I'm new to MacOS, coming from Windows. In Windows, I can minimize a full screen app, alt-tab or click on the dock, and it comes back. In MacOS, this isn't the case. If something is minimized, Command-Tab doesn't bring the window back, but brings the menu bar back. What is the point? Also, if I have multiple windows open, such as two pdfs in Preview, how can I keystroke between them?
Thanks,
EDIT: Wow, thanks everyone. I'm going through the posts and trying all the tips.
Fn+F does the job! It will maximize and minimize to a full-screen application.
Using macOS 15.2 Sequoia here.
The menu item window->fill, defaults to ⌃F (Ctrl+Fn+f), should do what you want.
The item window->center ⌃C (Ctrl+Fn+c) restores the original size and centers the window.
Menu item window->minimize ⌘M (Cmd+m) minimizes the window.
To remove the spacing around the "filled" window, you have to go to System Settings -> "Desktop & Dock" -> disable the option "Tiled windows have margins"
Short cut key to minimize all the windows - Apple Community
keyboard - How do I disable the Minimize (command-M) shortcut? - Ask Different
Keyboard shortcut to unhide or unminimize a window in OS X - Ask Different
Mac OS shortcut to minimize all windows at once and show the desktop only.
Videos
You don't need to install any additional software.
Go to System Preferences > Keyboard > Shortcuts > App Shortcuts
Click the
button below Enter "Minimize" (use "Minimize All" to override minimizing all windows with ⌥⌘M) into the Menu Title text input field.
Assign some bizzare key combination that you won't press by accident.
Repeat steps three and four for "Minimise" (alternate spelling) which is required for some apps.
Close the window to save the changes.
I'm aware that this is not really "disabling it" but the result is effectively the same and without depending on 3rd party software.
Alternative Solution
I tried to follow setting my own shortcut like Machal has suggested. However it didn't work for me and just doubled the keybinding for minimize.
I did find, that setting something else to CMD+M worked perfectly:
A very quick keyboard method to un-minimize a specific window or un-minimize all of an app's minimized windows is this:
Command ⌘+Tab ⇥ to the app with minimized windows, but don't release the Command ⌘ key.
While still holding Command ⌘ down, tap Down ↓ or 1 (easy 1-handed access) to enter App Exposé. Once in App Exposé, all keys can be released.
To un-minimize all windows, select any window with arrow keys, then press Option ⌥+Return .
To un-minimize a specific window, navigate to the window you want with the arrow keys, then press Return .
When you ⌘ + ⇥ to that application, hold the ⌥ key before releasing ⌘. This will reopen the application, typically bringing up a minimized window if there are no other windows up.
An alternative is to minimize using ⌘ + H which hides the window, but does not actually minimize it, therefore you can still ⌘ + ⇥ to it without any special action.
In Windows Os, there’s this shortcut to minimize all the open windows and show the desktop only (Win + D). Does anyone know the equivalent in Mac OS or an app that can replicate the same behavior?