iPad M4: Cannot exit full-screen apps, controls disappear

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iPad M4: Cannot exit full-screen apps, controls disappear

Frustratingly frequently I am unable to exit an app in full-screen because I can’t make upper-left controls reappear. iPad M4. iPadOS26

Posted on Feb 2, 2026 10:36 AM

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Answer 1

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LotusPilot

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303,002 points

Feb 2, 2026 10:50 AM in response to jonfrompotomac

While Apps are displayed full-screen, the traffic-light window control (nominally seen at upper-left of an iPadOS 26 App Window) is suppressed. However, you can access this and other controls using the top menu bar - simply exposed with a short downward swipe from the top edge of the iPad screen.

Once the top menu bar has been exposed, tap the traffic-light button to expand the control buttons.

If the top menu bar cannot be accessed, check that this feature is enabled in iPad settings:

Settings > Multitasking & Gestures > [Gestures] Swipe to Reveal Menu Bar - set to ON

Alternatively, full-screen Apps can be closed using the App Switcher (Exposé) page. To access the App Switcher, swipe-up from the bottom edge to the centre of the screen - and pause briefly before lifting your finger from the screen.

Here you will see all currently open App windows - the most recently accessed towards the right of the screen. To close an App, swipe the corresponding tile off the top of the iPad screen.

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Answer 2

LotusPilot

Level 10

303,002 points

Feb 2, 2026 3:10 PM in response to jonfrompotomac

From a full-screen App, the first downward swipe from the top-edge should expose the top menu bar.

A second downward swipe, while the top menu bar is visible, will expose the iPad's Notification Centre page.

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Answer 3

Feb 2, 2026 5:42 PM in response to jonfrompotomac

Discovered what works for my setup is selecting Stage Manager: If Stage Manager is on, full-screen apps retain a “size-selection handle” (a grab point - I don’t know what Apple calls it) in one of the corners, usually a lower corner.

Thank you very much for all your help.

Now searching for a solution to the corresponding problem in iOS, which does not have Stage Manager.

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Answer 4

Feb 2, 2026 1:06 PM in response to LotusPilot

Thank you for responding so completely. Sometimes I can summon that top menu in just the way you describe & show. Sometimes, however, there is no “space” between the app and the lock screen, which comes down instead and has no controls for the specific app. I try to find a sweet spot or tapping movement where the top menu comes down, but often do not.

Yes I do close apps using the App Switcher, but inside an app like Notes, I may want to close a full-screen single note in a way that preserves its state (saves my actions), which will only happen (it seems) if I return to the main Notes app.

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