Closing window (with red button) is suddenly losing the context

Depending on the application and how it is written, clicking the red traffic light button in the title bar may simply close the open document or window while leaving the application running, or it may cause the application to intercept that click as a nuclear option that takes down all open windows/tabs, clears any cached content, and abruptly terminates the application. Other than experience, there is no telltale that suggests which avenue the application will take in the above alternatives.

Clicking the yellow traffic light will minimize the application, and depending what settings you have applied in the Dock preferences, either into the original application's Dock icon, or iconify the application's window to the right of application icons in the Dock. If you want to temporarily minimize the current application's window(s), this is the approach where with a single-click, it can reappear on the screen just as you left it.

Steven in OC wrote:

When I close a window (e.g., Chrome, Safari, Finder), I am suddenly losing the context (i.e., open tabs, open documents). This means that when I re-open the window, the browser has lost all tabs and is on the start page. The Finder is in the default start place (Macintosh HD).

I don't know how this happened, but I want to get it back to the standard behavior, where the context is saved and appears when the window is re-opened.

I am running macOS Big Sur 11.6.5. And yes, I've already tried re-installing the OS, and that didn't help.

There is nothing to help, because it is working as designed.

As VikingOSX explained, in some applications, the red button causes the application to quit.

That is NOT the case with applications that can have multiple windows - like Safari, Chrome or Finder, that you mentioned.

I am writing this in Safari, and this window has a few tabs, including this one:

I also have 5 more windows, with several tabs each.

If I were to click the red button now (besides not finishing this reply...) I would close and eliminate all the tabs in it; but Safar would still be running, with the 5 windows. There would be no way to get these tabs back, unless I immediately went to History->Reopen Last Closed Window. After that, it's gone.

Closing window (with red button) is equal to Quitting the Application entirely.

Using the Orange Button will minimize the current application into the Dock

Click on the minimized application in the Dock will cause the application to re-open to how it was when minimized

My more leaned colleague gives a more complete explanation 😀.

It is Application Specific if the Quit really actually Quits and is remove from Memory.

+1.