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Big Sur: some applications don't show simultaneously

Recently my MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 Ports, Big Sur 11.6.1) shows a curious behaviour.


When I run several applications, some background apps disappear. Suppose I run Finder, Safari, Mail, Word, Excel and some other third-party apps. When I use Word, all the apps other than Word and Excel disappear. They don’t show even on Mission Control. 


I have to choose a missing one (e.g. Safari) from Dock, and if I do so, the MS apps disappear in return.


The combination of the apps simultaneously visible is unstable. It changes from time to time. The worst is when Finder and Safari cease to coexist. I cannot drag & drop files onto a pane.


Does anyone know how to fix it? Thanks for just reading too.

MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

Posted on Dec 30, 2021 2:03 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Dec 30, 2021 7:32 AM

Since I can't say I've seen that, ever, and there is a way to have only one app showing (but not two or three), I have to ask, are they on a different desktop on Mission Control. Sure, you said you checked, but if you invoke Mission Control, you only see the one Desktop that you are currently on. If you ctrl-right arrow or -left arrow, do the other apps show up?

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Dec 30, 2021 7:32 AM in response to AglioOlio

Since I can't say I've seen that, ever, and there is a way to have only one app showing (but not two or three), I have to ask, are they on a different desktop on Mission Control. Sure, you said you checked, but if you invoke Mission Control, you only see the one Desktop that you are currently on. If you ctrl-right arrow or -left arrow, do the other apps show up?

Big Sur: some applications don't show simultaneously

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