Problem with searching images from within apps.

I'm stumped by an issue I'm seeing on my Macbook Pro.

This has been happening for at least 6 months.  When I'm running any app, (web browser is where I first noticed it but it's the same in any app.) I'm unable to search images from within the upload image interface.  As soon as I start typing into the search window at the top right it finds nothing.  I did some searching and found some hints on indexing but everything works fine in Spotlight.  It's just when I'm using an app that the search malfunctions.

I don't think it's related to web extensions or anything that because it also doesn't work in the Mail app.

Anyone have any idea what could be causing this?  

Thanks in advance!

If on the web that is a issue with the browser. If a app installed on MacOS, then you have a system issue. What version of MacOS are you using and has this machine had any 3rd party apps installed that control the system?

Thanks. I rooted it out.  

There are a few possible reasons why you might be unable to search for images in apps on your MacBook Pro.

• The app's image search feature may be disabled. Some apps have a setting that allows you to disable image search. Check the app's settings to see if this is the case.
• The app's image search index may be corrupt. The app may have a database of images that it uses to power its image search feature. If this database is corrupt, the image search feature may not work properly.
• The app's image search feature may be incompatible with your version of macOS. The app's image search feature may have been designed for a previous version of macOS. If you're running a newer version of macOS, the image search feature may not be compatible.

To troubleshoot this issue, you can try the following:

• Check the app's settings. Make sure that the app's image search feature is enabled.
• Reindex the app's image search database. The app may have a built-in tool that allows you to reindex its image search database. If so, try using this tool to see if it fixes the problem.
• Update the app. If the app is incompatible with your version of macOS, updating the app may fix the problem.

If you've tried all of these things and you're still having problems, you can contact the app's developer for help.

Sometimes, Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC) and Non-Volatile Random-Access Memory (NVRAM) can sometimes resolve unusual issues on Macs. And, the issue is related to search functionality, it might still be worth reindexing the Spotlight database, even if Spotlight itself seems to be working fine. 

There could be possibility of corruption, so its better to have a resolution for these corruptions issues.