Stop the Mac OS from automatically taking me to an app that has completed loading in the background

AFAICT, there is no setting to change that; but I found an old post suggesting that one can do it

with a simple Automator workflow.

All it takes is one action, like this example:

The workflow runs quickly, but the application may take some time to load; when it finishes, it does not come to the front.

If you use the Dock to launch apps, you could make a few of these Automator applications for your applications that take a long time, and put these in the Dock rather than the icons for the actual applications.

Click, go to Mail or whatever, and let the applications start in the background.

Or you can use something as above to launch several applications at once.

Alternatively, you could make a single Automator Quick Action, accepting whatever is selected in the Finder, and launching that in the background:

Follow on

You can also use the information from this link below to Use Multi Applications each in separate Desktop

Work in multiple spaces on Mac

---Y--- wrote:

Let's say that I am typing an email in my web browser and I have some apps that are opening in the background, while I work. When each app completes opening, I am automatically taken to it by the Mac OS. This is really annoying, as I want to continue working in my web browser, without being interrupted.

This is more an issue not done by the Operating System but rather the Work Flow of the user

Right now as I type this reply using Safari on macOS 14.4.1 Sonoma.

I have Safari In focus as the main Open windows

When I open Mail application and then add Notes to the mix

The Last Opened and visible Application does become the Main In Focused application

Depending on the addition applications being opened

Like Mail and Notes, just use the Red Button it top left of each application

It does not Close or Quit the application

It does remove their Open Windows.

They are still active and running in the Dock

Denoted by the little Black Dot beneath each active and running application like Mail, Notes, Safari

Finder is always running

So, the problem that I want to fix is that I want to stop the Mac OS from taking me to an app that is loading in the background, once that app has completed loading.

Please note:

This does not relate to apps automatically opening on start up, I know how to alter the settings for that.

There is a successor to using Separate Desktops but in you case not available in mcOS 12 Monterey

Organize your Mac desktop with Stage Manager

This was introduced in macOS 13 Ventura and above