How to Minimize a Program in Full-Screen Mode

Look for the "exit full-screen" button. If you find the button to exit full-screen mode on the window, simply click on it and then click the - button in the top-right corner of the window to minimize it.

• Double-clicking on most video player windows (like VLC or YouTube) will exit full-screen mode.

Press the Esc key to exit full-screen mode. If you are viewing a video or image in full-screen mode, press the Esc key to exit.

Use the Windows key (⊞ Win) to bring up the taskbar. When you press the Windows key, the taskbar will appear at the bottom of your desktop screen. You can then click the icon of the program currently in full-screen to minimize it or click the "Show Desktop" button on the right side of the taskbar.

Press ⊞ Win+M to minimize all open windows. All currently open full-screen windows will be minimized to the taskbar. Note: When reopening any window, full-screen mode will resume.

• Press ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+M to reopen all minimized programs.

Press Ctrl+Alt+Del to close the program. This keyboard shortcut can be used especially if your game freezes or the machine locks up. To return to the desktop:

• Click Task Manager.
• Click the Processes tab.
• Click on the program in full-screen.
• Click End task.

Manually turn off the computer. If you can't close a program that is open in full-screen, press and hold the power button on your computer (or unplug the desktop) until it shuts off. Once rebooted, the computer will close all previously opened windows.

Use the key combination ⌘ Command+Ctrl+F. This shortcut will exit full-screen mode, after which you can click the yellow "Minimize" button in the top-right corner of the open window.

Try pressing the Esc key in the top-left corner of the keyboard to exit full-screen mode. The Esc key is perfect for exiting full-screen mode when watching a YouTube video or viewing images on your computer. You can click the yellow "Minimize" button on the window once you exit full-screen mode.

• If you're playing a game, the Esc key won't help you minimize the game window.

Press ⌘ Command+M to minimize the current window. To return, click on the minimized icon in the Dock, next to the trash bin.

• For some programs, full-screen mode can only be exited after using the shortcut above, meaning you'll need to click the yellow "Minimize" button to fully minimize the window.

Hide a window using the key combination ​⌘ Command+H. Pressing this key combination will hide the program's windows. These windows won't appear in the Dock. To reopen the program after hiding it, click the app's icon (e.g., TextEdit or Safari).

Exit full-screen mode using the key combination ⌘ Command+F or ⌘ Command+⏎ Return. If neither of these shortcuts works, one of the following key combinations may force the window to minimize.

• If a game window is open, check the key links to see if there’s an option to minimize or exit full-screen mode.
• If you’re playing a game via Steam, the Steam app may affect your ability to minimize programs.

Force quit the full-screen program. If the program is frozen and no other options are working, press ⌘ Command+⌥ Option+Esc, click on the program, and select Force Quit.

Manually shut down the computer. If you can’t close any open full-screen programs, press and hold the power button (or unplug the desktop) until the computer powers off. Upon restarting, the computer will close all previously open windows.

• Especially when playing games, you may need to save and exit to return to the desktop, as this will prevent the game from freezing or encountering issues.
• Most modern games offer an option for "Windowed Mode" or "Full Screen Windowed Mode," which allows you to play the game in a borderless full-screen mode without losing control over certain shortcuts.

• Outdated programs may encounter issues when you try to minimize them.