You have the application open, but you can’t see the window for it in macOS? Try these tips.
Fix 1 – Zoom
Select the application in the dock, then choose “Window” > “Zoom“.
Fix 2 – Resolution
- Select the Apple Menu, then choose “System Preferences…” > “Displays“.
- Ensure “Scaled” is selected under “Resolution“.
- Choose any other setting. This should force the window for the application back on the screen where you can drag it to a safe place.
- Change the resolution setting back to the desired setting.
Fix 3 – Rotate
Note: This option is not available on all configurations.
- Select the Apple Menu, then choose “System Preferences…” > “Displays“.
- Change “Rotation” to “90°“, then switch back to “Standard“.
Fix 4 – Mirror Mode
Try toggling mirror settings by holding “Command” and pressing “F1“. Some MacBooks may require you to press “Command” + “Fn” + “F1”
Fix 5 – Force Quit
Try selecting “Apple” Menu, then “Force Quit…“. From there, select the application, then “Force Quit“. This should allow you to start the application new, and hopefully where it’s back on the screen.
Hopefully, one of the above fixes worked for you. Share your experience below in the comments section.
GreenVomit8 says
Austin resolved it for me. I don’t know why but my Firefox kept on going to a mystery ‘Desktop’? all on it’s own.
– After all open windows are pulled back into the Dock – “right” click the icon again and select OPTIONS > This Desktop.
I went to where all my other apps where playing happily and followed Austin’s advice.
It was there I noticed a strange Desktop Option called ‘Desktop2’ which was causing the problem for Firefox.
Once I chose the option for Firefox ‘This Desktop’ normality was restored.
Thank you so much Austin : )
Dallas Smetter says
+100 for Solution #1 – Thanks!!
James Ryan says
omg the scaled resolution thing actually fixed my issue. thank you so much, I had no idea what else to try but this fixed it right away
drmorgan says
Had this problems for years. Fix 1 worked like a charm.
Bless you, oh wizard!!
Phat Hizwe says
Fix #1 – Champion
Me says
Occurs when a window is dragged onto another monitor and if the cursor is at the junction between screens when you release, it disappears.
Only way to get it back for me is right click in the dock and select options>assign to and then choose an available display
Patty says
Fix #2 solved my problem immediately! Thank you so much!
Diogo says
This worked for me on the M1 chip.
1 – long click chrome icon in Dock and select window that is hidden (from the option on the top)
2 – Window –> Move to [display name]
Ag says
thanks, fix 4 worked.
M R says
Brilliantttttt!!! [Fix 2] worked like a charm!!!! Saved me the hair loss haha!
Max says
I have this problem all the time with the stickies app. Normally I’d go with Fix 5 but stickies won’t actually save your stickers. It can only export them to text files. Fix 2 is a great second option, thank you!
Austin says
None of these solutions fixed it for me – I had to do the following:
– Click the APP icon in the Dock – “right” click for the menu options and select “Minimize”
– After all open windows are pulled back into the Dock – “right” click the icon again and select OPTIONS > This Desktop.
All windows then opened up in the current screen on my MacBook.
James says
There is an official solution now, and this works even if no part of the window is visible.
1. Bring the application into focus by clicking it in the Dock. (this will NOT show the window, but you can tell the application is in focus because the menu bar at the top will change to show the application’s name). If it won’t focus by clicking the dock icon, quit the application, and reopen it. This will bring it into focus.
2. Click ‘Window’ in the menu bar, then click “Move to Built-in Retina Display”.
jay gamel says
Why would any operating system open windows on a second monitor that is turned off? And if it is necessary for some reason, why would they not add a quick way to retrieve the wayward window?
Sparky Rose says
I have this issue as well but you can’t see the edge of anything. It’s completely off screen and I don’t put it there. I happens mostly with Acrobat and iTunes. With those two it happens consistently. I’ve noticed that for either of those programs I just have to toggle Full Screen mode (I think it’s under the View menu for both apps). They also have keyboard shortcuts you can use as well. Enter full screen and you can, obviously, see the document that you can’t reach and when you exit Full Screen it plops the window right in the center of your desk top.
Annoying as hell, but fixable.
Anurag says
I tried using
App >> View (app menu bar at the top) >> Enter full screen (got my app) >> While toggling from full screen (Command+Control+F) found where does the App go and zoomed it out.
Kiran Patel says
It is a very simple way out from Off-Screen Window Back Onto Screen
Hold [ option ] + double click on the edge of the window.
And see the magic.
Gary says
It eventually worked – I had to do the “mirror window” option, and then close the missing browser window from that mirrored window. I couldn’t drag it back to the main screen. For some reason my Mac thinks I have a mini screen next to my main screen and I somehow accidentally dragged a browser window too far and it vanished onto the other screen (that doesn’t exist). Anyway mirror, followed by closing the window in the mirror, before going back, was the trick for me. Mac OS 10.10.5
thank you for the tips!
Urh says
I’ve had the same problem in Indesign running on my windows pc. The only solution seems to be to temporary decrease the screen resolution to 800x600px in my example.
Joe says
All of these comments helped me to realize that there is no fix for this very annoying and unwanted “feature”. I am a Beta user for OS/X, so it appears that the feature will be with us for quite a while longer.
Jonisco says
Hold down “ALT / OPTION” key and hold the mouse over the CORNER OF THE WINDOW, when the double arrow appears, DOUBLE CLICK – Voila!
Window Mouseman says
SOLUTION (if you have a mouse with a scroll wheel)
If you can see the edge of the window, (i.e. rescale it) you want to do the following:
1. Place your cursor on the edge so the “rescale/arrows”-cursor shows up
2. Click on the edge (NOTE! Do not start dragging or rescale at this point)
3. While holding, press down the scroll wheel
4. Move the window back onto screen
Ian L Robinson says
Holy s**t! I just tried about 20 tricks. The last guy helped. Grab whatever corner you can (if you don’t have a corner I don’t know what to tell you), but drag it while holding alt/option and it the window will scale equally on all sides.
JK says
Found the solution, press F3 to gather all windows, click and drag the one you want to the top of the screen where you can add a second desktop, a plus icon will appear and you can then make the offscreen window a full screen app. This will at least allow you to work in it and save, or save, close and reopen so it’s all on screen.
Rebecha says
None of these worked for me. The resolution expects me to keep it HUGE to use after effects. If I try to switch it back it goes back into the upper left-hand corner. This is incredibly frustrating. What a waste of time.
Larry Rennie says
No, not really. I want to know how to stop OS/X from putting an application off screen in the first place. Very annoying when you are working and concentrating and the screen just disappears from view.
Rob says
Hold down ctrl and alt, grab bottom corner of after effects window and drag. Top of window should drop down.
Worked for me.
Tomato says
Why doesn’t Apple do something about this. It happens all the time and is really annoying and time-consuming
trickycrayon says
LITERAL HERO. I’d never heard of that Resolution fix before and it made my lost-but-definitely-still-open-gosh-darnit Chrome window come back.
Macs Suck says
Unplugging and re-plugging external monitors can help too.
Griffin says
This would work if system preferences and display options weren’t also opening off screen. You’d think there’d be some kind of keyboard shortcut to collect all of the windows on the main display. Nope, just permanently locked out of any application that it decides now open on the secondary display for no reason.
Harrison Lyman says
I was using Adobe After Effects and none of those worked for me, so I just resorted to just trying to grab something on the bottom edge of the window and some how I think a finger icon appeared for the mouse and I was able to move the whole window back down and it then snapped back into the monitor display. PHEEeeew! That was a waste of 20 minutes.