Preview App windows open in the same workspace

[bogdan-developer]

Body

I’m experiencing an issue with the macOS Preview app when opening files (mostly PDFs). Each file opens in a new window, but not in the currently active workspace. Instead, the window always opens in the workspace where the first Preview window was ever created, and macOS automatically switches me to that workspace.
This makes working across multiple workspaces very disruptive.

macOS version: Sequoia 15.6
Steps to reproduce

1. Open any file using the Preview app.
2. Switch to a different workspace.
3. Open another file with Preview.

Expected result:

The new file opens in the current workspace.

Actual result:

The file opens in the workspace where the oldest Preview window exists, and macOS automatically switches to that workspace.

Additional information:

I’ve attached a short video that demonstrates the issue.
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/1b92503b-b7de-496d-9193-06acbec40201

[nikitabobko]

Can't reproduce

1. Please check that you don't have any rules in on-window-detected that might affect the behavior
2. Please check with default config
3. Please check that there is no other app that manages your focused window

[bogdan-developer]

hmm, tried all of 3 still getting the same issue. Can it be some macOS setting causing this?

[iandol]

"Prefer tabs..." should be off IIRC

[bogdan-developer]

can you maybe share the setting you have in the Desktop and Dock menu? I tried changing various of them the issue still exists...

[TaroYMD]

Any luck with this? I'm having the same issue.

AeroSpace v0.21.2-Beta 649301b
26.5.2 (25F84)

[TaroYMD]

I've recreated this with the default configuration and no non-stock applications open aside from borders. I have attached a video showing the problem and the value of aerospace debug-windows too. Interestingly some times when I try to re-create it with debug-windows active - it suddenly behaves correctly.

AeroSpace v0.21.2-Beta 649301b
MacOS Tahoe 26.5.2

preview.workspace.bug.-.no_debug_windows.mov

debug_log.txt

[jvalore-nimblepros]

I have what I think might be the same issue with VSCode.

I have existing VSCode windows open in workspace 2
I move to workspace 3 and open a terminal window.
In that terminal, run code . to open vscode.
The new VSCode window is placed in workspace 2 and my view is changed to that workspace.

I expected it to open the new window on my current workspace 3.

This is w/ the default config, no special window placement rules.