How to Use Apps in Full Screen in Mac?

Full screen mode helps to view the app and its content without distraction. Especially when you have larger monitor like 24-inch iMac or external monitor for your MacBook, it is a good idea work in full screen mode. Apple also added Game Mode feature in macOS Sonoma which will work only when you play game in full screen view. If you wonder how to use apps in full screen in Mac, here are four different options for you.

Using Apps in Full Screen

Most system and third-party apps in Mac support full screen view. However, some apps like default macOS Settings app do not support the feature. You can only zoom to fit the height and not the width of Settings app. Follow one of the below methods in supported apps.

1. Using Enter Full Screen Icon

You can find three colored icons on top left corner of any Mac app’s screen. Clicking on the red dot will close the app while clicking on yellow dot will minimize the screen.

• You can click on the green dot to make the app in full screen view.
• Alternatively, hover your mouse over the green dot and select “Enter Full Screen” option from the menu items that appear.

• Once the app is in full screen, the three dots will disappear. You can reveal them by moving the mouse to top edge of the screen.
• Again, press the green dot icon to bring the app to normal screen mode.

2. Full Screen App Menu

Next method is to use the menu item from the top bar that each app has in Mac.

• Open the app that you want to view in full screen.
• Go to “View” menu and select “Enter Full Screen” option. This is generally the last item in the “View” menu list.

3. Full Screen with Keyboard Shortcut

Using keyboard shortcut is the easy way to toggle full screen mode for any apps in Mac.

• Press “Fn + F” or “Globe + F” keys to view the app in full screen.
• Press the same keys again to exit full screen and go back to previous size of the app window. You can also press “Escape” key to quit full screen mode.

Note: Fn or Globe key is located on bottom left corner of your MacBook and small Magic Keyboard. However, if you are using large keyboard with number pad, you may find the Fn key beside (left side) the number pad.

4. Create Custom Shortcut for Full Screen View

If using Fn or Globe key in the shortcut is confusing, then you can create a custom keyboard shortcut for toggling full screen mode for an app. Remember, this custom shortcut will only work on a particular app and you need to use the default shortcut for all other apps. Let me change the full screen shortcut for Safari app to Control + F in this example.

• First, open Safari app and click “View” menu. As you can see, the last option is “Enter Full Screen” menu.

• Now, click “Apple logo” on top left corner of your Mac’s screen and select “System Settings…” menu.

• Navigate to “Keyboard” section in the Settings app and click on “Keyboard Shortcuts…” button.

• On the next screen, go to “App Shortcuts” section and click on the + icon showing below “All Applications”.

• This will open a pop-up and select “Safari” from the list against “Application. Type the “Menu title” as Enter Full Screen as exactly you see in Safari menu.

• Click in “Keyboard shortcut” text box and press Control F keys together. You should see ^F as shortcut keys in the text box as shown below.

• Click “Done” button and you should see the Safari app with Enter Full Screen menu added in the list.

• Click “Done” button to close the pop-up and close the Settings app.
• Now, open Safari app and check under “View” menu. You should see the “Enter Full Screen” item show the ne shortcut as ^F.

• You can press “Control + F” shortcut keys to make Safari to full screen and press “Escape” key to exit full screen.

Note: Any time you can go back to “Settings” app and delete the Enter Full Screen shortcut under “Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts… > App Shortcuts” section by clicking on the minus icon. This will restore the default Enter Full Screen shortcut as “Fn + E” or “Globe + E” in Safari “View” menu.