I use spotlight regularly to find files and open apps, so I want to keep it functional. From what I understand, indexing keeps track of document locations, but I have a feeling that constant indexing might be putting unnecessary strain on my SSD.
If I disable it, how will it affect macos features and app performance? Will it cause any stability issues?
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Well, I mean, disabling spotlight indexing can help reduce ssd writes, but the impact on ssd lifespan is probably less significant than you think. Modern SSDs are designed to handle a high number of write cycles, and macOS manages indexing efficiently.
That said, if you turn off indexing, spotlight searches will be much slower since macOS will have to scan files in real time instead of using a prebuilt index.
Is there a way to disable or manage spotlight indexing using a script instead of doing it manually through Settings?
Yes, you can manage spotlight indexing using Terminal commands instead of going through System Settings.
To disable indexing across all drives:
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#!/bin/sh sudo mdutil -i off / |
To re-enable it:
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#!/bin/sh sudo mdutil -i on / |
If you’re worried about ssd wear but still want to use spotlight, you don’t have to disable it completely. Instead, you can exclude specific folders—like Downloads or any frequently changing directories—so spotlight won’t keep reindexing them.
To do this:
I’m not sure if there’s a way to do this via a script, though.
Noted, really appreciate your help!
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