macOS 15.2: Grey border when clicking on Desktop

[DewGuy]

macOS 15.2: If I click on the Desktop it gets a Grey border around the edges. If I click again the border goes away. What is this? Why is this?

[TheCaber]

That is the Finder showing the desktop that is behind any open app windows. Those windows are moved to the border while the desktop is displayed. Clicking again on the destop will restore the windows to their former positions with the desktop behnd them. Useful if you can't otherwise see the desktop to get at hard drives or other desktop only items.

[TheCaber]

Systen Settings->Desktop&Dock->Desktop&StageManager->ClickWallpaperToRevealDesktop

[clay]

yup, this is part of macOS 14 as well. Kind of surprised me the first time it happened to me, but it is useful every once in a while.

[RAMd®d]

Think Exposé.

When I click the top edges of the open windows form a partial/broken gray border, in Sonoma.

And does Sonoma have even less contrast in Finder than previous OSs?

[DewGuy]

The grey border occurs even if there aren't any apps or windows open when clicking on the desktop.

[hal]

DewGuy wrote:
The grey border occurs even if there aren't any apps or windows open when clicking on the desktop.

yes, it does... it's still revealing what is behind the windows even if there aren't any

[Tiangou]

TheCaber wrote:
Systen Settings->Desktop&Dock->Desktop&StageManager->ClickWallpaperToRevealDesktop

Go there and change it to “Only in Stage Manager”

[DewGuy]

Tiangou wrote:
[quote=TheCaber]
Systen Settings->Desktop&Dock->Desktop&StageManager->ClickWallpaperToRevealDesktop

Go there and change it to “Only in Stage Manager”
I decided to leave it as it is, because changing it to “Only in Stage Manager” would still take you to the Desktop without any indication, I think I prefer the visual indicator now that I understand why it's happening.