20.1 Cinnamon - multiple/duplicate windows for certain native apps

[salix_alba]

Hello good people!

I am a bit stumped here. Running Mint 20.1 Cinnamon and I am trying to configure the "start" menu tool belt. I want it to stop opening new windows for certain apps every time I click on the said app. For example - here is the System Settings window running on three instances: https://i.imgur.com/jfNiQoB.png

The same is true for the Files and Terminal apps and for many others actually. The behavior I want is to simply bring up the the instance if it is already running - not start a new one. I've been going through all settings and I have been looking online but I cannot really find anything.

Any help will be appreciated.
Greets.

[spamegg]

Menu/Applets/Grouped Window List/click gear icon
Enable "Group windows by application"

[salix_alba]

Thanks. I did that but now it just groups the windows under one tab so it has not actually achieved what I anticipated.

[spamegg]

If what you want is "launch only one instance and never more than that" then that's obviously not possible, because the OS has to allow people to launch multiple instances of apps, whether it's System settings, or Terminal, or Text Editor or anything else.

If you launch the apps by pinning them to the Panel and launching from the Panel, then it works the way you want. (To launch a second instance you have to right-click and choose "open a new window")