Command + Tab until you get the app's icon.
Before releasing the Command key, press and hold the Option key.
You must switch to another app and let it take focus first. In other words, you can't just Command + Tab to another app and before actually selecting that app (by releasing the Command and Tab keys), switch right back to your minimized app, which you might attempt to do if you minimized it by accident or just simply changed your mind shortly after minimizing.
Both the Command and left Option keys must be pressed on the same side (left or right) of the keyboard.
One thing that always bothered me about MacOS was that I had to click the dock icon to restore a minimized window. It wasn't until today that I learned the keyboard shortcut. Apologies for those that already knew but maybe this helps someone from this minor annoying inconvenience.
To re-open the minimized window, go to the window that you want to "maximize" by windows navigation keyboard shortcut command + tab. Release only tab button.
Keep pressing command button and press option button. Now pressing option button release command button, the window will be maximized*.
EDIT: I learned that it's quicker that after releasing the Tab button, I SLIDE my thumb from the Command button to the Option button
*Maximize in the Windows-sense...not the "fill your screen" sense
Restore a minimized window from Dock - how to - MPU Talk
macos - Restore multiple minimized windows? - Ask Different
Setting Up Keyboard Shortcut For Restoring Minimized Windows | AppleVis
How to restore a minimized Finder window using a keyboard shortcut?
Videos
Command + Tab until you get the app's icon.
Before releasing the Command key, press and hold the Option key.
You must switch to another app and let it take focus first. In other words, you can't just Command + Tab to another app and before actually selecting that app (by releasing the Command and Tab keys), switch right back to your minimized app, which you might attempt to do if you minimized it by accident or just simply changed your mind shortly after minimizing.
Both the Command and left Option keys must be pressed on the same side (left or right) of the keyboard.
To restore one of many minimized windows using only the keyboard, you have two choices:
While using Cmd + tab (eg. changing applications):
- Start with a minimized window
- Cmd + tab to the application icon (Continue to hold Cmd)
- While holding Cmd, push the ↑ (or ↓) arrow key on the keyboard. This will bring up a list of all the application's windows (You can release key command key once the window list view comes up if you like)
- Push the down arrow key (↓) to select the minimized windows.
- Use the left and right arrow keys (← or →) to select the minimized window you want
- Push Return or Enter to restore the window and bring it into focus (make it the selected window)
(Tested on OS X Mountain Lion)
Or,
Directly when the application is already the current application:
Steps as above, but instead of steps 2 and 3 (Cmd + tab and arrow keys):
- Start with a minimized window
- Control + ↓. If App Exposé is selected in Trackpad preferences, you can also swipe down with three fingers.
OS X Mountain Lion "Keyboard" preferences have a "Mission Control" keyboard shortcut for this:
If minimizing windows to the application icon has not been enabled, you can unminimize all windows with a script like this:
try
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Dock"
click (UI elements of list 1 where role description is "minimized window dock item")
end tell
end try
This script would unminimize the last minimized window shown in the Dock:
try
tell application "System Events" to tell process "Dock"
click (last UI element of list 1 where role description is "minimized window dock item")
end tell
end try
This would unminimize all windows in the current application:
tell application (path to frontmost application as text)
if name is "Finder" then
set collapsed of windows where collapsed is true to false
else
set miniaturized of windows where miniaturized is true to false
end if
end tell
You can assign shortcuts to scripts by for example using FastScripts or Alfred.
The opposite keyboard shortcut for the cmd+M is the
cmd + Tab
that will bring up all open windows
keep holding the cmd key
scroll till you find lets say Chrome
still holding the cmd key use up down arrows that will bring all open windows with in that app.
THIS QUESTION WAS ANSWERED HERE:
Actually there a multiple ways doing the minimizing and the maximizing all windows at once.
I prefer the cmd + F3 to hide all at once. Then F3 to show all.
Then there is a 3 party app called Witch.
This way requires a bit of practice:
press ⌘ ⇥ (Command-Tab) to show your running apps. Keep holding ⌘.
press ⇥ until you've selected the minimized app
press the ⌥ (Option) key, and let go of the ⌘ key. You must release the Command key after pressing the Option key!
Note that this only works for an app with all of its windows minimized. If there is already a visible window of the app you won't be able to get to the minimized one with this trick.
To restore one of many minimized windows using only the keyboard:
- Start with a minimized window
- Cmd + tab to the application icon (Continue to hold Cmd).
- Tip: After pressing Cmd + tab once, you can also use arrow left (and right) when holding the Cmd key, to quickly go to the application. This is a handy combination with the next step.
- While holding Cmd, push the up (or down) arrow key on the keyboard. This will bring up a list of all the application's windows (You can release key command key once the window list view comes up if you like)
- Push the down arrow key to select the minimized windows.
- Use the left and right arrow keys to select the minimized window you want
- Push enter to restore the window and bring it into focus (make it the selected window)
(Tested on OSX Mountain Lion. Step 2b tested on MacOS Sierra)
With Command + M, we can minimize a Finder window, but what keyboard shortcut allows us to bring it back to the front? With Alt + Tab (or Command + Tab on Mac), we can select Finder, but there doesn’t seem to be a way to restore the minimized window directly. Is there a shortcut for this?
It’s a little awkward to me, but when using Command + Tab t switch between apps I can't restore minimalized apps.
I know the solution is to use the option key (use Command + Tab to cycle to the app in question. Then remove your finger from the Tab key, and press the option key, while still holding down the Command key. After you release the Command key at that point, it will restore the minimized window).
I wonder is there a way to just use Command + Tab whether or not the app is minimalized or not?
Maybe there is a system setting or an alternative witcher app?
I like minimizing my windows with the keyboard shortcut Command + M
I'd love to know the keyboard shortcut for restoring minimized windows.
Feel like kind of a dope for not knowing this.
Bring up the app switcher (command + tab), tab over to the app you want (while still holding down command), then press and hold Option while releasing Command.
Just learned this from lifehacker the other week.
I can't verify this right now, but on Snow Leopard I think you can tab around or use arrow keys in Exposé, hit enter on the minimized window.