The Disorienting Jump
macOS utilizes “Spaces” (virtual desktops) to help users organize their open windows. A common, yet highly disorienting, default behavior occurs when you have an application open on Space 2, but you are currently working on Space 1. If you click that application’s icon in the Dock, or use `Command+Tab` to switch to it, macOS does not simply bring the application to your current Space. Instead, it violently swoops your entire screen over to Space 2. This jarring animation breaks concentration and forces you to constantly mentally track exactly which Space every single app is currently residing on.
Keeping Apps Where You Want Them
To eliminate this frantic screen movement and stop macOS from automatically changing your active Space when you switch to an open application, you must disable the auto-switching feature within the Desktop settings.
Click the Apple logo in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings. Scroll down the left-hand navigation pane and click on Desktop & Dock. In the right-hand panel, scroll down until you find the section explicitly labelled Mission Control. Look for the toggle switch named When switching to an application, switch to a Space with open windows for the application. Click this toggle to turn it Off. Now, if you are on Space 1 and click Safari in your dock (which is currently open on Space 2), your screen will not move. You will remain on Space 1, and you can simply open a new Safari window right there without being forcibly relocated.