Hidden apps unhiding themselves when other visible apps are quit

Question

Level 2

150 points

Hidden apps unhiding themselves when other visible apps are quit

This seems to be another disimprovement that's come into town on the Big Sur train: if I hide an app, quitting the last app with visible windows on the screen causes the hidden app to unhide itself, as if Apple thinks there has to be an app visible on the screen at all times. Does anyone know how to prevent hidden apps from unhiding themselves under any circumstances in which the user has not intentionally unhidden the app?

Thank you.

Posted on Feb 16, 2021 10:44 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Feb 17, 2021 1:19 AM in response to nikkormac

There must be at least one visible app - this has not changed.

The Finder IS an app, so if you have Safari, Finder and, say Pages (hidden) and quit Safari, you should see the Finder and Pages will remain hidden.

But if you have Safari; Finder (hidden); Pages (hidden) and then quit Safari, then one of the hidden apps will unhide.

Reply

Answer 2

nikkormac Author

Level 2

150 points

Feb 16, 2021 11:52 PM in response to Matti Haveri

It doesn't happen when I quit hidden apps - it happens when I have only one hidden app and I quit the last running visible app. (It may happen if I have more than one app hidden but when I've experienced it I've only had one app hidden).

Thanks...

Reply

Answer 3

nikkormac Author

Level 2

150 points

Feb 17, 2021 1:37 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

That I understand - but the Finder is an app, just as you say; therefore if I have, say, Safari open and visible and Pages hidden, quitting Safari should not cause Pages to appear. But it does - as if the Finder was not an app. Hence my question (which, I admit, did not take into account the fact that the Finder is technically an app, but my point is that the Finder doesn't seem to be enough of an app anymore for Apple to be content to have only that showing when there is another app running (but hidden).

Thanks...

Reply

Answer 4

nikkormac Author

Level 2

150 points

Feb 17, 2021 1:44 AM in response to nikkormac

Hmm...it seems it doesn't always happen.

I wonder if it has to do with the App Switcher. Maybe if the hidden app is the app I most recently switched to from the visible app I quit, that's when the hidden app will appear.

Too tired to test this theory now, but I will.

Thanks everyone for your input...

Reply

Answer 5

Feb 16, 2021 11:48 PM in response to nikkormac

I could not repeat that in my Big Sur install. If I quit the last hidden app, the others stay hidden. Might be related how the apps are coded etc?

Reply

Answer 6

Feb 17, 2021 3:18 AM in response to nikkormac

OK, I could repeat that (opening a Finder window helped -- I first tested with only the Desktop visible).

Reply

Hidden apps unhiding themselves when other visible apps are quit

Similar questions