dragging icon to dock won't open file if the app is already open

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Level 1

8 points

dragging icon to dock won't open file if the app is already open

2020 M1 MBA running 11.3.1

when I drop a document on an app icon in the dock, the file doesn't open if the app is running.

Instead I get the below image - which seems to be a list of past documents the app has opened. If the app is closed the document opens normally. I tried disabling "Force Click" on the trackpad, following another thread on the help board, but that didn't work.

If an app is **not** running dragging a document onto the dock icon works normally.

Posted on May 27, 2021 8:56 AM

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Answer 1

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,776 points

May 27, 2021 9:02 AM in response to hoodsmom

Your image isn’t showing. If you pasted it in, that doesn’t work. You need to use the Image insert burton in the Toolbar.

However, it sounds like you are pressing to hard invoking Force Touch from a Trackpad gesture. Force Touch on the Icon in the Dock will show the Recent Documents.

It could also be you are just hovering too long. I’m not at a Mac at the Moment to evaluate the various options.

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Answer 2

hoodsmom Author

Level 1

8 points

May 27, 2021 10:46 AM in response to dialabrain

Thanks. I was using a very light touch (and I tried disabling Force Click), but I have 3-finger drag enabled and I've been trying to use it as much as possible to spare the spring in my trackpad. There must be something about 3-finger drag that increases the amount of time the OS interprets as hovering, because no matter how quickly I let go when dragging with 3-fingers, I can't get a doc to open with drag-and-drop (I have spring-loaded folders set to as short as possible BTW). But if I switch to clicking the bottom left corner and doing the drag and drop with 2 fingers, drag and drop works as expected.

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Answer 3

dialabrain

Level 10

125,465 points

May 27, 2021 9:03 AM in response to hoodsmom

FWIW, drag & dropping to an icon does work. However, you will get the screen you posted if you hover too long over the icon before dropping the file.

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Answer 4

dialabrain

Level 10

125,465 points

May 27, 2021 9:07 AM in response to Barney-15E

Barney-15E wrote:

Your image isn’t showing.

It shows for me.

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

125,465 points

May 27, 2021 11:09 AM in response to hoodsmom

You're welcome. I actually didn't try it with three-finger drag set. When I tried using that previously, apparently I'm not coordinated enough. I'm used to a mouse. :)

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Answer 6

Barney-15E

Level 10

116,776 points

May 27, 2021 4:54 PM in response to dialabrain

dialabrain wrote:

Barney-15E wrote:

Your image isn’t showing.

It shows for me.

I was on I-10 at the time. May ha be been a connection issue.

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dragging icon to dock won't open file if the app is already open

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