Fix Google Chrome Full Screen not Working to Maximize Windows

Google Chrome is the most-used browser in the world, with more than 50% of the market share. It’s present on all devices you could imagine and excels in many features.

However, it’s not perfect, and one of the most reported issues is related to playback and video streaming. From complaints, it seems that the Google Chrome Full-Screen mode is not working for some Windows users.

This especially goes for YouTube videos, which it may open windows that are not filling the entirety of the screen.

For that purpose, we prepared a few solutions that should help you resolve these and similar issues.

Why doesn’t the Full-Screen mode work in Chrome?

In most cases, this is caused by browser glitches, and the developers are usually quick to fix them by releasing an updated version that addresses this issue.

Alongside bugs, your settings can also lead to this problem, so be sure to adjust them accordingly or reset them to the default.

How do I quickly go to Full-Screen mode in Chrome?

Many browsers have Full-Screen mode, allowing you to use it without distractions. However, do keep in mind that this feature doesn’t affect the multimedia that you’re playing.

Going to full-screen mode in Chrome is simple; you need to press the F11 key on your keyboard, and you’ll enable it. To exit this mode, press the F11 key again.

Google Chrome is one of the best browsers on the market; however, it has its share of issues, and many users reported that Full-Screen mode doesn’t fill the screen.

Quick Tip:

Chrome is a great browser, but it tends to use a lot of memory, leading to it performing poorly from time to time. Instead, try enabling the fullscreen mode in a lighter browser, for instance, Opera One.

It’s a very stable alternative, built on a Chromium engine. It has a modern interface you’ll be familiarized with in no time, plus tons of additional features like social media integrations and a free VPN.

Opera One

Enjoy fullscreen media content without buffering with this light and fast browser.

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What can I do if Full Screen isn’t working on Google Chrome?

1. Update Chrome
2. Reinstall Chrome
3. Disable Hardware acceleration
4. Reset the Chrome settings
5. Change Display scaling settings
6. Switch back to the default theme
7. Make sure that Chrome isn’t maximized
8. Consider using the Beta or Canary version
9. Duplicate the open tab

1. Update Chrome

1. Click on the 3-dot icon at the top right of the browser.
   
2. Click on Help, then About Google Chrome on the left side.
   
3. This will start an automatic check for updates and download them accordingly.
   

This is a valuable solution if you encounter issues with YouTube fullscreen not working, Chrome, and many other full-screen bugs on the browser.

2. Reinstall Chrome

1. On the keyboard, press Windows + I to open the Settings app.
2. Click Apps on the left pane of the Settings app, then click on the Apps & features menu on the right pane.
   
3. Scroll to the Chrome application, click on its vertical dots, and select the Uninstall option.
   
4. When requested, click Uninstall for the process to begin.
5. Re-download the Chrome app from the official website by clicking the Download Chrome button.
   
6. Click the downloaded file to start the re-installation and follow the installation wizard.

Remember that Chrome can leave some leftover files, so you’ll need to find and remove them manually. You can find these files in the following directories:

C:\Users\<YourUserName>\AppData\Local\Google Chrome

C:\Program Files\Google Chrome

3. Disable Hardware acceleration

1. Click on the ellipses or three vertical dots on the top right corner of your browser.
   
2. From the list of options, select Settings.
   
3. On your Setting’s left pane, click on the Systems option.
   
4. Uncheck the Hardware Acceleration box, then restart Chrome.
   

4. Reset the Chrome settings

1. Click the ellipses or three vertical dots at the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
2. Expand the Advanced and select Reset and clean up.
   
3. Click on Restore settings to their original defaults.
   
4. Click on the Reset settings button to confirm.
   

This may not be the first solution to try, but it is effective for any Google Chrome full-screen glitch.

5. Change Display scaling settings

1. Right-click your Google Chrome shortcut and choose Properties from the menu.
   
2. If ticked, untick the option for Disable fullscreen optimizations, then click Apply and OK to save the changes.
   
3. Restart the browser.

6. Switch back to the default theme

1. Click the ellipses or three vertical buttons at the top right corner and choose Settings from the menu.
   
2. In the left pane, select Appearance.
   
3. Click on the Reset to default button.
   

7. Make sure that Chrome isn’t maximized

1. If Chrome is maximized, click the Maximize button.
   
2. The browser window will now resize.
3. Keep using it like this.

Note that if you have a Google Chrome maximize window problem, you may rather reinstall the browser and try again.

8. Consider using the Beta or Canary version

1. Visit the official website to download Chrome Beta.
2. Click on the blue Download Chrome Beta button.
   
3. Check if the problem is still there.
4. If the issue is preset, try using Chrome Canary instead.

This is just a workaround, and if a bug causes the issue, the developers will fix it in the upcoming version, but if you’re impatient, you can try this solution.

9. Duplicate the open tab

1. Navigate to the desired website in Chrome.
2. Before going to Full Screen, right-click the tab you want to view in Full Screen and choose Duplicate from the menu.
   
3. Once the new tab opens, switch to it and enter Full-Screen mode.

Read more about this topic

• How to Create Chrome AI Theme for Windows 11/10
• IGFollow Chrome Extension: What is it & Should I Install it?
• Image Decode Failed in Chrome: 7 Simple Ways to Fix It

How popular is Google Chrome?

Chrome is the most used web browser in the world, and currently, it holds 67.17% of the market share on desktop platforms.

Safari follows it at 9.63% and Microsoft Edge at 9.14%. So looking at the data, it’s safe to say that Chrome is the dominant web browser and may remain this way for some time.

Is Google Chrome a good browser?

Chrome is a great browser, but it has some flaws, notably high memory usage, which is not always great for multitasking on low-end PCs.

Many are concerned about privacy issues since Google is infamous for collecting user information. Perhaps you should consider using a different browser if this is a problem.

If full-screen mode isn’t working in Chrome, you might not be able to enjoy multimedia, but we hope that this guide has helped you fix this issue. Many also reported black screen issues in Google Chrome, which are easy to solve.

If you have the problem of videos not going full screen on Chrome on your Android devices, the exact solutions will apply, but the interface will be different. Also, the solutions here will use if Chrome is not opening full screen on Windows 10.

Did we miss a solution that worked for you? If so, feel free to let us know in the comments section below.