Going full-screen mode in any app is bliss. You have all the real estate on the screen displaying the content you wish to see at that time. Be it gaming, browsing the Internet, or using productivity tools.
However, there can be times the app you are using has a different than usual method of getting out of the full-screen mode. Or, on the flip side, it just gets non-responsive. In this guide, we have listed all the methods you can use to tackle the problems easily.
1. Press Function key 11 (F11)
The F11 key is the default global shortcut to enter or exit the fullscreen mode in Windows 11. The key is situated above the number key in the function key row. If you have a laptop computer with Fn lock enabled, you might also need to press the ‘Fn’ key near the ‘Windows’ key to work.
2. Use the ‘Maximize/Window’ Mode Control
In Windows, almost all apps and File Explorer will have this control on the top right-most corner of the window. Click it, and your app window will automatically exit the full-screen mode. Remember, pressing the button again will result in a full-screen mode of the window.
Alternatively, you can minimize the window by clicking the ‘Hyphen’ icon. Do note by minimizing a window, you send it to the background, while the ‘Maximize/Window’ mode control keeps the app in the foreground and only changes the window size.
3. Press the Esc Key
This method only works with video players. Be it YouTube, or VLC Player, pressing the Esc key will get you out of the full-screen mode. Try this method to check whether it works in the app you wish to resize.
4. Disable Full Screen Mode on Browsers
If you accidentally turn on full-screen mode on a browser, the title bar is completely hidden along with the buttons to minimize or exit the app.
The only way to get out of the full-screen mode is to drag your mouse cursor near the top edge of the screen. Then click on the revealed ‘X’ button. Otherwise, you can hit the F11 key on your keyboard to exit the full screen.
4. Use the ‘Alt+Space’ Menu
In case no title bar controls are visible, and F11 also doesn’t seem to do the trick for you, the next solution is to press the Alt+ Space key together on your keyboard. This will bring up the program window menu.
Once the menu is visible, click the ‘Restore’ button to exit the app’s full-screen mode. Alternatively, you can choose the ‘Minimize’ option to minimize the app to the Taskbar.
5. Use Windows Taskbar
In case no solution until now is convenient enough for you, this ought to be it. Taskbar hosts all your open apps, and you can easily perform basic control functions.
Simply hover over the app’s thumbnail that you wish to resize and right-click on the preview. Then, click on the ‘Restore option.
6. Use Task Manager
Though not technically a method to revert an app to windowed mode, you can always summon the Task Manager and close the app if your app gets frozen or non-responsive in full-screen mode.
Head to the Start Menu and type Task Manager to perform a search. Then, click on the ‘Task Manager’ til from the search results.
Otherwise, you can also press Ctrl+ Shift + Esc keys on your keyboard to launch the Task Manager.
After that, make sure you are on the ‘Processes’ tab. Then, click to select the app from the list. Finally, click on ‘End Task’ to terminate the program.
Workarounds to Exit Full-Screen Mode
Jump to Desktop
Simply press Ctrl+ D keys, and you will jump to Desktop, and all active apps will run in the background, effectively taking you out of the full-screen mode.
Switch to Another App
It is a well-known fact that the Alt+ Tab keyboard shortcut is used to switch among open apps on your Windows. If you cannot find a way out of the full-screen mode, you can use this nifty little trick to shift to another app.
There you go, people. These are all the ways to exit full-screen mode on your Windows 11 computer.
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