Why doesn't Safari zoom to full width like other apps?

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Level 2

155 points

Why doesn't Safari zoom to full width like other apps?

Why is it that Safari will only zoom vertically but not horizontally? This drives me crazy! I don't like using the full-screen zoom where the menu bar disappears, like when you click the green finder window button. I want it to zoom to the full-screen size but leave the menu bar visible. Pretty much every other app, including other Apple apps, will do this when you option-click the green button or click Zoom in the Window menu, EXCEPT Safari. Is there a reason for this or is it simply an oversight? Is there any way to change this? I hate that I have to pull the window to the width of the screen.

iMac 27″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jul 11, 2022 10:44 AM

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Answer 1

John Galt

Level 10

141,634 points

Jul 11, 2022 1:54 PM in response to ndelc

In that same document, refer to "Automatically hide and show the Dock".

I understand what you're saying though. Until about a decade ago, there was no consistency in what the "green button" did. At the time, Apple's developer documentation defined its function as toggling between a window's "standard state" and its "user state". The problem is that both of those "states" were left to the particular app developer to decide upon. So, no standardization.

Recent macOS versions somewhat standardized its behavior. If you prefer to use Safari in "windowed mode" (i.e. not "full screen") then resize it according to your preferences. Then, clicking the "green button" will toggle between those manually resized dimensions (presumably, this would be the "user state") and "full screen". "Full screen" is now understood to be literally that; having evolved from the introduction of Spaces: Use apps in full screen on Mac - Apple Support.

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Answer 2

John Galt

Level 10

141,634 points

Jul 11, 2022 12:24 PM in response to ndelc

Change Dock & Menu Bar preferences on Mac - Apple Support

Refer to "Automatically hide and show the menu bar".

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Answer 3

ndelc Author

Level 2

155 points

Jul 11, 2022 1:12 PM in response to John Galt

Cool, thanks, I've never seen that option before. It's closer but it's still not quite what I want because the red, yellow, and green buttons, and the dock still disappear. To see what I mean, open the Notes app and make sure it's not using the entire screen. Go to Window > Zoom, and then do the same in Safari. They do entirely different things. The way it works with Notes is the way it works with pretty much every other app I can think of, except Safari. It makes no sense.

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Why doesn't Safari zoom to full width like other apps?

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