Quick Ways to Full Screen a Program in Windows 10/11

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Make any app take up your whole screen with these easy steps

Written by Stan Kats | Edited by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: December 1, 2025 Fact Checked

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Keyboard Shortcuts

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App Controls

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Taskbar

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Task Manager

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Display Settings

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Video

Are you wondering how to maximize an app or window in Windows so it fills your whole screen? There are several ways to do this, including keyboard shortcuts and full-screen buttons built into the app itself. You can also maximize app windows using the taskbar or even the Task Manager. We’ll also explain how to make your display fill the whole screen by adjusting the resolution in Settings.

Quick Ways to Enable Full-Screen in Windows

You can enable full-screen in many apps by pressing F11. If that doesn’t work, try Windows key + Shift + Enter, Windows key + Up arrow, or Alt + Enter.
You can often maximize a window by clicking the icon that looks like a square in the top right corner.
Hover over an app in the taskbar, right-click the thumbnail for the window you want to maximize, and click Maximize.

Section 1 of 5:

Keyboard Shortcuts

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Press F11. While the F11 key doesn’t work universally across all apps, it will maximize web browsers, Microsoft Store apps, Microsoft 365 apps, and certain other elements that are native to the Windows operating system (like File Explorer windows, the Command Prompt, and the Control Panel). It also works in many media players. Some third-party apps respond to this key as well. Click the window you want to set to full-screen and press F11.
- To exit full-screen mode in the app or window you just maximized, press F11 again.
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Try ⊞ Win+⇧ Shift+↵ Enter. This combo maximizes Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps.^{[1]
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Go to source} This includes all built-in Windows apps and apps available from the Windows Store–basically, anything that can be used across all Windows devices. Press Windows key + Shift + Enter to put your app’s active window in full-screen mode.
- This shortcut may not work in Windows 10.
- To restore a maximized app to windowed mode, press Windows key + Shift + Down arrow.
- Windows key + Up arrow will also maximize many types of apps and windows, while Windows key + Shift + Up arrow will expand a window vertically without affecting its width. These commands work in Windows 10 and 11.
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Try Alt+↵ Enter to maximize the Command Prompt. This key combo works under very specific circumstances: namely, when you are running an application in a “console window” (consoles are character-based apps, such as the Command Prompt or PowerShell). It will only work on an x86 (32-bit) computer. Press Alt + Enter to toggle your console between windowed and full-screen mode.^{[2]
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- This shortcut may also work in some Windows games.
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Check for in-app shortcuts. Some apps have their own dedicated keyboard shortcuts for maximizing and minimizing. If such a shortcut exists, you can probably find it in the settings or help documentation.
- For example, pressing F in VLC Media Player toggles fullscreen mode on or off.^{[3]
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- In Microsoft Word, you can use Ctrl + F10 to view the app in full screen mode. Press Ctrl + Shift + F1 to hide the ribbon and expand your document window even more!

Section 2 of 5:

Maximizing with In-App Controls

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1
Check for a maximize button at the top of the app window. Many Windows apps, like browsers and Microsoft 365 apps, have a full-screen/maximize button at the top right corner. It typically looks like a square or a pair of overlapping squares. Click the button to maximize the active app window. Click it again to minimize.
- In some cases, you can maximize even more by using additional in-app controls to hide toolbars or other elements of the app interface. For example, in Word, you can also click the down-arrow icon at the far right corner of the window and select “Full-screen mode” (or press Ctrl + Shift + F1). This will hide the ribbon so that your document takes up the entire screen.^{[4]
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Use full-screen controls in media players to maximize your video. Most media players, including browser-based ones like YouTube, have an option to full-screen the video you’re watching. You might need to hover your mouse over the video to find this option, or there might be a button located at the bottom of the screen with the other player controls. It typically looks like a pair of arrows pointing away from each other.
- Press the button again to exit full-screen mode. The icon may change to show something like a pair of arrows pointing towards each other when the video is maximized.
Games, in particular, often have a full-screen mode option in their settings, preferences, or options menu. Check for a keyboard shortcut that allows you to toggle full-screen mode on or off.

Section 3 of 5:

Using the Taskbar

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You can use the Taskbar to maximize app windows. Hover your mouse over an icon in the taskbar. Any windows that are currently open in the app will appear as thumbnails above the taskbar.
A context menu will open.
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Select Maximize. The window will open in full-screen mode.
- You can also use this menu to minimize windows or restore maximized windows to windowed mode.

Section 4 of 5:

Using Task Manager

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Press Ctrl+⇧ Shift+Esc. This key combo will open the Task Manager. You can use this utility to perform a variety of tasks with running apps, including maximizing them. This option might work if you can’t get an app to enter full-screen mode using other methods.
- In order for this to work, you’ll need to select the right process associated with your app (e.g., a document window). This might involve some trial and error.
If an app has several processes running, you’ll need to click the app’s name in the list to expand it. Select the process that represents the window you want to maximize, and right-click it.
If you’ve chosen a process that can be maximized, you’ll see this option in the context menu that opens. Click it to maximize the selected window.

Section 5 of 5:

Adjusting Your Display Settings

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Change your settings so your display fills the whole screen. If you’re having a problem with your desktop not filling the entire monitor, this is an issue with your display settings. To fix this problem:^{[5]
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- Right-click your desktop and select Display Settings.
- Use the dropdown next to Display resolution to change your screen’s aspect ratio. Typically, you’ll want to choose the option that says “(Recommended)”.
- If you select a resolution that’s too small for your monitor, your display might appear distorted or you might see a black border around the screen. A resolution that’s too big might cause parts of the screen to be cut off.