🐞 Logic Pro: Loop Cannot Control Plugin Floating Windows

[AlejandroVolkova]

Bug Description

I always forget to bring this up since I don’t use Logic Pro extensively, but there’s a persistent issue worth noting. In Logic, Loop is unable to manipulate plugin floating windows, whether for instruments or effects, while the native macOS window manager handles them without problem.

Could you investigate why this happens? Now that Logic is part of Apple Creators Studio, it feels especially important that Loop integrate smoothly with all related software. Loop is significantly more powerful and user-friendly than the default window manager, and I want more people to rely on it comfortably. However, encountering this kind of limitation can discourage users. Instead of reporting the issue, they might simply stop using Loop altogether, which is far from ideal.

Affected Scope

User interface

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Logic Pro.
2. Create a new project.
3. Open a plugin’s floating window (e.g., a synth or EQ).
4. Attempt to move or manipulate the plugin window using Loop.
5. Observe that the window does not respond to Loop’s instructions.
6. Compare by manipulating the same window using the native macOS window manager, which works as expected.

Reproducibility

Always

Expected vs Actual Behavior

Expected:
Loop should be able to manipulate plugin floating windows in Logic Pro.

Actual:
Loop cannot manipulate plugin floating windows in Logic Pro. Only the native macOS window manager can control them.

Screen Recordings / Screenshots

Logic.Pro.-.Loop.Bug.Demo.mp4

Severity

Major (workaround exists)

macOS Version

macOS Tahoe 26.2

Loop Version

Version 🧪 1.4.3 (1702)

Did You Try the Development Build?

Yes

Additional Context

• This issue occurs with both instrument and effect plugin floating windows.
  • The limitation is specific to Logic Pro; other applications such as Ableton Live allow Loop to manage floating windows normally.

Final Checks

• My issue is written in English.
• My issue title is descriptive.
• This is a single bug (multiple bugs should be reported individually).
• I have looked to see if this is a duplicate of another bug report.
• I can help with further investigation.
• I can help with developing a fix for this issue.

[mrkai77]

I tested this myself by downloading Logic Pro and was able to reproduce the issue. What’s strange is that it reports a successful move in Loop, even though the plugin window doesn’t move at all. I investigated this further, and it seems like this is due to mis-implemented Accessibility API support on Apple’s side, making this an Apple-side restriction. I also tried Rectangle, with no success.

In theory, the macOS window manager could bypass this entirely, since the system has direct control over all windows. Third-party window managers (like Loop or Rectangle) are limited to the Accessibility API. Have you had any luck moving these plugin windows with other window managers? If not, this may simply not be possible due to system restrictions :/

[AlejandroVolkova]

That’s a very good point. I hadn’t thought about testing this issue with other window managers, mainly because my background before using Loop was with Yabai, as I was looking for something close to the Hyprland experience on Linux. Of course, Yabai is different since it can manage any window by partially disabling SIP.

I also tested with a clipboard manager app I use, which includes a window management option that I keep disabled. Even when enabled for testing, it also failed to move Logic Pro’s floating plugin windows. This makes it clear the problem is a system‑level limitation, any app relying on the Accessibility API cannot control Logic’s floating windows.

As I mentioned earlier, Loop works flawlessly with floating windows in Ableton Live, fast, smooth, and effortless. But every time I have to replicate the same workflow in Logic, it doesn’t work. The only workaround would be enabling “use macOS window manager when available.” Personally, though, I’m using Loop as it is now, especially since the concurrency implementation #1015. It feels like a major upgrade, Loop is incredibly responsive, smooth, fast, and reliable. Nothing else comes close in my opinion, and window resizing in particular now feels exceptionally fluid and polished.

I suppose there isn’t much to be done about this specific issue, but at least there’s the fallback option of relying on the macOS window manager if someone needs to control floating windows in Logic Pro. 😅

[mrkai77]

Yes, that seems to be the only viable solution at the moment :)
I’d be happy to revisit this if Apple ever changes Logic Pro’s Accessibility support so that Accessibility API-based window managers can manipulate its windows, but at the moment, I’ll be closing this as it’s not actionable.