Mission Control on Mac

Mission Control on Mac is a fast and seamless way to multitask, allowing you to quickly jump between full-screen applications, spread your workspace out across multiple virtual desktops, and more. In addition, thanks to the shortcuts and gestures built into macOS, it couldn’t be easier to use.

In this guide, we’ll show you all the ways to use Mission Control on Mac and cover some useful tips on making the most of it to supercharge your multitasking experience.

Before we start:

Multitasking with many apps can quickly bog down your Mac and cause performance issues. When you encounter this problem, a quick and easy fix is to clear old data from your system memory (RAM), which boosts speed and stability. Try MacKeeper Memory Cleaner like so:

1. Download and install MacKeeper.
2. When MacKeeper opens, select Memory Cleaner in the sidebar.
3. Click the Open button to see how much memory is in use and available.
4. Select Clean Memory to purge old data.

What is Mission Control on Mac?

Mission Control is a macOS feature that makes multitasking faster by giving you simple gestures and Mac shortcuts to navigate between active applications. It’s particularly useful if you use programs in full-screen on a smaller display, like on a MacBook, where it’s difficult to see other apps in the background.

Mission Control also allows you to manage multiple Spaces, which are essentially virtual desktops, and quickly switch between them. We recommend this feature for those who want to organize their applications by task, like having a Space for work software and another for personal use.

How does Mission Control work on macOS?

One of the main selling points of Mission Control in macOS is that it can show you all the applications you have open in a single layer. This makes it incredibly easy to find a specific window when you have many open simultaneously, and it lets you navigate between programs that are open in full-screen or Split View.

Mission Control can greatly improve how you multitask on your Mac, especially if you’re the kind of person who regularly needs to run many pieces of software at once on a smaller screen. It’s also an essential tool for any macOS user who’s just not great at keeping their apps and windows organized.

How to open Mission Control on MacBook

There are multiple ways to open Mission Control on Mac, like pressing the Mission Control key on any keyboard that supports it or swiping up with three fingers on your MacBook’s trackpad.

If you don’t have a Mission Control shortcut key or an Apple trackpad, our team recommends holding down Control and then pressing the Up Arrow on your keyboard to access Mission Control on Mac. Or you can add Mission Control to your Mac’s dock and open it from there.

Here’s how to do that:

1. Open Finder, then select the Applications folder in the sidebar.
2. Find Mission Control, then drag the icon to your Mac’s dock to hold it there.

You can now click this icon in your dock whenever you want to open Mission Control.

How to use Mission Control on Mac

There are some great ways to use Mission Control on Mac to really boost your multitasking experience. Here are four features that are powered by or complemented by Mission Control that you should know how to use:

1. Use full-screen application windows
2. Multiple desktops in Mission Control
3. Split View in Mission Control
4. Move windows to Spaces

1. Use full-screen application windows

The problem with using full-screen apps is that it makes finding other windows more difficult, but not with Mission Control. To manage and navigate between your full-screen programs, try this:

1. Put your app into full-screen mode by clicking the green circle in the top-left corner of its window.
2. Activate Mission Control using one of the methods outlined above.
3. Use the Spaces panel at the top of your screen to view and move between your full-screen apps.
4. To minimize a full-screen app, hover your mouse over it in the Spaces panel, then click the minimize button in the top-left corner of its window.

2. Multiple desktops in Mission Control

One of the best things about Mission Control is that it lets you work with multiple virtual desktops, which Apple calls Spaces. To create, close, and navigate between different Spaces, follow these steps:

1. Access Mission Control on Mac using the method that works best for you.
2. Click the + button on the right side of the Spaces panel to create a new virtual desktop.
3. If you want to close a Space, hover your mouse over it, then click the X button in its top-left corner.

A note from our experts: 

You can create up to 16 Spaces on Mac, but I recommend not using a bunch of them unless you really have to. The more apps you open and use, the more RAM they’ll eat up and the slower your computer will be. When this happens, you can clear old data from RAM using MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner:

1. Open MacKeeper.
2. Choose Memory Cleaner, then click Open to see your Mac’s memory stats.
3. Select the Clean Memory button to safely purge old data from your RAM. Your Mac should now feel smoother and snappier.

3. Split View in Mission Control

Split View is another great multitasking feature on Mac that lets you place two apps side-by-side in full-screen mode, and it works brilliantly with Mission Control. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Open both of the apps you want to use in Split View.
2. In one of the apps, hold your mouse over the green circle in the top-left corner of the window to reveal more options.
3. Go to Full Screen, then select Left of Screen or Right of Screen.
4. Your app will now enter Split View. Select the second app to display on the other half of the screen.
5. To navigate to other apps and Spaces, enter Mission Control, then select the app or Space you want to switch to.

Important:

Note that when you put apps into full-screen mode or Split View, they will move to their own virtual desktop automatically. If you’re familiar with how to split screen on Mac, you’ll know that there are ways to customize Split View, like adjusting the size of each app window.

4. Move windows to Spaces

If you’re wondering how to clear the Mac home screen and keep things tidy, you can organize your apps across multiple Spaces. I choose to have a primary app in one Space and secondary apps in another; you might want separate Spaces for work and personal programs. Here’s how:

1. Enter Mission Control and create a new Space by clicking the + button in the top-right.
2. Drag the apps you want to move to your second desktop up to the Space you just created.
3. Rearrange Spaces by simply dragging them in the Spaces panel.

Once you’ve created the Spaces you need, you can quickly switch between them by swiping left and right with three or four fingers on your Mac’s trackpad, or by holding the Control key while pressing Left Arrow or Right Arrow on your keyboard.

How to configure Mission Control on Mac

Apple doesn’t give us many ways to customize Mission Control on Mac, but you can configure the options that are available from within System Settings, like so:

1. Open System Settings, then select Desktop & Dock in the sidebar.
2. Scroll down to the Mission Control options and configure them as you like. You can choose to automatically rearrange Spaces, create separate Spaces for different displays, and more.

Sadly, there is no way to lock individual Spaces on Mac, which would be incredibly handy. If you use your Mac for work apps, then you’ll still need to know how to lock screen on Mac to protect the security of your sensitive data.

Conclusion

Mission Control is one of the best ways to multitask in macOS, giving you faster control over your apps and desktop Spaces. There are many ways to take advantage of it, like making your apps full-screen, putting them in Split View, and more—all of which you can learn about above.

If you find that multitasking slows down your Mac, it’s likely because you’re running out of available memory. Use MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner to safely clear old data from system RAM without restarting your Mac, and you’ll notice an immediate improvement in speed and stability.