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Participant
May 12, 2017
Answered

Stuck in full screen playback

  • May 12, 2017
  • 8 replies
  • 23189 views

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this software and am working on a macbook pro. I pressed ctrl + ~ to view the playback full screen (an instruction I found on google!) and now I am stuck! I have tried everything I can think of so can anyone please help me?!

Thank you!!!

    Correct answer Jim Finn 2000

    f3 to change desktop. Then go to settings to change resolution. then go back to Premiere and save. Quit. Change resolution back. Annoying but better than a force quit

    8 replies

    Participant
    October 2, 2024

    At least seven years old bug and still exist on mac!

    Participant
    September 12, 2025

    Created a bug for a similar issue, I think because this thread is categorized as a discussion Adobe might not really look at it? For ref the bug: https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-pro-bugs/cannot-exit-fullscreen-after-sleep-and-second-monitor-turns-back-on/idi-p/15501546#M55438

    caroline_edits
    Community Manager
    Community Manager
    October 3, 2025

    Hey Paul! I checked out your bug. It looks like one of our engineers is eager to look into it, but they need more info! Can you reply on that bug thread with the info requested?

     

    Hope we can help,

    Caroline

    Participating Frequently
    May 15, 2024

    Any fix for those who can't find a fix?

    Jim Finn 2000Correct answer
    Participating Frequently
    May 22, 2024

    f3 to change desktop. Then go to settings to change resolution. then go back to Premiere and save. Quit. Change resolution back. Annoying but better than a force quit

    Participant
    May 11, 2024

    The only thing that worked for me was going to my settings, changing the resolution, going back into the program and then saved my project quickly, it kicked me back into fullscreen, then I changed the resolution again, did the same thing, then I clicked esc. (Mac user)

     

    Step 1: Change your resolution in settings

    Step 2: Go back into your premiere program

    Step 3: Save (if you can), if you cannot or it kicks you back into fullscreen, repeat Step 2 & 3

    Step 4: Click esc to exit fullscreen mode

     

    Hope this helps 🙂

    Participating Frequently
    May 22, 2024

    Yes!!!!

    Participating Frequently
    April 28, 2024

    I had the same problem and nothing worked alt f4 or control ~, i open my display settings and that forced the program out of full screen mode, and i managed to save my 6 hours worth of work

    Participant
    July 16, 2024
    • This worked for me too
    • thanks
    AC Media
    Participant
    April 11, 2024

    Windows user here - I found the ctrl + ` option didn't work for me unfortunately.

    I use Fn + F3 then choose any other display option and then back to default, for me it then lets me exit fullscreen in adobe and saves me having to ctrl/alt/delete and reopen! 

    hope this helps.

    Participant
    March 13, 2024

    Its 2024, the same problem still exists. I am using a month old Macbook Pro so it is not the system specs. This is litterally the first project for school that I am using Premier Pro for and went full screen. I can at this moment Not exit full screen using all the tips below, and I can not force quite the program. The only way I can even use the computer at the moment was to attach my Ipad as a second screen, because everytime I make a new desktop the full screen mode just jumps back in.

    Any advice, for this wonderfully annoying problem?

    Participant
    March 16, 2024

    Same here but on Windows. Managed to open settings, changed screen resolution and premiere let me save the project before "almost full screen" playback showed up. Closed premiere and reopened it. Maybe this helps ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

    Participant
    March 30, 2024

    Change the resolution once save project change reolution back to previous resolution. Premiere will exit full screen.

    MagicMason1000
    Participant
    March 5, 2024

    I'm on Windows, but hopefully this helps in the future. I just hit Alt + F4 whenever this happens and it gets me out of it. I know that seems really sketchy to do if you haven't saved in a bit, so if you're scared about that, here's a precaution I usually take:

    1. Hit the Windows key (or whatever key allows you to see the taskbar), right click on the Premiere icon, and tell it to "Close window" which will make premiere open the Save menu.
    2.  Press Alt + F4 to force close the application. Whenever I do this, it closes the fullscreen but keeps the save menu open before it closes, so you can hit "Save" and keep your progress before it completely closes.
    3. Reopen Premiere and resume work 🙂
    Horshack
    Legend
    May 12, 2017

    Just press Ctrl + ~ again to get out of full-screen mode.

    Foschissel
    Participant
    March 22, 2021

    I have the same problem and this doesn't work for me when it freezes up.  


    It freezes in full screen, and I've tried cntrl+~, I've tried escape, cntrl+escape+~, cntrl+shift+~, and a bunch of other combinations but nothing works except to restart my computer.  It's quite frustrating. Has anybody else with this recurring issue figured it out?

    Participant
    October 9, 2023

    Never mind I just figured it out. For those who use mac, control + ~ works. Before that I was doing option + o I think to get out of the program. Super annoying but the solution of control + ~ does work.