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Search for a conversation in Messages on Mac
You can easily find the exact conversation you want—search for specific text, a person’s name, or use a suggested search category. Results are organized into links and photos and matching terms are highlighted.
![The Messages window with search criteria entered in the search field in the top-left corner. Search results are organized below that by categories such as Conversations, Links, and Photos.](https://help.apple.com/assets/5FDCF587B5CA140B5620CEE5/5FDCF588B5CA140B5620CEEC/en_US/46c585b06fdf102ed6e05ad4d98243ca.png)
In the Messages app
on your Mac, click in the search field in the top-left corner of the sidebar, then do one of the following:
Choose a category: Select a conversation, a photo, location, and more to quickly find a conversation.
Enter search criteria: Enter what you’re searching for (such as a word or phrase), then select a suggestion or press Return.
When you select a result, the conversation’s transcript opens at the location of the search result.
To start a new search, delete the text from the search field or click the Delete button in the search field.