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This guide will show you how to Enter and Exit full screen on Mac. Once you learn these tips, you’ll be able to get more done. The size of the screen on your Mac can change how you work. If you have a 27-inch iMac, you have a lot of space to move around. You can see a number of windows, both big and small, that are all set up well. Most of your apps can be used in “full-screen mode,” which is a feature of macOS.
When you only have a small amount of screen room, it’s best to use all of it. The Dock is at the bottom of the screen by default, and you can always see it. When you open an app, its window only covers the space from the top of the screen to the top of the Dock. This means you’re wasting some room. Whether you’re using a MacBook laptop or a Mac desktop, making apps full-screen can help you use every inch of the screen and stay more focused on the job at hand.
How to Enter Full Screen Mode on Your Mac
The first OS to let you run apps in full screen mode was macOS. Since then, Apple has also made Split View, which lets you split the screen on your Mac and put two or more app windows next to each other so you can use them at the same time. When you need to open two different web pages in two different computers, Split View can help. For example, you might open one of them in Google Chrome and another one in Safari.
Use the Green Button to Enter Full Screen Mode
On a Mac, you can go into full screen mode in a few different ways. Using the green button at the top of the screen is the best way. Keep in mind that full screen mode is not available in all Mac apps. Some apps can’t take up the whole screen because their size is set. For example, you won’t see the green button at all in apps like System Preferences. Follow the steps below for other apps that can be used in full screen mode.
- Open an app on your Mac.
- In the top left corner, select the green circle icon to enter full screen mode.
- Alternatively, hover the cursor over the green circle icon and select Enter Full Screen from the pop-up with options.
Use the Menu Bar to Go Full Screen
- You can switch to full screen mode in apps like Finder and Google Chrome by using the Menu bar.
- To do that, go to the app’s Menu bar, and select View. Then from the drop-down menu, select Enter Full Screen.
Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Enter Full Screen Mode
When you learn the most important keyboard shortcuts, you can change the way you use your Mac totally. For instance, you can use a button to switch to full screen mode.
- In macOS Big Sur and earlier, press Command+Control+F (Cmd + Ctrl + F) to enter full screen mode.
- In macOS Monterey and later, use the Function+F (Fn + F) shortcut to do the same.
- The Fn + F has only recently been introduced, so if it doesn’t work on your macOS Monterey or later, it’s because not all apps recognize it yet. If that happens, try using the Cmd + Ctrl + F instead.
How to Exit Full Screen Mode on a Mac
On Mac, you can’t just press the Esc key to get out of full screen mode like you can on Windows. But it’s not too much harder than that.
- Once you’re in full screen mode, move your pointer to the top left corner of the screen until you see the green button. To get out of full screen mode, click the green circle button or click Exit Full Screen on the left side of the screen.
- You can also use the Menu bar and select View > Exit Full Screen or use the same keyboard shortcut Cmd + Ctrl + F or Fn + F to exit full screen mode.
When to use a full screen shortcut?
- Focused attention. Having a lot of apps running on the same desktop can be hard to keep track of. Putting the ones you use most in full screen mode lets you focus, and swiping between screens is easier than pinching to get to your control center and then finding the app you need.
- Side-by-side productivity. You can use two apps at the same time in full screen mode on one screen. This makes it easy to compare data or drag and drop pictures from one app to another.
- Editing photos. If you want to get really detailed with picture editing on your Mac, you should use full screen mode. Full screen gives you a lot more room on the screen, so you can zoom in on small features and see your changes on a bigger screen.
- Multitasking on multiple screens. Mac users who have more than one computer also love full screen mode. It lets you give each app its own space and see multiple full-screen or half-screen apps at the same time. You can have even more power over your desktop setup and full-screen apps if you use an app like Mosaic or Swish.