GUIDE
How to play Minecraft in borderless windowed mode on Windows
Borderless windowed means the game fills the monitor with no title bar or frame, but Windows still treats it like a normal window, so alt-tab and a second screen keep working. Here is how to get it in Minecraft, starting with what the game and Windows already give you.
1. Java Edition: check the Fullscreen and Exclusive Fullscreen switches
- In Minecraft, open Options > Video Settings.
- Turn Fullscreen on (you can also press F11).
- Look for Exclusive Fullscreen. Keep it Off for borderless; turn it On only if you want the game to take full control of the monitor.
Which version you run matters. According to the Minecraft Wiki's Options page, the Exclusive Fullscreen option was added in Java Edition 26.1, and in 26.3 borderless fullscreen became the default fullscreen mode. Before 26.1, fullscreen in Java Edition was always exclusive, so those versions have no borderless switch in the video settings. Menu names can change between versions.
2. Bedrock Edition on Windows
We haven't confirmed a borderless option for Bedrock Edition on Windows, and the Minecraft Wiki's Options page covers Java Edition only. If you play Bedrock and want a frame-free window, use the window route below.
3. What Windows itself can do
- Win + Up arrow maximises a window, but the title bar stays.
- Win + Shift + Left/Right arrow moves the active window to your other monitor.
- Windows has no setting that removes a game window's title bar and frame.
If your version has no borderless option
If you are on an older Java version where Fullscreen is exclusive, you can run Minecraft in a window and use a tool that removes the window frame and fills the monitor.
Disclosure: Solace Borderless is made by SolaceSoftware, the shop that publishes this guide.
Solace Borderless does that for a windowed game. Set Minecraft to windowed (Fullscreen off), open Solace Borderless and click Make borderless, or press Ctrl+Alt+B (you can change the hotkey).
- Pick the monitor, or a custom size like 2560x1080 centered on it.
- Remember a game once and it goes borderless every time it opens.
- Click Restore (or press the hotkey again) to put the window back exactly as it was.
- Nothing is injected into your games. No account, no telemetry, no admin rights.
Limits, stated plainly: the game has to run in windowed mode first, because exclusive full screen is not changed. We haven't tested every Minecraft version or launcher, so try it on your setup. On multiplayer servers, check the server's own rules about tools that run alongside the game. The app isn't code-signed yet, so the first time you open it Windows may show "Windows protected your PC". Click More info, then Run anyway. The shop page lists the size and SHA-256 of the exact ZIP so you can check it.
$6.43 once, with a 14-day money-back guarantee. No subscription and no automatic renewal.
Get Solace Borderless for $6.43 once, with a 14-day money-back guarantee.
Questions before you buy: solacesoftware@smilingface.cloud
Quick answer
- Java 26.1 or newer: Options > Video Settings > Fullscreen On, Exclusive Fullscreen Off.
- Older Java, or Bedrock: run in a window; Solace Borderless can make that window borderless.
- Only works in a window: exclusive fullscreen can't be changed by any outside tool.
Not sure which app you need? Answer one question
Questions: solacesoftware@smilingface.cloud.