Use Show Desktop to reach a file on your desktop, minimize to put one window in the Dock, and hide to move an app’s windows out of view while keeping the app open. The right choice depends on what you want to do next.
Choose by what you want to do next
| Your next step | Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Get a file from the desktop | Show Desktop | Command–Mission Control, or Fn-F11 depending on your keyboard |
| Put one window aside | Minimize | Command-M |
| Put the current app’s windows aside | Hide | Command-H |
| Keep only the current app in view | Hide Others | Option-Command-H |
Apple documents the commands in Mac keyboard shortcuts. The Mission Control key often has the F3 label. Function-key behavior depends on your keyboard settings.
Show Desktop: access files behind your windows
Show Desktop temporarily moves windows aside so you can access desktop files. Use the command again to bring your windows back.
If you’re used to Windows-D, try Show Desktop first. Keep in mind that it moves windows aside temporarily rather than minimizing them or hiding their apps.
You can also assign the Desktop action to a screen corner in macOS; see the Hot Corner guide.
Minimize: put one window aside
Click a window’s yellow button or press Command-M to send that window to the Dock. Other windows from the same app can stay visible. To bring it back, select the minimized window in the Dock.
For example, if you have two browser windows open and only want one out of the way, minimizing is a better fit than hiding the whole browser. Apple’s guide to app windows explains the window controls.
Hide: put an app aside without closing it
Command-H hides the active app’s windows together. The app stays open, and you can return to it from the Dock or with Command-Tab.
To hide all windows, use Hidy with a keyboard shortcut, menu bar click, or Hot Corner. Finder windows stay visible. Use Show Desktop if you need to reach a desktop file behind a Finder window.
Follow the hide-windows guide to set up a shortcut.