: For most windows, you can right-click on the title bar at the top of the window (where the window's name is displayed).
Smartphones and tablets don’t use “minimise” in the same way, but you can (equivalent to minimising):
Managing multiple applications at once often leads to a cluttered workspace. Knowing how to quickly hide windows you aren’t using is essential for staying productive and organized. Whether you are using a PC, a Mac, or a mobile device, there are several ways to clear your view.
Minimizing a window is a basic yet essential function when working with computers, allowing users to temporarily hide a window from view and access other applications or desktop content without closing the application. Here’s a detailed guide on how to minimize a window using different operating systems and methods: how to minimise a window
To minimise a window, you can use the following methods:
Click the application’s icon on the bottom taskbar to toggle between minimised and restored.
The Art of the Disappearing Act: An Essay on Minimizing Windows The act of minimizing a window is more than just a technical utility; it is a fundamental gesture of digital housekeeping that defines our interaction with modern operating systems. Whether one is clearing a cluttered workspace or quickly hiding a private tab, the ability to "shrink" an active application into the taskbar or dock represents a sophisticated balance between accessibility and focus. The Physical and Digital Interface At its most basic level, minimizing a window is an exercise in UI navigation. For decades, the standard method has involved the "three buttons" in the corner of a window—specifically the underscore or dash icon. In Windows, this is found in the top-right, while macOS users look to the yellow "traffic light" in the top-left. This simple click triggers a visual transition where the application "collapses," signaling to the user that the program is still running in the background but no longer demands immediate visual attention. The Efficiency of the Shortcut For power users, the mouse is often too slow. The evolution of the "minimize" command has moved toward muscle memory and keyboard shortcuts. On a Windows PC, the combination of : For most windows, you can right-click on
Press Command + H . This hides the app entirely without sending a specific thumbnail to the right side of the Dock, keeping things even tidier. Minimising on Linux (Ubuntu, Fedora, etc.)
Click the dash icon (-) in the top-right corner of any window.
Windows offers the most diverse range of shortcuts for window management. Whether you are using a PC, a Mac,
This allows you to keep one screen for "Work" and another for "Personal," removing the need to constantly minimise individual windows. To help you master your specific setup, How to or won't minimise? Settings to automatically hide your taskbar or dock ?
Click and hold the title bar of the window you want to keep, then "shake" it quickly with your mouse. All other open windows will vanish. Minimising Windows on macOS