Activate Mission Control using trackpad gestures, the Mission Control key, keyboard shortcuts, or Dock icon. 2. Switch between apps and windows by clicking them directly in the overview, including grouped or hidden windows. 3. Manage desktops and Spaces by adding, reordering, assigning apps, or removing empty desktops via the Spaces bar. 4. Customize settings for shortcuts, app grouping, and Space arrangement in System Settings. Bonus tips include assigning apps to specific desktops and using keyboard shortcuts for quick navigation, enhancing multitasking efficiency across single or multiple monitors.
Using Mission Control on Mac is a great way to stay organized and quickly manage your open apps, windows, and desktops. It gives you an overview of everything running and lets you switch between tasks efficiently. Here’s how to use it effectively:

1. Activate Mission Control
There are several ways to open Mission Control:
- Swipe up with three or four fingers on your trackpad (depending on your settings).
-
Press the Mission Control key (usually
F3
orF9
, orfn F3
on newer Macs with function keys). - Press Control Up Arrow on your keyboard.
- Click the Mission Control icon in the Dock (if added).
Once activated, all your open windows spread out at the top of the screen, full-screen apps appear on the right, and Spaces (virtual desktops) show up along the top.

2. Switch Between Apps and Windows
When Mission Control is active:
- Click any window to bring it forward.
- Grouped app windows appear together—click the app group to see all its open windows.
- Use Mission Control to find minimized or hidden windows that are hard to locate otherwise.
This is especially useful when you have many windows open and want to quickly jump to one without minimizing others manually.

3. Manage Desktops and Spaces
Mission Control lets you create and manage multiple desktops:
- Move your cursor to the top of the screen while in Mission Control to see the Spaces bar.
- Click the " " button on the far right to add a new desktop.
- Drag apps or windows upward from the main view to assign them to a specific desktop.
- Reorder desktops by dragging them left or right.
- Remove a desktop by hovering over it and clicking the "X" (only for empty ones).
You can use different desktops for different tasks—like one for work apps, one for web browsing, and another for communication tools.
4. Customize Mission Control Settings
Go to System Settings > Desktop & Screen Saver > Mission Control (or System Preferences > Mission Control on older macOS versions) to adjust:
- Trackpad and keyboard shortcuts
- Whether windows from the same app should group together
- How Spaces are arranged (automatically or manually)
- Options for Dashboard (if used)
For example, you can disable automatic rearrangement of Spaces based on most recent use if you prefer to keep them in a fixed order.
Bonus Tips
- Assign apps to specific desktops: Right-click an app in the Dock > Options > Assign To > This Desktop (or All Desktops).
- Use Control Left/Right Arrow to quickly switch between desktops without opening Mission Control.
- If you use multiple monitors, each can have its own set of Spaces—great for multitasking across screens.
Using Mission Control regularly can save time and reduce clutter. It’s not flashy, but once you get used to it, you’ll wonder how you worked without it.
The above is the detailed content of How to use Mission Control on Mac. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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