5 Simple Solutions for Outlook Search Not Working on Mac [5 Efficient Methods]

Many users have reported an "Outlook Search Not Working on Mac" issue after upgrading to macOS Sonoma or Ventura. If you encounter the same problem, there's no need to worry.

➡️ User Case: I recently updated to macOS Ventura 13.2.1, and the search function is not working in Outlook for Mac 16.71.2. Regardless of what I enter in the search bar, it displays "No Results." Additionally, it has disabled all the rules I had set up to sort emails into folders. Does anyone have a solution for this issue? - from Apple Community

This post from Tools will assist you in resolving the issue of Microsoft Outlook search not working on Mac and guide you in fixing common Outlook file corruption using Fixo Document Repair tools.

Fix 1: Verify Your Profile Isn't Added under the Privacy Section of Spotlight Make sure your profile hasn't been added to the privacy settings within the Spotlight feature.

Spotlight Privacy on Mac becomes significant when you wish to conceal specific search queries. You can also disable it as a solution when Outlook 2016 search is not functioning properly on your Mac. The detailed steps are as follows:

Step 1. Click on the System Preferences icon in the Dock and select "Spotlight".

Step 2. Select the Privacy tab and ensure that the Outlook profile is not added there.

Step 3. If you find it there, select the folder and click the minus icon at the bottom to remove it.

Make sure the Outlook profile is not added under Spotlight.

Once the process is complete, restart your Mac and check if the Outlook 365 search not working issue on MacBook still persists.

Fix 2: Ensure Your Profile Name Contains No Special Characters

If you continue to experience issues with the search function in Outlook on your Mac, check if your Outlook profile contains any special characters. If it has characters like "\", it might not appear in search results. To resolve the issue with Outlook Search not working on your Mac, follow these steps:

Step 1. Click on "Finder" from the Dock, then select "Go to Folder" from the "Go" menu.

Step 2. Copy and paste this path into the search bar, then press Enter.

Step 3. You will now see the folder names for your Outlook profiles. If you find any special characters, change them.

Please translate the following text into English:

Step 4. Open Outlook Profile Manager to see if this solution works.

Fix 3: Check for Outlook Updates

It's also a wise approach to check for Outlook updates if you don't have a regular habit of updating your Mac. Follow the steps outlined here to resolve the Outlook 2016 search not working issue on your Mac:

Step 1. On your Mac, open "Applications" and launch the App Store.

Step 2. Click the 'Update' option from the left panel. Check if there is any update available.

Step 3. Tap the Update button to install the MS Outlook update. Once the installation is complete, restart Outlook and see if the email search function works.

Fix 4. Reindex Outlook Database Again Solution 4: Reindex Outlook Database Once More

It's said that excluding an Outlook profile from Spotlight's Privacy will prevent your files from being indexed until Spotlight runs again. You can also rebuild the Spotlight index on your Mac manually through System Settings if you don't wish to wait for Spotlight to reindex it automatically.

Step 1. Open your System Preferences and select "Siri & Spotlight," then click on "Spotlight Privacy."

Step 2. Drag your startup disk to the window that's now open, then quit System Preferences.

Step 3. Wait for an hour or more, then open System Settings again.

Step 4. Click "Spotlight Privacy" and select your startup disk. Click the "-" button, and Spotlight will now reindex.

You can also reindex the Outlook Database in Terminal:

Step 1. Locate and open "Applications" > "Utilities". Launch Terminal and type in the following command:

Step 2. Next, type the following command and press Enter.

Step 3. Wait for the process to finish, then close the Terminal. Restart Outlook to check if the search function is working now.

Fix 5: Check the Outlook Profile Location In this step, you will need to verify the location of your Outlook profile. The process may vary depending on the version of Windows and Outlook you are using. Here's a general guide: 1. Press `Windows key + R` to open the Run dialog box. 2. Type `control panel` and press Enter to open Control Panel. 3. Click on `User Accounts` or `User Accounts and Family Safety` (depending on your Windows version). 4. Select `User Accounts`, then click on `Manage another account`. 5. Click on `Create a new account` or `Manage advanced user account options` (if available). 6. Look for the section that allows you to manage or view profiles. In older versions of Windows, it might be under `User Profiles`. 7. Check if your Outlook profile is listed there. If not, you might need to create a new profile or repair the existing one. For more specific instructions, refer to Microsoft's official documentation corresponding to your operating system and Outlook version.

If the reindexing process consistently fails, you should verify the Outlook profile folder location. If the location of your profile folder is incorrect, Outlook for Mac will be unable to index it properly. Please follow these instructions:

Step 1. Locate and tap on "Go" from the top menu.

Step 2. Select "Go to Finder" from the dropdown list and type in the following path:

Step 3. Press Enter and double-click the Outlook Profile folder.

Step 4. Double-click on the Outlook 15 Profiles folder. If you don't see the subfolder, simply search for it and paste it into the Outlook 15 Profiles folder.

Bonus Tip: How to Fix Corrupted Outlook Files on Mac

What do you do when your Outlook files become accidentally corrupted, such as damaged emails or an unexpected crash of Outlook on your Mac? In such situations, how can we resolve the issue? The solution is to utilize professional document and file repair software like Fixo Document Repair Tools.

You can effortlessly repair Outlook on Mac using this versatile tool, resolving issues such as Outlook not opening, Outlook not receiving emails, or Outlook not displaying attachments. In addition to Outlook files, this software may also come in handy when dealing with other file corruption scenarios like corrupted Excel files on Mac or corrupted PDF files, as well as when you encounter issues with unable to expand Zip files on Mac due to Error 79.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Outlook Search Not Working on Mac

This post has provided detailed instructions on how to resolve the issue of Outlook search not functioning on your MacBook. If you have any further questions regarding this topic, please refer to the following section:

1. Why isn't the search function working in Outlook for Mac?

• Outdated Outlook version
• Your Outlook profile contains special characters
• The Outlook profile folder has the incorrect directory

2. How do I fix the search index in Outlook for Mac?

您可以尝试按照以下步骤重新索引Outlook搜索索引：

1. Navigate to "Preferences" and select "Search."
2. Tap on "Indexing" and then click "Rebuild."

3. How do you search in Outlook on a Mac? To search in Outlook on a Mac, follow these steps: 1. Open the Outlook application on your Mac. 2. Look for the search bar located at the top-left corner of the main Outlook window, just below the menu bar. It's usually labeled "Search Mail." 3. Click in the search bar to activate it. 4. Start typing the keyword or phrase you want to search for. As you type, Outlook will display relevant results in the content pane, showing matches from email subjects, bodies, attachments, and contacts. 5. If you need to refine your search, click on the small down arrow next to the search bar to reveal advanced search options. Here, you can specify criteria like sender, recipient, date range, and more. 6. Once you've set your filters, press "Enter" to execute the search. Outlook will then show the filtered results based on your criteria. Remember that Outlook may take some time to load all the search results, especially if you have a large mailbox.

You can locate the folder where your email or message is saved. Then, utilize the search bar in the upper-right corner of Outlook to type in the name of your file.

Closure

In this tutorial, we have explored potential solutions for resolving the issue of Outlook search not functioning on Mac. These fixes have been arranged in ascending order of complexity, allowing you to address the problem step by step. If none of the above methods prove effective, consider restoring your file from a Time Machine backup. Furthermore, whenever you encounter Outlook file corruption, utilize the Fixo Document Repair tool.