Multiple displays - assigning apps to displays

[Ben J.]

I just migrated from Catalina on i5 Mac Mini to Big Sur on M1 mini.
I've worked with multiple displays forever and I always used to be able to "assign application to desktop on display 1" or whatever it translates to from norwegian. I option-click on an app in the dock - select options... and set the display I want it locked to. In Big Sur, this option is gone on all apps in the dock.
Curiously, all apps that were migrated by Migration Assistant seem to still remember their default display setting, but not newly installed ones.

So it seems that the ability is still there - for apps to remember what display I want them to open on - but the option to set it is gone.

Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[zeditor61]

I have a version of this problem, using Big Sur. It was a problem before Big Sur but has gotten worse since I updated. I have the ability to assign apps to spaces/desktops by right-clicking and choosing Options. But apps open in whatever the heck space or desktop they feel like opening in half the time. And after a restart, all of the assignments are different. If I have, for example, Firefox assigned to Desktop 2 and Adobe Acrobat to Desktop 3, I will restart and find Firefox assigned to Desktop 3 and Acrobat to Desktop 2. I also am unable to uncheck "None," so my apps are simultaneously assigned to a specific desktop AND no desktop.

I'm looking forward to hearing a possible solution to this. Thank you for raising it.

 

[Ben J.]

I have a version of this problem, using Big Sur. It was a problem before Big Sur but has gotten worse since I updated. I have the ability to assign apps to spaces/desktops by right-clicking and choosing Options. But apps open in whatever the heck space or desktop they feel like opening in half the time. And after a restart, all of the assignments are different. If I have, for example, Firefox assigned to Desktop 2 and Adobe Acrobat to Desktop 3, I will restart and find Firefox assigned to Desktop 3 and Acrobat to Desktop 2. I also am unable to uncheck "None," so my apps are simultaneously assigned to a specific desktop AND no desktop.

I'm looking forward to hearing a possible solution to this. Thank you for raising it.

So you actually still have this option in Big Sur? That's strange. For me, the option was completely gone from right-clicking on all apps in the dock.
(For clarity; I had the M1 mini for a week, it was a good experience, but too many small things that didn't work, so I got a good deal on the mac in my signature and want back to Catalina and have all my functionality back. I'll just return the M1.)
I simply love how well MacOS handles displays and spaces in Catalina.

 

[zeditor61]

So you actually still have this option in Big Sur? That's strange. For me, the option was completely gone from right-clicking on all apps in the dock.
(For clarity; I had the M1 mini for a week, it was a good experience, but too many small things that didn't work, so I got a good deal on the mac in my signature and want back to Catalina and have all my functionality back. I'll just return the M1.)
I simply love how well MacOS handles displays and spaces in Catalina.

Yes, I still have the option with a right click on the apps in the dock. I'm using a MacBook Pro that's about 2 years old. I didn't have any app issues when I updated to Big Sur. But the behavior that I describe (with apps hopping to whatever desktop they want to be on) happened occasionally with Catalina, too. I use two external monitors, connected with a CalDigit hub. I hoped it might get better, but alas it got worse. I'm an editor, and I like certain things to be in certain display spaces. It mixes me up when they don't go where they are supposed to.

 

[zeditor61]

Yes, I still have the option with a right click on the apps in the dock. I'm using a MacBook Pro that's about 2 years old. I didn't have any app issues when I updated to Big Sur. But the behavior that I describe (with apps hopping to whatever desktop they want to be on) happened occasionally with Catalina, too. I use two external monitors, connected with a CalDigit hub. I hoped it might get better, but alas it got worse. I'm an editor, and I like certain things to be in certain display spaces. It mixes me up when they don't go where they are supposed to.

So, I've done some more work on this, even working with an Apple senior-level support person over the phone. I discovered something, and so far I don't know if this will be an enduring fix. When I added a Desktop using Mission Control (by clicking the plus sign in the upper right) on one of my external monitors, I ended up with one more Desktop than the right-click on the app in the Dock was displaying. In other words, Mission Control said I had Desktops 1, 2, 3, and 4 (two of them on one monitor and one each on the other two monitors). The right-click showed me only the option to assign the app to Desktop 1, 2, or 3. But after adding that fourth mysterious Desktop, the apps are staying assigned to the right monitor, even after a restart. For a while, as I was trying different combinations of Desktops and options, trying to learn how Mission Control works, there were no Desktops to assign to; just the top three options (Remove from Dock, Open at Login, Show in Finder). Adding that fourth Desktop solved that problem, too. Time will tell whether this solution "sticks."

 

[Ben J.]

So, I've done some more work on this, even working with an Apple senior-level support person over the phone. I discovered something, and so far I don't know if this will be an enduring fix. When I added a Desktop using Mission Control (by clicking the plus sign in the upper right) on one of my external monitors, I ended up with one more Desktop than the right-click on the app in the Dock was displaying. In other words, Mission Control said I had Desktops 1, 2, 3, and 4 (two of them on one monitor and one each on the other two monitors). The right-click showed me only the option to assign the app to Desktop 1, 2, or 3. But after adding that fourth mysterious Desktop, the apps are staying assigned to the right monitor, even after a restart. For a while, as I was trying different combinations of Desktops and options, trying to learn how Mission Control works, there were no Desktops to assign to; just the top three options (Remove from Dock, Open at Login, Show in Finder). Adding that fourth Desktop solved that problem, too. Time will tell whether this solution "sticks."

Wow, on first try, this works!
I just added a fourth empty desktop to my secondary monitor, and the option to assign was back!
We'll see if this is a workable, stable workaround. Thanks alot.

(I didn't see your post before, email notifications are not entirely reliable.)

 

[zeditor61]

Wow, on first try, this works!
I just added a fourth empty desktop to my secondary monitor, and the option to assign was back!
We'll see if this is a workable, stable workaround. Thanks alot.

(I didn't see your post before, email notifications are not entirely reliable.)

Oh, good, I'm so glad that worked for you! So far it's kept my desktops situation much more stable as well.

 

[Ol!ver]

Sorry to drag this back up after a couple of years, but just wondered how you were both getting on with this nowadays.

I won't like, macOS monitor handling is driving me insane 😆

 

[Ben J.]

Getting on fine.
Do you have a specific question?

 

[Ol!ver]

Getting on fine.
Do you have a specific question?

OK, so this is driving me absolutely insane and my Googling brought me here.

My setup until a couple of weeks ago was an Intel Mac mini connected to two USB-C and one HDMI monitor. Now, it's a 16-inch MacBook Pro.

While the Mac mini would sometimes do strange things on a restart, the monitor situation generally behaved itself because I never restarted it and never let it sleep — I only turned the monitors off.

With the MBP, there are new variables. Mainly that I disconnect the monitors every so often so I can actually use the MBP as a notebook. And, surprise surprise, the monitors are all over the place.

When all hooked up I have the HDMI monitor be my main monitor with the Dock etc. It ditched one USB-C monitor, kept the other, and decided to use the MBP open as the third monitor.

With me so far? TL;DR the new setup is USB-C monitor on the left, main HDMI monitor in the middle, and MBP monitor on the right.

However, while the HDMI monitor is always Monitor 1 when I wake up or plug in, the MBP and USB-C monitors swap between Display 2 and 3 at random and at will. Not always, not rarely. Just enough to drive me insane.

To make it worse, I like to have specific apps in specific Spaces on specific monitors. Each time this happens everything's in the wrong place.

I've noticed sometimes that the Mac thinks it's got an app open on a different Space to where it actually is, as mentioned in the posts above.

 

[Ben J.]

This thread was about assigning apps to specific displays/spaces/desktops, so it would have been best to start a new thread, lots of very knowledgeable people on this forum, but since you are here:

I never used apple laptops much, so others will have to chime in on specifics with the macbook's handling of displays. I can see that I need to rearrange my spaces somewhat after restarts, but like you, I keep my mini awake and on all the time, so it's a very minimal annoyance.

When you say "monitor 1" and so on, do you mean "desktop 1" etc on different spaces? Or are you saying that you have to go in the displays in system settings to arrange and organize them again because the mac 'forgot' which screen is which?

What macOS version, which MBP model?

(Added: OK, so after posting this, I see that you have now edited/added stuff to your post, and you don't even inform about it. Now, THAT'S annoying. Good luck.)

 

[Ol!ver]

I’ve not edited anything 😂 I’m not even sure you can 🤷🏻‍♂️

Oh hey, looks like you can! Either way, no I didn’t. Weird.

 

[Ben J.]

I’ve not edited anything 😂 I’m not even sure you can 🤷🏻‍♂️

Oh hey, looks like you can! Either way, no I didn’t. Weird.

I got it wrong. My bad. Sorry.