Apple has been working on improving its Spotlight feature, adding several new capabilities that overlap with those of the popular third-party launcher Raycast. The revamped Spotlight, currently in public beta and set to be widely available later this year, includes an overhauled version of its search engine that offers a clipboard manager, actions, and more.
The new Actions tab allows users to interact with macOS applications without leaving Spotlight, enabling tasks like writing emails, setting calendar appointments, and sending text messages. This feature is currently only available for Apple’s own tools, but developers have promised that third-party apps will also be able to add executable actions in the future.
Compared to Raycast, Spotlight has improved its search functionality with four new modes: Applications, Files, Actions, and Clipboard. The clipboard manager is particularly useful, allowing users to easily access copied content. However, Raycast still holds an edge over Spotlight due to its user-built extension store, which offers hundreds of extensions that can connect with any service, not just Mac apps.
The competition between these two launchers will likely continue as Apple’s updated Spotlight becomes more widely available. While Spotlight has made significant strides in addressing power users’ needs, Raycast remains a better choice for those seeking flexibility and customization options.
Source: https://www.wired.com/story/how-new-macos-spotlight-compares-to-raycast