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[ARTICLE · art-68895] src=github.com ↗ pub= topic=developer-tools verified=true sentiment=· neutral

Show HN: Interact with inactive macOS windows without selecting the window first

A developer created a Hammerspoon script that enables click-through on macOS, allowing users to interact with UI elements in inactive windows without first selecting the window. The script, built with AI assistance, addresses the inconsistent click-through behavior across applications and has been tested on the macOS Golden Gate beta. The project is shared on Hacker News for feedback and improvements.

read1 min views1 publishedJul 22, 2026

macOS requires users to 'select' a window first before being able to interact with UI elements within. This leads to more clicks, and I personally found this tedious. Furthermore, this behavior was inconsistent, with some applications actually supporting 'Click Through'.

I was not able to find any solutions online without drastically changing the behavior of the OS. In the end I found Hammerspoon and via AI, quickly put together a neat script that seems to work flawlessly (I have also already tested it works on the beta of Golden Gate).

This script enables click through on macOS, allowing you to click UI elements inside inactive windows without clicking the window first, solving the aforementioned problem.

Feel free to try it out and submit improvements. I submitted this on HN since I figured some users are looking for something similar since a few years.

Comments URL: [https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49009557](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49009557)

Points: 1

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