Third party apps won't stay on Extended Display after every MacBook sleep

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Third party apps won't stay on Extended Display after every MacBook sleep

A couple apps I use all day won't stay on my built-in MacBook set as the Extended Display. Spotify is the worst offender and its desktop app won't stay on the Extended Display after every MacBook sleep.

So every time I come back, Spotify has jumped displays to the main and I have to manually shove it back to extended every time.

Is there a way to force Spotify and others to remain on the Extended Display in all circumstances?

I assume this is an oversight by Spotify devs since many apps don't have this problem. However, other apps like Skype suffer from jumping to the main display after a system restart or app relaunch (and NOT after every sleep).

DETAILS

I'm running an M3 Pro MacBook Pro 14" on MacOS 14.1 Sonoma with an external 4K monitor via HDMI. The 4K is set to Main Display in the display settings and the MacBook's built-in as the Extended Display. In Mission Control the 4K is set as Desktop 1 and the built-in as Desktop 2 (I assume this is the minimum required with an Extended Display situation but I don't use Mission Control so am not sure if it matters).

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

MacBook Pro (M3 Pro, 2023)

Posted on Nov 16, 2023 11:02 AM

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Answer 1

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sassy monkey Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 17, 2023 11:50 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thank you, Luis (and Barney-15e)! This solved both problems: 1) getting the Assign to menu to appear and 2) keeping the apps on the Extended Display after Mac sleep.

Apparently, with two monitors and 2 desktop Spaces it's not enough to show the Assign to menu on app Dock icon Options. This doesn't make much sense to me, but there you have it.

Steps required:

Ensure Displays have separate Spaces toggle is enabled in System Settings > Desktop & Dock > Missions Control (requires logout after change).
Activate Mission Control's Spaces feature: could be F3 key or Command-Up arrow or four-finger swipe up on a trackpad.
Choose either monitor and select the + icon in the upper right to add another desktop (this can remain empty and unused).
Exit Spaces and the Dock app icons should have the Assign to menus available under Options. Choose the Desktop number desired for any app via their Dock icons > Options.

I chose to add an empty Desktop 3 to my MacBook's built-in Extended Display while only using Desktop 2 and assigned Spotify and other apps to it. Here's a look at the Spaces view of two Desktops available on my built-in Extended Display (not shown here is Desktop 1 on the external monitor's Main Display when in Spaces mode):

_____

Epilogue

Dear Apple, this is way too complicated. It seems like a bug that Assign to won't appear when there are two desktops being used in an external/built-in Main/Extended Display situation. Having to manually add an unnecessary 3rd desktop in Spaces seems like a mistake and makes people like me carry on in a forum with other people trying to tediously sleuth something that should be simple.

Easy answer is to make Assign to available to people using at least 2 desktops in Spaces. Simple.

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Answer 2

sassy monkey Author

Level 1

61 points

Jan 17, 2024 1:14 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Yes, this works. But it's also so half-baked and cludgey.

Here's what I did to enable the Options > Assign To menu for apps in the Dock:

With external monitor active, Systems Settings > Displays > set external monitor as Main display & MBPro built-in as Extended display.
System Settings > Desktops & Docks > Mission Control > Displays have separate Spaces > enable toggle. With Mission Control activated, this results in external monitor listed as Desktop 1 and MBPro display as Desktop 2 in the top bar of both screens.
Still in Mission Control, select + icon in top right of MBPro Extended display to add another Space (the system then creates Desktop 3).

After all this workaround nonsense I'm finally able to access Assign To menus for apps in the Dock. Annoyingly, I now have to keep this 3rd empty Space for NO REASON except to enable the Assign To menu. Luckily it generally stays completely hidden.

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Answer 3

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,318 points

Nov 16, 2023 11:41 AM in response to sassy monkey

If you want to assign apps to a desktop, then you kind of have to use Mission control as assigning apps to a desktop is part of mission control. However, the assignment is done in the icon in the dock. If you control click on the app icon in the dock, under Options you should have the ability to set which desktop it is assigned to.

if you have Spotify assigned to the desktop on that display, then it might be that the external display is going to sleep before the rest of the system, and the apps have to go somewhere.

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Answer 4

sassy monkey Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 17, 2023 10:23 AM in response to Barney-15E

It's mighty odd that myself and at least one other can't see Assign to in app Dock icon Options.

I've tried de/selecting many toggles in the Settings > Desktop & Dock without success. My Mission Control settings are this (toggling OFF "Displays have separate Spaces" doesn't help):

Also tried Safe Mode with "Displays have separate Spaces" enabled, but there's still NO Assign to menu items in app Dock icon Options.

Note that my old 2017 Intel MacBook Pro running latest Ventura MacOS also doesn't have Assign to available in any app Dock icon Options. It also does NOT have the problem with Spotify forcing itself to the external Main Display.

This makes it seem like an OS issue with Sonoma or M series Apple Silicon vs Intel.

______

Another interesting detail is that when my M3 MacBook wakes up, the built-in Extended Display appears first WITH SPOTIFY SHOWING THERE AS IT SHOULD BE. Then Spotify immediately disappears from the built-in display before the external Main Display lights up where Spotify is. This seems backwards. I could see if the external Main Display activated first then the OS and/or Spotify could get be compelled to go where the working display is. But the opposite happens yet Spotify still jumps to the wrong display that seems to be turning on second (of course, it's possible the external display is activating first in terms of communicating with the MacBook, it just doesn't actually light up until a few seconds later).

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Answer 5

Nov 17, 2023 11:05 AM in response to sassy monkey

These options only appear in the Dock if one has more than one Space in at least one of the displays (or perhaps on both, I can’t test right now). So in order to be able to follow Barney’s advice: start Mission Control and click the + button at the top to add an extra Space on the HDMI display (or on that and also on the mac built-in display). Then the Options->Assin To->Desktop on Display 1/2 will br available.

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,318 points

Nov 17, 2023 12:06 AM in response to pvtoni

pvtoni wrote:

I have the same problem as OP.

None of Apple Apps has this option "Assign to"

https://prnt.sc/FDBw_Do963Jn

I never find anything that helps. It's so annoying that something so simple has to be so hard.

So, how can we FORCE an app to open on a specific monitor??

If you cannot assign it to a Desktop, there is no way you can do that. I’m not sure why the Assign to submenu doesn’t appear for you.

Do you have more than one Desktop and do you have “Displays have separate spaces” enabled in Mission Control Settings? If not, there would be no other space to assign to. There is only one Display space created by merging the two monitors.

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Answer 7

Barney-15E

Level 10

122,318 points

Nov 17, 2023 10:51 AM in response to sassy monkey

Note that my old 2017 Intel MacBook Pro running latest Ventura MacOS also doesn't have Assign to available in any app Dock icon Options. It also does NOT have the problem with Spotify forcing itself to the external Main Display.

That would tend to imply something you have installed on both Macs. However, you said it doesn't work in Safe Mode, either. That implies the opposite.

This makes it seem like an OS issue with Sonoma or M series Apple Silicon vs Intel.

My screenshot is from an M2 MacBook Pro.

There have been many display issues for some in Sonoma. I don't use multiple monitors except Screen Mirroring between my MBP and iPad or between my M1 Mini and either iPad or MBP.

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Answer 8

sassy monkey Author

Level 1

61 points

Nov 16, 2023 11:56 AM in response to Barney-15E

Thanks for the speedy reply, Barney!

Could it be this Dock icon > Options > assign to desktop is a legacy feature? Only options on all apps seem to be Keep in Dock, Open at Login, and Show in Finder. Here's what Spotify shows via its Dock icon:

When I launch Mission Control, Spotify shows on Desktop 2 (the built-in Extended Display where I placed it), but that's all I can do with it. There's no right clicking the app's window to set anything. It can be clicked and dragged, but that doesn't help.

I'm confused. Apps are supposed to stay where they're moved to so I don't see how Mission Control offers anything more.

The idea that my Mac sleeps before the external display is interesting. Still odd that the other 3 apps I keep on the built-in Extended Display (both Apple and 3rd party) don't have this problem.

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