Apple adds Web, Wikipedia to Spotlight search in iPhone OS 4

iPhone users will no longer have to load Safari to initiate a search for content on the Web or within Wikipedia, when links to both are added to Spotlight search in iPhone OS 4.0 this summer.

First discovered by Engadget, the feature offers the options "Search Web" and "Search Wikipedia" when typing a query into the iPhone Spotlight search. The report noted that similar capabilities are available in Palm's WebOS, Google's Android, and Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Phone 7 mobile operating systems.

The new capability is one of more than 100 new features added in iPhone OS 4.0, due to arrive this summer. Apple on Thursday highlighted seven major "tentpole" features included in the new operating system: multitasking, folders, improved mail, iBooks for iPhone and iPod touch, new enterprise features, Game Center, and iAd.

Spotlight search first came to the iPhone in version 3.0 of the device's mobile operating system. The feature can be used to quickly find and launch an application or search content, including music files and e-mails. The search function is immediately accessible by flicking the home screen to the left.

It also serves as a quick way to pull up contacts, by searching for a person's name, or even by the company they work for.

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16 Comments

hexor

said about 14 years ago

This feature is already available in iBooks on the iPad. When you search for a word in a book you are reading at the bottom are two buttons to Search WikiPedia and Search Google

anonymouse

said about 14 years ago

Kind of funny how the critics point to this as a must have feature, yet, no one seems to care, based on the comment rate.

oflife

said about 14 years ago

The biggest flaw in iPhone Spotlight is the inability to search notes attached to a contact. This renders is almost useless as that is where many write keywords associated with the contact. It sounds crazy, but it's enough to make me give up the iPhone and move back to Nokia, who have implemented a way better search feature on most of their smart phones for quite a while now. And yes, it searched the web too. Checkboxes in the left column allow you to filter what to search. IE, Contacts, Web, Notes, App files etc etc. Nokia have done a lot right when it comes to smart phones, including multi-tasking. Apple are in the spotlight (no pun intended), because they have make everything so slick. To merge the pros of each company/platform would be fantastic.

str1f3

said about 14 years ago

It could potentially hurt all those well made Wikipedia apps for the iPhone. It'd be cool if there was a way in spotlight to search your Wikipedia app instead. Doubtful though.