How to use fullscreen using keyboard shortcuts on laptop (Windows & Chrome)

If you want to make the most of your laptop’s screen, switching to full screen is one of the easiest things you can do. You can use keyboard shortcuts to hide everything around the app you’re using, allowing the content to take up the entire screen. These shortcuts work on Windows laptops and Chromebooks, which means there’s no need to hunt through settings or rely on your mouse. Here’s how to put any app or window into full screen using keyboard shortcuts.

How to make full screen on a laptop using keyboard shortcuts

Going full screen on a laptop is one of the quickest ways to cut down on distractions and make better use of your display. Using keyboard shortcuts, you can switch to full screen instantly without having to scroll through menus or settings. These shortcuts work on both Windows laptops and Chromebooks running Chrome OS, and once you know them, jumping in and out of full screen takes just a second. Here’s how to do it:

Make full screen on Windows using keyboard shortcuts

On most Windows laptops, the full-screen shortcut depends on what you’re using.  In most browsers and many apps, pressing F11 puts the current window into full screen by hiding the taskbar, tabs, and menus. You can exit the full screen by pressing F11 again. 

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For Microsoft Store apps and some system apps, you’ll need to press Win + Shift + Enter, which forces supported apps into full-screen mode. When it comes to videos and media players, many of them use F to toggle full screen, especially on streaming sites like YouTube.  If the function keys on your laptop are assigned to brightness or volume settings, you may need to hit Fn + F11.

Make full screen on a Chromebook (Chrome OS)

On a Chromebook running Chrome OS, going full screen is even simpler. To make a window or browser tab fill the screen, press the Fullscreen key (F4) on the top row of the keyboard. This key is marked with a rectangle icon with two vertical lines on the sides, and pressing it again exits full screen. If you want to full-screen just a Chrome browser tab, press Ctrl + the Fullscreen key, which hides the tabs and the shelf for a cleaner, distraction-free view.