Mac OS 26- Icons in dock single click

Was having the same issue, had to click twice in the dock after updating to Tahoe. Ticking the box "When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application" seems to have solved the "issue". Thanks.

Just a data point: my mac did not exhibit this behavior before or after updating to MacOS 26.

I don't know of any settings that control such behavior, but that doesn't mean there aren't any, of course.

Standard troubleshooting: login as different user and test, Start up your Mac in safe mode and test. This helps rule in/out third party software conflicts.

Mountainboy wrote:

• This is one of those small but annoying things. In previous versions of macOS, I could single-click an application in the Dock and it would bring up its window (and space, if applicable).

In macOS Tahoe, if an app is already running and I single-click its Dock icon, the app is selected—the menu bar changes—but no window appears. I have to double-click the Dock icon to actually bring the window forward.

For example:

Mail is running, collapsed in the Dock

• I click the Mail icon: it shows as selected, the menu bar says Mail

• But no Mail window opens

• If I double-click the Dock icon, then the window/space appears

I’m wondering if there’s a setting in System Settings that changed or got reset. Right now, this behavior is super annoying

hmmm...

Have you shut down and restarted more than once since your upgraded macOS...

it is not a setting issue.

I can still single click open app on the Dock(?) —it is spotlight search where now I have to double click :(

for your window issue—

You can quit the problem apps and relaunch them holding the Shift key down and compare your results

That sounds like the same old thing related to multiple spaces and the "switch to a space where there are application windows."

I don't know what causes it or fixes it.

Perhaps restarting or maybe starting up in Safe Mode and then restarting normally.

I'm also not seeing the behavior you describe. For example with the Mail open, a single click on the dock icon takes me to the Mail app if I'm in a different Space. If the app is hidden, a single click of the dock icon shows it. If all Mail windows are closed, a single click of the dock icon opens the main Mail window. In Preview, if I click on the dock icon the app becomes active and if no windows were open, I see the Open dialog presented.

Odd. works fine for me on an M3 iMac and an M4 MacBook Air.