Spotify opens in a narrow Safari window and stays there, even on a large display. Safari is usually reusing a window size it saved earlier, and you can override that in a few seconds.
Fill the window from the green button, set double-clicking a title bar to Fill in macOS Settings, or drag an edge to the exact width you want. Full screen is there if you want the whole display.
In this guide, I have covered:
Contents
Why Spotify Opens in a Narrow Safari Window
Spotify opens in a skinny Safari window and stays that way, even on a wide display. Safari often reuses the size of a window you closed earlier, so a link that launches Spotify in a new window can inherit a small, narrow shape.
Two fixes get mixed up here. A filled window takes the available desktop width and leaves the menu bar and Dock in place. Full screen hands the entire display to the page, menu bar and Dock included.
The report in this Apple Discussions thread couldn’t be verified, so everything below stays with the window controls Safari and macOS actually give you.
Fill the Safari Window to the Available Width
You want Spotify wider right now, without giving up the menu bar or Dock. Filling the window does exactly that.
- Bring the Safari window to the front by clicking anywhere in its title bar or webpage area.
- Hold the pointer over the green button in the upper-left corner of the window.
- Select Fill under Fill & Arrange.
You’ll know it worked when the window spans the desktop width. Height stays adjustable, and the menu bar and Dock remain visible.
To undo it, -click the green button after filling the window and Safari returns to the size it had before.
Make Double-Click Fill Safari Windows
If you reach for the title bar out of habit, you can make a double-click do the filling for you.
- Open System Settings.
- Select Desktop & Dock in the sidebar.
- Set Double-click a window’s title bar to to Fill.
- Return to Safari and double-click the Spotify window’s title bar.
You’ll know it worked when the window jumps to the full available width on that double-click. This is a system-wide setting, so every app window on your Mac follows it, not just Safari.
If nothing happens on the Spotify window, check where you clicked. The title bar is the thin strip above the toolbar, not the address field.
Resize the Spotify Window by Hand
Sometimes you only need more width on the left or right, not a full desktop fill. Dragging an edge gives you an exact width.
- Move the pointer to the left or right edge of the Safari window until a resize cursor appears.
- Drag the edge toward the center of the display until the Spotify page is wide enough.
- Double-click the edge you want to expand to let macOS resize that side of the window.
You can also drag the lower edge to adjust the height. If Spotify still shows a stacked, phone-style layout after the window gets wider, see how to view the mobile site layout in Safari on Mac.
Use Full Screen for Spotify
If the menu bar and Dock make the page feel cramped even when filled, hand the entire display to Spotify.
- Click the green button in the upper-left corner of the Safari window.
- Wait for Spotify to enter full screen.
- Move the pointer to the top of the display and select Exit Full Screen if the green control is not already available.
Spotify now fills the display edge to edge. Moving the pointer to the top drops the menu bar back down with the window controls, including the green button that takes you out again.
TIP: Need the menu bar and Dock while you work? Use Fill instead of full screen. You lose the full-display height, not the width.
Check Whether a New Safari Window Is Causing It
If Spotify keeps landing at the same narrow size, watch where it opens. A private window is the quickest way to test whether the size follows the site or a saved regular-window layout.
- Open File and select New Private Window, or follow the steps in how to open private browsing mode and new tabs in Safari on Mac.
- Enter the Spotify web address in the private window’s address bar.
- Wait for Spotify to open and compare the initial window size with the regular Safari window.
- Hold the pointer over the green button and select Fill if the private window is narrow.
If Spotify fills correctly in the private window, the size is tied to your regular Safari window, not to the site. Fill that regular window, then close it, and Safari has a good chance of reusing the larger dimensions next time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers if the window still won’t stay wide after the steps above.
How do I make Safari fill the screen without full screen?
Hold the pointer over the green button and select Fill under Fill & Arrange. The window expands to the available width while the menu bar and Dock stay put.
How do I restore the previous Safari window size?
Option-click the green button after filling the window. Dragging the window edges works too if you only need to change one side.
Why does Spotify open in a separate narrow window?
Safari may restore the size assigned to a new or previously used window. Fill that window to the available width, then close it so the larger dimensions can be reused.
Does changing Safari’s tab layout settings fix window width?
No. Safari’s Tabs settings control where tabs appear, not how wide the window is. Use the green window button or the Fill option instead.
How do I switch Spotify to full screen?
Click the green button in the upper-left corner of the Safari window. Move the pointer to the top of the display and choose Exit Full Screen to return to the normal desktop view.
