How to quickly see your desktop without minimizing or closing all your applications on your Mac

Did you know that you don't need to minimize or close all your applications to quickly see your desktop?

Since 2011, macOS comes with a feature called "Mission Control" which allows doing the following:

  • View all open application windows

  • View all open application windows of a specific application

  • Hide all application windows and show the desktop

  • Manage application windows across multiple monitors

  • Manage application windows across multiple virtual desktops

Today, I'll explain how to do the third one.

This tip is especially useful when you have lots of folders and/or documents on your desktop.


You can configure a keyboard shortcut, which, in my case is the F11 key via System Preferences > Mission Control

And you can also configure one of the 4 corners of the screen as a "Hot Corner"

On my iMac, quickly putting the mouse cursor in the bottom left corner produces the same effect.

Those screenshots apply for macOS 12 Monterey or earlier.

If your Mac is running macOS 13 Ventura or later, visit System Settings > Desktop & Dock: then either click on "Shortcuts" or "Hot corners"


If you have a Magic Trackpad, either the one from your MacBook or a standalone one, then you just need to spread with the thumb and three fingers.

You can configure this via System Preferences/Settings > Trackpad > More Gestures > Show Desktop

And you, how often do you need to quickly access what's on your Mac desktop?


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