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Using the Spaces style fullscreen mode in OS X, I can easily Command-Tab out of a fullscreen app, but trying to Command-Tab back in doesn't take me back to that space, only switches the Menu Bar to the application.

Currently the easiest way to get back to the fullscreen app is using the gesture system, which is kind of annoying.

How do I Command-Tab back to the fullscreen app?

NB: Tested with iTerm2 and Terminal.

Daniel Beck
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mrmagooey
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3 Answers3

44

Open System Preferences and open the Mission Control preferences. Check When switching to an application, switch to a space with open windows for the application.

Screenshot of option

Daniel Beck
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    just great thanks - how does that manage to get unset? – Grouchal Aug 22 '13 at 09:58
  • Strange -- this always used to work for me, but then last week, it mysteriously stopped working. I don't know how this got unchecked. – steve Dec 06 '13 at 23:19
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    unfortunately if you have multiple windows open in an app, and make one full screen, when you command tab back to that app it takes you to the frontmost window in the main space, not the space of the window you made fullscreen. Which seems ridiculous to me -- if I made a window fullscreen would that not be my highest priority window when switching to the app? For me apple's full screen is still unusable even in 10.10 – Michael Johnston Mar 13 '15 at 00:30
  • @MichaelJohnston Appreciate the confirmation. I thought I were the only one annoyed with full screen on mac – WestCoastProjects Aug 13 '15 at 01:30
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    This is still the case in 10.10+. I did find sometimes when clicking on the Dock icon, or CMD+TAB to the application, it would switch focus to that application (e.g. title bar changed) however it did not switch the space and show the application window. I was able to temporarily resolve this with a logout/login or reboot, but I also was able to (at least for now) solve this by loading the opening the com.apple.spaces.plist file in my Library/Preferences/ in XCode, and just closing XCode. It somehow magically was delicious. I save this here for those searching on similar behavior.... – cgseller Nov 10 '15 at 15:41
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    This doesn't work for 100% of the apps. – Idemax Jan 14 '16 at 18:25
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    This does not work 10.11.4 – Srneczek Aug 24 '16 at 14:47
  • [This doesn't work on Sierra.](http://apple.stackexchange.com/q/257369/4395) – orome Oct 15 '16 at 15:12
  • @raxacoricofallapatorius Uh, that's a bug. And proving that you should never upgrade to a point-zero release of OS X. This has been a good rule of thumb for over a decade. – Daniel Beck Oct 16 '16 at 08:56
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    Using macOS Catalina 10.15.1, the Mission Control option "When switching …" doesn't work for me in Full Screen (single app) or Split Screen mode (two apps side-by-side in Full Screen). – Tony Barganski Nov 18 '19 at 01:31
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    Hero! Can confirm this worked in macOS 10.15.4 (Catalina) on a 16" 2019 MBP - how on earth is this not the default behaviour? – James Cushing May 26 '20 at 11:37
  • Not relevant on macos Catalina in 2020 as this option is already selected. Check Travelling Tech Guy's answer below. Use Option + -> keys. – Martin Berger Jun 17 '20 at 13:19
8

To get back to a full-screen app, hit ⌥→ (or ⌃→).

You can use ⌥ and a number key or ⌥← or ⌥→ to scroll back and forth. It's annoying – especially if you're coming from Windows – but you get used to it eventually.

slhck
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Traveling Tech Guy
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4

control + left / right arrows do the trick when you are trying to swich to a full screen video

DarkDiamond
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user1660403
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  • This worked for me, other answers did not. Doesn't need to be a video, works for any fullscreen app. – eis May 13 '22 at 06:32