To exit full screen mode on Windows, press F11 in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Vivaldi, or File Explorer, or press Esc for a full-screen website or PowerPoint slide show. Other apps have their own controls, so use the method that matches the app covering your screen.
A browser, a website inside it, and a maximized window can each have a separate full-screen appearance. If one shortcut leaves the screen partly unchanged, check which mode is still active.
The short version
- Browsers: Press F11 in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi.
- Videos and presentations: Press Esc to leave website full screen, a YouTube video, or a PowerPoint slide show.
- Maximized windows: Click the Restore button with overlapping windows in the title bar.
- Unresponsive apps: Switch windows or close the app, reserving End task for an app that will not respond.
| App or situation | Exit method |
|---|---|
| Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi | Press F11; Firefox may require Fn + F11 on compact keyboards |
| Chrome keyboard alternative | Press and hold Esc |
| Chrome mouse control | Move to the top edge and click the exit control |
| Chrome touchscreen control | Touch and hold the page, then tap the exit control |
| Edge menu | Press Alt + F, then select Full screen |
| Firefox menu | Reveal the top toolbar, open the menu, and select Exit full screen |
| Vivaldi Quick Commands | Press F2 and run Fullscreen Mode |
| Website full screen | Press Esc |
| Website navigation alternative | Change pages, switch tabs, or press Alt + Tab |
| YouTube keyboard controls | Focus the player and press F or Esc |
| YouTube player button | Reveal the controls and click Exit full screen |
| YouTube mouse shortcut | Double-click the full-screen video |
| File Explorer | Press F11 |
| Acrobat or Acrobat Reader | Press Ctrl + L |
| Acrobat Escape option | Enable Escape Key Exits, then press Esc |
| PowerPoint slide show | Press Esc |
| Word Focus or Read Mode | Press Esc |
| Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides editor | Press Esc |
| VLC desktop 3.0 playback | Press Esc or F |
| Zoom meeting shortcut | Press Alt + F |
| Zoom meeting alternatives | Press Esc or double-click the full-screen meeting window |
| Windows Terminal default shortcuts | Press F11 or Alt + Enter |
| Windows Terminal command palette | Press Ctrl + Shift + P and run Toggle full screen |
| Steam Big Picture keyboard shortcut | Press Alt + Enter |
| Steam Big Picture menu | Select Menu > Power > Exit Big Picture Mode |
| Fortnite Battle Royale on PC | Choose Windowed under Window Mode and select Apply |
| Maximized window caption control | Click Restore in the title bar |
| Maximized window title-bar shortcut | Double-click or double-tap an empty part of the title bar |
| Maximized window menu | Press Alt + Space and select Restore when available |
| Windows 11 maximized or snapped window | Press Windows + Shift + Down Arrow |
| Turn off Magnifier | Press Windows + Esc |
| Keep Magnifier in another view | Press Ctrl + Alt + L for lens or Ctrl + Alt + D for docked view |
| Windows 11 taskbar auto-hide | Uncheck Automatically hide the taskbar |
| No working physical keyboard | Use On-Screen Keyboard to send the app’s exit key |
| Switch away from an app | Press Alt + Tab or open Task View with Windows + Tab |
| Show the desktop or minimize windows | Press Windows + D or Windows + M where the app permits it |
| Close the active app | Press Alt + F4 |
| Terminate an unresponsive app | Open Task Manager with Ctrl + Shift + Esc and select End task |
Exit browser full screen
With Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi active, press F11. In Firefox, use Fn + F11 if your compact keyboard requires the function modifier. Chrome also lets you press and hold Esc to leave full screen.
In Chrome’s ordinary full-screen mode, move the pointer to the top edge and click the full-screen exit button. If it has timed out, move away from the top and return. This mouse control is unavailable in kiosk mode and suppressed while the page locks the pointer.
On a Windows touchscreen, touch and hold the Chrome page to reveal the exit control, then tap it. This works when Chrome permits leaving full screen, excluding kiosk mode.
In Edge, press Alt + F to open Settings and more, then select the Full screen icon beside the zoom controls. In Firefox, move the pointer to the top to reveal the toolbar, click the menu button, and select the Exit full screen icon.
If Brave’s shortcut was customized, open its Settings, select System, then select Shortcuts to check the assignment. In Vivaldi, press F2 to open Quick Commands, find Fullscreen Mode, select the matching command, and press Enter.
Leave a full screen video or website
Press Esc to leave a website’s full-screen presentation. If the website exits but Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, or Vivaldi still has its browser controls hidden in full screen, press F11 to leave that separate mode.
On YouTube, give the video player focus, then press F again or press Esc. You can also double-click the full-screen video. For the player button, reveal the controls and click Exit full screen at the bottom right.
Changing browser tabs, navigating to another page, or pressing Alt + Tab to switch applications also ends website-initiated full screen. Your browser’s own full-screen mode may remain active. If a missing pointer prevents you from reaching the controls, troubleshoot a mouse cursor that is not showing.
Use the shortcut for your app
In File Explorer on Windows 11 or Windows 10, press F11 again.
In Adobe Acrobat or Acrobat Reader, press Ctrl + L to close the full-screen presentation, even when its Escape exit option is disabled. To enable that option, open the hamburger menu, select Preferences > Full Screen, select Escape Key Exits, and select OK. You can then press Esc during full-screen viewing.
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365, PowerPoint 2024/2021 for Windows, or PowerPoint for the web, press Esc to end the slide show and return to editing. In Word desktop for Windows, including Microsoft 365 and Word 2024/2021 where the views are available, press Esc to leave Focus or Read Mode. In Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides web editors, press Esc to leave the editor’s Full screen view; browser full screen remains separate.
In VLC desktop 3.0, press Esc or use the F toggle. In Zoom Workplace for Windows, press Alt + F; in meeting layouts supporting full screen, you can also press Esc or double-click the full-screen meeting window again. If Zoom’s shortcut was reassigned, select your profile picture, open Settings, then select Keyboard shortcuts to inspect it.
In Windows Terminal, press F11 or Alt + Enter with the default keybindings. If those bindings have changed, press Ctrl + Shift + P to open the command palette, find Toggle full screen, and execute that action.
Switch games and Steam to a window
In Steam Big Picture, press Alt + Enter as a quick way out of Big Picture’s full-screen mode. You can also select Menu at the lower left, then select Power > Exit Big Picture Mode. You can also use this menu through the controller interface.
In Fortnite Battle Royale on PC, start from the Lobby, select your Profile Icon, then open Settings and select Video. Under Display > Window Mode, choose Windowed, then select Apply. The Windowed Fullscreen option continues covering the display.
Restore a maximized window
For a standard maximized window, click Restore, represented by overlapping windows in the title bar. You can also double-click or double-tap an empty, noninteractive part of the title bar in apps that follow standard Windows title-bar behavior.
For a keyboard route, press Alt + Space and select Restore when available. On Windows 11, press Windows + Shift + Down Arrow to restore a maximized or snapped window. An app using its own full-screen presentation may still need its own exit command.
Fix magnification or a hidden taskbar
If your desktop is magnified, press Windows + Esc to turn Magnifier off on Windows 11 or Windows 10. To retain magnification, press Ctrl + Alt + L for lens view or Ctrl + Alt + D for docked view. For a broader sizing problem, follow the steps to restore your screen to normal size.
On Windows 11, right-click the taskbar, select Taskbar settings, expand Taskbar behaviors, and uncheck Automatically hide the taskbar. This restores a taskbar hidden by its own setting; it does not change an app’s full-screen mode.
Exit without a working physical keyboard
You can open and use the On Screen Keyboard to send the exit key your app needs. On Windows 11, open Start > Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard, then turn on On-Screen Keyboard. Select General if the simplified layout appears.
On Windows 10, open Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, then turn on Use the On-Screen Keyboard. Focus the affected app and send its exit key through the on-screen keyboard. Choose the key that matches the app, such as F11 for the browsers listed above or Esc for a website’s full-screen presentation.
Recover from an unresponsive app
Press Alt + Tab and choose another open window, or press Windows + Tab to open Task View. These shortcuts let you move elsewhere, but the original app can remain full screen when you return. Where the app permits them, press Windows + D to show the desktop or Windows + M to minimize windows.
To close the active application, press Alt + F4 and respond to any unsaved-work prompt. If the app is unresponsive, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, open Processes, select the affected app, and select End task. Ending the task can lose unsaved work, so reserve it for an app that will not respond.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Vivaldi’s controls still missing after leaving full screen?
Vivaldi’s Hide UI feature is separate from full-screen mode. If it caused the missing controls, press Ctrl + F11, or run Toggle UI through Quick Commands.
Can PowerPoint slide shows open in a window instead?
In PowerPoint for Microsoft 365 or PowerPoint 2024/2021 desktop for Windows, open Slide Show > Set Up Slide Show. Under Show type, select Browsed by an individual (window), then select OK.
How do you exit Xbox mode on a Windows handheld?
On a Windows 11 device with Xbox mode, press Windows + Tab, press and hold the Xbox button, or swipe up from the bottom to open Task View, then select Windows desktop. On Windows 11 24H2 or later, you can also press Windows + F11 where Xbox mode is available in your device’s market.
Can you exit full screen using your voice?
With voice access configured and listening on Windows 11 22H2 or later, focus the affected app and say Press Escape. This works where the app uses Esc to exit its full-screen view.