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SnapHotkey 1.1.1 — Finder Finally Works the Way You Expect - SnapHotkey

SnapHotkey 1.1.1 fixes a long-standing Finder switching issue. Hotkey activation now always brings a visible Finder window to front — no more blank screens.

SnapHotkey March 31, 2026 4 min read
release bugfix macos finder

SnapHotkey 1.1.1 is out. This release fixes a subtle but frustrating bug: pressing your Finder hotkey could leave you staring at an empty desktop with no visible window.

The Problem

Finder on macOS has a peculiar trait that makes it different from every other app: it always has a hidden “Desktop window.” This invisible system window represents your desktop background. It’s not a normal Finder window — you can’t see it, you can’t close it, and you can’t interact with it — but macOS reports it as a real window through the Accessibility API.

This caused a chain of issues:

  1. Hotkey switches to Finder, but no window appears. You press your Finder hotkey. The menu bar shows “Finder” — the switch happened. But there’s no window on screen. From the user’s perspective, nothing happened.

  2. Window cycling includes a ghost window. If you have one Finder window open and press Cmd+` to cycle, you’d land on the invisible Desktop window. Now you’re in Finder, but all you see is your wallpaper.

  3. Can’t recover from the ghost window. Once focus is on the Desktop window, pressing the Finder hotkey again should bring your real Finder window back. It didn’t — because SnapHotkey thought Finder was already active and had a window.

The root cause: SnapHotkey was counting the Desktop as a valid window, so it never triggered the “no windows — open a new one” logic.

The Fix

We now inspect every Finder window’s AXSubrole attribute through the Accessibility API. The real Finder windows report AXStandardWindow. The Desktop window reports nil. By filtering on this attribute, SnapHotkey can now accurately distinguish real, visible Finder windows from system artifacts.

Here’s what changed:

Accurate window counting. A new standardWindows() method filters out Finder’s Desktop window. Window count, cycle detection, and “no windows” checks all use this filtered list. Other apps are unaffected.

Reliable window creation. When Finder has zero standard windows — meaning the only “window” is the invisible Desktop — SnapHotkey opens a new Finder window at your home directory using NSWorkspace. This is immediate and reliable.

Explicit window raising. When Finder is already active but focus has drifted to the Desktop window (e.g., via Cmd+`), SnapHotkey now explicitly raises the first standard window using AXRaiseAction before activating. This ensures your real Finder window always comes to front.

No more ghost cycling. The Desktop window is excluded from window cycling, so Cmd+` only rotates through real Finder windows.

After the Fix

The behavior is now what you’d expect from any other app:

  • No Finder window open? Hotkey creates one and brings it to front.
  • Finder window minimized? Hotkey restores it.
  • Focus stuck on Desktop window? Hotkey brings your real window back.
  • Multiple Finder windows? Cycling works correctly, skipping the invisible Desktop.

Finder now behaves exactly like Chrome, Terminal, or any other app in SnapHotkey.

Also in 1.1.1

  • Delete confirmation. Removing a shortcut rule now asks for confirmation, preventing accidental deletions.
  • Drag handle icon. Each rule row now shows a drag handle, making it obvious that rules can be reordered by dragging.
  • Wider preferences window. The preferences window is 10% wider, giving more room for hotkey display and controls.

We Obsess Over These Details

A hotkey launcher lives or dies by reliability. If you press a key and the wrong thing happens — or nothing happens — trust erodes instantly. We spent time tracing Finder’s hidden Desktop window through Accessibility API logs, AppleScript, and AXSubrole inspection to get this right.

This is what we do: chase down every edge case so that pressing your hotkey always does exactly what you expect.

Download SnapHotkey 1.1.1 →

If your Mac hotkey shortcuts have ever stopped working unexpectedly, Mac Hotkey to Launch App Not Working? covers the common reasons and fixes. For a deeper look at the reliability comparison between native macOS methods and dedicated tools, see Best Mac Hotkey App Launchers Compared.