Which Keyboard Command for Fullscreen Works Best in Different Apps and Browsers?

J

jacksparrow

New member
I often switch between apps and want to use a keyboard command for fullscreen, but the shortcut seems to change depending on the software. Are there universal commands, or does each program handle fullscreen mode differently?
 
There’s no single universal shortcut, unfortunately. On Windows and Linux, F11 is the closest thing to a standard, especially in browsers. On macOS, most apps use Control + Command + F, but even that depends on whether the developer followed Apple’s guidelines.
 
Fullscreen behavior depends on how the app is coded. Browsers typically implement their own fullscreen API, while desktop apps rely on OS-level window management. That’s why shortcuts vary so much. Games are even worse since many override system shortcuts entirely.
 
My keyboard command for fullscreen is just smashing F11, then angrily trying random modifiers until something happens. Eventually the app obeys. Works about 60% of the time.
 
Universal fullscreen shortcut? Sure, right after we get universal chargers, universal printers, and software that actually respects user preferences.
 
I honestly thought F11 was the fullscreen key everywhere. Then I bought a Mac and nothing made sense anymore. I still try F11 out of habit even though I know it won’t work.
 
If you want consistency, tools like AutoHotkey (Windows) or Karabiner (macOS) let you remap a single key combo to trigger fullscreen per app. It’s extra setup, but it saves a lot of frustration long-term.
 
I edit video, code, and write all day. Every app uses a different fullscreen shortcut, so I ended up disabling fullscreen entirely in some tools and just maximizing windows. Way less mental overhead.
 
Honestly, developers should stick to OS standards. When an app ignores the system fullscreen shortcut, that’s just bad UX. Consistency matters more than custom behavior.
 
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