How to Use Mission Control on a Mac

This updated guide examines How to Use Mission Control on a Mac and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1of 4:

Launch Mission Control

1. Click the new Mission Control icon in your dock to launch the application or F3 on your keyboard.
   • Alternatively, swipe three fingers up on your trackpad to launch Mission Control.

Method 2of 4:

Swipe between full-screen apps

1. Swipe three fingers left or right to switch between currently open full-screen apps. Note: You have to click the new top-right corner full-screen icon before this gesture becomes active.

Method 3of 4:

Understanding the Mission Control interface

1. Click the square in the upper left corner of the top row labeled 'Dashboard' to access your Dashboard widgets.
2. View your desktop spaces to the right of Dashboard in the top row. Note: You can click the '+' sign to the right of the top row to create a new Desktop.
3. View your currently running full-screen apps to the right of your desktop spaces in the top row.
4. View standard-sized windows and your main desktop below the top row in the lower section of Mission Control. Click any window to automatically exit out of Mission Control and bring the window to the foreground. Note: Windows from the same application will be bundled together.

Method 4of 4:

Organizing windows

1. Drag and drop windows from the lower section of Mission Control into one of your desktop spaces in the top row. This is a quick and easy way to organize your windows into their own separate work spaces.