Exiting Fullscreen Mode: A Comprehensive Guide
One of the most common and useful functions of the F11 key on your keyboard is toggling fullscreen mode. It’s arguably the easiest way to enter or exit fullscreen mode on Windows, and it works seamlessly across most programs, including web browsers, video players, and even some games. To exit fullscreen mode on Windows, simply hit the F11 key on the keyboard. Alternatively, you can also hit the Esc key on your keyboard to exit fullscreen. While this essentially does the same thing in a lot of programs, it won’t work on things like web browsers, for which you’ll be forced to use the F11 key.
Exiting Fullscreen Mode on YouTube Web
Exiting fullscreen mode on YouTube while using it on a web browser on a Windows machine is also fairly simple. The most common method is pressing the F key on your keyboard or by double-clicking the video player with the left mouse button. These actions toggle fullscreen on and off, providing a quick escape if you accidentally activate it or want to access other parts of your screen. Alternatively, you can press the Esc key to exit the fullscreen video player, but note that you can’t use this to enter fullscreen mode.
Forcing Your Way Out with Task Manager
There might be times when you may run into some errors, causing your programs to freeze in fullscreen mode. This can be a bit frustrating to deal with, but one way to regain control is by pressing Ctrl + Alt + Delete to open the security options screen, then selecting Task Manager. This method works in most cases, and all you really need to do is locate the frozen program under the Processes tab. Simply click on it to select it, and then click the End Task button.
Alternatively, you can press Alt + Tab to cycle through open applications. Doing so will let you exit fullscreen mode from the frozen program. In some extreme cases—when both Ctrl + Alt + Del and Alt + Tab don’t work—you may have to force restart your computer.
Plenty of Ways to Exit Fullscreen on Windows
As you can tell, there are plenty of ways to exit fullscreen mode on Windows, and they’re fairly simple to execute. From using keyboard shortcuts like F11 or Esc, or employing the Task Manager for unresponsive programs, there are numerous methods to exit fullscreen mode on Windows. So the next time you find yourself stuck in fullscreen mode, simply use one of the methods highlighted above to exit it and get back to your task.