App windows stay on top randomly

[HarryPot]

Since updating to Sonoma, some application windows are staying on top even when I click another app behind them. It has happened with WhatsApp, Teams, Finder, Preview...

Has anyone else had this problem?

 

[GFS]

Yes. I've had this behaviour with the Finder and Mail together. Mail won't come to the front and currently open Finder windows remain in front. This behaviour is not consistent. ~90% of time it's ok.
I have to say, with ~35yrs daily use of Macs, this is the first time I've seen anything like this. Disappointing.

(M1 MBPro - macOS Version 14.0 (23A344)

 

[HarryPot]

Same here, most of the time it is ok, but it happens often enough that it becomes bothersome.
Do you use any app in particular.

I use this apps that I think might be the problem:
- Magnet
- Stay

 

[netnothing]

Do you use multiple desktops?

Check out my post describing what some of us are seeing with using Multiple desktops and assigning apps to specific desktops:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/sonoma-application-window-randomly-stays-in-focus-so-you-cant-select-windows-behind.2405147/

 

[HarryPot]

Yep, I also use multiple desktops, and it only happens with apps that work in all desktops.
Oh well... let's hope they fix it soon.

 

[netnothing]

Yep, I also use multiple desktops, and it only happens with apps that work in all desktops.
Oh well... let's hope they fix it soon.

I find that as long as you open the app assigned to all desktops while on desktop 1, things will work fine.

 

[netnothing]

Just to report that macOS Sonoma 14.1 does NOT fix this issue.

 

[HarryPot]

Not surprised. It does not seems to be a very common bug. Something tells me we have something particular that is causing this. Maybe a third party app?

 

[HarryPot]

To name a few apps I use:

- Stay
- Magnet
- SIP
- Bartender
- Owly
- Fantastical

These are menu apps that I believe could affect in some way this.
Another thing I did when updating to Sonoma:
- Enabled Stage Manage temporarily to try it out. Then disabled it.
- I use four spaces, fixed. Meaning the latests used does not change order.
- I enabled widgets.

 

[netnothing]

To name a few apps I use:

- Stay
- Magnet
- SIP
- Bartender
- Owly
- Fantastical

These are menu apps that I believe could affect in some way this.
Another thing I did when updating to Sonoma:
- Enabled Stage Manage temporarily to try it out. Then disabled it.
- I use four spaces, fixed. Meaning the latests used does not change order.
- I enabled widgets.

I don't think it has anything to do with apps. I think it's just a bug in multiple desktops.

I use 8 spaces that are fixed. I don't have any widgets enabled. I don't use any of the apps you listed.

 

[HarryPot]

I'm considering not using spaces for the moment. Time to try Stage Manager I suppose.
It's not a serious bug, but it happens so often that it do becomes a pain.

 

[Solenoid289]

Same here and I also use Magnet.

 

[netnothing]

I'm considering not using spaces for the moment. Time to try Stage Manager I suppose.
It's not a serious bug, but it happens so often that it do becomes a pain.

If you follow my other thread, we found that when the window has this issue of staying on top of other windows, you can get it to act normally if you either minimize or hide the window and then restore the window. This way you don't have to close and re-open the window/app.

 

[GFS]

Seems to fixed with 14.1... so far

 

[netnothing]

Seems to fixed with 14.1... so far

Not fixed here on 14.1. Same behavior.

 

[GFS]

Uuugghhh 😕

 

[HarryPot]

If you follow my other thread, we found that when the window has this issue of staying on top of other windows, you can get it to act normally if you either minimize or hide the window and then restore the window. This way you don't have to close and re-open the window/app.

Yep, doing that for the moment.

 

[HarryPot]

Not fixed here on 14.1. Same behavior.

Neither here, still the same problem.

 

[medikoo]

It appears that applications which are assigned to "All Desktops" always stay on top of applications assigned to specific desktop, and those specific to given desktop stay on top of those which are not assigned to any desktop.

It's a clear UX bug, as it technically kills usability of multi-desktop setup.

I wonder if that's an intentional update within Sonoma, and I'd love to know how I can get back behavior I got with Ventura

 

[medikoo]

Apparently it's possible to fix it once moving application between desktops (by keeping its title bar and switching between desktops) - that way I managed to have application assigned to all desktops to appear under those assigned to specific desktop etc.

 

[HarryPot]

I can't see how this is the intended behavior.
It must be a bug from Apple.

It just makes me see how small is the amount of users that use multiple Desktops.
I feel I couldn't work with only one Desktop, and Stage Manager is not that intuitive for me.