Click on Icon to Minimize Application Window in Ubuntu 18.04

This quick tutorial shows you how to enable ‘Minimize on click’, the feather that minimize the running application window when you clicking on the icon in left launcher.

While Settings and Gnome Tweaks utilities do not provide an option to toggle the action, you can enable the feature with Dconf Editor.

1. Search for and install dconf editor in Ubuntu Software:

install-dconf-editor

2. Then launch the tool and navigate to org -> gnome -> shell -> extensions -> dash-to-dock. Scroll download, and click go to settings for click-action.

dconf-clickaction

3. Finally disable default setting and choose “minimize” as its value from drop-down menu:

clickaction-minimize

That’s it.

Minimize running window on click via single command:

For those who prefer Linux command, open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run single command to do the job:

gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action 'minimize'

About ml

ml is a part time stay-at-home dad who've been using Ubuntu Desktop for a few years. He writes in the free time and wishes to share some useful tips with Ubuntu beginners and lovers.

8 comments

  1. Brilliant!, tnx!

  2. Christian Florian Gobel

    Nice. The only problem is that it disable the preview for running application with more than one windows, for example Chromium.

  3. Super! THANK YOU!

  4. Is there any way to show previews on hover?

  5. I am getting an error while using the command line method.

    gauravlohia@grvlohia007:~$ gsettings set org.gnome.shell.extensions.dash-to-dock click-action ‘minimize’

    Produces the output

    GLib-GIO-Message: 02:08:19.075: Using the ‘memory’ GSettings backend. Your settings will not be saved or shared with other applications.

    And minimize doesn’t works. Can any you help?

  6. A great THANKS TO YOU BUDDY!!!!!!