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How Do I Move Data Between Apps When Working With a Full Screen App?

I have had a MacBook for a year and I find this frustrating. Say I am composing an email, I have mail full screen and I need to use the calculator, well that pops to a new desktop instead of where I want it on top of my mail message. Similarly, if I want to attach a photo, I open photos and again it jumps me to a new screen. Like today I wanted to attach a photo to an email so I ended up creating a new desktop and putting the email I’m composing and the photos app on the same desktop so I can drag the photo in. It’s super cumbersome and there must be an easier way to do something so simple… Thanks in advance…

Generally, I’m working with a full-screen app and I want to access or look up something in another app, like a calculator, or maybe something from a web page in Safari or a photo and I want the new app to pop on top of my work and not drag me off to a new screen…
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Keith Baker

Comments: 4 Responses to “How Do I Move Data Between Apps When Working With a Full Screen App?”

    4 months ago

    In your first example you want to use TWO apps at the same time on the same Space. But a Full Screen app window is exact that: a Full Screen app window. It is designed to be a single window taking up the whole screen.

    You can switch to a regular Desktop space if you want to have multiple windows, like Mail and Calculator. Then have them both side-by-side, or app switch-between them. Or in the case of other apps (not Calculator) you can use Split View. Or, you can just leave the Mail window in a Full Screen space and switch spaces like you said you did. Or, in the case of Calculator, use Spotlight instead to do your calculation. Command+Space and then do your calculation without leaving the space. So lots of options.

    As for dragging an image from Photos, you can do that with both of them in Full Screen mode or one in Full Screen in a space and one as a window in a Desktop space. Just start the drag from Photos and then switch spaces while dragging using Mission Control (Control+Left/Right) and then drop. Or start dragging and the trackpad gestures to switch spaces, then drop. Or, drag from Photos to the right or left side of the screen, wait a second, and it will switch spaces. Or select the photos in Photos, Copy, switch back to Mail, paste. So lots of options there too.

    See https://macmost.com/23-tips-for-using-desktop-spaces-on-your-mac.html where I mention some of this and some other tips for using Full Screen apps.

    Keith Baker
    4 months ago

    Thanks, Gary, You are super helpful. I am used to Windows where an app can pop on top of a full-screen app. I'm not sure why Mac doesn't allow this. I didn't know I could drag a photo from one space to another. I tried it running mail full screen and then dragging a photo in from another space and that works just as you suggested. I can't be the only one who finds this confusing because I know there are third-party "shelf" apps that let you keep a file on top while you switch spaces. Thanks!

    4 months ago

    Keith: You can certainly expand an app window to fill the screen and then have another app window on top of that. That is what you are doing in Windows. Full Screen mode is something different.

    Keith Baker
    4 months ago

    Thanks, Gary. I guess I dont see the difference between full-screen mode and maximized window in Windows. It just seems that on a Mac, it creates a new desktop if you go full screen which I guess is good in some situations. I did just watch the video you reference though and that was very helpful.

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