MATLAB 2025: Why can't I close a figure using Mac keyboard shortcuts?

I just downloaded MATLAB 2025a and all is working well so far except a strange quirk: There is no easy way to close a figure window using standard Mac keyboard shortcuts.

In previous versions, I can close a figure window by pressing the standard Cmd+w. This keyboard shortcut is used across Mac to close windows, browser tabs, documents, etc. Its a very generic keystroke and not in the list of MATLAB-specific keyboard shortcuts.

It's very bizarre because literally all other generic Mac keyboard shortcuts still work fine in MATLAB 2025, even when applied to figure windows. For example, I can minimize the figure window using Cmd+m. I can also toggle between figure windows using Cmd+`. So other Mac keyboard shortcuts apply to figures fine.

Adding to the mystery, I can still use the exact same Cmd+w keyboard shortcut to close an m file that is open in the editor. So the Cmd+w shortcut is recognized within MATLAB 2025. But does not work to close a figure.

Maybe its just me being nitpicky, but its really annoying because I use a lot of keyboard shortcuts in my work. Currently the only alternative is to reach all the way to my mouse and move the mouse to the x and click to close the figure, or I have to type "close" in the command window. Each of these takes at least 10x longer than hitting Cmd+w to quickly close a single figure.

Anyone else experiecing this? Any fix?

[Vidhi Agarwal]

Hi @Darcy,

I am also facing the same issue with R2025a, and not able to find any fix till now.

[Dan Dolan]

Many Mac shortcuts stopped working in the new desktop beta (release 2023b and later?). Most of them seemed to have been restored in release 2025a, but not this one. I also would like that functionally again.

Strange observation: Control-W on the Windows version of release 2025a closes figures but not uifigures. Alt-F4 will close either.

[Bruce Rodenborn]

Why did the MATLAB coders eliminate basic functionality from these versions? Using a pointing device of any kind always takes more work/time than using a keyboard shortcut. Presumably hard-core coders understand how little I want to use a mouse when I am coding. Fix this bug before it becomes a feature, please.

[Eric]

Still same problem for me on 2025b. Annoying.

[rost]

Same probleme here. Annoying. I use this shortcut very often. Does anybody know a workaround? cmd+w for closing windows is standard, AFAIK. Thanks!