Gaming has always been a great entertainment which has become popular especially during the pandemic. However, there are times when you would need to do something else on you computer while playing a game. This could not be possible when your game is on a fullscreen. Exiting your game could be inconvenient and could lead you to losing the progress of your game. Do not worry as through this article, we shall figure out on how to minimize your game on your PC.
Quickest Methods of Minimizing a Game on PC
There are different keyboard shortcuts you could use to minimize your game on your PC.
Alt + Tab
The Alt + Tab is the easiest way to minimize your game on your PC. All you have to do is to hold the Alt key as you press the Tab key. This would open you menu which has all the applications on your taskbar. You could use the Alt key for you to be able to switch between open applications. Use the tab key any number of times until you get to your preferred open application. If you would not like to use the tab key, you could also use your mouse and click the application you would like to open. If you do not have other applications open and you would like to minimize your game on your PC, all you have to do is to hover your mouse and click on the Show Desktop button which you could find on the bottom right corner of your screen.
Windows Key
Another way to minimize your game on your PC is by using the Windows Key. Once you press your Windows key, your Start Menu on the Windows will open. Aside from that, you will also be able to use this key to minimize your game, all you have to do is to combine it with another key. You could use the Windows Key plus the down arrow key. This combination keys would resize your game which is open on a fullscreen mode. If you wish to maximize it, instead of down arrow key, you could use the up arrow key.
Keep in mind that this method does not always work as there are some games and applications that uses this combination of key for some other function.
Windows Key + Tab
Another popular shortcut keys that you could use is the Windows Key + Tab. It is the same application as mentioned above. It would open your Task View interface where you would see thumbnails of other opened applications. Through this combination key, you would be able to switch between different applications. On multiple desktops you could use CTRL+ Windows key + Right/Left Arrow Key shortcut. Keep in mind that this could slow down your PC and could use more memory.
Windows Key +G
This is another shortcut you could use for minimizing your game. It could be used for you to navigate Xbox Game Bar Overlay which is pre-installed on your Windows 10. You could also use the following shortcuts:
- Windows Key + Alt + Print Screen = screenshot
- Windows Key + Alt + R = records your screen
- Windows Key + Alt + G record clips which would last 30 seconds
Alt + ESC
This shortcut could minimize your game or your application and switch to the one right below. This feature could only work if you have more than one application open at the same time. It would minimize the app that is currently displayed on the screen. You could keep on using this to minimize all the apps opened one right after the other. Keep in mind that not everyone could use this shortcut as it does not work on some apps which are not displayed on your monitor and it only could be used one at a time.
Windows Key + D
This combination shortcut key will minimize not only your game but also other open applications. It will hide everything that are on your screen which would bring you back to the display of your desktop. For you to be able to bring all your applications back to your screen, all you have to do is use the combination shortcut key again. This combination shortcut keys work the same way as the Alt + Esc key shortcut but the difference is you could use Windows Key +D to bring back the minimized applications back to your screen.
Windows Key + M
This key shortcut combination works the same as Windows Key + D shortcut. It could minimize all your open windows and applications to bring you to your desktop. The difference is that it will not restore your minimized applications when used again.
Ctrl + Alt + Delete
This shortcut provides different tasks depending on the version of Windows you have. For Windows 7 this would open your task manager while in Windows 10 and 11, this would open and cover your screen with menu with different options such as lock, sign out, switch user, change password and task manager. Click on the task manager and choose the option that would minimize your game or other applications.
Ctrl + Shift + Esc
Though this shortcut is not like the other shortcuts provided and mentioned in this article, it could still be used to minimize your game. It would show you your task manager which you could use to minimize your application. This shortcut works similarly to Ctrl + Alt + Del. The only difference is that the Ctrl + Shift + ESC would bring you directly to the task manager instead of bringing you to the menu first.
Esc
The Escape key will pause your game and could even minimize your fullscreen mode. It would provide you the pause menu, however, keep in mind that this key does not work for all games.
FAQs
Why does Alt + Tab minimize my game
This shortcut could also be used to switch to different applications which are running on your computer. When you use this shortcut it will minimize your game for you to be able to access other open application.
Why does my game minimize when I click on my second monitor?
This is due to your game running on fullscreen mode. Clicking on another monitor or screen will automatically minimize our game that is not on an active monitor.
Why does my game minimize when I hit the D key?
This shortcut does not always work for everyone but if it does, then it would minimize your game.
Does iCloud make game minimize to desktop?
Yes, this could cause your game to be minimized. All you have to do to fix this is by exiting your iCloud app entirely.
My game is minimized and I cannot bring it back up
Use Alt + Esc shortcut or task manager to restore your game back up.
Fullscreen games are randomly minimized
This happens due to numerous reasons such as faulty GPU drivers, hindering background apps, notifications and potential malware or virus.
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