How to configure and use hot corners on macOS

Apple's desktop operating system, macOS, offers numerous features that users may not have fully uncovered yet. One such lesser-known but highly beneficial feature is 'hot corners', which helps to improve efficiency on your Mac. Hot corners trigger specific actions when the pointer is moved into any of the display's corners. These actions can be customized according to the user's frequently performed tasks on macOS, such as quickly creating a new note in Apple Notes, launching the system screen saver or opening Mission Control. Users do not have to activate all four corners at once, but can choose which ones to activate at any given time. Users can designate a function for each corner of the display or disable specific hot corners and can add any modifier key or combination to a hot corner.

Hot corners provide 11 options to each corner, with Mission Control and Launchpad being particularly helpful for boosting productivity. Hot corners function simply by moving the pointer to the chosen corner of the screen, although certain actions, like creating a quick note in Notes, require an additional click to start the shortcut. If a modifier key has been set, it needs to be pressed as well.

Hot corners also provide convenience with multi-tasking activities, such as dragging and dropping files between apps. Hot corners also prove helpful when leaving your desk momentarily; a swift gesture on the trackpad locks the MacBook without pressing any keys or navigating through menus.

While using multiple displays, hot corners might behave differently, working independently on each screen. For hot corners to behave as though on a single screen, the displays must be meticulously lined up in display settings. Despite not offering any novel actions that macOS can't already perform, hot corners provide significant convenience and quick navigation throughout the operating system's features.