How to set up hot corners on a Mac

howtosimply.com/guides/how-to-set-up-hot-corners-on-a-mac/ · Checked 2 October 2026 · MacBook Pro · macOS Tahoe 26

3 of 5 steps with real screenshots · 2 official sources below

Device

Mac

Shown on

macOS Tahoe 26 (MacBook Pro)

App

System Settings

Real screenshots

3 of 5 steps

Checked

2 October 2026

Sources

2 official, linked below

Step by step

1. 

   Open System Settings and click Desktop & Dock

   Click the Apple menu, then System Settings. Desktop & Dock is in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.

   Done

2. 

   Scroll to the bottom and click Hot Corners

   The button is at the very bottom of the page, on the right.

   Done

3. 

   Choose an action for a corner

   A small picture of the screen appears with a menu at each corner. Click a menu and choose what that corner should do, for example Mission Control, Desktop, Notification Centre, Lock Screen or Put Display to Sleep. A dash means the corner does nothing.

   Done

4. Add a key to prevent accidents

   If corners trigger by mistake, hold Command, Shift, Option or Control while the menu is open and then choose the action. The corner then works only while you hold that key.

   Done

5. Click Done and try it

   Move the pointer all the way into the corner. The action starts at once.

   Done

About this guide

A hot corner starts an action when you push the pointer into a corner of the screen. No click is needed. Many people use one corner to lock the Mac and another to show the desktop.

These steps are for recent versions of macOS, where the settings app is called System Settings. The pictures are our own screenshots from macOS Tahoe 26 on a MacBook Pro.

Some pictures are simplified diagrams of the screen, not screenshots.

Good to know

To switch a corner off, open its menu and choose the dash.

On a new Mac the bottom right corner is already set to Quick Note. That is why a small note window appears when the pointer rests there.

A Lock Screen corner is a quick way to lock the Mac when you leave your desk.

A hot corner can lock the screen; other ways to do it: How to lock the screen on a Mac.

Hot corners not enough? Mac trackpad gestures: the full list.

In short: Apple menu > System Settings… > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners… > choose an action for a corner > Done.

📷 Camera Lab: the same 6 scenes photographed with 11 phones, side by side.