"Instances" tab greyed out in macOS

[frozenspider]

Describe the bug
I wanted to allow multiple instances of SMPlayer to be running, but for some reason "Instances" tab in settings is greyed out. I wasn't been able to google up anything related. See the screenshot below.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

1. Go to 'Settings'
2. Try to click on 'Instances'. It's grey and non interactable.

Expected behavior
I would expect it to be working 🙂

Screenshots

Your Enviroment

• SMPlayer version: 25.6.0 (revision 10369)
• OS: macOS 15.7.3
• Multimedia engine you're using with SMPlayer (preferences -> general):
• MPlayer
• MPV

Logs

SMPlayer

[05:47:25:441] MpcGui::saveConfig: w: 1395 h: 959
[05:47:25:441] Helper::qtVersion: 6502
[05:47:25:441] BaseGuiPlus::saveConfig
[05:47:25:441] Chromecast::saveSettings
[05:47:25:441] Core::saveMediaInfo
[05:47:25:441] Core::saveMediaInfo: saving settings for files is disabled
[05:47:25:441] Favorites::save
[05:47:25:442] Favorites::save
[05:47:25:442] Favorites::save
[05:47:25:443] Playlist::saveSettings
[05:47:25:443] Helper::qtVersion: 6502
[05:47:25:447] ConnectionCV::stop_connection: munmap failed
[05:47:25:471] ScreenHelper::setAutoHideCursor: 0
[05:47:25:472] MediaSettings::reset
[05:47:25:472] Core::changeFileSettingsMethod: hash
[05:47:25:472] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:472] PlayerProcess::createPlayerProcess: creating MPVProcess
[05:47:25:472] MyProcess::MyProcess: bin_path: "/Users/fs/bin"
[05:47:25:472] MyProcess::MyProcess: PATH: "/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
[05:47:25:472] MyProcess::MyProcess: paths: ("/usr/bin", "/bin", "/usr/sbin", "/sbin")
[05:47:25:472] MyProcess::MyProcess: PATH: "/Users/fs/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin"
[05:47:25:472] MPVProcess::initializeOptionVars
[05:47:25:472] MPVProcess::MPVProcess: socket_name: "/private/var/folders/lv/xj7w8lwx7lx43mm0tkh4n9t80000gn/T/smplayer-mpv-9edd"
[05:47:25:472] MediaSettings::reset
[05:47:25:472] Preferences::monitor_aspect_double
[05:47:25:472]  warning: monitor_aspect couldn't be parsed!
[05:47:25:472]  monitor_aspect set to 0
[05:47:25:475] Playlist::setModified: 0
[05:47:25:475] Playlist::updateWindowTitle: "Untitled playlist"
[05:47:25:476] Recents::addItem: 'http://smplayer.info/sample.m3u8'
[05:47:25:476] Playlist::setConfigPath: "/Users/fs/.config/smplayer"
[05:47:25:476] Playlist::setConfigPath: ini file: "/Users/fs/.config/smplayer/playlist.ini"
[05:47:25:476] Playlist::loadSettings
[05:47:25:476] Helper::qtVersion: 6502
[05:47:25:477] Playlist::updateWindowTitle: "Untitled playlist"
[05:47:25:477] Playlist::setModified: 0
[05:47:25:477] Playlist::updateWindowTitle: "Untitled playlist"
[05:47:25:483] BaseGui::BaseGui: default_style: "fusion"
[05:47:25:483] Favorites::load
[05:47:25:483] Favorites::load
[05:47:25:483] TVList::parse_channels_conf
[05:47:25:483] VList::parse_channels_conf: /Users/fs/.mplayer/channels.conf.ter doesn't exist
[05:47:25:483] TVList::parse_channels_conf: can't open /Users/fs/.mplayer/channels.conf
[05:47:25:483] Favorites::load
[05:47:25:483] TVList::parse_channels_conf
[05:47:25:483] VList::parse_channels_conf: /Users/fs/.mplayer/channels.conf.ter doesn't exist
[05:47:25:483] TVList::parse_channels_conf: can't open /Users/fs/.mplayer/channels.conf
[05:47:25:491] BaseGui::initializeMenus
[05:47:25:491] BaseGui::updateBookmarks
[05:47:25:492] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::initializeMenus
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::updateBookmarks
[05:47:25:493] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::updateRecents
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:493] Core::changeUseCustomSubStyle: 1
[05:47:25:493] Core::changeSubVisilibity: 1
[05:47:25:493] Core::displayMessage
[05:47:25:493] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::setupNetworkProxy
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::setupNetworkProxy: no proxy
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::setStayOnTop: 0
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::setStayOnTop: nothing to do
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:493] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:493] BaseGui::updateRecents
[05:47:25:493] UpdateChecker::UpdateChecker: enabled: true
[05:47:25:493] UpdateChecker::UpdateChecker: days_to_check: 7
[05:47:25:493] UpdateChecker::UpdateChecker: days since last check: 0
[05:47:25:493] BaseGuiPlus::updateSendToScreen
[05:47:25:494] BaseGuiPlus::updateSendAudioMenu
[05:47:25:494] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:494] Chromecast::loadSettings
[05:47:25:495] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:495] BaseGui::initializeMenus
[05:47:25:495] BaseGui::updateBookmarks
[05:47:25:495] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:495] BaseGui::updateRecents
[05:47:25:495] BaseGuiPlus::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:495] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:495] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:496] BaseGuiPlus::loadConfig
[05:47:25:496] TimeSlider::setDragDelay: 100
[05:47:25:497] AutohideWidget::installFilter: child name: ""
[05:47:25:497] AutohideWidget::installFilter: child name: "mplayerwindowlogo"
[05:47:25:497] AutohideWidget::installFilter: child name: ""
[05:47:25:497] BaseGuiPlus::populateMainMenu
[05:47:25:497] BaseGui::populateMainMenu
[05:47:25:501] BaseGuiPlus::initializeSystrayMenu
[05:47:25:503] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:505] BaseGui::initializeMenus
[05:47:25:505] BaseGui::updateBookmarks
[05:47:25:505] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:505] BaseGui::updateRecents
[05:47:25:505] BaseGuiPlus::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:505] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:47:25:505] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:47:25:506] DesktopInfo::isInsideScreen: center point of window: QPoint(1020,572)
[05:47:25:506] DesktopInfo::isInsideScreen: virtual geometry: QRect(0,25 3648x1748)
[05:47:25:506] Helper::qtVersion: 6502
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::applyStyles
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::applyStyles: stylesheet: "H2O"
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::changeStyleSheet: "H2O"
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::loadQss: :/default-theme/style.qss
[05:47:25:506] Images::setTheme: "H2O" is an internal theme
[05:47:25:506] Images::setThemesPath: ""
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::changeStyleSheet: ":/H2O/style.qss"
[05:47:25:506] BaseGui::loadQss: :/H2O/style.qss
[05:47:25:506] Images::setTheme: "H2O" is an internal theme
[05:47:25:506] Images::setThemesPath: ""
[05:47:25:510] BaseGui::applyStyles: style: "Fusion"
[05:47:25:516] VideoLayerRender::initializeGL: w: 1181 h: 886
[05:47:25:586] VideoLayerRender::initializeGL: GL_VERSION: 4.1 Metal - 89.4
[05:47:25:586] VideoLayerRender::initializeGL: GSLS version: 4.10
[05:47:25:586] OpenGLRenderer::initializeGL
[05:47:25:620] VideoLayerRender::resizeGL: w: 1181 h: 886
[05:47:25:620] OpenGLRenderer::resizeGL
[05:47:25:620] BaseGui::showEvent
[05:47:25:725] BaseGui::loadActions
[05:47:25:725] ActionsEditor::loadFromConfig
[05:47:25:726] BaseGuiPlus::updateShortcutsContext
[05:47:26:495] BaseGui::checkReminder
[05:47:43:710] BaseGui::showPreferencesDialog
[05:47:43:723] InfoReader::setPlayerBin: mplayerbin: "mpv"
[05:47:43:724] InfoReader::getInfo: sname: "mpv_f6ebe5203f77a2a3"
[05:47:43:724] InfoReader::getInfo: loaded info from "/Users/fs/.config/smplayer/player_info.ini"
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::player_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::player_combo_changed: -1
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::vo_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::ao_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::vo_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:725] PrefGeneral::ao_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:738] PrefDrives::updateDriveCombos: detect_cd_devices: 0
[05:47:43:775] PrefInterface::PrefInterface: icon_dir: "/Users/fs/.config/smplayer/themes"
[05:47:43:775] PrefInterface::PrefInterface: icon_dir: "/Applications/SMPlayer.app/Contents/Resources/themes"
[05:47:43:803] PrefGeneral::player_combo_changed: 1
[05:47:43:803] PrefGeneral::vo_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:803] PrefGeneral::ao_combo_changed: 0
[05:47:43:803] PrefSubtitles:on_freetype_check_toggled: 1
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "127.0.0.1"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "::1"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::1%lo0"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::4db:e14d:122:b115%en0"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "192.168.1.10"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::d07e:16ff:fe64:9549%awdl0"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::d07e:16ff:fe64:9549%llw0"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::c7f9:ee0d:aac7:4de9%utun0"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::396d:9c38:8473:c717%utun1"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::d3f8:8833:b25b:e1eb%utun2"
[05:47:43:804] Chromecast::localAddresses: "fe80::ce81:b1c:bd2c:69e%utun3"
[05:47:44:042] PreferencesDialog::setIconMode: false
[05:50:09:252] InfoReader::setPlayerBin: mplayerbin: "mpv"
[05:50:09:253] InfoReader::getInfo: sname: "mpv_f6ebe5203f77a2a3"
[05:50:09:253] InfoReader::getInfo: loaded info from "/Users/fs/.config/smplayer/player_info.ini"
[05:50:09:254] Helper:doc: checking '/Applications/SMPlayer.app/Contents/MacOS/docs/en/gpl.html'
[05:50:09:254] Helper:doc: checking '/Applications/SMPlayer.app/Contents/MacOS/docs/en_US/gpl.html'
[05:50:09:254] Helper:doc: checking '/Applications/SMPlayer.app/Contents/MacOS/docs/en/gpl.html'
[05:50:52:926] BaseGui::showLog
[05:50:53:017] WARNING: Populating font family aliases took 83 ms. Replace uses of missing font family "Courier" with one that exists to avoid this cost. 
[05:50:59:071] BaseGui::toggleCompactMode: 1
[05:50:59:072] BaseGuiPlus::aboutToEnterCompactMode: widgets_size: 73
[05:50:59:072] BaseGuiPlus::updateWidgets
[05:50:59:072] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:50:59:072] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"
[05:50:59:074] VideoLayerRender::resizeGL: w: 1279 h: 959
[05:50:59:074] OpenGLRenderer::resizeGL
[05:51:00:337] BaseGui::toggleCompactMode: 0
[05:51:00:339] VideoLayerRender::resizeGL: w: 1244 h: 933
[05:51:00:339] OpenGLRenderer::resizeGL
[05:51:00:342] VideoLayerRender::resizeGL: w: 1208 h: 906
[05:51:00:342] OpenGLRenderer::resizeGL
[05:51:00:343] VideoLayerRender::resizeGL: w: 1181 h: 886
[05:51:00:343] OpenGLRenderer::resizeGL
[05:51:00:343] BaseGuiPlus::updateWidgets
[05:51:00:343] BaseGui::updateWidgets
[05:51:00:343] PlayerID::Player: player_bin: "mpv" filename: "mpv"

(MPV log is empty)

[smplayer-dev]

Please check if it's fixed in this version:
smplayer-25.6.0.10397-macos

[frozenspider]

Yep, Instances tab is available in that version, and I was able to uncheck "Use only one running instance".
However, it doesn't seem to actually be working. When double-clicking the media file, it gets opened in the current window, overriding whatever was opened/playing there 🙁

[smplayer-dev]

The problem is that macOS doesn’t open the video by passing it as a parameter to SMPlayer, but uses a different method. I think that’s why I disabled the multiple instances option.

According to ChatGPT you can create a script for automator to play videos using another instance:
You can create a small Automator app that does the following:

1. Receives video files as input.
2. Runs the command:

open -n -a "SMPlayer" "$1"

3. Save the Automator app and set it as the default application for your videos.

Advantages:

• From Finder, videos will open in a new instance of SMPlayer.
• No need to modify SMPlayer itself or change its internal settings.

[frozenspider]

Thanks @smplayer-dev, this workaround does work.
Note though that IINA implements it natively by utilizing multiple windows (as opposed to multiple processes)