How to Restore Minimized Windows on Mac: 5 Ways + Shortcuts

Click the window’s thumbnail on the right side of the Dock, or choose it from the app’s Window menu. Keyboard only: Cmd + Tab to the app, press ↓ while holding Cmd, press ↓ again to reach the minimized window, then Return.

The 5 ways at a glance

1. Click it in the Dock

A minimized window gets its own thumbnail on the right side of the Dock, next to the Trash. Click it and the window comes back to where it was.

If you don’t see thumbnails there, Minimize windows into application icon is turned on in System Settings → Desktop & Dock. The window is then tucked into its app’s icon. Right-click (or Control-click) the app icon and choose the window from the list at the top of the menu. Clicking the app icon also works when all of that app’s windows are minimized.

2. Use the app’s Window menu

Almost every Mac app lists its open windows at the bottom of the Window menu in the menu bar, minimized ones included (they’re marked with a small diamond). Choose the name to restore it. This is the most reliable way to get back one specific window when an app has several, such as a Safari or Finder window.

3. Cmd + Tab, then the arrow keys

This is the fully keyboard-driven way:

1. Hold Cmd and press Tab until the app is selected.
2. Keep holding Cmd and press ↓ (or ↑). The app’s windows spread out in App Exposé. You can let go of Cmd now.
3. Press ↓ again to move into the row of minimized windows at the bottom.
4. Use ← and → to pick the window, then press Return.

The second ↓ is the step that’s easy to miss: the first press only opens App Exposé, the second moves the selection down to the minimized windows. It takes a few more keys than a shortcut, but it works for any window, even when the app has other windows open.

More Command-Tab tricks: what you can change.

4. Cmd + Tab, then Option

1. Hold Cmd and press Tab until the app is selected.
2. Press and hold Option.
3. Release Cmd first, then Option.

The app comes forward with its most recently minimized window restored. The order matters: if you release Cmd before pressing Option, macOS only switches to the app and the window stays in the Dock.

This trick is the fastest, but it’s most dependable when all of the app’s windows are minimized. If the app has other windows open, use method 2 or 3 to get a specific one. If the app has no windows at all, most apps open a new, empty window instead. Apple doesn’t document this trick.

5. App Exposé with Ctrl + ↓

With the app already in front, press Ctrl + ↓ to show all of its windows. Minimized windows appear in a row at the bottom. Click one to restore it. On a trackpad, the same view opens when you swipe down with three or four fingers (depending on your trackpad settings).

Mission Control (Ctrl + ↑) doesn’t show minimized windows, so use App Exposé for this.

Why Cmd + Tab doesn’t bring minimized windows back

Cmd + Tab switches between apps, not windows. When every window of an app is minimized, switching to it brings its menu bar forward and leaves the windows in the Dock, so it can look like nothing happened. The full explanation and fixes are in a separate article.

Third-party app switchers such as AltTab can show minimized windows, but they replace the built-in switcher and need Accessibility permission (AltTab also asks for Screen Recording if you want window thumbnails). If you’d rather keep the standard Command-Tab and have it just work, I built Command Reopen for exactly this. When you switch to an app, it restores the app’s minimized window, or opens a new one if the app has none. It needs no Accessibility or Screen Recording permission, and it’s on the Mac App Store with a 7-day free trial.

Minimize or hide?

If you mostly use the keyboard, hiding may suit you better than minimizing:

Hiding is fine when you want the whole app out of the way. Minimize when you want to put one window aside and keep the others open.

Related window shortcuts

The full list is in Apple’s Mac keyboard shortcuts guide.

FAQ

Is there one keyboard shortcut to unminimize a window?

No. macOS has Cmd + M to minimize but no single shortcut to reverse it. The closest options are Cmd + Tab followed by ↓ or Option (methods 3 and 4 above).

Where did my minimized window go?

Look at the right side of the Dock. If it isn’t there, it’s inside the app’s Dock icon (the “Minimize windows into application icon” setting), and most apps also list it in their Window menu.

Can I restore all minimized windows of an app at once?

Yes. Hold Option and click one of the app’s minimized windows in the Dock, and all of that app’s minimized windows come back together.

Can I reach the Dock without the mouse?

Yes. Press Ctrl + F3 (or Fn + Ctrl + F3 on some keyboards) to move focus to the Dock, use the arrow keys to select the minimized window, and press Return or Space.