Mac Basics: open, minimize, close windows

If you’re new to Mac computers, you’ve probably noticed there are some differences in how things are laid out. One thing that really confused me about Macs was figuring out how to close and minimize programs. Opening an app was simple since it works a lot like Windows. Just click on the program. But there’s no familiar X in the upper right on a Mac.

mac-corner

You can click the name of the program/app you have open to open the app menu, then select Quit from the drop-down menu.

quit-safari.jpg

Let’s check out the three little dots at the top-left of every open program on a Mac.

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Hover over them and you’ll see an x, a dash, and an arrow inside the dots.

mac-x-dash.jpg

The red dot with the x inside closes the window, but it does not close the program. You’ll have to use the app menu for that.

mac-red-dot.jpg

The yellow dot will minimize the program.

yellow-dot.jpg

Once the program has minimized, you’ll see it down on the dock. Just click to open the window again.

minimized.jpg

The green dot will take your program/app to fullscreen.

mac-green-dot.jpg

When an app is fullscreen, you won’t see the dock at the bottom of the desktop or the menu at the top. Here’s the desktop in regular mode.

mac-regular-desktop.jpg

Here it is in fullscreen mode.

mac-full-desktop.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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