Problem with text input with macOS or apps or ?

[MrDoh]

Having an odd intermittent problem on my M2 Pro-based mac mini with text input fields since I updated to Sonoma. Specifically, when I go to put an event on my calendar (Google Calendar), sometimes the first field on the event (the Title) will not have the usual blinking text cursor at the left of the field. If I click on the field, no bllnking text cursor will appear. If I just keep my mouse cursor on the text field in question, I can type while I'm holding the left (select) mouse button down. Once I let up on the select button, I can no longer type into the field. This has happened to me on Sonoma with both Google Calendar and Gmail text fields now and then. If I reboot, that seems to fix it for a while, but it comes back.

Since I was seeing it on multiple browsers and multiple apps, and didn't experience it until I updated to Sonoma, I've reverted to Ventura for the time being, expecting that to fix the problem. Now I've seen this once on Ventura as well, this time with Gmail and Firefox. It's almost like there's some other app that's running in the background, maybe, that's getting input focus somehow. If it is that, not really sure how to find out what's running amok on my mac so that I can send that program to the cornfield.

Wondering if I'm the only person that's seeing this, and if anyone has any thoughts about what might be causing it. It's very annoying, as you might imagine, and it would be really nice to get it under control.

 

[meson]

Do you have another mouse to try?

For background apps that you give permission to, got to System Settings from the Apple menu in the top left of your screen. Then go to General and then on to Login Items. In this pane your stop apps from launching at login by clicking on the app and then clicking on the minus sign. (make a list of apps there, so you know which ones to reenable if they are indeed apps you want launching at login). Below that are apps that have permission to run in the background. You could switch them all off, restart your machine, and start switching them back on one by one using the machine for a bit each time until you find the culprit.

Given that the problem is persisting after reverting back to a previous state, I would try a new mouse before spending the hours troubleshooting the list of background items.

 

[MrDoh]

I do have a second (wired) USB mouse always connected that I use when the wireless bluetooth mouse that I normally use isn't connected. I can try alternating mouses and see if it happens with both. That hadn't occurred to me since the mouse isn't involved when I go to add an event to my calendar and no blinking text cursor appears at the start of the first text field. But hey, who knows, I have the hardware already hooked up to check out that one. I can also try just disconnecting both mouses, and try a totally different wired or wireless one at the same time. If it's a mouse-related problem, could be the wired mouse doing something or interacting in some way with the bluetooth mouse when not in use.

Also, there's only one app that I've allowed to start in the background, my internet backup app, but several that I've allowed to run in the background. I can try flipping the switches on the ones that I've allowed, and remove the one that actually starts at system startup time. I may try that when/if this re-occurs, before trying the longer term mouse flipping *smile*.

Thanks.

 

[MrDoh]

Okay, so I've switched off all the background/startup stuff that I've added myself. Switched mouses, and still happens. The interesting thing is that I only see this with Google apps, Calendar and Gmail. Other text entry apps, like forums, text editor, and so on don't have these problems. Could be isolated to single text entry fields in forms, but again, haven't seen it anywhere else. I do fill out forms a lot, no problems there, just in Google apps.

Maybe I need to switch productivity suites, like go to Fastmail for a while *smile*, and see what happens there. Or try to backdate my Google apps to previous versions. If it is some misbehaving background process that I don't know about, should show up again with Fastmail. A labor-intensive thought, but a thought none the less *smile*.

If there was a way to find out which background process has text input focus when this happens, that would be mucho helpful. Not aware of that, though.

Hmmm...

 

[meson]

Sounds like a Google specific problem, if it is only happening with their apps. Maybe try rolling back if you can.

You might try uninstalling one or more of the offending apps and reinstall. Use an app that pulls some of the preference files and others that are scattered through the system. I use AppCleaner, a free app. It won’t get everything, but does a good job for most apps. A fresh install of the app without your preferences in place helps eliminate that as a cause.

Given that it’s consistent across the Google apps leads me to think you may be stuck waiting for a software update to make your life better.

 

[MrDoh]

Doing a free trial of Fastmail right now. Using the low impact path of keeping my gmail addresses and just having the email shipped to Fastmail, and syncing my Google Calendar. Also sync'ing my spouses calendar to my Fastmail calendar. And I'll see how it all goes. So far so good, but not much time on it yet. Plays with my general desire to de-Googlify my tech life as well. If no problems with Fastmail, I'll see if Google fixes things before the free trial is over. If not, I'll just go with Fastmail.

Turns out it's kind of hard to revert a web app without the cooperation of the owner *smile*.

 

[MrDoh]

Ended up going back to Google apps instead of Fastmail. Fastmail says that they have 2-way sync'ing with Google Calendar, but they don't, it doesn't work. So I would have to double enter calendar entries.

So my current plan is to stay with the Google apps for the present. And use the browser's "reload" button when one of these forms screws up. Seems to clear the state of the form, and then it works for the moment. Who knows, maybe Google will even fix their apps at some point. That'd be nice.

 

[bogdanw]

Disabling the caps lock and languages icons might help
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/caps-lock-icon.2391867/post-32610035