Change Alt+Tab View to Windowed or Full Screen in Windows 11

This guide will help you change how the Alt + Tab keys work in Windows 11. You can make the window switcher show up as a small window or take up the full screen.

What is Alt+Tab?

Pressing Alt + Tab lets you switch between all open apps and windows quickly.

You can also press Ctrl + Alt + Tab to keep the switcher open without holding down keys.

What changed with Windows 11 updates?

  • Windows 11 build 22526 started showing the Alt+Tab switcher as a smaller window instead of full screen for some users.
  • From Windows 11 build 22554 and later, the Alt+Tab switcher is windowed by default. The full screen option was removed.

Important: You need to be signed in as an administrator on your computer to make these changes.

How to Change Alt+Tab View

1. Show Alt+Tab as Full Screen

To make Alt+Tab show full screen again, you need to edit the Windows Registry.

Step-by-step:

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter. This opens the Registry Editor.
  3. Navigate to this folder:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\4\702590604
  4. If the folder 702590604 exists, right-click it and choose Delete to remove it.
  5. If the folder doesn’t exist, you don’t need to do anything — full screen may already be disabled.
  6. Restart your computer to apply changes.

2. Show Alt+Tab as Windowed (Default)

This is how Windows 11 shows Alt+Tab by default in newer versions.

If you want to make sure it’s set to windowed, follow these steps:

  1. Open Registry Editor as explained above.
  2. Go to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\FeatureManagement\Overrides\4\702590604
  3. If the folder 702590604 does not exist, create it:

    Right-click on 4 → New → Key → name it 702590604.
  4. Inside 702590604, create these new DWORD (32-bit) values with these exact names and data:


"EnabledState"=dword:00000002
"EnabledStateOptions"=dword:00000001
"Variant"=dword:00000000
"VariantPayload"=dword:00000000
"VariantPayloadKind"=dword:00000000

Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Extra Tips

  • Be careful with Registry Editor: Changing the wrong settings can cause problems. Always back up your registry before making changes. Learn how here: Microsoft Registry Backup Guide
  • If you want an easier way, you can try third-party apps like Switcher or use virtual desktops (Windows + Tab).

Now you know how to switch between a windowed or full screen Alt+Tab view in Windows 11!

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