If you’re a Mac user looking for ways to optimize your experience, the built-in features might surprise you. While many tech enthusiasts are on the lookout for the latest tools and applications, it’s fascinating to stumble upon a feature inherent to macOS that many still overlook: Hot Corners. This exciting functionality can save you clicks and make often-unused screen space work for you.
As someone who frequently browses Mac forums and communities for open-source software, I can assure you, tools like Maccy and Swift are essential for enhancing productivity, but even they can’t replace the excitement of discovering hidden gems within macOS itself.
What Are Hot Corners?
Hot Corners allow you to transform the corners of your screen into actionable areas. By merely moving your cursor to a corner, you can quickly lock your screen, access Mission Control, or jot down a quick note. This simple feature can significantly streamline your daily tasks.
Apple offers ten preset shortcuts that you can assign to each corner of your screen. You even have the option to use a modifier key, such as Control or Option, while reserving the Command key for essential system functions. Setting it up is easy—just navigate to Settings > Desktop & Dock > Hot Corners. While the idea is fantastic, it does have limitations in flexibility.
The default setup helps but lacks customization options for adding your favorite apps or shortcuts. Fortunately, a brilliant open-source application called SuperCorners fills this gap.
What is SuperCorners?
SuperCorners is a free, open-source app designed to enhance the native Hot Corners feature without replacing it. The user interface is much more intuitive and welcoming for first-time users than macOS’s native setup. With this app, you can choose from over 80 actions, including basic functions like locking the screen or taking screenshots, which provides an exceptional level of customization for your workflow.
I particularly enjoy using SuperCorners to quickly access tools I frequently need. For instance, I have assigned my upper-left corner to open my favorite news website each morning and my lower-left corner for composing new emails. It’s a small productivity hack that feels monumental when it saves several clicks each day.
Can You Customize Hot Corners Beyond the Basics?
Yes, with SuperCorners, you’re not limited to just the four corners. This app also lets you utilize midpoints along the edges of your screen for more functionality. So, rather than being restricted to corners alone, you can set up various zones for quick access to your most-used features.
For example, I assigned the top-center zone for recording screen activity, making it easy to access the feature without interrupting my workflow. You’ll find it quite helpful as you adapt these zones to fit your personal routine.
Can Hot Corners Enhance My Productivity?
While SuperCorners won’t instantaneously elevate your productivity, it gradually builds efficiency through muscle memory. As you become familiar with each corner and zone’s functions, you will notice a tangible increase in speed, making work feel more enjoyable and less tedious.
Another great feature is the app’s presence in your menu bar, allowing you to review or modify functions without opening the main app each time. As SuperCorners is open-source, its functionalities are likely to grow based on user feedback, heralding exciting developments for Mac users in the future.
Is it challenging to set up Hot Corners for the first time? You might find it a bit overwhelming initially, but by assigning frequently used actions near where you naturally position your hands, you can ease into using the feature seamlessly.
What are some good examples of actions I can assign to Hot Corners? You can set up actions like quickly taking screenshots, locking your screen, or opening specific apps, which all contribute to a smoother workflow.
How do I download SuperCorners? You can find it on open-source platforms like GitHub, where you can download it for free and start customizing your Hot Corners immediately.
Can I use SuperCorners with automation tools like Apple Shortcuts? Absolutely! If you’re an Apple Shortcuts user, you can dedicate any corner or zone to launch specific Shortcuts, further enhancing your automation capabilities.
So go ahead and explore this underappreciated feature of macOS. Discover how SuperCorners can revolutionize your productivity by making the most out of your screen’s edges. And for more insights on optimizing your tech experience, visit Moyens I/O.