I’m stuck in full-screen mode on my Mac and can’t figure out how to exit it. I’ve tried pressing keys and clicking around, but nothing seems to work. Can someone please help me get back to the regular view? I really need assistance with this as it’s affecting my workflow.
Alright, you’re stuck in full-screen? Classic situation. This is how you get out of it on your Mac:
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Move your mouse pointer to the top of the screen. The menu bar should reappear. Look for a green button in the corner of the app’s window (usually the left side). Click that. Boom, no more full-screen.
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Or, just tap the Escape (Esc) key once—sometimes that’s enough if the app supports it. If your app ignores you and stays in full-screen, proceed to step 3.
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Press Control + Command + F. That’s the keyboard shortcut for entering/exiting full-screen mode. Shocking how often people forget these shortcuts exist.
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Last resort? Quit the app entirely (Command + Q), then reopen it. Whatever problem you’re in, that’s the emergency eject button.
If none of these work, well, maybe your Mac is just feeling rebellious today.
Okay, first of all, why does macOS have to play these little hide-and-seek games with functionality? Like, I’m trying to escape full-screen mode, not solve a riddle. Anyway, if @viaggiatoresolare’s steps didn’t fully click for you, here’s another approach or two to try.
Sometimes these apps are stubborn and ignore Command + Control + F or the Esc key (like, WHY?). Instead, you could try swiping up with three or four fingers on your trackpad to enter Mission Control. From there, you’ll see all your open windows, including the full-screen app in its own weird little space at the top. Just hover over it and hit the X icon that appears. It closes the full-screen session and plops you back into sanity.
Or maybe you’re just dealing with one of those apps that hardcode their full-screen behavior (looking at you, Netflix). If that’s the case, look around in the app’s own menu bar for a ‘View’ or ‘Window’ option. Some apps bury their full-screen toggle there because they thrive on chaos.
If ALL else fails—which, let’s hope not—you could turn this into a “Windows in disguise” kind of thing: force quit the app using Command + Option + Escape, then relaunch and cross your fingers it doesn’t boot right back into full screen. Like a bad relationship, sometimes you just have to shut it down and start fresh.
Also, side note, anyone else think macOS should have a gigantic “EXIT FULL SCREEN” panic button? We’ve solved bigger tech problems and yet this remains…a mystery.