How to Use Hot Corners on Mac
While there are many ways to launch apps, Apple macOS offers a unique way to open some of them using Hot Corners. As the name suggests, bringing your mouse pointer to corners will launch a specific application. It is advantageous if it is configured correctly. Read on to learn more about the Hot Corners feature of macOS.
After setting up this feature, you will find that having access to everything you need has become much easier to manage. For example, you can set screen savers and access apps, and more, just by moving the trackpad.
We show you how to use Hot Corners on your Mac. To get started, we’ll show how to enable and configure them, as well as ways to disable them, if necessary.
How to activate Hot Corners
If you want to activate Hot Corners, the process is relatively straightforward. All you need to do is follow the steps below.
Step 1: On your computer, click on the Apple logo in the upper left corner.
2nd step: From the drop-down menu, go to System Preferences.
Step 3: Once you’re in System Preferences, go to Desktop & Screensaver> Screen Saver.
Step 4: In the lower right corner of the window, click on the option labeled Hot Corners.
Step 5: In the Hot Corners menu, your computer will offer you four options. In each corner, you will have the option to choose from a drop-down menu of abilities. Press the blue buttons with two arrows and choose the ones that best suit your needs.
Step 6: Once you are happy with everything, click OK. You can then close the System Preferences application.
Once you’ve activated your Hot Corners, all you need to do is move the cursor to the corner you need.
Another way to access Hot Corners on your Mac is to click Mission Control while in System Preferences. From there, choose Hot Corners at the bottom left. Once you’ve done both, you can start adding commands like above.
How to configure Hot Corners
When learning to use Mac Hot Corners, knowing what your options are is essential. You can choose from nine different functions, including:
- Go to the notification center.
- Opening the windows of your application.
- Go to mission control.
Once you’ve chosen a Hot Corner feature, don’t worry – you don’t have to stick to it forever if you don’t want to. And setting everything up takes little effort.
To set up Hot Corners for your Mac, just follow these steps.
Step 1: Return to the System Preferences application before performing the Desktop & Screen Saver> Screen Saver action again.
2nd step: Go to the Hot Corners section.
Step 3: In the drop-down menu, change the function of a corner where you want to do it.
Step 4: Repeat the above steps for all the corners you want to change.
Step 5: Click the blue OK button and exit System Preferences.
It’s also worth noting that you can leave some of them blank if you don’t want the four corners to have a different function.
How to turn off hot corners
While Hot Corners are extremely useful, you might also find that they get a little awkward for you at some point. If so, fear not, as disabling them is as easy as configuring them.
All you need to do is follow the steps outlined below to turn them off.
Step 1: Go to System Preferences. Return to the screen savers menu by following the steps we listed in the previous two sections.
2nd step: On each of the corners where something is chosen, click on it.
Step 3: At the bottom of the options list, you will see a “-” symbol. Click on it.
Step 4: After repeating the process for each corner, click OK and close System Preferences.
Use Hot Corners Wisely on Mac
So this is it. You now know how to use Hot Corners on your Mac. We have explained how you can activate them, as well as customize them to suit your personal preferences. You also know how to turn off Hot Corners if you need to.
Using this feature will help you more easily access the apps you need and can also allow you to activate your screensaver without having to wait for a while. So, now that you know how to use Hot Corners on Mac, why not give it a try?
Last updated on July 5, 2021
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