Apps spontaneously lose focus

Configuration Help & General Discussion
1

Ever since I installed BTT I'm finding that apps randomly lose focus. I'll be typing a sentence in Word, or a URL in Safari, and then suddenly the app is no longer in focus and my keystrokes aren't being registered. I then have to click back in the app to regain focus and continue my work. I'm using my laptop in clamshell mode with a keyboard and mouse, so it's not me accidentally touching the trackpad.

Is there any way to correct this? It's very frustrating. Running MacOS Monterey 12.6.8 on an Intel Mac if that matters. Thanks.

2

what kind if triggers do you you have configured in BTT? Best check in the recently used section what triggers have executed recently

Maybe something you are running accidentally causes a focus change

3

The only triggers I have are a couple of Function keys in Outlook, Word, and BBEdit (for signatures and a repetitive email response), and two window snaps. I know I really don't use BTT to the best of it's ability.

4

I’d still recommend to check in the recently used section. BTT won’t change focus on its own, thus it must be some trigger (if it is only happening while BTT is running)

5

Ok, it just happened while typing a message in Messages. Here is the list of Recently Used, all these I'm aware of and used earlier in the day.

Screen Shot 2024-03-25 at 11.05.46 PM
Screen Shot 2024-03-25 at 11.05.46 PM1100×828 66 KB

6

Ok, those don't look like they could trigger accidentally.

Have you tried working with BTT quit for a while to see whether it still happens?

7

Hi,

I'm experiencing the same issue since some weeks. I've narrowed it down to BTT as well - the problem doesn't happen, when it's not running.
Unfortunately, the active application based on the title shown in the Mac menu bar is still the previous application, but focus is lost (already happened, while I was typing this).

I also don't have any relevant recent triggers listed. I'm using version 4.501.

Any thoughts?

I'd now start to disable features of BTT, like the configured keyboard shortcuts to hopefully narrow it down.

Thanks for your help
Steffen

8

Does it affect all of your apps, or only a select few?

9

In my case it happens in all apps. Obviously it's more noticeable when you are actively doing something like typing, but I can be watching a YouTube video in Safari and notice the change in the color at the top of the browser when it looses focus.

And like above, it happened while I was typing this message. Very frustrating.

10

Are you sure this stops when you quit BTT?

What version of BTT are you running?

I could imagine it being some script that is run from within BTT, but as you mention you are only using keyboard shortcuts that's probably not it. Did you import any user made preset into BTT?

11

Yes. Version 4.495 (though I just got a prompt for an update to 4.526). I have no imported any user made presets, I basically use BTT for two hotspots to organize windows, and four function keys to paste in boilerplate text I use frequently.

12

As it seems to be a very rare/specific issue I could imagine some conflict with some other (maybe not so common) app, but unfortunately I have no idea what it could be ;-(

13

I had the exact same issue, and could not solve it. So I built this small tool to find the culprit (in my case, it was a Logitech SW)

I know this tread is a bit old, but I hope that my tool can help anyone who are still looking for a solution to this issue.