By default, the GNOME desktop environment on Ubuntu uses a feature known as “Hot Corners.” If you aggressively throw your mouse cursor into the absolute top-left corner of your monitor, the system instantly triggers the “Activities Overview.” This shrinks all your open windows into a grid and overlays a massive search bar across the screen.
While intended as a fast way to switch applications, it is incredibly annoying for users with multiple monitors or those who frequently use the top-left “File” menu in applications. Accidentally overshooting the menu by a few pixels will violently rip you out of your workflow and launch your desktop into the Activities Overview. You can completely disable this mouse trigger.
How to Turn Off Hot Corners in Ubuntu
You must use the GNOME Tweaks tool to disable the top-left corner trigger.
- First, ensure you have the necessary tool installed. Open the Terminal (Ctrl + Alt + T) and run:
sudo apt install gnome-tweaks - Once installed, open your application grid and launch the Tweaks app.
- In the left-hand navigation sidebar of the Tweaks window, click on Top Bar.
- Look for the toggle switch labelled Activities Overview Hot Corner.
- Click the toggle switch to turn it completely Off.
The change is instantaneous. You can now throw your mouse into the top-left corner as aggressively as you want without triggering any window management features. To access the Activities Overview, you will now need to intentionally press the Super (Windows) key on your keyboard or click the word “Activities” on the top bar.