Finder right-click context menu opens and closes quickly

Finder Right-Click Menu Opens and Closes Immediately

I understand that since upgrading macOS, Finder's right-click menu appears briefly and then disappears before you can select an option. This may be caused by a temporary Finder issue, trackpad or mouse settings, incompatible third-party software, or an issue introduced by the macOS update.

1 - Choose Apple menu > Restart. When your Mac starts again, open Finder and test the right-click menu.

2 - Press Option + Command + Esc to open Force Quit Applications. Select Finder, then click Relaunch. Test the menu again.

3. Check Trackpad or Mouse Settings

Open System Settings > Trackpad and make sure Secondary click is enabled under Point & Click. Try the two-finger click setting.

If you use an external mouse, open System Settings > Mouse and check that Secondary Click is enabled. Disconnect and reconnect the mouse, or test with the built-in trackpad to see whether the issue is specific to the mouse.

4. Try Control-Click

In Finder, hold down Control and click a file or folder. This should open the same contextual menu.

If Control click works but the two-finger click does not, the issue may be related to the trackpad or mouse input. If both menus disappear, Finder, macOS, or background software may be involved.

5. Test in Safe Mode

Safe Mode can help identify whether third-party software is interfering with Finder.

On your M1 Pro Mac, shut down. Press and hold the power button until startup options appear. Select your startup disk, hold Shift, then click Continue in Safe Mode. Open Finder and test the menu.

If it works in Safe Mode, restart normally and investigate recently installed apps, mouse utilities, clipboard managers, login items, and Finder extensions. Disable nonessential items one at a time and retest.

Apple's guide: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/start-up-your-mac-in-safe-mode-mh21245/mac

6. Review Login Items and Extensions

Open System Settings > General > Login Items & Extensions. Review apps that open at login and third-party extensions, especially those associated with Finder. Temporarily turn off nonessential items or extensions, restart, and test again.

Apple's guide: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mtusr003/mac

7. Check for macOS Updates

Open System Settings > General > Software Update. If an update is available, back up your Mac before installing it. Restart and test Finder again.

8. Test With a New User Account

If the issue continues, create a temporary standard account   Sign out of your usual account, sign in to the new one, and test Finder.

If the menu works in the new account, the cause may be a setting, login item, or other issue specific to your usual account. If it also fails there, the issue may affect the whole system. You can return to your usual account after testing.

9. Run Apple Diagnostics

This can check for certain hardware issues, although the symptoms are more suggestive of a software problem.

Shut down your Mac and disconnect unnecessary external devices. Press and hold the power button until startup options appear. When you see your startup disk and the Options gear, release the button. Then press and hold Command (⌘) + D until Apple Diagnostics starts. Follow the onscreen instructions.

If a reference code appears, write it down for Apple Support. A clean result does not rule out a software issue.

Apple's guide: https://support.apple.com/en-ca/102550

10. Contact Apple Support

If the problem remains, contact Apple Support  https://support.apple.com/en-ca/contact

Before considering reinstalling or downgrading macOS, make a current Time Machine or other complete backup.

A right-click context menu that opens and immediately closes after a major macOS update—such as the Golden Gate release—is typically caused by third-party Finder extensions, corrupted preference files, or UI glitches in the update.

How to Fix It

Relaunch Finder:

• Press Option + Command + Escape to open Force Quit Applications, select Finder, and click Relaunch.
• Alternatively, hold the Option key, right-click the Finder icon in the Dock, and select Relaunch.

Check for Third-Party Context Menu Extensions:

Post-update compatibility issues often stem from cloud storage apps (like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive) or third-party utilities that inject items into the right-click menu.

• Open Finder, press Shift + Command + G, and check these folders for old or incompatible plugins:

~/Library/Contextual Menu Items/
/Library/Contextual Menu Items/

• Temporarily move any items out of these folders, restart your Mac, and test the right-click menu again.

Boot in Safe Mode:

• Shut down your Mac, then press and hold the power button until startup options appear. Hold down the Shift key and click Continue in Safe Mode.
• Start up your Mac in safe mode - Apple Support
• Log in, test Finder, and then reboot normally. This disables non-essential startup software extensions and clears system caches.

If that does not correct the issue, test in a new user account. A newly-created user account will have all settings at default, and if the issue does not occur in that new account then it provides guidance on what may need to be changed to correct the issue.

Add a user or group on Mac - Apple Support

Once the testing is complete, the new account can easily be deleted.

Delete a user or group on Mac – Apple Support

Those steps will help to isolate the problem.

It might help to download and run EtreCheck, written by a long-time forum member. The free version is fine. Post the full report using the Additional Text button. No personal information is revealed. 

Personally, secondary-click / contextual menus work normally for me on macOS 27.2.

More from Apple: Right-click on Mac - Apple Support

Finder right-click context menu opens and closes quickly

Relaunching Finder is a perfectly reasonable temporary workaround, but you should not need to do it regularly just to use the right-click menu.

The fact that the menu appears and immediately disappears suggests that Finder may be losing the right-click interaction or that another process is interfering with the context menu.

I would investigate a few things before assuming that an upcoming macOS update will fix it.

What I would try first

1. Update macOS: Go to System Settings >> General >> Software Update. Install the latest stable release available for your Mac. Avoid beta releases while troubleshooting.
2. Disconnect external pointing devices: If you use a Bluetooth mouse, USB mouse, trackball, or other pointing device, disconnect it temporarily and test with the built-in trackpad.
3. Check Finder extensions: Go to System Settings >> General >> Login Items & Extensions. Temporarily disable non-Apple Finder extensions, particularly those belonging to Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, or other file-management utilities.
4. Test another application: Try right-clicking on a link in Safari or an item on the desktop. This helps establish whether the problem is specific to Finder or affects macOS menus more generally.

Will a future macOS release fix it?

Possibly, but I would not promise that.

Apple's macOS 27 release notes include fixes to some context-menu APIs, but they do not specifically document a fix for Finder's right click menu immediately disappearing. Apple also describes macOS 27.2 as including general bug fixes and stability improvements. 

You can follow Apple's updates here: Apple – What's new in macOS 27 updates.

One question that would help narrow this down

When the context menu disappears, does it happen:

A: Only in Finder, when right-clicking files and folders.

B: Everywhere, including the desktop, Safari, and other applications.

If it is  A, I would concentrate on Finder and its extensions. 

If it is B, I would suspect a macOS input, mouse, or window-management issue.

My recommendation: Keep using Finder Relaunch as a temporary workaround, install the latest stable macOS update, and avoid deleting system preference files or reinstalling macOS for now. 

Your M1 Pro hardware is unlikely to be the cause.

Thanks @ Owl-53, and others who has given the solution promptly.

Yes , I am able to resolve the issue, with relaunch of the "Finder", just curious if this is the solution or upcoming release of OS may fix this?