LadybirdBrowser/ladybird

macOS autocomplete popover is focus-stealing on some systems

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#4188 opened on Apr 2, 2025

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bughelp wantedmacosui

Description

When autocomplete is enable via about:settings, we display a NSPopover (https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/blob/master/UI/AppKit/Interface/Autocomplete.mm) to show autocomplete results. On some macs, this popover removes focus from the location text field when results change.

https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/7c45dd73-8fdf-438a-94a9-529cd4518248

Ref https://github.com/LadybirdBrowser/ladybird/pull/4156#issuecomment-2769130100

Contributor guide

Tech stack
objective c
Domain
desktopfrontend
Issue type
bug
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
half day
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
active
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
mostly clear
Prerequisites
macOS AppKitObjective CNSPopoverFocus management
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
30
Research direction
Investigate the NSPopover implementation in UI/AppKit/Interface/Autocomplete.mm, specifically how the popover responds to changes in its content and whether it inadvertently becomes first responder. Review the linked PR #4156 for context on previous changes. Check the video attachment to reproduce the focus stealing behavior, then adjust the popover's window level or first responder status to prevent stealing focus from the location text field.