How to set up hot corners on a Mac, and stop accidental ones
Short answer: open System Settings → Desktop & Dock, scroll down and click Hot Corners…. Choose an action for each corner. To stop a corner firing by accident, hold Command, Option, Control or Shift while you choose the action — it then only runs while you hold that key.
Setting them up
- Open System Settings → Desktop & Dock.
- Scroll to the bottom and click Hot Corners….
- Choose an action from the menu for each of the four corners, then click Done.
On a Mac with several displays, the corners are the outer corners of each screen — a corner that touches another display cannot be reached.
What each action does
- Mission Control — every open window and your spaces.
- Application Windows — the windows of the app in front.
- Desktop — moves windows aside to show the desktop.
- Notification Centre — notifications and widgets.
- Launchpad — your apps.
- Quick Note — a new note, from any app.
- Start Screen Saver / Disable Screen Saver.
- Put Display to Sleep and Lock Screen — useful when stepping away.
A popular choice is Lock Screen in one bottom corner and Desktop in another.
Stopping accidental triggers
The bottom-right corner is Quick Note by default, and many people meet it by accident. Instead of giving up hot corners, add a key:
- Open Hot Corners… again.
- Hold Command (or Option, Control, Shift) and open the corner's menu.
- Choose the action while still holding the key. The menu now shows it as, for example, ⌘ Mission Control.
That corner now does nothing unless you hold the key as you reach it.
Turning them off
Set a corner to – (the dash at the top or bottom of the menu) to turn it off.
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Frequently asked questions
Where are hot corners on a Mac?
System Settings, Desktop & Dock, then the Hot Corners button at the bottom.
How do I stop Quick Note opening in the corner of my Mac?
In Hot Corners, set the bottom-right corner to the dash, or hold Command while choosing Quick Note so it needs the key.
Can a hot corner require a key?
Yes. Hold Command, Option, Control or Shift while choosing the action.
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