Hot Corners is a hidden gem in macOS that turns the four corners of your screen into invisible, interactive buttons. By simply sliding your mouse cursor into a corner, you can instantly trigger system actions like locking your screen, viewing your desktop, or opening Mission Control. Here is how to set it up and use it effectively.
How to Set Up Hot Corners
To assign actions to your screen’s corners, follow these steps:
- Click the Apple menu () in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences if you are on an older version of macOS).
- In the left sidebar, scroll down and click on Desktop & Dock. (Note: On older macOS versions, look for “Desktop & Screen Saver” or “Mission Control” instead).
- Scroll to the very bottom of the right-hand pane and click the Hot Corners… button.
- A window will appear showing your screen with four dropdown menus in each corner. Click on any of these menus to select an action for that specific corner. Popular choices include:
- Lock Screen: Instantly secures your Mac when you step away.
- Desktop: Sweeps all open windows away to reveal your files on the desktop.
- Mission Control: Shows all your open windows at a glance.
- Quick Note: Opens a small notepad for sudden ideas.
- Click Done to save your changes.
Pro-Tip: Use Modifier Keys to Prevent Accidental Triggers
The biggest complaint about Hot Corners is accidentally triggering them when you just meant to move your mouse out of the way. You can fix this by requiring a keyboard press to activate the corner.
While you are in the Hot Corners setup menu (Step 4 above), do not just click the dropdown. Instead, press and hold a modifier key on your keyboard, such as Command (⌘), Option (⌥), Control (⌃), or Shift (⇧), while selecting the action. You will see the symbol for that key appear in the menu next to the action name.
Now, moving your mouse to that corner will do nothing unless you are simultaneously holding down that specific key, making the feature entirely intentional and mistake-free.