Multiple WINDOWS of same app?

[Kaitlyn2004]

New to MacOS, but I am especially noticing it with my firefox web browser. Having multiple WINDOWS is... difficult?

1. I only get one dock icon
2. Clicking the dock icon, when I already have firefox open, does nothing
3. I can 3-finger swipe down to show the various open windows... but it's also annoying if one happens to have been minimized? The "smaller window" below is extremely easy to miss.

Is there other gestures or keyboard shortcuts to handle this sort of window management? I'm very used to Windows, having TWO+ items in my taskbar - one for each open window.

 

[Bigwaff]

New to MacOS, but I am especially noticing it with my firefox web browser. Having multiple WINDOWS is... difficult?

1. I only get one dock icon
2. Clicking the dock icon, when I already have firefox open, does nothing
3. I can 3-finger swipe down to show the various open windows... but it's also annoying if one happens to have been minimized? The "smaller window" below is extremely easy to miss.

Is there other gestures or keyboard shortcuts to handle this sort of window management? I'm very used to Windows, having TWO+ items in my taskbar - one for each open window.

All your questions answered

Move and arrange app windows on Mac

On your Mac, align, merge, resize, switch between, and close one or more app windows.

support.apple.com

 

[Kaitlyn2004]

All your questions answered

Move and arrange app windows on Mac

On your Mac, align, merge, resize, switch between, and close one or more app windows.

support.apple.com

To be fair, that didn't answer my question AT ALL.

AND it didn't even mention the 3-finger swipe down.

 

[eltoslightfoot]

New to MacOS, but I am especially noticing it with my firefox web browser. Having multiple WINDOWS is... difficult?

1. I only get one dock icon
2. Clicking the dock icon, when I already have firefox open, does nothing
3. I can 3-finger swipe down to show the various open windows... but it's also annoying if one happens to have been minimized? The "smaller window" below is extremely easy to miss.

Is there other gestures or keyboard shortcuts to handle this sort of window management? I'm very used to Windows, having TWO+ items in my taskbar - one for each open window.

To be fair, Windows doesn’t even work like this anymore more out of the box. You have to change the settings now.

 

[Bigwaff]

To be fair, that didn't answer my question AT ALL.

Yes, it does. The only question in your post…

Is there other gestures or keyboard shortcuts to handle this sort of window management?

If you read, covers gestures and keyboard shortcuts.

 

[BigBlur]

There's quite a few other things the article doesn't seem to mention that may be helpful.

• Command-`(grave accent) keyboard shortcut will switch between windows of the current app you're using. It does not switch to windows that have been minimized.
• Right-click (or control-click, or long-click) the app icon in the dock. That will list all windows the application has open.
  • The active window will have a checkmark
  • Minimized windows will have a diamond
  • All others that are in the background will have nothing
• Go to 'Window' in the menu bar. That will also list all windows the application has open with the same symbols mentioned above.
• App Exposé
  • Three-finger swipe down (or four fingers if you configured it that way)
  • Force-click the app icon in the dock (pressing down hard on the trackpad)
  • Control-Down Arrow keyboard shortcut

 

[Kaitlyn2004]

Yes, it does. The only question in your post…

If you read, covers gestures and keyboard shortcuts.

There's quite a few other things the article doesn't seem to mention that may be helpful.

• Command-`(grave accent) keyboard shortcut will switch between windows of the current app you're using. It does not switch to windows that have been minimized.
• Right-click (or control-click, or long-click) the app icon in the dock. That will list all windows the application has open.
  • The active window will have a checkmark
  • Minimized windows will have a diamond
  • All others that are in the background will have nothing
• Go to 'Window' in the menu bar. That will also list all windows the application has open with the same symbols mentioned above.
• App Exposé
  • Three-finger swipe down (or four fingers if you configured it that way)
  • Force-click the app icon in the dock (pressing down hard on the trackpad)
  • Control-Down Arrow keyboard shortcut

Is there a way I can disable/repurpose the "minimize" window button behavior? I'm beginning to think I don't actually want to have windows minimized... just hidden?

I don't know if it's me, or windows, or what... but I also find I am mostly large-single-window usage. By default macos seems to want to open small-ish windows overlaying other windows/apps

 

[Adora]

Is there a way I can disable/repurpose the "minimize" window button behavior? I'm beginning to think I don't actually want to have windows minimized... just hidden?

I don't know if it's me, or windows, or what... but I also find I am mostly large-single-window usage. By default macos seems to want to open small-ish windows overlaying other windows/apps

Judt vlodr thre spp woth thr dizr xou ant it to have and with next launch it appears where you closed it with the same sue you choose.

Edit: WTH happened to the first part of my answer?

What I wanted to say is that most app windows appear where they have been used the last time snd also use the identical size.

 

[BigBlur]

Is there a way I can disable/repurpose the "minimize" window button behavior? I'm beginning to think I don't actually want to have windows minimized... just hidden?

I don't know if it's me, or windows, or what... but I also find I am mostly large-single-window usage. By default macos seems to want to open small-ish windows overlaying other windows/apps

You can go to System Settings -> Desktop & Dock and toggle "Minimize windows into application icon". I think it's on by default, where minimizing the window "hides" it into the app icon. With it toggled off, minimizing the window will put it as a thumbnail on the right side of the dock, similar to Windows.

Windows and macOS operate differently, so don't try to force one to behave the same as the other. It won't work. You'll eventually get the hang of it and find something that works for you. Personally, I tend to make my apps/windows full screen and use the three-finger left/right swipe or three-finger swipe up gestures to switch between them quickly.

 

[schnaps]

Not exactly gestures, but...

There is an extension for MacOS - "Alt-tab".
It allows you to switch not between applications (as stock), but between windows and documents. Like in Windows/Linux.
The modes are configurable.

 

[Allen_Wentz]

New to MacOS, but I am especially noticing it with my firefox web browser. Having multiple WINDOWS is... difficult?

1. I only get one dock icon
2. Clicking the dock icon, when I already have firefox open, does nothing
3. I can 3-finger swipe down to show the various open windows... but it's also annoying if one happens to have been minimized? The "smaller window" below is extremely easy to miss.

Is there other gestures or keyboard shortcuts to handle this sort of window management? I'm very used to Windows, having TWO+ items in my taskbar - one for each open window.

Apologies in advance if I misunderstand your query. In Firefox on Mac either File Menu/New Window or Command-N gives a new window; File Menu/New Tab or Command-T adds a new tab. Some Mac users keep scores of windows and/or tabs open concurrently, primarily limited by RAM. Safari behaves exactly the same way.

One can scroll among open windows in the same app via the key combination Command-tilde [works on those Mac keyboards with a tilde key below the esc key]. Very useful for those of us who multi-task.