Switch between modes | Qt Creator Documentation

- Qt Creator Documentation
- Switch between modes
- Qt Creator 19.0.0

Switch UI themes ◦ Use info bars instead of pop-ups

# Switch between modes

Modes let you quickly switch between tasks such as editing project and source files, designing application UIs, Build and run projects for building and running, and debugging or analyzing source code.

To switch between modes:

- Select the icons on the mode selector.
- Use the corresponding keyboard shortcut.

Drag mode icons on the mode selector to change their places.

Mode | Keyboard Shortcut | Purpose | Read More
--- | --- | --- | ---
Welcome | Ctrl+1 | Open projects, tutorials, and examples. | Adapting the UI
Edit | Ctrl+2 | Edit project and source files. | Editing code
Design | Ctrl+3 | Design and develop application user interfaces. This mode is available for UI files. | Designing User Interfaces
Debug | Ctrl+4 | Inspect the state of your application while debugging or use code analysis tools to detect memory leaks and profile code. | Debugging
Projects | Ctrl+5 | Configure how to build and run projects. This mode is available when a project is open. | Building and running projects
Extensions | Ctrl+6 | Load Qt Creator extensions from the computer or the web. | Activate extensions
Help | Ctrl+7 | Read documentation. | Getting help
Preferences | Ctrl+8 | Set global preferences. | Find preferences

Some actions in Qt Creator trigger a mode change. For example, selecting Debug > Start Debugging > Start Debugging of Startup Project automatically switches to Debug mode.

## Hide and show modes

To hide and show modes in the mode selector and to save space on the display, go to View > Modes:

- To hide the mode selector, select Hidden.
- To only show icons on the mode selector, select Icons Only.
- To hide modes that you don't use, clear the Show <Mode> checkboxes.

You can use the keyboard shortcuts to switch to the hidden modes.

See also How to: Adapt the UI, Show and hide sidebars, Show and hide the main menu, and Adapting the UI.

Switch UI themes ◦ Use info bars instead of pop-ups