Exit Full Screen: How to Leave Fullscreen Mode

To exit full screen mode, press the F11 key (Windows) or Control+Command+F (Mac) on your keyboard, or move your mouse to the top of the screen to reveal the exit full screen button that appears in most browsers and apps. This article explains the different ways to leave fullscreen mode across web browsers, video players, and common applications, plus how to fix it when the usual methods don’t work.

What Full Screen Mode Actually Does

Full screen mode hides all window chrome—the browser tabs, address bar, menu bar, and taskbar or dock—so the content fills your entire display. It is different from maximizing a window, which still shows the operating system’s taskbar and the app’s title bar. Full screen is designed for immersive viewing of videos, presentations, games, or reading without distractions.

When you enter full screen, the app that requested it takes over the display. The operating system still runs in the background, but you typically see only that one app’s content. Exiting full screen returns you to the normal windowed view with all the interface elements restored.

How to Exit Full Screen in Web Browsers

All major desktop browsers—Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Safari, and Opera—use the same basic methods to exit full screen:

• Keyboard shortcut: Press F11 on Windows or Linux, or Control+Command+F on macOS. This toggles full screen on and off.
• Mouse hover: Move your cursor to the very top edge of the screen. A small bar with an exit full screen icon (usually two arrows pointing inward) appears. Click it to leave.
• Esc key: Press the Esc key. This works in most browsers, but not always—some browsers require F11 or the on-screen button.

If you are watching a video on YouTube, Vimeo, or Netflix, the video player has its own full screen mode separate from the browser’s full screen. To exit that, press Esc or click the full screen icon (a rectangle with arrows) in the player controls. Note that pressing F11 while a video is in its own full screen may do nothing because the video player is handling the full screen state, not the browser.

Exiting Full Screen in Video and Media Players

Media players like VLC, Windows Media Player, and QuickTime have their own full screen toggles. The most common ways to leave:

• Press Esc or F (in VLC) to toggle full screen.
• Double-click the video—this often toggles full screen in many players.
• Look for the full screen icon in the player’s control bar, usually at the bottom right.

In streaming services that run in a browser, the video player’s full screen is separate from the browser’s. If the browser is also in full screen, you may need to exit both: first press Esc to leave the video full screen, then F11 to leave the browser full screen.

Exiting Full Screen in Games and Apps

Games and desktop apps often have their own full screen settings. Common exit methods:

• Esc key: Many games and apps exit full screen when you press Esc, though it may open a pause menu first.
• Alt+Enter: This toggles full screen in many games and some apps (like media players).
• In-app settings: Look for a Display or Graphics settings menu where you can switch from Fullscreen to Windowed or Borderless.

If you are stuck in a game’s full screen and the Esc key doesn’t work, try Alt+Tab to switch to another window, then close the game from the taskbar. On Windows, Ctrl+Shift+Esc opens the Task Manager, where you can end the game’s process if it is unresponsive.

Common Problems and Fixes

Sometimes the usual exit methods don’t work. Here are the most frequent issues and their solutions:

• F11 doesn’t work: Some laptops require pressing Fn+F11 because the F-keys are mapped to media controls by default. Check your keyboard for a function lock (Fn Lock) key.
• Esc doesn’t exit: This happens when the app is not actually in full screen but in a “kiosk” mode or a maximized window. Try F11 or the on-screen exit button.
• Mouse cursor disappears: Move the mouse to the top or bottom edge of the screen to make it appear, then click the exit button.
• Full screen is stuck after closing a video: Refresh the browser page (F5) or restart the browser.
• Multiple monitors: Full screen may span only one monitor. Move your mouse to the other monitor to find the exit button, or press F11.

If nothing works, press Alt+F4 to close the app entirely (this may lose unsaved work). On Mac, press Command+Q to quit the app.

Full Screen vs. Maximize vs. Borderless

Understanding the difference helps you choose the right mode:

• Full screen: Hides all interface elements, content fills the entire screen. Best for videos, games, and presentations.
• Maximize: Makes the window fill the screen but keeps the taskbar/dock and title bar visible. Easy to switch between apps.
• Borderless windowed: Looks like full screen but behaves like a window—no title bar, but you can Alt+Tab quickly and it doesn’t trigger exclusive full screen optimizations. Common in games.

If you want to quickly switch between apps while watching a video, use maximize instead of full screen. If you need the absolute best performance in a game, use exclusive full screen (if available), but borderless is often more convenient for multi-tasking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why won’t my F11 key exit full screen?

On many laptops, the F11 key is shared with a media function (like volume down). You need to press Fn+F11 simultaneously. Alternatively, check if the app has its own full screen toggle—some apps, like PowerPoint, use a different key (e.g., F5 for slideshow, Esc to exit).

How do I exit full screen on a Mac?

Press Control+Command+F to toggle full screen in most Mac apps. For browsers, you can also hover over the top of the screen and click the green traffic light button (it may be a full screen icon) or press Esc in some apps. In QuickTime, press Command+F.

What is the difference between full screen and fullscreen mode in HTML5?

In web development, the Fullscreen API allows a specific element (like a video) to go full screen, not the entire browser. Pressing Esc exits that element’s full screen. The browser’s own full screen (F11) is separate and controlled by the browser UI, not the website.

How do I exit full screen in a game if the Esc key doesn’t work?

Try Alt+Enter to toggle full screen in many games. If that fails, press Alt+Tab to switch to the desktop, then right-click the game’s taskbar icon and select Close. For unresponsive games, use Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager and end the process.

Can I set a custom shortcut to exit full screen?

In most operating systems, you cannot change the system-wide full screen shortcut. However, in many apps (like video players or editors), you can customize keyboard shortcuts in the app’s settings. For browsers, you can use extensions to remap keys, but this is not standard.

Why does my video exit full screen when I move the mouse?

This is usually because the video player is in “windowed full screen” or the browser is in full screen but the video player is not. Moving the mouse reveals the browser’s exit button, and clicking it exits the browser full screen, which also exits the video’s full screen if they were linked. To avoid this, use the video player’s own full screen button instead of the browser’s.

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