📖App Windows
Manage your app windows
Last updated
Manage your app windows
Last updated
Each app opens in its own window on the desktop. Some apps may be opened in multiple windows.
The exact design of different apps may certainly differ due to the app specifics, still general options stay the same: any app window can be moved over the desktop, closed, hidden, resized, and maximized.
Mind that some third-party apps may have their own hard-coded window design that does not blend with elementary OS.
At the top of their window, most apps have a Header Bar which is often not only a place for window control buttons but a dashboard to navigate through the app's actions and options. For example, you can be absolutely sure that the elementary OS branded gear button in the top-right opens the app settings, magnifying glass icon shows where you can start searching, and so on.
The location of the elementary OS app window control buttons is what distinguishes the desktop environment from others. The buttons are at the top opposite corners of the app window:
Close — on the left
Maximize (if supported by the app) — on the right
You can also drag a window to the top of the desktop or double-click its header bar to maximize, and drag from the top or double-click the header bar to unmaximize.
Yes, you see it right, there is no "minimize" button in the window header. That's the design solution and not a glitch. To hide a window, you can use secondary-click menu in the header bar, or the keyboard ⌘+H shortcut instead.
You can resize most app windows by simply dragging from any edge of the window. You can also secondary-click a window header bar and then choose Resize in the pop-up menu.
Shortcuts are very helpful to quickly interact with the app windows. For example:
Close — Alt+F4
Hide — ⌘+H
Resize — Alt+F8 (then move the mouse cursor in the direction you want to resize the window)
Maximize — ⌘+↑
Show all windows — ⌘+A
You can overview and set up shortcuts for windows control in the System Settings (Keyboard --> Shortcuts).
To move a window, click and drag anywhere on the Header Bar or press Alt + F7 and move your mouse cursor.
To access the window options, secondary-click the Header Bar and select an action from the pop-up.
