How to add a minimize button in Elementary OS

New to Elementary OS? Are you missing the minimize button? 

If you are a new Elementary OS user, you must have noticed there is no minimize button for any application. Some of us has this habit of switching between apps by minimizing the one which is not needed and Elementary OS makes it a pain. Sometimes, you just want an application to run in background by minimizing it e.g. Music Player, downloads etc. However there's a way to add a minimize button in Elementary OS.

In this article we will see how to add a minimize button in Elementary OS.

Before you can enable the minimize button, you will have to install Elementary Tweak. 

How to install Elementary Tweak in Elementary OS

Once done, open System Settings > Tweaks.

In the left sidebar under Appearance Tab, you will see an option - Button Layout. Select Minimize Left / Right to put a minimize button either on the left side of a window or the right one, whichever you prefer. If you are switching from Windows, most probably you will prefer it in the right side. An Ubuntu user will prefer it on the left for obvious reason. 

You can select OS X to put a minimize, maximize and close button imitating a OS X desktop. Here's how an application looks like with a Minimize button in Elementary OS.

On the left side, you can see options to close the window, maximize it or minimize it. When you right click the title bar, you can find the same options. 

Final Words

Sometimes the absence of a minimize button in elementary OS is frustrating for me. I am not sure why the eOS developers left it on purpose. Being an elementary OS user, what do you think about it, have you got used to it or uses the above mentioned Tweak tool to get one for yourself? Tell us in the comments.