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How to search for nearly anything on your iPad using its Spotlight feature

iPad Swipe
You can search on your iPad just by opening the Spotlight feature. Steven John/Business Insider
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Once you've started using your iPad's Spotlight search feature, you're never going to lose anything on your device ever again. 

Spotlight saves you time you'd otherwise waste searching for the item or website you want — all you need to do is type in the name of what you're looking for, and it will be brought to you.

In short, Spotlight is your iPad's one stop shop for searching for just about anything, whether it's on the iPad itself or somewhere online. Here's how to use it.

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iPad (From $329.99 at Best Buy)

How to search on your iPad using Spotlight

From the iPad's lock screen, you can swipe right with one finger to open the Widgets menu. At the top of the screen is a search bar — type in it to use Spotlight search.

Once the iPad is unlocked, swipe to the right from the first page of your homescreen, and again you'll find the search bar at the top of the screen.

On most iPads, when the tablet is unlocked, you can also swipe downward from the middle of any homescreen page to pull up the search feature.

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You'll find the search bar, along with some of your most-used apps, at the top of the screen.  Steven John/Business Insider

As you type, Spotlight will suggest apps, Google searches, definitions, and more. It's a great way to find information, even if you haven't lost anything.

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Searching on an iPad can help you find everything from a note to a calendar appointment, and helps you organize your days.  Steven John/Business Insider

Scroll to and tap the specific result that you're looking for. 

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Steven John has been a freelance writer for more than a dozen years and has been a regular contributor to Business Insider since 2017. His work includes a focus on the tech world, covering companies including Apple, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and others. He also reviews restaurants, shares how-to cooking articles, and writes general interest pieces.Steven also writes for publications including Architectural Digest, The Daily Beast, Forbes, and more. In the past, he also wrote for New York Magazine, Mashed, U.S. News & World Report and other outlets. He runs his own outdoor lifestyle site, Dad Gear Review, and co-hosts the Fact Trekkers podcast with his son. He has had two novels published, Three A.M. and Outrider. He graduated from Emerson College with a degree in communications focused on filmmaking.He is an avid outdoorsman and can be frequently found in a kayak or on a mountain trail, often with his family along for the adventure.Expertise:Tech industryTech hardwareOutdoorsCookingRestaurantsDIYPopular articles:Microsoft: A history of the software giant co-founded by Bill Gates, its products and services, jobs, layoffs, and moreYouTube is a major entertainment force. Here's the platform's history, plus how to create a channel and upload videos.Inside the life and career of Bill Gates, the Microsoft co-founder, billionaire, and philanthropistTim Cook net worth: How the Apple leader earns and spends his moneyBecoming an Amazon seller is a simple process. Here's what's involved, plus how you make money and get paid.