay away from them. Any native (or more likely semi-native) way to do so? If it matters, the engine I would like to add is [duckduckgo](http://duckduckgo.com). - Note DuckDuckGo is now in the list but was not when originally asked.
I know add-ons such as Glims can do this, but I would rather stay away from them. Any native (or more likely semi-native) way to do so? If it matters, the engine I would like to add is [duckduckgo](http://duckduckgo.com) . - Note DuckDuckGo is now in the list but was not when originally asked.
segiddins
(1449 rep)
Jan 17, 2012, 01:57 AM
• Last activity: Jul 27, 2024, 10:46 AM
0
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1
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1409
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how to search files modified between a specific time in a date
In mac os, how can I search the files modified or used within a specified timespan on a date? For example i want to get the files used between 10am to 4pm on 10/30/2018. Can this be done either via finder or terminal?
In mac os, how can I search the files modified or used within a specified timespan on a date?
For example i want to get the files used between 10am to 4pm on 10/30/2018. Can this be done either via finder or terminal?
User 99x
(101 rep)
Oct 30, 2018, 03:16 PM
• Last activity: Sep 13, 2023, 10:18 PM
0
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0
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408
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Google search page sometimes disappeared when clicking Safari's back button
I'm using Safari 16.3 (17614.4.6.11.4, 17614) on macOS Monterey 12.6.3 (21G419) but this problem has been around for many years and Mac systems. Sometimes I go to Safari browser, open a new window and type some keyword in Safaris address bar. Since this isn't a URL typing enter will initiate a Googl...
I'm using Safari 16.3 (17614.4.6.11.4, 17614) on macOS Monterey 12.6.3 (21G419) but this problem has been around for many years and Mac systems.
Sometimes I go to Safari browser, open a new window and type some keyword in Safaris address bar. Since this isn't a URL typing enter will initiate a Google search. The link in the address bar changes to something like this: https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=hippopotamus&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
Now, I click on any search result. This will open the page of the search result, e.g.: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus
Now, I want to return to the Google search results page. To do this I click the browsers back button once. I expect to land on the Google search results page but instead of that I see the browsers home window, the window I saw before I startet the Google search.
If I click the forward button I get to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hippopotamus again. If I click the back button again there's still only Safaris home window. The Google search link https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=hippopotamus&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8 is also not visible in the browser search history.
This only happens from time to time and I have no idea on what this depends.
Do you know that behavior? Is this a bug? Is there a way, maybe a setting, to fix it?
David
(290 rep)
Feb 6, 2023, 12:40 PM
• Last activity: Feb 6, 2023, 07:33 PM
2
votes
1
answers
3382
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Safari search suggestions do not appear when iOS restrictions are enabled
If I set Website Restrictions to *Limit Adult Content*, Safari stops showing search engine suggestions regardless of the engine being used (Bing, Yahoo, Google, or DuckDuckGo). If I change the setting back to *All Websites*, it starts working again. Search suggestions do show up if I make the query...
If I set Website Restrictions to *Limit Adult Content*, Safari stops showing search engine suggestions regardless of the engine being used (Bing, Yahoo, Google, or DuckDuckGo). If I change the setting back to *All Websites*, it starts working again. Search suggestions do show up if I make the query from the search engine's webpage.
I'm currently seeing this behavior on an iPhone 5S running iOS 11.2.6, but I've also seen it on other devices and OSs. If this is a known issue to Apple, I have yet to find a public statement about it.
How do I make search suggestions work when iOS restrictions are enabled?
saltface
(129 rep)
Mar 27, 2018, 08:12 PM
• Last activity: Jan 15, 2023, 12:00 PM
4
votes
3
answers
2816
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Can the Safari 6 omnibar search be changed from google.com to google.co.uk?
How can I change it so when I search using the omnibar it searches google.co.uk and not google.com. For example when I want to look at prices for a product, I use the omnibar to search google but it shows me prices in dollars as it is looking results in google.com. I would like to show results from...
How can I change it so when I search using the omnibar it searches google.co.uk and not google.com.
For example when I want to look at prices for a product, I use the omnibar to search google but it shows me prices in dollars as it is looking results in google.com.
I would like to show results from google.co.uk to get localized search for the UK.
orange
(269 rep)
Sep 1, 2012, 03:38 PM
• Last activity: Dec 18, 2022, 07:00 AM
1
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1
answers
647
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Chrome reroutes me automatically to servisepagefind.com and Bing without my consent -- how to stop it?
The way to replicate this is simple in my Chrome browser: 1. Type the search in Google 2. Modify the search in Google a second time 3. Then it sends me either to Bing or to this weird `servisepagefind.com` What is going on? How do I stop this? How do I check for viruses in my computer? Screenshots a...
The way to replicate this is simple in my Chrome browser:
1. Type the search in Google
2. Modify the search in Google a second time
3. Then it sends me either to Bing or to this weird
2. Bing
---
Cross-posted to Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/chrome/comments/x1rqxl/chrome_reroutes_me_automatically_to/
servisepagefind.com
What is going on? How do I stop this? How do I check for viruses in my computer?
Screenshots attached
1. servisepagefind.com


Charlie Parker
(519 rep)
Aug 30, 2022, 07:13 PM
• Last activity: Sep 1, 2022, 01:16 PM
5
votes
4
answers
5565
views
Change web search engine for Spotlight
Search the web from Spotlight ( ⌘ Command Space ) by entering search text and pressing ⌘ Command B . The expected result of opening the default web browser (Firefox) and completing the web search occurs. However, the web search engine uses Google rather than the default (DuckDuckGo). How can I set i...
Search the web from Spotlight (⌘ CommandSpace) by entering search text and pressing ⌘ CommandB. The expected result of opening the default web browser (Firefox) and completing the web search occurs. However, the web search engine uses Google rather than the default (DuckDuckGo).
How can I set it so the search is done with my chosen search provider?
macOS 10.15.7
Paretile
(126 rep)
Nov 9, 2020, 08:11 PM
• Last activity: Jun 14, 2022, 09:39 PM
0
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1
answers
100
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Does Apple run a search engine?
Apache logs for my [genealogy website][1] show fetches in a single day from many different IP addresses that are subdomains of applebot.apple.com. Does Apple have a search engine? [1]: https://UniGen.us
Apache logs for my genealogy website show fetches in a single day from many different IP addresses that are subdomains of applebot.apple.com.
Does Apple have a search engine?
WGroleau
(5370 rep)
Apr 13, 2022, 03:03 AM
• Last activity: Apr 13, 2022, 07:13 AM
1
votes
1
answers
1202
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Is there a way to exclude certain sites from search results in Safari?
I would like to make sure that junk websites (like SparkNotes when I search for Shakespeare info, or Pinterest when I search for images) don't appear in my search results in Google or any search engine. Some search engines support this, and Google used to but no longer does. But in any case what I'm...
I would like to make sure that junk websites (like SparkNotes when I search for Shakespeare info, or Pinterest when I search for images) don't appear in my search results in Google or any search engine. Some search engines support this, and Google used to but no longer does. But in any case what I'm looking for is something that does this for both macOS and iOS, and works in Safari (especially for Google).
Is there a way to do this?
orome
(12163 rep)
Jun 9, 2020, 09:36 PM
• Last activity: Mar 2, 2022, 12:05 PM
10
votes
3
answers
4240
views
Omnikey for Safari 13?
Omnikey is a very useful Safari extension that allows searching user-selected webpages by entering user-selectable keys preceding the search term. For example, entering "w Los Angeles" in the Safari address bar on my computer and pressing return opens a new Safari window in Wikipedia that's searchin...
Omnikey is a very useful Safari extension that allows searching user-selected webpages by entering user-selectable keys preceding the search term. For example, entering "w Los Angeles" in the Safari address bar on my computer and pressing return opens a new Safari window in Wikipedia that's searching for "Los Angeles." This is both easier and faster than navigating to the page you wish to search, entering the search term, then hitting return.
Here's a screenshot of the searches I've added to Safari on my Macs:
Unfortunately, Omnikey doesn't work with Safari 13.
Omnikey is very useful. Are there any other Safari extensions that provide the same functionality?

DavidRecallsMonica
(2594 rep)
Sep 20, 2019, 03:54 AM
• Last activity: Nov 27, 2020, 04:40 PM
2
votes
0
answers
86
views
How do I customize Quick Website Search keywords in Mobile Safari?
Is it possible to customize the keyword for a Quick Website Search in Mobile Safari? I'm willing to do some direct editing in preferences files if that's what it takes. **Background:** I'm using an iPad 3, one of the models that is limited to iOS 9.3.5, and I recently discovered that this version su...
Is it possible to customize the keyword for a Quick Website Search in Mobile Safari?
I'm willing to do some direct editing in preferences files if that's what it takes.
**Background:**
I'm using an iPad 3, one of the models that is limited to iOS 9.3.5, and I recently discovered that this version supports Quick Website Search, which is analogous to the Quick Searches and Manage Search Engines features in Firefox and Chrome respectively that I use all the time on the desktop. However in both of these browsers it is possible to customize the keyword that is used for a given search.
In fact I already I do some analogous file meddling with Chrome by loading my quick searches directly into its SQLite-based configuration file with a small script, to avoid the rigmarole of having to visit each site and then edit its keyword through the not great settings UI for it.
rakslice
(489 rep)
Dec 29, 2019, 11:35 PM
• Last activity: Dec 29, 2019, 11:41 PM
3
votes
1
answers
628
views
Safari's "Quick Website Seach" Address Bar Feature Redirects Google to Ask Different
My default search engine in Safari is Bing (Amazon Gift cards FTW!). I usually search Google by starting to type "`goo`" and hitting tab to to autocomplete, which enters search engine mode. However, Google searches always come here. I removed `apple.stackexchange.com` from **Manage Websites** in Saf...
My default search engine in Safari is Bing (Amazon Gift cards FTW!).
I usually search Google by starting to type "
But every time I visit the site it is automatically readded.
I don't mind it being there, but why are Google searches directing here?
goo
" and hitting tab to to autocomplete, which enters search engine mode.
However, Google searches always come here. I removed apple.stackexchange.com
from **Manage Websites** in Safari Search preferences:


Louis Waweru
(2596 rep)
Nov 8, 2019, 06:23 AM
• Last activity: Nov 21, 2019, 12:51 AM
2
votes
0
answers
156
views
Is there a way to quickly search the web via Spotlight?
On macOS, you can use Spotlight to quickly do a web search of your query [through hotkeys][1] by pressing CMD + B . Is there any equivalent functionality in iPadOS? Using a Bluetooth keyboard, I have tried the same hotkey on iPadOS 13.1.2 with no luck. Pressing Enter after typing a query in Spotligh...
On macOS, you can use Spotlight to quickly do a web search of your query through hotkeys by pressing CMD + B.
Is there any equivalent functionality in iPadOS?
Using a Bluetooth keyboard, I have tried the same hotkey on iPadOS 13.1.2 with no luck. Pressing Enter after typing a query in Spotlight brings up the first result, but I would specifically like it to bring up a web search in Safari's default search engine.
JohnB
(121 rep)
Oct 9, 2019, 05:19 PM
3
votes
1
answers
2358
views
Creating a search engine within Numbers on a Mac
I want to know if it’s possible to create a search box directly within my Numbers document without the use of scripting, automator or terminal. The idea is that users could enter search terms in the box and it’d return any matching results, just like using a search engine. The data to be searched is...
I want to know if it’s possible to create a search box directly within my Numbers document without the use of scripting, automator or terminal.
The idea is that users could enter search terms in the box and it’d return any matching results, just like using a search engine. The data to be searched is also within the same Numbers document, but in a separate tab.
I’m sorry if this question seems like I haven’t shown any research efforts, but so far I’ve searched within Numbers Help, Apple’s Numbers support pages and done general Google searches. These haven’t produced any results either way, so I think maybe what I want to do isn’t possible.
Can someone hear confirm either way? If possible, how do I achieve this?
**MORE INFO**
My Numbers document contains two tabs. The 1st tab is called Search and the 2nd tab is called Data.
I would like the search box to be in cell B5 of the Search tab.
The data being searched is located in Column B of the Data tab, from rows 2 to 4,500.
The search results should appear below the search box.
yasmine
(33 rep)
Apr 3, 2019, 10:23 AM
• Last activity: Apr 3, 2019, 12:19 PM
2
votes
0
answers
54
views
Can a website change Safari’s default search engine?
My child’s MacBook had it’s default search engine changed to Yahoo. I did not do this, my child did not intentionally do this. So I see two possibilities. 1. My kid downloaded and excecuted an app that changed it. Meaning nefarious code left the sandbox. 2. A website popped up a request to change it...
My child’s MacBook had it’s default search engine changed to Yahoo. I did not do this, my child did not intentionally do this.
So I see two possibilities.
1. My kid downloaded and excecuted an app that changed it. Meaning nefarious code left the sandbox.
2. A website popped up a request to change it, and he clicked yes. Meaning just the search engine got changed and otherwise all is well.
Any thoughts on possible ways it could have flipped to Yahoo would be appreciated
Zach
(21 rep)
Feb 17, 2019, 05:11 PM
4
votes
1
answers
50011
views
How do I set Google as Safari Homepage on my iPhone?
I wish to set [Google](https://www.google.com) as Homepage for Safari on my iPhone. I’ve tried to do it through Settings app, Safari settings and notifications but to no avail. How do I accomplish this?
I wish to set [Google](https://www.google.com) as Homepage for Safari on my iPhone. I’ve tried to do it through Settings app, Safari settings and notifications but to no avail.
How do I accomplish this?
Kim
(41 rep)
Dec 27, 2018, 09:01 AM
• Last activity: Dec 27, 2018, 09:55 AM
4
votes
1
answers
2218
views
Safari 11.1 Search Engine Preference Reverts to Google
Safari 11.1 running under macOS Sierra 10.12.6., on a mid-2013 MacBook Air. The software is all up to date. I'd like Safari to use DuckDuckGo as its default search engine. However, when I choose DDG in the dropdown at Safari > Preferences > Search, the dropdown immediately and spontaneously reverts...
Safari 11.1 running under macOS Sierra 10.12.6., on a mid-2013 MacBook Air. The software is all up to date.
I'd like Safari to use DuckDuckGo as its default search engine. However, when I choose DDG in the dropdown at Safari > Preferences > Search, the dropdown immediately and spontaneously reverts to Google, without further input from me. All other Safari functionality works correctly. Interestingly, I have exactly the same software running on a mid-2010 MacBook Pro, and that Safari allows search engine selection.
I have only two extensions (wipr and Omnikey) installed; removing them did not affect this behavior. Quitting Safari and the OS had no effect. Restarting in Safe Mode had no effect. Trashing the com.apple.safari.plist (from ~/Library/Preferences/) had no effect. Replacing the .plist with the plist from the correctly-operating MBP had no effect.
Any ideas how to remedy this?
DavidRecallsMonica
(2594 rep)
Apr 7, 2018, 03:44 PM
• Last activity: Apr 8, 2018, 06:28 PM
0
votes
1
answers
1785
views
Is there an equivalent to copernic pro desktop search engine available for mac?
Is there an equivalent to copernic pro desktop search engine available for mac? I mean something serious not spotlight or found! Something that is able to search terabytes of data and index millions of keywords and search *inside* pdfs and all sorts of data. I have searched and so far haven't found...
Is there an equivalent to copernic pro desktop search engine available for mac? I mean something serious not spotlight or found! Something that is able to search terabytes of data and index millions of keywords and search *inside* pdfs and all sorts of data. I have searched and so far haven't found anything as good as copernic pro for mac.
blackace
(265 rep)
Aug 15, 2014, 09:37 AM
• Last activity: Feb 10, 2018, 04:52 AM
6
votes
2
answers
1294
views
Change Siri's default search engine on macOS
I recently upgraded my MacBook Pro to macOS Sierra and now have access to Siri. Whenever Siri searches the internet, it uses Bing, although I would prefer to use Google. I changed Safari's default search engine to Google, but that did not affect Siri's searches. How can I change Siri's default searc...
I recently upgraded my MacBook Pro to macOS Sierra and now have access to Siri. Whenever Siri searches the internet, it uses Bing, although I would prefer to use Google.
I changed Safari's default search engine to Google, but that did not affect Siri's searches.
How can I change Siri's default search engine?
Brian
(1099 rep)
Jan 2, 2017, 08:20 PM
• Last activity: Apr 13, 2017, 02:20 PM
Showing page 1 of 20 total questions