How to enable Minimize button on Elementary OS distro

If you are using Elementary OS 6 ODIN Linux distro then you definitely be missing the minimize button on the title bar of every window. If yes, then follow this tutorial.

Developers of Elementary OS has really done a good job with its Patheon desktop environment. It is really beautiful, sleek, and modern just like macOS. However, most of the time, the users of Elementary OS would face a problem when it comes to minimizing the active windows. Because there is no icon or button available to minimize.

Well, we can get it using the elementary tweak tool, however, before that, we should know that really there is no way to minimize windows on this Linux distro.

Of course, there is. Instead of giving a button or icon, developers have enabled this feature in the context menu and by using the keyboard shortcut.

If you don’t want to install anything on your system then you can use then use the shortcuts. To minimize the widows on Elementary OS by using the default option:

  • Right-click on the Title bar of any active windows
  • Select Minimize option
  • The Keyboard shortcut is Super or Win key +H

To get a clear idea see the below screenshot:

Elementary OS window minimize shortcut

Add Minimize button in Elementary OS Linux distro

Well, if you want a permanent solution, then use the below steps. However, you have to perform some installation using the command terminal.

1. Open Command terminal

Go to Applications given on the top panel of Elementary and search for Terminal. Open it and run the following command:

sudo apt install software-properties-common

 

2. Install Elementary Tweak Tools

To get this tweaking tool we need to add its PPA repository on our Linux distro, thus run the command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:philip.scott/elementary-tweaks

Let the system recognize the newly added repo, for that run system update:

sudo apt update

Finally, install it.

sudo apt install elementary-tweaks
or 
sudo apt install pantheon-tweaks

 

3. Enable Minimize Icon on the title bar

  • Now, go to the Applications-> Search for Settings, and when appears open it.

System Settings Elementary OS

  • Open Tweaks settings.

Tweak Tool

  • Select Appearance, then under Windows controls, click on the Drop-down box given in front of Layout.

Change Layout of elementary OS

  • You will see different layouts such as macOS, Windows, and Ubuntu. Select any of them. However, on Windows/Ubuntu you will get the minimize button on the right side whereas in OS X and Ubuntu on the left side. Choose the one as per your comfortability.

Select macOS or Windows layout

Minimize button on Elementary OS terminal

Thus, in this way, we can enable the shortcut to minimize on the Title bar of every Windows in Elementary OS. If you are facing any problem then let us know…

 

1 thought on “How to enable Minimize button on Elementary OS distro”

  1. sudo apt install software-properties-common
    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:philip.scott/pantheon-tweaks
    sudo apt update
    sudo apt install pantheon-tweaks

    correct commands if you use Elementary OS 6 Odin.

    Reply

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