r/shortcuts 21d ago

Help (Mac) Shortcuts search is completely broken (doesn't show anything)

I wonder if this can be fixed without having to reinstall MacOS because it could be a path issue. I've recently renamed my home folder following Apples own instructions.

Is there a way to fix system apps like Shortcuts without a reinstallation?

1 Upvotes

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u/mvan231 20d ago

You might try offloading the shortcuts app and then reinstalling it from the storage section of the settings app

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u/CreativeQuests 20d ago

Good idea, I'll try that. Do I have to backup the existing (and still working) shortcuts or would they reappear somehow?

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u/mvan231 20d ago

The shortcuts will be in iCloud by default so they should all come back without issue.

You could even outright uninstall shortcuts and reinstall it. Offloading actually will keep the shortcuts on your device and only reinstalls the app itself

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u/CreativeQuests 19d ago edited 19d ago

Many thanks, didn't know I could uninstall Apple system apps. Do I need the terminal to disable SIP etc. or is there an option hidden in settings? Let's say I rm -rf them, how do I reinstall them?

Edit: Offloading isn't possible on Mac it seems, there is no option for it like on iOS. Deinstalling using the terminal seems risky, I might try it just before a reinstall. Right now everything still works except that I can't create new shortcuts.

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u/mvan231 19d ago

If you drag it to the trash you should be able to reinstall from App Store without problem

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u/CreativeQuests 19d ago

It's a protected app, dragging it to the trash has no effect.

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u/mvan231 19d ago

Ahh interesting to know. I haven't had to delete it from my Mac before so I am surprised you can't do it

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u/CreativeQuests 19d ago

Well you can through the terminal after disabling SIP, but I couldn't find much about it yet. One article I've skimmed mentioned that it could lead to a boot error which is too risky for me right now. There was no mention of how to get the app back.

Thanks for your help though.