Minimize All Windows on Mac

Have you ever been overwhelmed by the dozens of active Mac apps cluttering your device and irritating you? If you feel unsure how to answer, then use Task Manager on Mac to see everything that is currently running on your device. Does this make you anxious? Don’t worry, you aren’t alone in this pain. We all tend to be super-productive and usually keep open lots of docs, web browsers, and apps. If you finally feel the need to organize the chaos, minimize windows on Mac using some of our recommended tools and shortcuts available on macOS.

Before we start:

If you reject the idea of browsing through multiple apps to find the one you need, instead use Control Center on Mac or minimize windows on your laptop. Among all the different ways to do it, I highly recommend trying out MacKeeper’s Login Items. This tool scans the system for programs and apps that automatically load when you boot your Mac and disables those that you don’t need.

Here’s our clear guide on how to use MacKeeper’s Login Items:

1. Download and launch the MacKeeper app.
2. Choose Login Items in the sidebar.
3. Click the Start Scan button.
4. Select the startup processes you don’t need.
5. Choose the Remove Selected Items option to disable them.

What does "minimize all windows" mean on Mac

Lots of open windows can irritate us as much as when the bottom menu bar disappears on Mac. Minimizing all windows on macOS is the process of clearing the desktop of any active application windows cluttering it, providing quick access to all files and shortcuts. This function differs from Mission Control or Expose which don’t hide open windows, but show you them in a more organized way, making it easier to find the specific window you need.

How to close all windows on Mac

You can choose one of numerous ways to close all windows on Mac: close single windows one by one, clicking in the top left corner of each, or by pressing the Command-W combination. If you prefer to close all windows at once—use the Option-Command-W combination.

1. Using Mission Control to organize open windows

Studying Mac window manager, consider how Mission Control is an excellent tool to collapse all windows on your Mac to keep your workspace tidy and efficient. It helps you operate multiple tasks simultaneously. Mission Control manages all your active windows and apps, showing them in a structured and easy-to-navigate way that helps to declutter the desktop while enhancing your sanity.

There are a few ways to open Mission Control:

• Keyboard shortcut: press the F3 key (or hold the fn key while pressing F3 on some keyboards).
• Hot Corners.
• Gesture: swipe up with three fingers on a MacBook trackpad.
• Dock window: click the Mission Control icon in the Dock (or use the Command + Space combination to search for it).
• Third-party apps.

2. Collapse windows with a keyboard shortcut

You can use a Mac shortcut to minimize all windows. This action hides active windows while keeping these apps running, decluttering your work space, and keeping it efficiently organized.

An Apple laptop offers simple shortcuts to minimize windows:

• Press the Command + M combination to reduce the currently active window to the Dock.
• Use the Control + Down Arrow combination if you have multiple desktops or Spaces on your Mac. It allows you to control open windows and desktops.

3. Minimize all windows quickly with Hot Corners

Another solution to minimize the screen on Mac is to use Hot Corners. This feature is especially useful if you don’t employ a trackpad or Apple Mouse. It allows you to configure a corner to invoke Mission Control, lock the screen, or minimize all windows quickly by adding new spaces.

Do the following to set up Hot Corners for minimizing all windows:

1. Choose System Settings in the Apple menu.
2. Open Desktop & Dock ➙ Hot Corners.
3. Select the corners you want to configure ➙ click the drop-down menu.
4. In the drop-down menu, choose Desktop or Mission Control.
5. Click Done to save your settings.

4. Utilizing trackpad gestures

If you don’t want to memorize keyboard shortcuts and prefer more manual ways of implementation, I suggest you pay attention to how trackpad gestures work as they minimize all windows on your Mac at once.

Here are simple default gestures which you can implement to minimize all windows, using your thumb and three fingers:

1. Place your thumb and three fingers on the trackpad.
2. Spread them, pushing the windows away, and you’ll see your desktop.

If you need to restore your windows, do the reverse - pinch your thumb and three fingers together.

Remember that you can always customize gestures if the default ones don’t suit by doing the following:

1. Select System Settings in the top-left corner of the Apple menu.
2. Choose Trackpad from the sidebar ➙ select More Gestures in the settings ➙ ensure the Show Desktop option is enabled.
3. Choose alternative gestures from the list.

5. Via third-party app

A final useful approach to simplifying window management on your Mac is to refer to third-party apps, which provide enhanced opportunities for minimizing all windows. One of the most effective third-party tools is MacKeeper’s Login Items, which allows you to control active apps and tasks. This feature automatically runs when your Mac starts working, ensuring a clean desktop environment.

Here are some detailed instructions on how to minimize all windows on your Mac with the help of MacKeeper’s Login Items:

1. Open the MacKeeper app and select Login Items in the sidebar.
2. Choose the Start Scan option.
3. Select the startup processes you don’t need from the list.
4. Choose the Remove Selected Items option to disable them.

Conclusion

Minimizing all windows on your Mac is an essential process for clearing your workspace. It can initially sound confusing, but macOS offers many intuitive ways to do it. You can use Mission Control, keyboard shortcuts, and hot corners. One more effective method to cope with this issue is to rely on MacKeeper’s Login Items to declutter your workspace easily. It’s a great tool to keep your device free from clutter while enhancing your productivity.