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Way to disable apps taking over focus?

M

madonnaragu

macrumors regular
Original poster
Feb 13, 2021
125
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I found this mega annoying on Windows and was hoping it would not be an issue on my Mac. But it is! 😢

Let's say I'm working on something inside one app - typing an email, and then another app that I launched before takes over and I'm now typing inside of it. Grr! Maybe that app was stuck and now decided to launch itself. Maybe an app was updating itself after I launched it and that took a little while.

Is there a way to PREVENT apps from stealing focus from the current, active app?

Yes, it does not happen too often. Yes, it's not a huge deal. But it's annoying enough for me to come here and ask for help. ;)

Thank you!
 
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adrianlondon said:
I don't think I've had that happen. Is there a particular combination of apps that causes this issue for you?

Are you sure you're not accidentally switching apps (mouse click, or key combination)?
Click to expand...

Hi! No, it's not a particular combination of apps. It's mostly the two situations I've described before, when an app gets stuck and then decides to launch; or if it wants to update and that takes a while.

I'm not accidentally switching apps, I did consider that as well. :)
 
Apart from MS Office, most apps load pretty quickly on my laptop. I wait for them to open.

I just did a test, typing in a blank textedit doc then clicking Word. A few seconds later, Word took over. I think that's to be expected, as I did ask it to open after all. I've never had an app just decide to update itself without me triggering it to restart.
 
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adrianlondon said:
Apart from MS Office, most apps load pretty quickly on my laptop. I wait for them to open.

I just did a test, typing in a blank textedit doc then clicking Word. A few seconds later, Word took over. I think that's to be expected, as I did ask it to open after all. I've never had an app just decide to update itself without me triggering it to restart.
Click to expand...
Hi!

The apps don't just start without me asking them to start. But if I have one app open and typing in it, I do not want anything else taking over.

There isn't a way to prevent this?
 
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It can happen because of Automatically Save settings, the app that performs an automated save might get into focus.

I’ve noticed it happening when I forget to save or close an image in Photoshop. After 10 minutes, Photoshop performs an automated save and creeps up from behind other windows.

I imagine Word or other text editor might do the same.
 
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madonnaragu said:
Hi!

The apps don't just start without me asking them to start. But if I have one app open and typing in it, I do not want anything else taking over.

There isn't a way to prevent this?
Click to expand...
I've had this happen infrequently and the culprit is usually accidentally brushing the top trackpad corners when the cursor is over another app. The way to solve this is by making sure the pointer is always over your app or by hiding inactive apps/full-screen mode. Turning off automatic check for updates would also help avoid modals appearing, but Ive never had that happen unless I launch the app.
 
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bogdanw said:
It can happen because of Automatically Save settings, the app that performs an automated save might get into focus.

I’ve noticed it happening when I forget to save or close an image in Photoshop. After 10 minutes, Photoshop performs an automated save and creeps up from behind other windows.

I imagine Word or other text editor might do the same.
Click to expand...
Yepp! This too!
 
darngooddesign said:
I've had this happen infrequently and the culprit is usually accidentally brushing the top trackpad corners when the cursor is over another app. The way to solve this is by making sure the pointer is always over your app or by hiding inactive apps/full-screen mode. Turning off automatic check for updates would also help avoid modals appearing, but Ive never had that happen unless I launch the app.
Click to expand...

No, that's not the case here re: trackpad.

I would just like an option to prevent other apps from stealing focus.
 
Well, it should be fast enough then.

The apps shouldn't take over the front view by themselves. Did you try to reset PRAM/NVRAM? I would also recommend to see whether the problem exists in Safe Mode.

And I would advise to contact Apple Support.
 
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Yeah this has always irritated me about Windows. Especially when background apps start and take focus but not have an active window. I have had things take over in Windows while I am typing my password which is not good!
 
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bogdanw said:
It can happen because of Automatically Save settings, the app that performs an automated save might get into focus.

I’ve noticed it happening when I forget to save or close an image in Photoshop. After 10 minutes, Photoshop performs an automated save and creeps up from behind other windows.

I imagine Word or other text editor might do the same.
Click to expand...
so poorly designed apps? I don't use photoshop and this has never occurred to me since I switched to Mac in 2012
 
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You could try using spaces, then assign specific apps to specific desktops by right clicking the app on the dock and saying assign to a specific desktop. I have never had your problem, so can't speak directly. Of course if I open an application, it will have the current focus until I switch back, but that sounds like what it should do. Mac applications save in the background so they shouldn't steal focus ever. Some developers do take minimal effort and not really make Mac apps when they already have windows apps - the shame!
 
In 30 years and using more than 12 different Macs, the problem described by OP has never happened to me and I used to live in front of a computer 16 hours a day.

It’s not “normal” behavior. Something is wrong.
 
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I feel your pain!

But could you give us more specifics, with a concrete step-by-step example of when and how this occurs? I'm a bit confused by what's going on.

For example, if I launch a HUGE spreadsheet in Excel and, then, while I’m waiting for it to fully load, decide to work on a Word document, Excel will take over once it has fully opened the document. That makes sense, at one level. After all, I asked it to open the big file! And, it's showing me it's ready.

I suppose what you're seeking is the way iOS often (always?) works — if I’m updating a bunch of apps from the App Store, while I’m waiting, I can start working in, say, Pages, and, IIRC, once the downloading is finished, I'm never bothered.

In the infrequent times the take-over happens on the Mac, it seems it's the system’s way of saying, “I'm done. Here's what YOU wanted to look at, use, or work on!” Thought of that way, it makes sense.

Besides the solution is a fast one. Just click on the icon on the dock of the app you were working in — or on one of its windows — and you are right back where you were when you were interrupted!
 
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madonnaragu said:
I found this mega annoying on Windows and was hoping it would not be an issue on my Mac. But it is! ?

Let's say I'm working on something inside one app - typing an email, and then another app that I launched before takes over and I'm now typing inside of it. Grr! Maybe that app was stuck and now decided to launch itself. Maybe an app was updating itself after I launched it and that took a little while.

Is there a way to PREVENT apps from stealing focus from the current, active app?

Yes, it does not happen too often. Yes, it's not a huge deal. But it's annoying enough for me to come here and ask for help. ;)

Thank you!
Click to expand...
I find it hard to believe no one else in this thread has faced this problem before. I get what you are talking about. Sadly, I don't have a proper solution to this problem. My updated workflow involves using 1 or 2 apps(side by side) in their own space. So if an app comes up and tries to steal focus, there is a whole transition to the desktop page, which is pretty hard to miss, take it as a sign to stop typing and use mouse or CMD + Tab to go back to previous app.
 
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Can you use QuickTime and do a video showing this in action…perhaps with commentary of when you’re clicking?
 
darngooddesign said:
Sure there is. If an app comes to the foreground, figure out why and disable that feature. If you can’t stop it, quit the app when you don’t want it to.
Click to expand...

No, that does not work. There's no "feature" to disable. It's not about quitting the app, it's about apps stealing focus from the app I'm currently in.
 
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