Critical Focus Loss Issue Across All Applications in macOS

[Manfred05]

Hey everyone,

I've encountered a serious issue on macOS Sonoma that's really affecting my workflow, and I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing this.

Issue: When switching between applications or interacting with Safari (or any other app), the active window sometimes loses focus, making it unresponsive to certain actions. For example, after right-clicking on Safari from the dock and then trying to interact with it, the browser might visually regain focus, but elements on the page don't respond to hovering or clicks as they should.

Steps to Reproduce:

1. Right-click on the desktop.
2. Left-click on the desktop.
3. Right-click on Safari in the dock.
4. Double left-click to bring Safari back to focus.
5. Try interacting with the webpage (hover/click).

OR

1. Open Safari, then switch to another app while keeping Safari visible.
2. Right-click on Safari without switching back to it.
3. Left-click on Safari to regain focus.
4. Try interacting with the webpage (hover/click).

Troubleshooting I've Tried:

• Restarting macOS.
• Booting into Safe Mode.
• Resetting PRAM/NVRAM and SMC.
• Repairing disk permissions.
• Testing in a clean user profile.
• Reinstalling macOS.
• Disabling non-essential startup items.

Environment:

• macOS Version: Sonoma
• Affected Apps: Safari, Notes, and others

Impact: This bug is seriously impacting my productivity, and I've tried almost everything I can think of to fix it. I’m curious if others are experiencing the same issue, and if so, whether anyone has found a workaround or fix.

Video:

Looking forward to any advice or insights. Thanks!

 

[Bigwaff]

Mac model and year? Latest Sonoma on 2019 MBP i9 here and I can’t reproduce. I have Stage Manager turned off.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

Not happening with my M1 Max MacBook Pro macOS 14.6.1 either. Also not using Stage Manager.

 

[bearvssharkfan]

I have been seeing this exact issue. It's driving me nuts.

Nov 2023 M3 MacBook Pro, Sonoma 14.6.1.

Not using Stage Manager.

I'm curious if you're using an Apple Studio Display. I don't think I've seen this error while using my laptop on its own, but I do see it when using it in clamshell mode with my Apple Studio Display. Could it be related?

It only started happening 1-2 weeks ago.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I tried it again with my LG display, in clamshell mode - still not happening. Possibly related to Studio Display; I don't have one.