Spotlight problems

When ⌘Space stops working

Updated 2026-07-31 · 3 min read

Almost always a conflict with another app or with the input source switcher.

Check the assignment

System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Spotlight. Confirm Show Spotlight search is ticked and shows ⌘Space.

The input source conflict

If you have more than one keyboard input source installed, macOS may assign ⌃Space or ⌘Space to "Select the previous input source". Check Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources and clear it if so.

This is the single most common cause, and the symptom is confusing — the shortcut appears correct in Spotlight's own settings while another handler consumes it first.

Third-party conflicts

Alfred, Raycast, LaunchBar and several utilities offer to take ⌘Space during setup, and many people accept without noticing. Check their preferences.

Reassigning

Some people deliberately give ⌘Space to a launcher and move Spotlight to ⌥Space, or the other way round. Both are configurable — Spotlight's in Keyboard Shortcuts, the launcher's in its own settings.

If nothing opens at all

Restart the Spotlight process:

killall Spotlight

It relaunches automatically. If that fails, log out and back in.

Choosing a hotkey that stays free

⌥Space is a good choice for a second search tool: rarely claimed, easy to reach, and it does not fight the input source switcher. It is the default in Everywhere for exactly that reason.

Common questions

Why did ⌘Space stop working after adding a second keyboard language?

macOS may assign it to input source switching. Clear it under Keyboard Shortcuts → Input Sources.

Can I change the Spotlight shortcut?

Yes — System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Spotlight.