I now need to Click twice to open apps in Dock - Previously One Click

[IWT]

I installed macOS 11 Big Sur (BS) on New Year's Day. To begin with, a single Click on an app in the Dock immediately opened that app, including Finder.

This has been the case through all the recent past Operating Systems. And still is on my older Mac running macOS High Sierra, and my wife's MBP on macOS Mojave.

Since about a week ago, I find that to open an app, I need two Clicks - not a double Click - two quite separate Clicks. The second Click could be ten seconds later if I wanted.

Q. Why the change in behaviour?

I am unaware of making any changes in System Preferences. I have not downloaded any new apps, nor have there been any OS updates - my Upgrade to BS came with 11.1.

Many thanks

Ian

 

[ferrarr]

It sounds like something is interfering with your system.

Have you tried safe boot?
Have you Shut Down your Mac recently? Not just restarted?
I can click on an app in the Dock, and it will bounce until open. Does yours do that?

 

[IWT]

Shut down, reboots, Safe Mode, ran OnyX, all done.

I can click on an app in the Dock, and it will bounce until open. Does yours do that?

No. I Click an app. Nothing. Second Click, app opens and behaves normally.

To all intents and purposes, the iMac works well. My only concern is that the problem I describe might be a forerunner of something nastier??

And, thank you Bob, for your interest. Much appreciated.

Ian

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Ian, can you check the Dock preference in System Preferences and see if you have the option Animate Opening Applications checked? If that is unchecked, the application might be loading with the first click and when you click it again it's fully loaded and comes to view.

 

[IWT]

Hi Ashwin,

Thank you for help. Much appreciated.

Animate Opening Applications is checked. See below:



I ran OnyX again. No problems mentioned. No change.

The last resort is to go into Recovery and re-download macOS 11 Big Sur (BS).

As I said to Bob, this doesn't cause me sleepless nights. Two separate Clicks rather than one isn't a major issue; but it's not right. I can't get a grip on this. At first, I thought it might be a settings choice, but I can't recall making such a change, nor can I find a solution within System Preferences.

I am, by nature, a cautious person and rarely alter settings unless I completely understand the consequences.

I can live with this. Heavens, there's so many members with mega problems. I feel for them. I just hope that this might be a bug and, more importantly, not a precursor of worse things to come.

Ian

 

[MacInWin]

Do you have a second monitor? I ask because I have a second monitor on the MBP and when the focus is on the second monitor, it takes one click to move focus back to the internal screen, then a second to launch the app. But only if the system focus is on the second monitor.

 

[chscag]

Ever since Big Sur 11.1 the mail app no longer requires two clicks to open but now opens and loads on the first click. It appears that was fixed from having to use two clicks in Catalina.

But it appears that Ian's problem is the opposite. Maybe a reinstall from recovery is warranted.

Perhaps try another mouse? Or, take a look at mouse preferences (double click speed).

 

[IWT]

Do you have a second monitor? I ask because I have a second monitor on the MBP and when the focus is on the second monitor, it takes one click to move focus back to the internal screen, then a second to launch the app. But only if the system focus is on the second monitor.

Thank you, Jake. But, no, I have just the iMac. Never had a second monitor, but I appreciate your concern and input. Many thanks.

Ian

 

[IWT]

Maybe a reinstall from recovery is warranted.

Thank you Charlie. It was my last resort having just upgraded to macOS 11 Big Sur 11.1. I just don't understand why it happened so suddenly.

Mouse preferences OK.. Tried two other Mouses (mice), same situation. Re-ran OnyX. No change.

Tomorrow, I'll go into Recovery and reinstall BS.

Thanks gentlemen.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

Perhaps try another mouse? Or, take a look at mouse preferences (double click speed).

+1. Maybe try changing its 'double click speed' to what you DON'T want and then back again. That may reset its preference file.

And as Charlie said, have you got another mouse to try???

EDIT:
Opps...!!! Sorry Ian et al, I missed your #9 post before I posted somehow.

BTW: have you checked your System Preferences -> Accessibility for any mouse/pointer clicks related options???


- Patrick
=======

 

[Rod]

Try running Disk Utility First Aid if you haven't already on both volumes.

 

[IWT]

Thanks Rod.

Have been in Recovery Mode and run First Aid on all volumes. All reported No Faults.

Not totally surprising given that OnyX twice reported no faults.

To recap:

Multiple reboots & shutdowns. Tried Safe Mode. Onyx and First Aid as mentioned above. In fact, I've really done everything bar reinstall macOS 11 Big Sur via Recovery Mode.

As the problem is minor in comparison with most people's, I'm torn between a reinstall or wait for 11.2 which should be released in a few weeks. Likely, boredom and a touch of frustration may push me to the former.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

As the problem is minor in comparison with most people's, I'm torn between a reinstall or wait for 11.2 which should be released in a few weeks. Likely, boredom and a touch of frustration may push me to the former.

And that should give you some time to report any problem for them to fix before their next update version release.


- Patrick
=======

 

[IWT]

Ah, Patrick, if it were only that simple. Who knows the correct path or what to do; but I must record my gratitude to you and all the others who have taken time out to respond.

Ian

 

[pm-r]

Ah, Patrick, if it were only that simple. Who knows the correct path or what to do; but I must record my gratitude to you and all the others who have taken time out to respond.

Ian

Ian, just as a curious experiment, If you open your Keyboard Viewer and maybe TextEdit to type into, Does a single-click on a character flash In Keyboard Viewer and/or show up in TextEdit??

I am just wondering if it needs a double-click there as well to get the key to flash or show up in TextEdit???


- Patrick
=======

 

[IWT]

Patrick, I'm very grateful for your support. What is Keyboard Viewer? I can access Keyboard via System Preferences but doesn't help.

I'm on macOS 11 Big Sur 11.1 if that makes a difference. Sorry for this.

Ian

 

[chscag]

Ian, just as a curious experiment, If you open your Keyboard Viewer and maybe TextEdit to type into, Does a single-click on a character flash In Keyboard Viewer and/or show up in TextEdit??

Patrick:

The keyboard viewer is no longer a default option in Big Sur. You first need to designate two input sources (such as Korean and Japanese) before the input item appears in the top menu. From there you can select the keyboard viewer.

See the following article:

Use the Keyboard Viewer on Mac

On your Mac, use the Keyboard Viewer to see where characters in another language are located on your keyboard.

support.apple.com

 

[Rod]

Ian, can you remind me which Mac you are having this issue with.
I'm interested in Charlie's post #7 where he mentions Safari requiring 2 clicks to open in the first version of Big Sur. I've had both releases and that hasn't happened to me in either so that would seem to indicate that there is an issue of some sort launching apps from the dock in BS. It may be device specific.
There are certainly lots of articles online about apps not launching properly or at all on BS but yours is a variation of them in that they do launch but require two clicks to do so.
My thoughts are that reinstalling is worth a try. Did you just instal BS over your existing macOS or a clean instal?

 

[chscag]

@Rod:

Not Safari, the Mail App. And it formerly required two clicks - back in Mojave and Catalina. But now with Big Sur, it opens with one click.

 

[MacInWin]

My observation is that it's app-specific. Mail was a problem, as Charlie said, but other apps open with just one.