Bug report: Online update dialogs should NOT appear in front of other apps

CyborgOne

I love how much information Quicken gives regarding the status of its online updates. Not only a report of any issues, but a clear summary of all accounts which were updated, how many transactions were downloaded for each, etc.

HOWEVER, these status windows (e.g. Sync Errors and Connection Status) should NOT be brought to the foreground of ALL applications - but instead, should remain application-modal. Meaning: When I'm here in my web browser, typing up this post, I should NOT be confronted with a "Sync Error" from Quicken (which is currently operating in the background), appearing IN FRONT OF my active application, and hiding a majority of this window.

How do we best report this bug in the window management UI for the app, to result in an update which keeps Quicken windows in their lane?

NotACPA

I'm not sure that it's a bug … but rather you not liking something that's "working as intended".

BUT, what you can do is post an IDEA, and see if other users support it. That's how user-initiated changes happen.

CyborgOne

Thanks, @NotACPA - I appreciate the info.

However, note that this behavior is new with a recent update (version 7.6, perhaps 7.5?) - it never acted like this before. And, this behavior is also clearly in violation of Apple's human interface guidelines (ref: https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/designing-for-macos ). Background applications should not assume control over the user-selected foreground application; alert windows and other informational dialogs can be application modal, but should never surface themselves in front of a different foregrounded app.

I'd be happy to duplicate this post as such an "idea" (I assume, at https://community.quicken.com/categories/quicken-product-ideas ), but this behavior needs to be recognized as a higher priority regression from prior behavior, and significant usability concern.

CyborgOne

Update: It seems the issue is occurring primarily (solely?) with the "Sync Errors" window which is appearing after EVERY update attempt. All updates actually succeed, but this alert window is still being displayed - and is incorrectly appearing in front of other application windows.

So, I cannot be sure this is a new error with a recent version of the application. It might have been there for a very-long time, and is only surfacing with this new sync error.

Still a bug with the display priorities for this window, but if I can resolve the core issue, perhaps it won't be as impactful.

jacobs

It seems the issue is occurring primarily (solely?) with the "Sync Errors" window which is appearing after EVERY update attempt. All updates actually succeed, but this alert window is still being displayed

@CyborgOne You might want to try changing the dropdown menu at the bottom of the Connection Status window to "Automatically show me this window: Only if there are errors". With his setting I almost never see the window after my downloads.

CyborgOne

Good call, @jacobs - but even with this preferences changed for the "Connection Status" window, the "Sync Errors" window was still (inexplicably) appearing upon each update.

I've now walked through a cloud reset action (Settings → Connected Services → Cloud Account: Reset), and it seems to have addressed the core issue. That error associated with sync updates, no longer appears to be apparent.

Still… it would be great to keep sync alerts local to the application, and not being promoted in front of other applications. Is this bug something which can be escalated in some other way?