Do you have apps take up the whole screen (not full screen)?

[The Cockney Rebel]

It may seem like a silly question, but I was wondering if many of you view apps in whole screen (not full screen) view?

You can do this, with many apps, by holding the Option key and clicking on the green traffic light.

I have always had apps in as small a window as possible, but I just resized all of my apps to take up the whole screen, not including the dock or menu bar.

I adjusted fonts, where possible, ever so slightly, and things are much more legible.

I also use hot corners, and have bottom left for Mission Control, and bottom right to view the desktop.

How do you have your setup?

 

[adamlbiscuit]

I don't have mine all the way to the top/bottom/sides but I do have my windows large-ish. I also make use of Stage Manager so the left side of my screen is always free so I can see all my windows.

 

[Shirasaki]

I use magnet to gain whole screen view for almost any apps. The Apple’s full screen mode is not really desirable for my multitasking flow.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I don't have mine all the way to the top/bottom/sides but I do have my windows large-ish. I also make use of Stage Manager so the left side of my screen is always free so I can see all my windows.

View attachment 2129615

I had a go with Stage Manager yesterday, and it was quite good.

If you use it often, did you know that you can have it permanently in your menu bar, for quick access?

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I use magnet to gain whole screen view for almost any apps. The Apple’s full screen mode is not really desirable for my multitasking flow.

So you go full screen, as in no longer seeing the dock or menu bar?

 

[Shirasaki]

So you go full screen, as in no longer seeing the dock or menu bar?

I still see menubar and dock. app window takes up as much space as it can.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

So you go full screen, as in no longer seeing the dock or menu bar?

I like to see the menu bar and dock, for notification purposes.

But I'm liking having my apps take up the full screen space.

Do you increase the font size of some of your apps? I increased them in Mail, Messages & such.

 

[Shirasaki]

I like to see the menu bar and dock, for notification purposes.

But I'm liking having my apps take up the full screen space.

Do you increase the font size of some of your apps? I increased them in Mail, Messages & such.

I only increase the font size for mail since default is way too small.

If i need bigger everything I change display scaling.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I only increase the font size for mail since default is way too small.

If i need bigger everything I change display scaling.

Do you use scaling much?

 

[Slix]

Yes. I'm currently using a 13" MacBook Air and I prefer to use Mission Control to swap between apps. Primarily, Safari takes up the whole first screen (not using Full Screen), while I have iTunes, Messages, and Mail, as full screen apps in Spaces next to my first space. I have my Dock auto hide. I like seeing the web pages as large as I can, and I usually just use Mission Control to switch between the apps that might open, like Finder or Pixelmator. I also have Photos take up the whole screen when it's open.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Yes. I'm currently using a 13" MacBook Air and I prefer to use Mission Control to swap between apps. Primarily, Safari takes up the whole first screen (not using Full Screen), while I have iTunes, Messages, and Mail, as full screen apps in Spaces next to my first space. I have my Dock auto hide. I like seeing the web pages as large as I can, and I usually just use Mission Control to switch between the apps that might open, like Finder or Pixelmator. I also have Photos take up the whole screen when it's open.

Yes, I now have Photos take up the whole screen (not full screen) and it's much better.

You should use hot corners, if you regularly use Mission Control.

 

[BigMcGuire]

Just my personal preference, I’m running a 32’ 4K monitor - I prefer to keep all my apps opened on the screen - taking center space as much as possible with their edges sticking out so I can switch between them super easily. Due to the size of my curved screen, I only ever have a full screen app when doing gaming (World of Warcraft Classic). Everything else is layered on top of each other with edges sticking out in the middle of the screen.

 

[unrigestered]

99% of my apps run in maximized windows.
i usually hate "full screen" on most apps, but my digital audio workstation is the only app set to full screen, as it's working great with that setup.
Finder has a bit space to the right, so i can see icons for connected external drives on my desktop.
Dock is hidden on both machines, menu bar hidden on 13" MBA, but always on on my 16" MBP.
i get along quite fine switching apps with the app switcher or exposé.
for the times i want "window snapping" i'm using custom keyboard commands to put the windows to the left or right sides of the screen, or revert them back to their initial state (which means maximized in my case)

but i'd wish that Apple made it a bit faster to maximize windows like double clicking on the window header, instead of having to option-click one corner of a window

the only hot corner i'm using is the default bottom right to go to the desktop

 

[Love-hate 🍏 relationship]

I didn’t know about that option so thank you for that

That said if I were you, I’d use any light program to have full screen in an easier way : better touch tool with better snap tool, squash, rectangle ,or whatever

Also yes I use my apps in full 95% of the time

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

99% of my apps run in full screen.
Finder has a bit space to the right, so i can see icons for connected external drives on my desktop.
Dock is hidden on both machines, menu bar hidden on 13" MBA, but always on on my 16" MBP.
i get along quite fine switching apps with the app switcher or mission control.
for the times i want "window snapping" i'm using custom keyboard commands to put the windows to the left or right sides of the screen, or revert them back to their initial state (which means maximized in my case)

but i'd wish that Apple made it a bit faster to maximize windows like double clicking on the window header, instead of having to option-click one cornet of a window

I don't know why I was trying to leave edges around apps, for so long.

I find everything much better now that I use the entire screen.

 

[ivanwi11iams]

I don't have mine all the way to the top/bottom/sides but I do have my windows large-ish. I also make use of Stage Manager so the left side of my screen is always free so I can see all my windows.

View attachment 2129615

Honestly, I really need to research Stage Manager. Currently, I mainly use Mission Control.

I do not use 'full screen'. I just size the windows the way I want there, and place them in certain spots on the screen...

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

Honestly, I really need to research Stage Manager. Currently, I mainly use Mission Control.

I do not use 'full screen'. I just size the windows the way I want there, and place them in certain spots on the screen...

It's nice that we have options, right.

 

[The Cockney Rebel]

I don't have mine all the way to the top/bottom/sides but I do have my windows large-ish. I also make use of Stage Manager so the left side of my screen is always free so I can see all my windows.

View attachment 2129615

What wallpaper is that?

 

[Reggaenald]

I use my third desktop window as my main desktop, left to that is safari in maximum size and left of that is a desktop for messaging apps, Mail, Calendar and Notes, also all in max if needed.
Right of my main desktop are all true full screen apps, like Photos, Final Cut, GarageBand and other that benefit of the dock gone.
I can easily swipe through my desktops or hit command tab.
I appreciate the dock for non power usage and have it always on on my three desktops to always know what’s open, rather than having app icons in my menu bar where I have insight stuff like istat and such. Am pretty happy after having settled after years of experiments.
My dock is on the bottom btw

On a big screen Mac like an iMac I might have liked that Stage mode or whatever, but on a 13inch MacBook Pro screen estate is very valuable

 

[Lloigorr]

I have most apps opened in full screen and switch between them via trackpad gesture, sometimes I use Mission Control for switching between apps/desktops.
Stage Manager didn’t work for me, it uses too much space.

I also have the app Magnet installed for dragging apps to the edge of the screen like you do it on Windows machines to arrange the windows.

 

[koelsh]

but i'd wish that Apple made it a bit faster to maximize windows like double clicking on the window header, instead of having to option-click one corner of a window

Don't know if this is what you're looking for but the default behavior when double clicking the header is to minimize but there's an option for it to "zoom" the window. Works on most applications but some like Safari will become full-height and then "as wide as it needs to be" however that's calculated.

For me I go back and forth but generally prefer to be fullscreen. The quirks and bugs of macOS fullscreen will make me use different methods from time to time. Not to mention the apps that refuse to support it.

 

[Benhama]

Don't know if this is what you're looking for but the default behavior when double clicking the header is to minimize but there's an option for it to "zoom" the window. Works on most applications but some like Safari will become full-height and then "as wide as it needs to be" however that's calculated.
View attachment 2129678

For me I go back and forth but generally prefer to be fullscreen. The quirks and bugs of macOS fullscreen will make me use different methods from time to time. Not to mention the apps that refuse to support it.

Thank's for that. I've learned a new trick!

 

[Reggaenald]

99% of my apps run in maximized windows.
i usually hate "full screen" on most apps, but my digital audio workstation is the only app set to full screen, as it's working great with that setup.
Finder has a bit space to the right, so i can see icons for connected external drives on my desktop.
Dock is hidden on both machines, menu bar hidden on 13" MBA, but always on on my 16" MBP.
i get along quite fine switching apps with the app switcher or exposé.
for the times i want "window snapping" i'm using custom keyboard commands to put the windows to the left or right sides of the screen, or revert them back to their initial state (which means maximized in my case)

but i'd wish that Apple made it a bit faster to maximize windows like double clicking on the window header, instead of having to option-click one corner of a window

the only hot corner i'm using is the default bottom right to go to the desktop

Wait, but you can maximise windows by double clicking the header. It’s a setting.

 

[orionquest]

No I have a 30" monitor I don't use this to take up space but to have more room to see stuff. Also have multiple monitors.
I can see how full screen could be useful on a laptop where you have a smaller screen and using 1 app.

 

[unrigestered]

Wait, but you can maximise windows by double clicking the header. It’s a setting

no, you can't... at least not reliably

it is usually far from filling the whole screen, at least in my experience it is just enlarging the window for a bit to fit more content inside,, but i've heard that there are supposedly a couple of apps around that in fact "zoom" to fill the whole screen

but maybe they've fixed this in Ventura