How to make Mac OS X <Cmd-f> "find" feature local to application window

Mac OS X El Capitan 10.11.5

Sometimes I open up multiple windows of TextEdit and multiple tabs on Chrome and use the Cmd-f to find certain text. In each window, I'm looking for different texts. However, when I switch between the windows, the search text automatically transfers itself to the next window, and I lose my previous search results.

How do I make Cmd-f search text local to the application window, and not transfer itself when I switch between windows?

For example:

In Chrome - tab 1, I searched chickens. 300 results show up. I scrolled to the 150th.
In Chrome - tab 2, I searched eggs
When I switch back to tab 1, the search text automatically switches from chickens to eggs!

I have to enter chickens with Cmd-f all over again, and it might just start again from the 1st result, and I have to press Enter 149 times. So far this behavior has happened when switching between chrome tabs, between Chrome and TextEdit, and between TextEdit windows.

Elizabeth Chu

Posted 2016-07-01T17:48:36.477

Reputation: 31

I don't think it's possible - search uses the kill-ring, rather than the regular copy/paste buffer - but there's only one of each, so whatever is in it is what you're going to be 'pasting' to the next field, even if you don't consider it related. – Tetsujin – 2016-07-01T17:50:27.580

@Tetsujin Hmm. That is very unfortunate. I don't see why they designed it this way. – Elizabeth Chu – 2016-07-01T18:01:54.403

I think it's legacy... it might be possible to code round it, but as the copy buffers are system-wide, it might not be too easy. – Tetsujin – 2016-07-01T19:20:16.623

Related: 1, 2

– Jess Riedel – 2018-05-05T20:06:15.177

Sad to see this problem is still active after 2 years (sigh). 2 seems to provide more detailed context though.

– Elizabeth Chu – 2018-05-08T05:34:01.090

This is terribly annoying, took me a while to find this thread. Glad I'm not the only one! Will listen for a fix. – pinhead – 2019-05-07T19:59:47.183