How Can I Open All Safari Links in Fullscreen Mode? [Ask MacRx]

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Mac-Mini-and-Safari.jpg

When you are running a Mac as a kiosk or to run a demo, it can be helpful to block out all elements of the user interface. This user from Norway can’t figure out how to force Safari in Lion to always open links in true fullscreen mode:

We are a group of mac users that can not figure out why or how to get our Safari to be a true fullscreen app when we click on a link to start safari. So here is what we struggle with: how to get safari on Lion to open links in true fullscreen without the toolbar in the top?

We know of the trick to right click on the toolbar and choose hide toolbar, but there must be a way around this tedious task? So after no one could answer this on several mac-forums, we agreed to lift this question up to Cultofmac level.

We do not want to stop using Safari, but if we can’t figure this out then Chrome or Opera is the only second choice we have. Could you send up a mac help flare to see if anyone has figured out a solution to automatically get true fullscreen safari window without having to right-click on the darn toolbar :-) Fingers crossed.

Yngve, MUG Norway

Hello Yngve,

I can get Safari to behave like you want by starting with a window open in fullscreen mode, with the toolbar hidden (an empty window is fine). If I then switch over to Mail and click a URL in a message, the link opens in Safari fullscreen without a toolbar. Each Safari window opens in a separate desktop space.

Does this do what you need?

Sadly this does not work for us. We need a method to get safari to open windows in true fullscreen after quitting too. We have a web-based infoscreen solution running on mac minis and safari. These players start and stop every morning and night using startup / system prefs.

The trick you gave us only works if you manually have safari running in this true fullscreen mode. And to do this someone has to physically do the manual job of right-clicking on the toolbar to make it go away.

Is there maybe some script-possibilities? We have tried to use PlistEditPro to see if apple has some hidden features, but don’t understand all setting enough yet.

You might try using QuicKeys for Mac, or Apple’s own Automator software, to develop a script you can run as a login item. Otherwise an alternate browser may be your best bet. Some readers may have more suggestions.

Readers – have any other tips for Yngve? Leave your thoughts in the comments.

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