Enabling and Disabling Full-Screen Mode in Microsoft Edge

Full-screen mode lets you see more of the web and less of the browser

by
Joli Ballew
Joli Ballew
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Joli Ballew is a former freelance contributor to Lifewire and Microsoft MVP, Lynda.com trainer, Microsoft Press author, and college professor.
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Joli Ballew
Updated on February 06, 2021
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Jon Fisher
Lifewire Technology Review Board Member
Jonathan Fisher is a CompTIA certified technologist with more than 6 years' experience writing for publications like TechNorms and Help Desk Geek.
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Article reviewed on Nov 03, 2020
Jon Fisher

In Windows 10, you can view web pages in the new Chromium-based Microsoft Edge in full-screen mode to hide the tabs, Favorites bar, and Address bar. The controls aren't visible in full-screen mode, so it's essential to know how to enter and exit this mode. There are several options.

The information in this article applies to the new Microsoft Edge Chromium-based web browser in ​Windows 10, Windows 8, and Windows 7 operating systems.

Use the F11 Toggle

To use Microsoft Edge in full-screen mode, first, open the Edge browser. You can do this from the Start menu.

Once it is open, press F11 on the keyboard to enter full-screen mode, it doesn't matter if the browser is maximized or only taking up part of the screen. Pressing the F11 shortcut key causes it to enter full-screen mode. When you finish using full-screen mode, press F11 on the keyboard again, as F11 acts as a toggle.

Full-screen and maximized modes aren't the same. Full-screen mode takes up the entire screen and only shows what's on the web page. The parts of the web browser you might be used to, like the Favorites bar, Address Bar, or Menu Bar, are hidden. Maximized mode is different. Maximized mode also takes up most of the screen, but the taskbar and web browser controls are still available.

Use the Zoom Menu in Edge

You can enable full-screen mode from a menu available in the Edge browser. It's in the Zoom settings.

To use the menu option to enter full-screen mode:

  1. Open the Edge browser.

  2. Select the Settings and More option, represented by three horizontal dots in the upper-right corner of the browser window. This opens a drop-down menu.

    Microsoft Edge with the More icon highlighted

  3. Position the mouse pointer over the Zoom option, then select the Full-screen icon. It looks like a two-headed diagonal arrow.

    Edge with the Full-Screen button highlighted

  4. To exit full-screen mode, move the cursor to the top of the screen and select the double arrow icon.

    Double arrow icon to exit full screen in Microsoft Edge


Use Combinations to Enter and Exit Full-Screen Mode

The ways described here for enabling and disabling full-screen mode are compatible. For example, you can press F11 on the keyboard to enter full-screen mode, and then go to the top of the screen and select the double arrow icon to exit.

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