Issues clicking linked UI elements within steam mac client windows.

[4rk]

For a year or more I've had an issue whereby frequently I cannot actionably click on anything within what is effectively a webview (iframe?) in the steam client. I am using the Beta client built May 20th 2016, but have had this issue since at least July 2015 if not in fact earlier like January 2014.

For example, when the "Steam - Self Updater" dialog shows, I CAN click restart steam or close buttons, but I CAN'T click any of the [+] folded links next to the "Steam Client Beta" headings, nor "See all 60 comments". I CAN use the friends list, and within the Game Library view I CAN change between the STORE, LIBRARY, COMMUNITY, 4RK tabs and it's menus.

E.G. on the STORE Featured page, I CAN'T click the Wishlist link, nor the links that Browse by "Free to play" "Early Access" "Action" etc. If I roll over any of the top navigation items with a down arrow, like Games, Software, Hardware, Videos etc it will show the rollover drop down menu. I CAN'T click any of these nor the menu contents. Clicking on any of these linked words does nothing, double clicking selects the text of the word I'm over. This extends to all links such as clicking the featured game a popular new release, or the "Top Sellers" or "Specials" tab. Again, it's not just in the store, it's in any UI element that seems to be a web view with text links. Clicking on a scroll bar however works as does dragging the scroll bar handle, but not if click on the arrows in either direction of the scroll bar, that doesn't work. The scroll wheel does work.

I haven't brought this up even though it's been an issue for as long as I remember because what I found was if I close the steam games window, or whatever window is failing to interact, and then reopen it, I have a 30% chance of the reopened window actually working. Once I have one that works, I try to remember not to close it ever.

It can't just be me though can it, is there some preference or setting to clear that will make this finally work normally 100% of the time instead of 30%? What is going on with this Chromium based UI Steam Client that is so messed up? Is this the old and messy Chromium Embedded Framework, or the slightly newer possibly also messy NWJS or Electron?

[MuskratFarms]

Trust me it's not just you. Steam on OS X always feels like it's about to fall apart, it hasn't been given proper retina display support yet, and it's still using the old 'Aqua' window controls almost 2 years after Apple stopped using them in Yosemite.

[4rk]

Originally posted by Thezez:

Trust me it's not just you. Steam on OS X always feels like it's about to fall apart,…

Is there somewhere appropriate to file a bug or track an existing bug on this?

[MuskratFarms]

Probably the best bet is Steam Support https://support.steampowered.com/newticket.php

[Mochnant]

I've got this same issue, unfortunately. Have you heard anything back on that bug ticket?

[4rk]

I haven't. But I read a work around where it seems the web parts of the steam client are confused about the modifier keys that were held down while the app had the focus and relased when it did not. It seems that they retain the idea that the modifier is being held. Thus any clicks count as control clicks or shift clicks, which might trigger a context menu in a normal browser, but that is disabled in steam.
The work around being to select some of the text to show you have the focus, tap shift, tap control, and now use the mouse to click and your clicks will be unmodified by shift or control.

It's been working so far. But this still needs to be fixed.

[Mochnant]

This still happens to me litterally ever day. The work around is to Shift-click the links (so they spawn a new window), then you can either read that window or close the window and click on the now working link on the main page.

Pretty boggling that it has not been fixed yet.

[redhook347]

I frequently have the same issue, and find flipping out of Steam to a different application and back lets me click links again.

[f0leyme1ster]

still hasn't been fixed yet

[jasonpz]

I am on the Store front page, and I want to click a graphic for "Hollow Knight" to go to the game specific page, so I can buy it. You're losing conversions with this bug. I should buy it direct.

I'm running on a Macbook 15" Retina with the MacOS 10.12.5, and rebooted Steam and it still doesn't work properly.

I also got an issue playing maximised videos where CMD-TAB or swiping would not exit the view, and I had to hard reboot the laptop because Steam had taken over full control of the desktop and would not relinquish.

For the revenues you make, surely you could put some investments into basic quality control on the MacOS version of your client.

[Mochnant]

Really amazing that such a major bug has been allowed to exist for so long.

[Grego]

according to my experience, "open at login" was the cause of this bug. if you try to open manually, you may get same result as me. everything works just fine as it should be.

[jasonpz]

I never did buy Hollow Knight. Point proven.

[kittylitterproduction]

Originally posted by 4rk:

I haven't. But I read a work around where it seems the web parts of the steam client are confused about the modifier keys that were held down while the app had the focus and relased when it did not. It seems that they retain the idea that the modifier is being held. Thus any clicks count as control clicks or shift clicks, which might trigger a context menu in a normal browser, but that is disabled in steam.
The work around being to select some of the text to show you have the focus, tap shift, tap control, and now use the mouse to click and your clicks will be unmodified by shift or control.

It's been working so far. But this still needs to be fixed.

Thanks for that. Works for me.