DEVONthink window not shown via spotlight

Updated Macbook to Big Sur, now spotlight via command-spacebar doesn’t switch to DEVONthink. Only DEVONthink menubar is shown but not DEVONthink window. Running 3.6.1. Bug or setting?

Was DEVONthink already running? It’s also possible that DEVONthink’s Spotlight index is outdated and contains e.g. references to databases which don’t exist anymore (e.g. after deleting databases in the Finder instead of in DEVONthink). Did you try results which should definitely exist?

Won’t work on both spotlight and alfred. Won’t work when DEVONthink is running, works if DEVONthink is closed.

Is anything logged to Windows > Log or an error sound played? Which version of DEVONthink & Big Sur actually?

Hi, mentioned in original post that it’s DT v3.6.1. Laptop runs latest versions for all software OS alfred spotlight. Macbook Pro 2020 before M1.

No error sound or anything in windows logs. Laptop running another application and spotlight or alfred calling DT only shows DT menu. Can see, pulldown DTmenu. But no DT window. Command tab to switch to DT is ok.

Able to call up DT on spotlight or alfred if DT is close before using spolight or alfred. Was working ok before big sur.

I just tried this successfully. A screenshot of Preferences > Sorter and of the Spotlight result might be useful.

Should be a bug as I had similar problem before as well when my sorter preference was shown as dock tab. No issue when selected as menu extra.

Solved! Confirmed bug having it in dock cos working as set sorter in menubar.

Could you please clarify this? Thanks!

Maybe I can help. Not 100% sure though, think it’s related to spaces and sorter. DEVONthink is running on desktop 2, sorter has “shown as dock tab” position middle left of screen. Go to desktop 1, typed DEVONthink in spotlight only result in DEVONthink menu appearing on top but screen doesn’t show DEVONthink, checked desktops position and I am still in desktop 1. It should have moved to desktop 2 where DEVONthink is running. Strange thing is that everything is ok when sorter has “shown as menu extra”. Not sure what others are using when they encounter this bug.

I don’t believe this is a bug with DEVONthink, rather a side effect of how Spotlight works. When you select DEVONthink 3 in Spotlight it appears to look for the top most window of the application and make that active. When the Sorter is shown in the Dock it will always be the top most window.

You can see the same effect in other applications such Apple mail when its Photo Browser window is open. Go to a different desktop and Enter Mail in Spotlight and it will show the Photo Browser window not the main Mail window.

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