Hidden / Empty Finder Window on Window Change (command + `)

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Level 1

48 points

Hidden / Empty Finder Window on Window Change (command + `)

Issue: An empty or hidden Finder window is selected when we change the window using keyboard shortcut (command + `).

Steps to Replicate:

Open more than 1 finder windows. (Say Window A and Window B)

(Say I want to move from one finder window to another, do something, and comeback to the first finder window.) Use shortcut while on Window A: Command+` to move to Window B.

While on Window B, use the shortcut again.

Expected Outcome: I should be taken back to Window A, as only two windows of Finder are open.

Actual Outcome: I am taken to a hidden finder window and then again I have to press the shortcut to reach the actual finder window (Window A in the above example).

When the hidden finder window is loaded or shown, all the active windows on the screen in inactive state, so they would be greyed out or something. But nothing actually shows on the screen. Sometimes, I forget that I am on the hidden window and I second guess that did I miss-press the shortcut keys.

Also, after knowing about this hidden window thing, it is just plain annoying that we have to press change window shortcut (command + `) one time extra every time we want to switch finder windows.

And this only happens in case of finder. It doesn't happen to any other app, say Safari, there is no hidden safari window shown when using the same shortcut.

If finder is considering the desktop as the hidden empty window, then the desktop should be shown on switching. Current UX confuses--what exactly did we switch to on that hidden window. Also, it is of now use - the hidden window. If I need a new window, I will just open it.

If this is OS's way to persist Finder to be always open, then there can be a better implementation where changing windows ignores the hidden window.

Is there anyway I can disable the shortcut to recognize the hidden finder window?

MacBook Air 13″

Posted on Oct 22, 2025 10:38 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

neuroanatomist

Level 9

55,905 points

Oct 23, 2025 4:27 AM in response to meet_v

I see this behavior as well, but I don't believe it's a bug.

What is happening is that the 'third' folder is actually the Desktop itself. Same thing happens with only one open folder, if you use the Cycle Through Windows command (Window menu or Command-`), that one open window cycles through active and not active, and the Desktop is the active 'window' in the latter case.

Try the following: with one or more folders open, select an item on the Desktop. Use Command-` to switch to a folder then back to what you call the 'hidden finder window' (the Desktop). You’ll see the previously selected item become ‘selected’ again. Then without mouse clicking use a keyboard command such as Command-O and you'll see that the file/folder you had selected on the Desktop opens. That confirms that the Desktop is the active ‘hidden’ folder.

Consider that because Command-` operates treating the Desktop as a 'folder', you can use Cycle Through Windows to move from the Desktop to open folders. If only open folders were considered for the cycling behavior, unless you were already in an open folder the Cycle Through Windows command would have no effect.

If it is a bug, it's not new to Tahoe. I see the same behavior on one of my Macs still running Sequoia, leading me to think this is Apple's intended behavior.

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Answer 2

Oct 23, 2025 6:02 AM in response to meet_v

The short answer is there's no way for a user to affect this behavior, only Apple can make such changes and the feedback link is the way to share your desire with Apple.

It does already appear to follow recency. I created three new folders (A, B, C) and opened them in that order. Cycling through them goes in reverse order, i.e. most recently selected first so in this case, the cycle from C is B-A-desktop-C. If I click on the folders in a different order, e.g. B-C-A, then from A the cycle is C-B-Desktop-A.

So the order always cycles through folders in the reverse order of when they were last active, and Desktop will always be in the cycle as 'last' before returning to whatever folder was active when Command-` was first pressed.

There's no way to cycle between just two windows without Desktop being in the mix.

One possible workaround is to use separate Spaces. For example, if I have folder A open and active on Desktop 2 and folder B open and active on Desktop 3, then with a three-finger swipe I can switch between those desktops and thus switch directly from folder A to folder B and back, with each folder being the active one after I switch Spaces.

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Answer 3

meet_v Author

Level 1

48 points

Oct 23, 2025 6:48 AM in response to meet_v

Oh, and I found one way to mimic what I want...

Say cycle is A-B-C-Desktop. And I am on B.

For once, to reach A, I will have to go through the whole cycle or may be use a mouse to quickly reach A. But once the current one is A and the previous one is B, then I can switch back and forth using:

Command+Tick = Forward A to B

Command+Shift+Tick = Backward B to A.

It just requires one extra finger stretch and remembering the sequence for the folder, but I think I will memorize it eventually.

This works but not as intuitively for me, why, I will explain, just so that one can appreciate the situation:

My fingers rest in the normal position, left index on F and right index on J. Thumb on space. Standard way.
Say I want to switch, it is easy for pinky or ring finger to reach tab quickly and similarly, thumb to reach command key quickly.
But to press shift, that's a huge move for any of the fingers to reach on the keyboard. The fingers gets in an awkward position.
So if you are like me who switches windows may be 10 times a minute to do things, finger cramp is guaranteed with this approach.

But hey, at least there is one way to do it. Better than none. 😄

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Answer 4

Oct 22, 2025 11:29 PM in response to meet_v

I see the same behavior. This is NOT to be expected, and I think it is a bug.

I will use the feedback page to report it. Please do so as well. Neither of us will get a reply from Apple, but the more people report it, the more likely it is to fixed sooner, rather than later.

http://www.apple.com/feedback

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Answer 5

meet_v Author

Level 1

48 points

Oct 23, 2025 6:41 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Yes, the recency is followed but not in true sense. It will cycle through all folders. Only the order may be changed by user activating a window, but desktop will eventually come.

For example, A, B, C, and Desktop. A is opened 1st, then B, then C. And user is on A. Current order is A-B-C-Desktop.

Command will switch to B. Now, ideally, the order should be revised as B-A-C-Desktop.

However, in my case, the order is now B-C-Desktop-A.

So, switching to A becomes a real pain.

Your spaces idea is nice. Though, that will again require me to lift my hands and use trackpad instead of continuing on the keyboard, which I think will take more time than to just press the switching shortcut a few more times redundantly to ultimately reach to A in above example.

Guess the OS just works like this, even though really weird way, but this is the way. I will just have to accept it and press the keys more often than required.

Thanks for your support though. You at least gave a try to understand the scenario. Appreciate it.

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Answer 6

Oct 23, 2025 7:23 AM in response to meet_v

One way to switch only between A and B is to press Command-` from A to B, and then Command-Shift-` from B to A; the Shift modifier inverts the order.

Of course, it is way too easy to forget when to press or not to press Shift, but there's that.

You may want to try Path Finder, which has been around for a very long time as a "power-user" alternative to Finder. I have used it too but it was long ago. I can't say if it would work in this instance, but it used to have a demo version, so you can perhaps try it out.

Regarding this being a bug or by design: we of course don't know, but if Desktop is treated as a window by Finder, then shouldn't it also be selectable from the Window menu? It would be more consistent then, IMO.

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Answer 7

Oct 23, 2025 6:51 AM in response to meet_v

meet_v wrote:

Command+Tick = Forward A to B

Command+Shift+Tick = Backward B to A.

I feel like I used to know that. Good find. I do frequently use the reverse direction in the App Switcher (Command-Tab, but after that if you keep Command pressed then the ` key moves the selection the other direction).

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Answer 8

meet_v Author

Level 1

48 points

Oct 23, 2025 5:41 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Hmm.. If this is the intended behavior, then for me at least, this is counter-intuitive as I do not want to switch to desktop when switching to different finder windows, especially when desktop is not "brought to front", if you know what I mean---when I switch to the desktop finder window, it doesn't show up like when any other open finder window shows up on the screen. The desktop stays in the back---hidden.

So, if this was intended, it is a weird intention. As I have traveled from other OS, this is difficult to digest for me.

Also, switching follows a sequential pattern, right? On all other OS I have used, switching always follows the sequence of "last used". Similar to App Switching (command+tab). It shows previous app at the second place, so going A to B to A is possible easily. Usually how we operate in our workflows requiring app switching.

However, in finder, or may be overall in windows switching inside the app, it doesn't follow recency. Rather it "cycles" through all open windows, alas, which also includes Desktop as per your explanation.

So, let me revise my question: Any way we can "sequentialize" if that's a word the windows switching? I would desperately like to switch from Finder Window A to B to A with just two hits of the shortcut. May be something like Command+1 for Window A (if that was the first to be opened), Command+2 for Window B, etc. and so on?

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Answer 9

Oct 23, 2025 7:29 AM in response to meet_v

I just thought of something: you could program a shortcut or Automator action for this, call it "select second window", for example. Assign to it a convenient keyboard shortcut, and you're in business.