Stage Manager opening apps on both external monitors at the same time

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Stage Manager opening apps on both external monitors at the same time

When using the Stage Manager and "Displays have separate Spaces", and two external monitors, I can have an application open on (lets say) the righthand-side monitor (for example, Google Chrome). When I bring a different app to the foreground on the lefthand-side monitor (say the Finder), if I have the Finder also open in the background of the righthand-side monitor, the system opens the Finder app windows to the foreground on BOTH monitors. I don't want to affect anything in the foreground of the righthand-side monitor, when I'm bring new apps to the foreground of the lefthand-side monitor. Can I adjust a setting to avoid this behavior? Thanks!

MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 10.13

Posted on Dec 19, 2023 8:28 AM

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Answer 1

May 31, 2024 5:12 AM in response to zorospeed

Hello. Any solution for this topic? It is happening to mee and it is pretty anoying. Currently running on Sonoma 14.5

for example I open the Excel on Macbook screen (Desktop 1), then open Safari on extended monitor (Desktop 2) and if I have in the same time Safari app in Stage Manager on Macbook (Desktop 1) it activate Safari on both screens and my Excel spreadsheet is gone. Annoying and it seems it is not a rule, because it is not happening regularly with all the apps but in some specific circumstances.

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Answer 2

Dec 19, 2023 9:18 AM in response to zorospeed

How are you bringing up the Finder? Using the Dock? Try doing it differently, for example by clicking the desktop of the desired display, or selecting the window that you want to use. That won't make the Finder active on other displays.

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Answer 3

zorospeed Author

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Dec 19, 2023 9:43 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Thanks for the reply. I am clicking on the thumbnail icon of the Finder window from the lefthand-side of the screen on the lefthand-side external monitor. That brings up the Finder windows that are iconified into the Stage Manager operation on both external monitors.

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Answer 4

Dec 19, 2023 10:01 AM in response to zorospeed

So you are using Stage Manager. I never turned it on, as I just don’t see the point of using it in a mac. I don’t know how it handles multiple displays. I also don’t use the Dock. Maybe someone who actually uses Stage Manager can help.

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Answer 5

zorospeed Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 19, 2023 10:41 AM in response to Luis Sequeira1

Yeah, Stage Manager is super useful when I use multiple instances of multiple apps - all at the same time. It keeps on the various apps organized on each display, with programs available at a moments notice by picking them from the lefthand-side of the monitor, rather than having to dig through them in the area of the dock that shows open programs (I don't use the dock for anything except starting common programs for the first instance of the day). Thanks for your feedback!

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Stage Manager opening apps on both external monitors at the same time

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