Cannot exit certificate page with escape key

Fortrikka

Steps to reproduce:
Click lock icon on any website

Expected behavior:
Can press escape to close the certification popup

Orion, OS version; hardware type:
Orion 109.1.4 macOS 12.1

Image/Video:

eirk

I'm pretty sure this isn't a bug, as Safari doesn’t offer this feature either. But, its certainly a nice feature to add. This should be changed to a Feature Request.

Dustin

Just an upvote for this as I was going to submit a feature request for the same.

RobOK

I sometimes hit the little lock by mistake and get the Certificate pop up. Usually I am trying to drag and drop the URL. It breaks my flow. It would be great if the ESC key closed this dialog box.
Thanks!

astruckm

The return key closes it for me. There is only one button, the "OK" one, and it's standard for the return key to trigger the "OK" or similar confirm action with system alerts.

Is that not sufficient?

Dustin

astruckm That's a fair point. In fact, I just checked Safari and it also doesn't allow you to close the certificate popup with esc but does with return.

I am a new user to macOS, having only used WinDOS & Linux for the last ~ 30 years. Is this perhaps a muscle memory from that? Are Mac users more likely to default to hitting the return key to interact with these sorts of windows?

My reflex is always to hit esc. Firstly because of muscle memory but also the left hand is always on the keyboard but the right may not be.

astruckm

Dustin I think it is standard behavior with system modal alerts for Enter to trigger the "confirm" action like the oftentimes blue button such as an "OK" button. And then escape triggers the "cancel" action if there is such a button. For example, the default alert for macOS's Empty Trash.

In this case, the default system certificate sheet doesn't come with a "Cancel" button, so we would have to make a totally new sheet in order to implement that.

RobOK

I understand the technical explanation, but wanted to offer a bit more user context. This happens when User has left hand on keyboard and right hand on mouse. Try to be as much keyboard driven as possible! So hitting ESC is slight movement of left hand. Hitting Enter is taking hand off mouse, hitting enter, going back to mouse - totally breaks flow.