How to Move a Fullscreen Window to Another Monitor

Running multiple monitors is one of the most effective ways to boost productivity — but fullscreen windows have a habit of locking themselves to whichever display they opened on. Whether you're dealing with a game, a video player, or a fullscreen app that refuses to budge, there are several reliable methods to shift it where you actually want it.

Why Fullscreen Windows Behave Differently

Most windows in windowed mode can be dragged freely between displays. Fullscreen mode works differently — the application takes exclusive or near-exclusive control of a display, which means the standard click-and-drag method won't work.

There are two types of fullscreen to understand:

• Exclusive fullscreen — common in games, this mode locks the application directly to a specific monitor at the OS level. Moving it requires changing settings inside the app.
• Borderless windowed (fullscreen windowed) — looks fullscreen but behaves more like a maximized window. These respond better to system-level shortcuts.

Knowing which type you're dealing with is the first variable that shapes what method you'll need.

Method 1: Windows Keyboard Shortcuts 🖥️

On Windows 10 and Windows 11, the fastest approach for most apps is:

1. Win + Shift + Left Arrow or Win + Shift + Right Arrow — moves the active window to the adjacent monitor.

This works well for borderless windowed applications and standard maximized windows. For truly exclusive fullscreen apps, you may need to exit fullscreen first, move the window, then re-enter fullscreen.

Additional useful shortcuts:

Method 2: Change the Primary Display in Display Settings

Some applications — particularly games — default to launching on whichever monitor Windows designates as the primary display. Changing this can effectively redirect where fullscreen apps open.

To change your primary monitor on Windows:

1. Right-click the desktop → Display Settings
2. Select the monitor you want as primary
3. Scroll down and check "Make this my main display"

On macOS, this is handled in System Settings → Displays, where you drag the white menu bar to the monitor you want as primary.

This is a system-wide change, so it affects where new apps and taskbars appear — worth considering before you switch.

Method 3: In-App Display Selection

For games and media players, the most reliable solution is usually inside the application itself:

• In most PC games, look under Settings → Video → Display or Graphics options. There's typically a "Monitor" or "Display Output" dropdown where you can select monitor 1, 2, or 3 by number.
• Applications like VLC, OBS, or Zoom include their own display selection within their settings menus.

This approach gives you the cleanest result because you're telling the app directly where to render — rather than trying to override it externally.

Method 4: The Windowed Workaround

If an app is stuck in exclusive fullscreen with no in-app display option:

1. Exit fullscreen (usually F11, Alt + Enter, or Escape)
2. Use Win + Shift + Arrow to move the window to the target monitor
3. Re-enter fullscreen once it's on the correct display

This works reliably for browsers, media players, and most non-game applications. Some older games may not remember the monitor position when re-entering fullscreen, but many modern titles do.

Method 5: macOS-Specific Approaches 🍎

On macOS, fullscreen windows are managed differently — they occupy their own Space in Mission Control.

• You can move a fullscreen app to a different monitor by dragging its thumbnail in Mission Control to another display.
• Alternatively, exit fullscreen (green button or Ctrl + Cmd + F), move the window to the target display, then re-enter fullscreen.

macOS doesn't support the same Windows-style keyboard shortcut natively, though third-party tools like Moom or Magnet add this functionality.

Factors That Affect Which Method Works for You

No single method works universally. What determines the right approach for your situation:

• Operating system — Windows and macOS handle fullscreen and multi-monitor behavior quite differently
• Application type — Games behave differently from browsers, media players, and productivity apps
• Fullscreen mode — Exclusive vs. borderless windowed opens up or restricts which methods apply
• GPU and driver version — Some multi-monitor behaviors, especially in games, are influenced by graphics driver settings (NVIDIA Control Panel and AMD Adrenalin both include display assignment options worth exploring)
• Number and arrangement of monitors — Physical arrangement and how your OS maps monitor positions affects which direction shortcuts move windows
• App version — Older applications may not support modern display selection options

When the Issue Is GPU or Driver Settings

If you've tried the above and a game or app keeps launching on the wrong display regardless, the problem may sit at the driver level. Both NVIDIA and AMD control panels include settings for preferred display output that override app-level behavior in some configurations. Checking those panels — particularly if you have a mixed display setup with different resolutions or refresh rates — is worth doing before assuming the app itself is the problem.

The right method depends on a combination of your OS, the specific app involved, and how your display setup is configured — which means the path forward looks meaningfully different from one setup to the next.