Full Screen in Windows 11 and 10: Every Shortcut, How to Exit, and Fixes

To make an app full screen in Windows 11 or 10, press F11 in browsers, File Explorer and many desktop apps; press Windows key + Shift + Enter for apps from the Microsoft Store; and press Alt + Enter in many games, Windows Terminal and Command Prompt. On laptops where the top row controls volume and brightness, press Fn + F11. Press the same keys again, or Esc in many apps, to leave full screen. Windows key + Up arrow maximizes a window without hiding the taskbar, which is often what people actually want. If the taskbar stays visible over a full-screen video, restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager or turn on taskbar auto-hide. For games, choose Fullscreen or Borderless in the game's display settings, and if a game misbehaves, try Disable fullscreen optimizations in its Compatibility properties.

Ethan's father wanted his video calls and the news site he read every morning to fill the whole screen, without the taskbar and browser tabs taking up space on his small laptop. He had been dragging window edges around for years. Jake showed him three keys. F11 turned the browser full screen, with the address bar hidden until he moved the mouse to the top. Windows key + Up arrow maximized his email so it filled the screen but kept the taskbar. And when the taskbar refused to disappear during a film, restarting Windows Explorer fixed it in seconds. His father wrote the three on a sticky note by the laptop. This page covers every way to go full screen in Windows, how to get out again, and how to fix full screen when it misbehaves.

Full screen versus maximized

Windows has two ways to make a window big, and they behave differently. A maximized window fills the screen but keeps its own title bar and the Windows taskbar visible, so you can still see the clock, switch apps and use the Start menu. A full-screen window hides everything else, including the taskbar and often the app's own menus and title bar, giving the content every pixel. Videos, games, presentations and reading are the usual reasons to go full screen.

Many people asking how to make an app full screen actually want it maximized, especially on laptops where hiding the taskbar makes it harder to switch apps. Knowing both lets you choose: maximize for everyday work, full screen when you want no distractions.

Making the most of a small laptop screen

On a small laptop screen, every bit of space counts, and full screen is only one tool. Turning on taskbar auto-hide gives back the bottom of the screen for every app. Lowering display scaling slightly, in Settings > System > Display > Scale, fits more on screen if text is still comfortable to read. Collapsing the ribbon in Office apps with Ctrl + F1, and using browsers' compact modes or vertical tabs, frees more space.

Combine these with F11 for reading and Windows key + Up for working, and a 13-inch laptop feels much larger. The goal is to see more content and less interface, without making text too small to read.

Each of these settings is easy to undo, so experiment until the screen feels right.

F11: full screen in browsers and many apps

In Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox and most other browsers, press F11 to go full screen. The tabs, address bar and taskbar disappear, and the page fills the screen. Move the mouse to the top edge to bring the address bar back temporarily, and press F11 again to leave full screen. Browsers also have a menu option: in Edge and Chrome, select the three-dot menu and the full-screen icon next to Zoom.

File Explorer also responds to F11, hiding the taskbar and its own title bar. Many desktop programs, such as photo viewers, PDF readers and some media players, use F11 or have a View > Full screen option. If F11 does nothing, check the app's View menu, or try the other shortcuts on this page.

Edge and Chrome remember zoom levels per site, so combining F11 with Ctrl + Plus gives a large, comfortable reading view for a favorite news site that stays set the next time you visit.

When F11 does nothing: the Fn key

On many laptops, the top row of keys controls volume, brightness and other functions by default, so pressing F11 changes the volume or does something else instead of going full screen. Hold Fn and press F11 to send the real F11. Some laptops also let you swap the behavior with Fn + Esc, often shown as a padlock with Fn on the Esc key, or in the BIOS or the maker's keyboard app, so the F-keys act as F-keys without holding Fn.

External keyboards may have their own Fn key or an F-Lock key with the same effect. If the F-keys still do nothing, update the keyboard or hotkey driver from the PC maker, since some special keys depend on it.

Some keyboards print F11 in a different color with a symbol on the same key; the symbol is the default action and the colored F11 needs Fn, a useful clue when you are unsure which mode the key is in.

Full screen for Microsoft Store apps

Apps from the Microsoft Store, such as Photos, Movies & TV, Media Player, Calculator and many others, use a different shortcut: Windows key + Shift + Enter. It switches the app between full screen and a normal window. Some Store apps also show a full-screen button in their title bar or controls, often two diagonal arrows pointing outward, and video apps usually have one on the playback controls.

Not every Store app supports full screen; apps designed as small tools may ignore the shortcut. For those, maximizing with Windows key + Up arrow is the closest option.

If Windows key + Shift + Enter does nothing, click inside the app first so it has keyboard focus, then try again; the shortcut only works for the active window.

Full screen in games, Terminal and Command Prompt

Many games, older programs and command-line windows use Alt + Enter to switch between full screen and a window. Windows Terminal supports both F11 and Alt + Enter, and Command Prompt opened in Terminal behaves the same way. Most modern games also have a display setting with options such as Fullscreen, Borderless or Windowed fullscreen, and Windowed.

Exclusive fullscreen gives the game direct control of the display and can offer slightly better performance on some systems, but switching to other apps with Alt + Tab is slower and can flicker. Borderless fills the screen like full screen but behaves like a window, so switching apps and using a second monitor is smooth. Modern Windows handles borderless games efficiently, and many players prefer it for that reason.

Fullscreen, borderless and windowed compared

If a game feels sluggish or has input lag in borderless mode on an older PC, try exclusive fullscreen; otherwise, borderless is the convenient default on current Windows versions.

Many games also offer a setting to limit frame rate or turn on vertical sync, which interacts with these modes; if you see screen tearing in borderless mode, turning on the game's vertical sync or the graphics driver's equivalent usually fixes it.

Game patches sometimes reset the display mode to a default, so check the setting again after a major update if the game starts in the wrong mode.

Maximize: big window, taskbar stays

To maximize a window, press Windows key + Up arrow, double-click the window's title bar, or select the maximize button, the square between minimize and close. Press Windows key + Down arrow to restore it to its previous size. Dragging a window to the top edge of the screen also maximizes it, a feature of Snap.

Snap offers more: Windows key + Left or Right fills half the screen, and in Windows 11, hovering over the maximize button shows Snap layouts to arrange windows in halves, thirds or quarters. These settings are in Settings > System > Multitasking. Maximized and snapped windows keep the taskbar, which is often more practical than full screen for work.

Snap layouts: a smarter alternative

Often the goal behind full screen is focus, and Snap layouts can deliver focus while keeping two or three apps visible. Hover over a window's maximize button, or press Windows key + Z, to see layout options, then pick a zone for the window and choose apps for the other zones. Windows remembers the group as a Snap group on the taskbar, so you can switch back to the whole arrangement at once.

On a large monitor, a layout with a browser on two-thirds of the screen and notes on the other third is more productive than switching between full-screen apps. On a small laptop, maximizing one app at a time and using Alt + Tab is usually simpler.

Snap layouts work with full-screen-capable apps too; snap them for work and press F11 when you want one to take over the screen.

How to exit full screen

Getting out of full screen is sometimes harder than getting in, especially when the app hides all its controls. Try these in order. Press the same key you used: F11, Windows key + Shift + Enter or Alt + Enter. Press Esc, which leaves full screen in browsers' video players and many apps. Move the mouse to the top edge of the screen, where many apps reveal a bar with an exit or restore button. Press Windows key to open Start and the taskbar, then switch apps.

If an app is stuck in full screen and frozen, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and end it, or Ctrl + Alt + Delete to reach the security screen. For games stuck after a crash, Alt + Tab or Windows key + D, which shows the desktop, usually brings back control.

Esc is the safest first try in almost every app.

When full screen gets stuck

Occasionally an app appears stuck in full screen, with no visible controls and keys seeming to do nothing. Before forcing it closed, try Windows key + Down arrow, which restores many windows, or Alt + Space, which opens the window menu with Restore, Minimize and Close in many desktop apps. On a touch screen, swipe down from the top edge to reveal the title bar.

If an app goes full screen on the wrong monitor and you cannot see it, select it on the taskbar, then press Windows key + Shift + Left or Right to move it to the monitor you are looking at. If a monitor was disconnected while an app was full screen on it, the same shortcut brings the app back to the remaining screen.

If nothing responds at all, Ctrl + Alt + Delete still works and lets you open Task Manager, sign out or restart.

Full-screen shortcuts at a glance

Print the table or keep it as a note near the PC if you help someone who finds shortcuts hard to remember; it covers nearly every situation.

Shortcuts are the fastest route, but every one of these also has a menu or button alternative for people who prefer the mouse.

Taskbar showing over full-screen video

A common annoyance is the taskbar staying visible on top of a full-screen video or game. It usually happens because an app on the taskbar is asking for attention, such as a flashing chat or download notification, or because Windows Explorer has a glitch. Quick fixes, in order: click once on the full-screen video to give it focus; close or check the app whose taskbar button is flashing; restart Windows Explorer from Task Manager, which our guide to restarting explorer.exe explains.

If it happens often, turn on Automatically hide the taskbar in Settings > Personalization > Taskbar > Taskbar behaviors, so it stays hidden unless you move the mouse to the bottom. Our guide to a taskbar that won't auto-hide covers cases where auto-hide itself fails, which usually come down to the same apps asking for attention.

Virtual desktops for a clean screen

Another way to get a distraction-free screen without full screen is a separate virtual desktop. Press Windows key + Ctrl + D to create one, open only the apps you need there, and switch between desktops with Windows key + Ctrl + Left or Right. Each desktop can have its own wallpaper in Windows 11, which helps tell them apart.

By default, the taskbar on each desktop shows only that desktop's apps, which keeps it uncluttered. Our guide to virtual desktops on the taskbar explains how to change that if you prefer to see every app.

Closing a desktop with Windows key + Ctrl + F4 moves its apps to the neighboring desktop rather than closing them.

Stop notifications interrupting full screen

Windows can automatically silence notifications while you use an app in full screen. In Settings > System > Notifications, select Turn on do not disturb automatically and turn on the rules When playing a game and When using an app in full-screen mode. Notifications are held and appear in the notification center afterward. Windows 10 calls this Focus assist, with the same options in Settings > System > Focus assist.

For presentations, also turn on the rule for When duplicating your display, so pop-ups do not appear on a projector. Our guide to Widgets and Focus for fewer interruptions covers the other distraction settings.

Silence notifications during full screen

1. Open Settings > System > Notifications.
2. Select Turn on do not disturb automatically.
3. Check When playing a game and When using an app in full-screen mode.
4. Optionally check When duplicating your display for presentations.
5. Under Set priority notifications, allow calls or reminders you never want to miss.

Once set, Windows handles it automatically: start a full-screen film or game and notifications wait quietly until you finish.

If a full-screen app is not detected, for example a browser in F11 mode on some versions, turn on do not disturb manually from the notification center before you start, and turn it off afterward.

Game Bar and overlays in full screen

The Xbox Game Bar, opened with Windows key + G, appears over full-screen games and apps with widgets for recording, performance and audio. Some people open it by accident with a controller's Xbox button or the shortcut. If you do not use it, turn it off or change the shortcut; our guide to turning off the Xbox Game Bar explains the current settings.

Other overlays, from graphics card software, game launchers, voice chat and screen recorders, also draw on top of full-screen apps and can cause flicker or crashes in some games. If a game behaves oddly in full screen, try turning off overlays one at a time to find the culprit.

If a game shows a message about the Game Bar or recording when you press a controller button, that is the Game Bar's shortcut; changing the controller setting in the Game Bar's options stops it.

Fullscreen optimizations and compatibility

Windows applies fullscreen optimizations to games, which let full-screen games behave more like borderless windows for faster switching and overlays. Most games benefit, but a few older ones flicker, stutter or show the wrong resolution. To turn it off for one game, right-click its executable or shortcut, choose Properties > Compatibility, check Disable fullscreen optimizations, and select OK.

The same Compatibility tab has options for old programs, such as Reduced color mode and Run in 640 x 480 screen resolution, and Change high DPI settings, which fixes blurry or tiny full-screen apps on high-resolution displays. Change one setting at a time and test.

Turn off fullscreen optimizations for a game

1. Find the game's executable file, usually in its install folder, or a desktop shortcut to it.
2. Right-click it and choose Properties.
3. Open the Compatibility tab.
4. Check Disable fullscreen optimizations.
5. Select Apply, then OK, and start the game to test.

For games installed through launchers such as Steam, the executable is in the game's folder; Steam's library lets you open it through the game's properties under installed files. If the setting makes no difference, turn it back on, since the optimizations help most games.

Keep a note of the games you change, since the setting stays with each executable and is easy to forget when troubleshooting later.

Full screen with two or more monitors

On a multi-monitor setup, a full-screen app fills the monitor it is on, and the other screens keep working normally. To move a full-screen app to another monitor, leave full screen, drag the window or press Windows key + Shift + Left or Right to move it, then go full screen again. Games usually choose a monitor in their display settings.

Some games minimize when you click on the other monitor, which is a feature of exclusive fullscreen. Switching the game to borderless keeps it on screen while you use the second monitor. For presentations and projectors, our guide to Win + P display switching covers choosing what each screen shows.

Full screen for presentations

When presenting, full screen matters on the projector or shared screen, not necessarily on your laptop. In PowerPoint, F5 starts the slideshow from the beginning and Shift + F5 from the current slide; with two screens, Presenter View shows notes and the next slide on your laptop while the audience sees the full-screen slide. Press Windows key + P and choose Extend for Presenter View, or Duplicate to show the same thing on both screens.

For sharing in video calls, sharing a single window rather than the whole screen keeps notifications and other apps private, and the shared window can still be maximized or full screen on your side. Turn on do not disturb before presenting so pop-ups do not appear on the shared screen.

Rehearse once with the projector connected, since display settings often change when a new screen is plugged in.

Full-screen Start menu

Windows 10 can show the Start menu full screen: open Settings > Personalization > Start and turn on Use Start full screen. It was designed for touch screens and tablets. Windows 11 does not have a full-screen Start menu; its Start menu is a fixed panel, and tablet features adjust automatically when you detach a keyboard. If you want larger Start menu content in Windows 11, use the layout options to show more pins, or increase the text and display scaling.

On a Windows 10 tablet or touch-screen laptop, full-screen Start works well with touch, showing large tiles and an easy way to browse all apps. On a desktop with a mouse, most people find the normal Start menu quicker.

Windows 10 tablet mode

Windows 10's Tablet mode, turned on from the Action Center or Settings > System > Tablet, runs every app full screen, hides taskbar icons and uses the full-screen Start menu. It suits touch screens and convertible laptops used as tablets. If a Windows 10 PC suddenly shows every app full screen and the desktop has disappeared, Tablet mode was probably switched on by accident; turn it off from the Action Center tile.

Windows 11 removed Tablet mode, so the full-screen behavior described here applies only to Windows 10 PCs, which are now on Extended Security Updates.

Convertible laptops may switch it on automatically when folded, depending on a setting on the same page.

Full screen in video and streaming apps

Video sites and apps have their own full-screen controls. On YouTube, press F or double-click the video; press F or Esc to leave. Netflix, Disney+ and other streaming sites use the full-screen button in the player, and usually F or double-click too. In VLC and Media Player, double-click the video or press F or F11, depending on the player.

Browser full screen with F11 and a video's own full-screen mode are different. F11 hides the browser; video full screen hides everything except the video. For watching, the video's own button is best, since it also scales the video properly. If full-screen video stutters, update the graphics driver and the browser, and check that hardware acceleration is on in the browser's settings.

Video calls in full screen

Video call apps such as Teams, Zoom and Google Meet have their own full-screen options in the meeting window, usually in a view or more options menu, and browser-based calls go full screen with F11. Full screen in a call hides other windows, which helps focus but makes it harder to take notes or check something else. Many people prefer a maximized meeting window with a small notes window snapped beside it.

If others are sharing their screen, full screen makes small text easier to read. Use the app's zoom or fit-to-window option for shared content as well, since the shared content may not fill your screen even when the meeting window does.

A second monitor makes calls much easier: the meeting full screen on one, notes and documents on the other.

Photos and slideshows full screen

The Windows Photos app shows a picture full screen when you press F11 or select the full-screen icon, and arrow keys move between pictures. To start a slideshow of a folder or album, open the first photo and select Slideshow from the menu, or press F5 in some versions; press Esc to stop. In Windows 10, File Explorer's Picture Tools tab also offers a slideshow for a folder of images.

For a digital photo frame on an old laptop or a TV-connected PC, a full-screen slideshow combined with turning off sleep in Settings > System > Power keeps pictures cycling. Many people find this a pleasant use for a PC that is too slow for other tasks.

Press the spacebar in some photo viewers to pause a slideshow on a picture you want to look at longer.

Magnifier's full-screen view

For people with low vision, Magnifier can enlarge the whole screen. Press Windows key + Plus to start it, then Ctrl + Alt + F for full-screen view, which magnifies everything and follows the mouse, keyboard focus or text cursor. Ctrl + Alt + L switches to lens view, a magnifying glass around the pointer, and Ctrl + Alt + D to docked view, a magnified strip at the top. Windows key + Esc closes Magnifier.

Zoom in and out with Windows key + Plus and Minus. Magnifier's settings, in Settings > Accessibility > Magnifier, include smoothing edges and inverting colors. Combined with larger text and a bigger pointer, it makes Windows usable for many people who find standard screens hard to read.

Magnifier can start automatically at sign-in, set in its accessibility settings, for people who rely on it every day.

Reading modes: distraction-free without full screen

For reading articles, browsers have reading modes that strip menus, ads and sidebars. In Edge, press F9 or select the Immersive Reader icon in the address bar, where available, for a clean page with adjustable text size, spacing and themes, plus Read Aloud. Firefox has Reader View with the icon in the address bar. Combined with F11, a reading mode gives the calmest possible reading screen.

Office apps have their own: Word's Focus mode, under the View tab, fills the screen with just the document, and Read Mode presents documents in columns for reading. PowerPoint's Reading View shows a presentation full window without starting a slideshow. Excel's Ctrl + Shift + F1 hides the ribbon to show more cells.

Reading modes also print more cleanly, since they drop menus and ads from the page.

Remote Desktop and virtual machines

Remote Desktop opens full screen by default on the local monitor. Press Ctrl + Alt + Break to switch between full screen and a window, or use the connection bar at the top of the screen to restore or minimize. On keyboards without a Break key, the connection bar is the easiest way. Remote Desktop's display options, set before connecting, decide whether it uses one monitor or all of them.

Virtual machine apps have their own shortcuts. In Hyper-V's connection window, Ctrl + Alt + Break toggles full screen, as in Remote Desktop. In VirtualBox, the Host key, Right Ctrl by default, plus F switches to full screen. VMware uses Ctrl + Alt + Enter.

If the Remote Desktop window opens on the wrong monitor or at the wrong size, set the display options in the Remote Desktop Connection app's Display tab before connecting.

One app full screen all the time

For a PC that should only ever run one app full screen, such as a digital sign, a kitchen recipe screen or a library catalog terminal, Windows has kiosk mode, also called assigned access. In Windows 11 Pro, open Settings > Accounts > Other users, select Get started next to Set up a kiosk, create a kiosk account and choose the app. When that account signs in, the app runs full screen and nothing else is available.

Edge has its own kiosk options for showing a website full screen, configured when you set up the kiosk. Kiosk mode is designed for shared and public PCs; for a personal PC, the shortcuts on this page are simpler.

Teaching full screen to older relatives

For someone who finds the computer confusing, full screen can be a help or a hindrance. It removes distractions, but hiding the taskbar can leave a person unsure how to get back to their other apps. A good approach is to teach one shortcut at a time, starting with the one they need most, such as F11 for reading the news, and the matching way out. Writing the pair on a note by the keyboard, as Ethan's father did, avoids panic when the taskbar disappears.

For people who mainly want things bigger, Windows key + Up to maximize and a larger text size in accessibility settings may be better than full screen, because the taskbar stays visible and familiar. Magnifier's full-screen view is another option for those with low vision.

Patience matters more than any setting; a few minutes of practice together does more than a page of instructions.

Full screen on touch screens and tablets

On touch screens, Windows 11 adapts automatically when you fold back a 2-in-1's keyboard or detach a tablet's keyboard: the taskbar collapses to save space and expands when you swipe up from the bottom. Many apps go full screen with a double-tap on their video or a full-screen button sized for fingers. Swiping in from the top edge of a full-screen app reveals its title bar with options to restore or close.

In Windows 10, Tablet mode ran every app full screen. Windows 11 removed Tablet mode in favor of the automatic adjustments above, so apps keep their normal window sizes, and you maximize or go full screen as you would with a mouse.

On touch devices, the on-screen keyboard can cover part of a full-screen app; dock it at the bottom or switch it to floating mode from its settings icon to keep the content visible while typing.

Full-screen problems and fixes

When full screen misbehaves, the cause is usually one of a few things. A black screen or flicker when entering full screen in games often comes from the graphics driver; update it from the graphics card maker and try borderless mode. The wrong resolution or black bars come from the game or app's resolution setting not matching the monitor; set it to the monitor's native resolution in the app's display settings. Blurry full-screen apps on high-resolution screens need the high DPI setting in Compatibility properties.

If the screen goes black and recovers with a message that the display driver stopped responding, our guide to display driver stopped responding covers that error. If brightness changes when entering full screen, adaptive brightness or content-based brightness may be on; our page on screen brightness not changing covers those settings.

A quick full-screen troubleshooting checklist

When full screen does not behave, run through a short list. Is the right window active? Click it first. Does the key need Fn? Try Fn + F11. Is it a Store app? Use Windows key + Shift + Enter. Is the taskbar showing? Check flashing taskbar buttons and restart Explorer. Is the game flickering? Try borderless mode, turn off overlays and update the graphics driver. Is the app blurry? Check high DPI settings. Is a notification interrupting? Turn on do not disturb for full screen.

Most problems fall into one of those, and working through them in order usually finds the cause within a few minutes, without changing anything risky.

Keep the checklist with the shortcut table, and most full-screen questions answer themselves.

Browser full screen won't work or gets stuck

If F11 does nothing in a browser even with Fn, the browser may be managed by a policy that blocks full screen, common on work and school PCs, or an extension may be interfering. Try a browser window with extensions disabled, such as an InPrivate or Incognito window, and check the browser's management status on its settings page. Updating the browser also fixes occasional full-screen bugs; our guide to updating Chrome covers checking the version.

If a browser opens in full screen every time, it was closed while in full screen; press F11 to leave and close it normally, and it will start in a window next time. Some kiosk-style launchers start browsers with a full-screen option in the shortcut; check the shortcut's Target field for flags such as --start-fullscreen or --kiosk.

Restarting the browser clears most temporary full-screen glitches.

What this page said before

The original version of this page, from 2015, explained how to make apps full screen in Windows 10 for beginners, focusing on the full-screen option for Store apps that Windows 10 introduced. This rewrite updates it for Windows 11 and covers every full-screen shortcut, the difference between full screen and maximized, exiting full screen, games, multiple monitors, the taskbar showing over videos and the settings that fix full-screen problems.

The shortcuts have barely changed since 2015, which is good news for anyone who learned them then; what has grown are the places they apply, from games to remote desktops to accessibility tools.

Full screen in Windows: frequently asked questions

Ethan's father still has the sticky note: F11 for the news, Windows key + Up for email, Ctrl + Shift + Esc if the taskbar misbehaves. He reads with the full screen every morning and watches films without the clock in the corner, and he has not dragged a window edge in weeks.

Revision note. Written October 3, 2026, rewriting our 2015 beginner's guide to full-screen apps in Windows 10 into a complete guide to full screen in Windows 11 and 10, with every shortcut, exiting, games, monitors and fixes. May every screen you use be exactly as big as you need it.