Problem
Launching or quitting an ordinary macOS app can intermittently make the pointer flash and jump across the menu bar several times.
Root cause
OverflowBar refreshed after every NSWorkspace application launch/termination notification. Computer-use and media activity also create short-lived layer-25 windows such as AudioVideoModule and System Status Item Clone. Those transient windows changed the WindowServer signature, so an otherwise unrelated app lifecycle event triggered a full scan and automatic hidden-layout repair.
The repair retried moving a selected visible status item (the Clock in the reproduced case) three times. Each targeted Command-drag temporarily moved and restored the physical pointer, producing the repeated flashes.
Fix
- On app launch/termination, refresh only when the stable status-item signature actually changed.
- Exclude always-visible privacy/media indicators and WindowServer status-item animation clones from discovery signatures.
- Exclude
System Status Item Clone from selectable scanner results.
Real third-party status-item windows remain part of the signature and continue to be discovered. Wake refresh and the low-duty-cycle monitoring fallback remain unchanged.
Acceptance criteria
- Launching and quitting an ordinary app does not trigger hidden-layout Command-drags or move the pointer.
- Temporary Screen Recording / Audio & Video indicators and
System Status Item Clone windows do not trigger discovery refreshes.
- Genuine status-item creation/removal is still detected.
- The installed
/Applications/OverflowBar.app is exercised on the physical Mac.
- Selected real status items remain hidden and restorable.
Problem
Launching or quitting an ordinary macOS app can intermittently make the pointer flash and jump across the menu bar several times.
Root cause
OverflowBar refreshed after every
NSWorkspaceapplication launch/termination notification. Computer-use and media activity also create short-lived layer-25 windows such asAudioVideoModuleandSystem Status Item Clone. Those transient windows changed the WindowServer signature, so an otherwise unrelated app lifecycle event triggered a full scan and automatic hidden-layout repair.The repair retried moving a selected visible status item (the Clock in the reproduced case) three times. Each targeted Command-drag temporarily moved and restored the physical pointer, producing the repeated flashes.
Fix
System Status Item Clonefrom selectable scanner results.Real third-party status-item windows remain part of the signature and continue to be discovered. Wake refresh and the low-duty-cycle monitoring fallback remain unchanged.
Acceptance criteria
System Status Item Clonewindows do not trigger discovery refreshes./Applications/OverflowBar.appis exercised on the physical Mac.