Minimize All in Mac OS?

Mac OS X calls it Exposé and the default key is F11 or Command-F3. You can change this — and also map it to moving the mouse into a screen corner — in the Control Panel.

This doesn't exactly minimize all windows though, it just swishes them all out of the way temporarily so you can see the desktop.

To minimize the current window, press Command-M. To minimize all windows of the app in focus, press Command-Option-M. Or you can press Command-H which hides the application. Command-H will minimize your apps one by one, but it won't work on the last open one. Command-Option-H will hide all other apps but the active one.

Another relevant shortcut is to hold down Command+Option and click the desktop, which will minimize everything but an open Finder window. Doing the same and clicking on a dock icon will minimize every other window but that program (and open that programs window if it is not open).


I use Command-Alt-Desktop (clicking somewhere on the desktop). All windows go away.


Here is an AppleScript that switches to Finder, hides all other programs, and then minimizes all Finder windows, basically the same as in the accepted answer, but combined into one script.

activate application "Finder"
tell application "System Events"
    set visible of processes where name is not "Finder" to false
end tell
tell application "Finder" to set collapsed of windows to true

You can use Automator to create a service for the script:

You can then give the service a keyboard shortcut from System Preferences.

Alternatively, save as application in AppleScript Editor and add it to your Dock. Click to run it an execute the script.

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Macos

Mac