Clicking macOS Notification Doesn't Focus Message Input

[karlhorky]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

• I am using Signal-Desktop as provided by the Signal team, not a 3rd-party package.

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Bug Description

When Signal desktop on macOS is not already focused, clicking on a notification doesn't cause the message input to be focused, leading to bad UX for keyboard users

Steps to Reproduce

1. Focus another application other than Signal Desktop on macOS
2. Receive a message from a conversation partner and click on the notification
3. The message input is not focused, meaning that you cannot start typing a reply without manually focusing the input 😵

I tested this also on Windows, and it also occurs there.

Actual Result:

The message input is not focused

Expected Result:

The message input should be focused, and ready to accept input

Screenshots

Platform Info

Signal Version:

5.37.0 Production (M1)

Operating System:

macOS Monterey 12.3.1

Linked Device Version:

5.34.5

Link to Debug Log

Related

Potentially resolved by #4998 (even though the input field should probably just be properly focused instead)

Almost related, but the author did not push for the focus: #4950

[indutny-signal]

@karlhorky thanks for opening this. As it stands, this is doesn't seem to be a bug report... Could you please open a feature request as described here?

Sorry to redirect you!

[karlhorky]

Hm, why do you think that it's a feature request? Seems like a pretty big UX bug to me... all other instant messenger apps work this way.

Signal is breaking a UX expectation - this, in my eyes, is a bug.

What is the justification for labeling this a feature?

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In addition to that, putting this in the Community Forum like @josh-signal has suggested in #5541 feels like it's just going to disappear into a vast sea of unreviewed posts that the Signal team will never get around to looking at.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

We explicitly focus the message that generated the notification - that's the current design, and likely won't change soon. What you're maybe looking for is CMD+Shift+T, which will take you to the text box so you can type your reply.

[karlhorky]

What you're maybe looking for is CMD+Shift+T, which will take you to the text box so you can type your reply.

Learning a hotkey is not something that users should have to do - all other messenger apps allow for typing as soon as you click the notification.

[karlhorky]

#4998 would be an acceptable alternative, but really focusing the message input is the right UX design decision.

[karlhorky]

I guess just another reason to advocate more people to move to Telegram instead of Signal.

Too bad that user experience is not a priority!