How to turn on Full Screen Apps on iPad
On recent versions of iPadOS (including iPadOS 26), Apple offers several multitasking styles. One of them is Windowed Apps. In that mode, apps can appear in resizable windows with the familiar red, yellow, and green window controls in the top-left corner.
Mobile Locker uses that same top-left area as a hotspot while you present. Tapping there reveals the presentation toolbar so you can leave the presentation (Back or Close). When Windowed Apps is on, those system window buttons sit on top of the hotspot and make it hard to exit a presentation cleanly.
For Mobile Locker presentations, we recommend Full Screen Apps.
Recommended setting: In iPad Settings, under Multitasking & Gestures, choose Full Screen Apps. This keeps presentations full screen and keeps the top-left hotspot free so you can close Mobile Locker presentations properly.
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Why this matters
Interactive presentations often hide the Mobile Locker navigation bar so the content can fill the screen. When the toolbar is hidden, you leave the presentation by tapping the top-left corner to show the toolbar, then tapping Back or Close (often an X).
If Windowed Apps is selected, the system window controls (red, yellow, and green) appear in that corner. Taps intended for Mobile Locker can hit the system buttons instead, so the presentation toolbar may not appear when you need it.
Full Screen Apps avoids that conflict: apps stay full screen, and the top-left hotspot works as designed.
Turn on Full Screen Apps
- Open the Settings app on your iPad.
- In the left sidebar, tap Multitasking & Gestures.
- If you do not see that name, search Settings for Multitasking and open the multitasking screen.
- At the top of the screen, under the multitasking style options, select Full Screen Apps.
- The description should say you always use full screen and swipe Home to switch between apps.
- Do not leave Windowed Apps selected for presentation work.
- Stage Manager is also not recommended while you are presenting in Mobile Locker.
- Confirm that Full Screen Apps shows a selected (filled) radio control.
You can leave the other gesture toggles (for example Four & Five Finger App Switching or Productivity Gestures) as your organization prefers. The important change for Mobile Locker is the multitasking style at the top: Full Screen Apps.
Settings → Multitasking & Gestures, with Full Screen Apps selected (recommended).
What you should see
- Full Screen Apps is selected in Multitasking & Gestures.
- Mobile Locker (and other apps) open full screen, without floating window chrome.
- While presenting, the top-left corner does not show the red, yellow, and green window buttons on top of Mobile Locker.
- Tapping the top-left corner reveals the Mobile Locker presentation toolbar so you can leave the presentation.
Managed iPads: Some companies control multitasking settings with device management (MDM). If you cannot change Multitasking & Gestures, or the setting reverts after you change it, contact your IT department and share this article.
Leaving a presentation after the change
- Open a presentation in Mobile Locker as usual.
- When you finish, tap the top-left corner of the screen if the presentation toolbar is hidden.
- On the toolbar, tap Back or Close (often an X) until you return to the Mobile Locker main screen.
For more habits around interactive HTML presentations (IVAs) on iPad, see the related articles on this page.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | What to do |
|---|---|
| I still see red, yellow, and green buttons in the top left | Open Settings → Multitasking & Gestures and select Full Screen Apps again. Fully close Mobile Locker from the app switcher, reopen it, and try presenting again. |
| I cannot find Multitasking & Gestures | Use Search at the top of Settings and type Multitasking. On older iPadOS versions the labels may differ; look for multitasking or Stage Manager options and prefer full-screen behavior for presentations. |
| The setting changes back on its own | Your organization may manage this with MDM. Ask IT to allow or enforce Full Screen Apps for field devices used with Mobile Locker. |
| I can select Full Screen Apps, but the top-left tap still does nothing | Confirm you are tapping near the extreme top-left of the display (the Mobile Locker hotspot). If the toolbar still does not appear, force close Mobile Locker, reopen it, and open the presentation again. If it continues, contact Mobile Locker support with your iPad model and iPadOS version. |
| I need windowed multitasking for other work | You can switch multitasking styles when you are not presenting. Before a call, switch back to Full Screen Apps so Mobile Locker’s exit hotspot works reliably. |