I use a very specific workflow with the Messages app on the Mac:
- Read my messages
- Close the Messages window with CMD-W
- Messages app is still running
- When a new message comes in, CMD-Tab to the still-open Messages app
- Press CMD-0 to re-open the Messages window
After closing the Messages window, the app has always remained open and running in the Dock and app switcher.
In Mac OS 10.14 Mojave, I similarly close the Messages window. After closing the Messages window, the Messages app is still in the foreground, running, and shows the menu bar.
When I click to some other app, however, the Messages app then immediately seemingly Quits.
The dot disappears from the dock, and (this is the key issue) I can no longer CMD-Tab to the Messages app in the app switcher.
I'm forced to go click the dock icon with my mouse or otherwise re-open the app, which is inconvenient and annoying.
After the app has Quit, besides being "Quit", it seems to behave more-or-less exactly how it used to behave pre-Mojave. The Messages process is still running and visible in Activity Monitor. Notifications continue to arrive. The dock icon gets badged.
How do I prevent Messages from quitting when I close its window?
rdar://46142132 - Mojave Messages.app should not quit when I close its window
Engineering has determined that your bug report (46142132) is a duplicate of 42085189 and will be closed.
Related links:
CMD
-W
shortcut. And, when I test your entire workflow it works fine for me. As a test, how about going through the process so that you've closed the Messages window and the Messages app icon disappears from the Application Switcher, but is still visible in Activity Monitor. Wait a few mins and then send a message to yourself from an other one of your devices (e.g. an iPhone). Does the Messages app on the Mac register that it's received a message?