Add Send Click To Another Window Without Losing Focus as a Mac TIL

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jbranchaud
2026-11-03 12:04:28 -06:00
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@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ working across different projects via [VisualMode](https://www.visualmode.dev/).
For a steady stream of TILs, [sign up for my newsletter](https://visualmode.kit.com/newsletter).
_1895 TILs and counting..._
_1896 TILs and counting..._
See some of the other learning resources I work on:
@@ -793,6 +793,7 @@ If you've learned something here, support my efforts writing daily TILs by
- [Reveal Location Of File In Finder.app](mac/reveal-location-of-file-in-finder-app.md)
- [Run A Hardware Check](mac/run-a-hardware-check.md)
- [Run AppleScript Commands Inline In The Terminal](mac/run-applescript-commands-inline-in-the-terminal.md)
- [Send Click To Another Window Without Losing Focus](mac/send-click-to-another-window-without-losing-focus.md)
- [Set A Window To Its Default Zoom Level](mac/set-a-window-to-its-default-zoom-level.md)
- [Set Default Search Directory For Finder](mac/set-default-search-directory-for-finder.md)
- [Specify App When Opening From Command Line](mac/specify-app-when-opening-from-command-line.md)
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
# Send Click To Another Window Without Losing Focus
This is a fun trick for MacOS -- you can `Cmd+Click` on a window that is out of
focus to send a click to that window without transitioning focus from the
current window to that one. Put another way, you can click-through on an
inactive window without changing the active window.
Let's say I have my [logseq](https://logseq.com/) notes window focused. In the
background is a Chrome window that I'm referencing as I type notes. However
there is a pop up obscuring the Chrome window. Typically to dismiss that pop up,
I'd have to click on Chrome once just to transition focus to Chrome. Then I
would have to click the `x` to dismiss the pop-up. Then I would have to click
back on the logseq window to transition focus back to it.
Instead, I can hold down `cmd` as I click on the `x` in Chrome. The click will
get sent through to Chrome dismissing the pop up and logseq will remain the
focused window. That's one click instead of three.
I wish I could remember where I learned this trick so that I could give credit.
I have a feeling it might have been [Justin Searls](https://justin.searls.co/)
though. And I unfortunately cannot find any official Apple documentation on
this.
One thing to note is that while this will probably work across most apps, I
believe it can be overridden by certain apps that implement custom UIs.