Like other desktops, Gnome Shell uses windows to display your running applications. Using both the overview and the dash, you can launch new applications and control which window is active.

In the Activities overview, the dash displays your favorite applications as well as your running applications. The dash will place a slight glow behind any running applications.

Clicking on the application icon will launch it if it is not running, and will open the last used window of that application if it is already running.

Right clicking on the application icon for a running application will bring all windows for that application forward. A menu with the titles of your windows will be displayed. You can select a window from this menu. It also provides options to open a new window for that application and to remove or add that application to favorites depending on its current status.

Windows are shown on their corresponding workspaces.