How to Set Up Hot Corners on Mac

Tap each step to follow along in order.

  1. Open "Desktop & Dock" in System Settings

    Go to "Desktop & Dock" in System Settings.

  2. Find the "Hot Corners" menu

    Click the "Hot Corners" button near the bottom of the settings screen.

  3. Assign an action to each corner

    Assign an action to each of the four screen corners β€” Mission Control, sleep, show desktop, or whatever you prefer.

  4. Move the mouse to a corner to test it

    Move the cursor into the corner you set and confirm the action runs right away.

  5. Why it matters

    Without memorizing a keyboard shortcut, moving the mouse into a screen corner is enough to trigger a frequently used action instantly.

Skip memorizing keyboard shortcuts

Simply moving the mouse into a corner of the screen is enough to instantly bring up Mission Control, put the display to sleep, or run whatever else you have assigned.

Choose corners you don't bump into by accident

An action fires the instant the cursor touches the assigned corner, so it is worth avoiding an easy-to-accidentally-trigger action, like sleep, on a corner your cursor crosses often during normal work. Requiring a modifier key on a given corner is another way to cut down on accidental triggers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it fire instantly even if the mouse touches the corner by accident?

Yes β€” the action runs the moment the cursor touches the assigned corner, so it is worth being careful about which action you assign to a corner you pass through often.

Can it require holding down a specific key?

Yes β€” each corner can be set to only trigger while a modifier key like Shift or Command is held down at the same time.