The quickest way to minimize a window
To minimize a window on Windows, click the minus sign (−) button in the top-right corner of the window. On a Mac, click the yellow circle button in the top-left corner. The window disappears from your screen and moves to your taskbar (Windows) or Dock (Mac), where you can click it again to bring it back.
You can also use keyboard shortcuts, which are faster once you learn them. On Windows, press Windows key + D to minimize all open windows at once and show your desktop. On a Mac, press Command + M to minimize the active window, or Command + Option + M to minimize all windows in the current process.
Key Takeaways
- The minimize button is the minus sign in the top-right corner on Windows and the yellow circle in the top-left on Mac.
- Minimized windows stay open in your taskbar or Dock and can be restored by clicking them again.
- Keyboard shortcuts like Windows key + D or Command + M minimize windows faster than using the mouse.
- Minimizing is different from closing — a minimized window is still running, but a closed window stops running.
- You can minimize all windows at once to quickly clear your screen and see your desktop.
Finding the minimize button on your screen
On Windows computers, look at the very top-right corner of any open window. You will see three small buttons lined up: an underscore or minus sign (−), a square, and an X. The minus sign is the minimize button. Click it once, and the window shrinks away.
On a Mac, the buttons are in the top-left corner and are colored circles. The yellow circle is minimize. The red circle closes the window, and the green circle expands it to fill the screen. Click the yellow one to minimize.
If you cannot see these buttons, the window may be maximized or in full-screen mode. Try moving your mouse to the very edge of the window frame, or press Escape to exit full-screen mode first.
Using keyboard shortcuts to minimize faster
Keyboard shortcuts save time once you memorize them. On Windows, the most useful shortcut is Windows key + D, which minimizes every open window at once and shows your desktop. Press it again to restore all windows to their previous positions.
For a single window on Windows, press Windows key + H to minimize just the active window. This works in most applications, though some programs may override this shortcut.
On a Mac, press Command + M to minimize the window you are currently using. If you want to minimize all windows in the same process at once, press Command + Option + M. To show your desktop and minimize everything, press Command + F3 (on older Macs) or use Mission Control.
What happens to a minimized window
When you minimize a window, it does not close. The program is still running in the background, and any work you were doing is still there. The window straightforward hides from view and appears as a button or icon in your taskbar (Windows) or Dock (Mac).
To bring a minimized window back, click its icon in the taskbar or Dock. On Windows, you can also click the window's name in the taskbar to restore it. On a Mac, click the process name in the Dock, and the window will reappear in the same size and position it was before you minimized it.
If you minimize a window and then restart your computer, the window will not automatically reopen. You will need to open the process again.
Minimize versus close: what is the difference
Minimizing and closing are two different actions. When you minimize a window, the program keeps running and your work is saved in memory. When you close a window (by clicking the X button), the program stops running and may ask you to save your work first.
Use minimize when you want to temporarily hide a window but keep the program active. Use close when you are done with the program and want to free up memory on your computer. If you close a document without saving, you will lose any changes you made since the last save.
Minimizing multiple windows at once
On Windows, the fastest way to clear your screen is Windows key + D. This minimizes every open window and shows your desktop. Press the same keys again to restore all windows to their previous state.
You can also right-click on an empty area of your taskbar and select "Show the desktop" to achieve the same result. On a Mac, swipe up with four fingers on your trackpad to open Mission Control, which shows all open windows. Click an empty area to return to the desktop.
If you want to minimize all windows in a single process (not your entire desktop), use Command + Option + M on a Mac. On Windows, there is no built-in shortcut for this, but you can click the process's taskbar button with the middle mouse button to minimize all its windows.
Troubleshooting: when the minimize button does not work
If clicking the minimize button does nothing, the window may be frozen or the process may have stopped responding. Try pressing Alt + F9 on Windows or Command + M on a Mac. If that does not work, the process may have crashed.
On Windows, you can force-close a frozen process by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete, selecting the process from the list, and clicking "End Task." On a Mac, press Command + Option + Escape to open the Force Quit dialog, select the frozen process, and click "Force Quit."
If the minimize button is missing or grayed out, the window may be in a special mode. Try pressing Escape or F11 to exit full-screen mode, or look for a menu option to restore the window controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I minimize a window to a specific location on my screen?
No. Minimized windows always go to your taskbar (Windows) or Dock (Mac). You cannot choose where they appear. However, you can resize and move windows before minimizing them, so they will return to that same size and position when you restore them.
What is the difference between minimize and hide?
Minimize moves a window to your taskbar or Dock. Hide removes a window from view but keeps the process running; you typically access hidden windows through the process's menu. Most users minimize instead of hide.
Does minimizing a window save my work?
Minimizing does not save your work to disk. It only hides the window. If you have unsaved changes in a document, you must save them manually before closing the process, or you will lose them.
Can I minimize a window on a touchscreen or tablet?
On Windows tablets, you can still click the minimize button or use keyboard shortcuts. On iPads and Android tablets, the concept of minimize does not exist in the same way — instead, you swipe to switch between applications or use split-screen view to see two apps at once.
Why would I minimize instead of just closing a window?
Minimize is useful when you need to temporarily see your desktop or another window without closing the program. The process keeps running, so you can return to it when ready without waiting for it to load again.