Key binds fail to work suddenly on Mac OS

[Metahemeralism]

• This is a new bug that hasn't been documented in a closed issue or in the Readme.

macOS version: 15.5
Rectangle version: Latest
Logs if applicable (In Rectangle menu, hold option, "View Logging..."):

bundleId	"com.knollsoft.Rectangle"
defaults
SUEnableAutomaticChecks
bool	false
allowAnyShortcut
bool	false
almostMaximizeHeight
float	0
almostMaximizeWidth
float	0
altThirdCycle
int	0
alternateDefaultShortcuts
bool	true
alwaysAccountForStage
int	0
applyGapsToMaximize
int	0
applyGapsToMaximizeHeight
int	0
attemptMatchOnNextPrevDisplay
int	0
autoMaximize
int	0
cascadeAllDeltaSize
float	30
centerHalfCycles
int	0
centeredDirectionalMove
int	0
cornerSnapAreaSize
float	20
curtainChangeSize
int	0
cycleSizesIsChanged
bool	false
disabledApps	{}
doubleClickTitleBar
int	0
doubleClickTitleBarIgnoredApps	{}
doubleClickTitleBarRestore
int	0
dragFromStage
int	0
enhancedUI
int	1
footprintAlpha
float	0.3
footprintAnimationDurationMultiplier
float	0
footprintBorderWidth
float	2
footprintColor	{}
footprintFade
int	0
fullIgnoreBundleIds	{}
gapSize
float	0
hapticFeedbackOnSnap
int	0
hideMenubarIcon
bool	false
ignoreDragSnapToo
int	0
ignoredSnapAreas
int	0
landscapeSnapAreas
string	"null"
launchOnLogin
bool	true
minimumWindowHeight
float	0
minimumWindowWidth
float	0
missionControlDragging
int	0
missionControlDraggingAllowedOffscreenDistance
float	25
missionControlDraggingDisallowedDuration
int	250
moveCursor
int	0
moveCursorAcrossDisplays
int	0
notifiedOfProblemApps
bool	false
obtainWindowOnClick
int	0
portraitSnapAreas
string	"null"
relaunchOpensMenu
bool	false
resizeOnDirectionalMove
bool	false
screenEdgeGapBottom
float	0
screenEdgeGapLeft
float	0
screenEdgeGapRight
float	0
screenEdgeGapTop
float	0
screenEdgeGapTopNotch
float	0
screenEdgeGapsOnMainScreenOnly
bool	false
screensOrderedByX
int	0
selectedCycleSizes
int	0
shortEdgeSnapAreaSize
float	145
showAllActionsInMenu
int	0
sixthsSnapArea
int	0
sizeOffset
float	0
snapEdgeMarginBottom
float	5
snapEdgeMarginLeft
float	5
snapEdgeMarginRight
float	5
snapEdgeMarginTop
float	5
snapModifiers
int	0
specifiedHeight
float	1050
specifiedWidth
float	1680
stageSize
float	190
subsequentExecutionMode
int	1
systemWideMouseDown
int	0
systemWideMouseDownApps	{}
todo
int	0
todoApplication	{}
todoMode
bool	false
todoSidebarSide
int	1
todoSidebarWidth
float	400
traverseSingleScreen
int	0
unsnapRestore
int	0
windowSnapping
int	1
shortcuts
bottomHalf
keyCode	125
modifierFlags	786432
bottomLeft
keyCode	38
modifierFlags	786432
bottomRight
keyCode	40
modifierFlags	786432
center
keyCode	8
modifierFlags	786432
centerThird
keyCode	3
modifierFlags	786432
firstThird
keyCode	2
modifierFlags	786432
firstTwoThirds
keyCode	14
modifierFlags	786432
larger
keyCode	24
modifierFlags	786432
lastThird
keyCode	5
modifierFlags	786432
lastTwoThirds
keyCode	17
modifierFlags	786432
leftHalf
keyCode	123
modifierFlags	1048576
maximize
keyCode	126
modifierFlags	1048576
maximizeHeight
keyCode	126
modifierFlags	917504
nextDisplay
keyCode	124
modifierFlags	1835008
previousDisplay
keyCode	123
modifierFlags	1835008
reflowTodo
keyCode	45
modifierFlags	786432
restore
keyCode	51
modifierFlags	786432
rightHalf
keyCode	124
modifierFlags	1048576
smaller
keyCode	27
modifierFlags	786432
toggleTodo
keyCode	11
modifierFlags	786432
topHalf
keyCode	126
modifierFlags	786432
topLeft
keyCode	32
modifierFlags	786432
topRight
keyCode	34
modifierFlags	786432
version	"97"

[rxhanson]

Thanks for reporting, and for including your settings. Nothing is out of the ordinary there. Would you mind pasting what the logs show when this happens? Open the log viewer by holding the option key in the menu bar menu and selecting View Logging, then execute a keyboard shortcut.

[garyharan]

I just had a windowserver crash on my computer and whenever I was attempting to use Rectangle I had the following appear in logs:

2025-10-20T13:58:59-04:00: Unable to obtain window id
2025-10-20T13:58:59-04:00: Unable to obtain window id
2025-10-20T13:59:00-04:00: Unable to obtain window id

And an audible bell saying I couldn't do the action.

A computer restart corrected the issue for me.

[rxhanson]

The window server crash appears to be a regression in macOS, unrelated to Rectangle. It's likely that the Accessibility API gets disconnected from the window server when this happens, so a reboot might be the only fix for that scenario until Apple fixes the window server crash.

Being unable to obtain window ids can mean that certain apps are not vending their window information to the Accessibility API on macOS. Sometimes that can be fixed by restarting apps that are not being resized/repositioned.

In the scenario where this happens for all apps, it typically means that macOS accessibility permissions are out of sync. To fix that, you'll likely need to reset the accessibility permissions:

1. Quit Rectangle
2. In System Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Accessibility, first disable Rectangle, then remove it with the minus button.
3. Launch Rectangle and enable settings for it as prompted.

Or, if you're handy with the Terminal you can do this with these Terminal commands:

killall Rectangle
tccutil reset All com.knollsoft.Rectangle
open -a Rectangle

If you still have the issue, sometimes a reboot after the permission removal will fix it.

As for intermittent behavior, it could be possible that another app is tripping up the Accessibility framework.

[raylu]

I had the same symptoms garyharan described (windowserver crash, audible bell trying to move windows). I tried killall Rectangle && tccutil reset All com.knollsoft.Rectangle && open -a Rectangle but that didn't fix it. I restarted and it worked

I'm on 0.91

[rxhanson]

@raylu Thanks, I updated my comment with this

The window server crash appears to be a regression in macOS, unrelated to Rectangle. It's likely that the Accessibility API gets disconnected from the window server when this happens, so a reboot might be the only fix for that scenario until Apple fixes the window server crash.

[Julianthanner]

for me locking and unlocking of the screen helped

[alexdemers]

@Julianthanner Wow, didn't think that would work but it did! Thanks +1