How to Escape Full Screen Mode on Mac with Chrome

The macOS Menu Bar is a fundamental element of Apple's operating system, serving as a hub for various app controls and important functions. One of its most iconic features is the ability to enter full screen mode, which allows users to focus solely on their content without distractions. However, this feature has been plagued by an annoying lag period when entering or exiting full screen mode on YouTube videos.

This issue has been present for years, frustrating many Mac users who have grown accustomed to a seamless browsing experience. To address this problem, I embarked on an experiment to find a solution and was ultimately successful in discovering a way to bypass the lag.

The culprit behind this issue is the extra HTML content that appears on the page when a YouTube video is played. This heavy content includes elements such as playlists, recommendations, comments, descriptions, and likes, which can slow down the browser's performance when toggling full screen mode. When Chrome enters or exits full screen mode, it moves this content around in the Document Object Model (DOM), causing a significant amount of processing overhead.

In Vivaldi, an intermediate step occurs during the full screen transition that cannot be avoided, making it impossible to eliminate the lag entirely. Fortunately, Firefox does not experience the same issue as Chrome, so users who switch to this browser may notice only a minor improvement in performance.

To reduce the transition time and avoid the lag when entering or exiting full screen mode on YouTube videos, I recommend using an extension that hides heavy content while transitioning. This simple yet effective solution can significantly improve your browsing experience and provide a more seamless transition between full screen and normal modes.

In conclusion, the lag period when entering or exiting full screen mode on Mac with Chrome is a nuisance that has been present for years. By understanding the root cause of this issue and using an extension to hide heavy content while transitioning, users can enjoy a faster and more responsive browsing experience when watching YouTube videos in full screen mode.

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