Apple works hard to improve the customization and functions of the MacOS operating system to compete with you with Windows 10. An example is the “shake to minimize” function of Microsoft’s OS; In this case, MacOS does not have an identical function, but nevertheless it has very similar options that allow you to automatically show the Mac Desktop, automatically hiding all the windows open at that moment.
Related: How to enable or disable “Shake to Minimize” in Windows 10
If you have multiple windows open on your MacBook (air or Pro) you can “Minimize” all these windows automatically and quickly with just a keyboard shortcut. In this way, only the desktop and the icons or files that you have located will be shown.
By default the fastest way to view the desktop (without setting up a new function) is to use a keyboard shortcut. The default keyboard shortcut will depend on how old or new your Mac is and are as follows:
– Command key + F3: use the keyboard shortcut cmd + F3 (Mission Control) to hide all open windows and automatically show the desktop. This shortcut works on most newer Macs.
– Fn + F11 key: If you have a somewhat older Mac or if the keyboard does not have the multimedia keys, you can use the keyboard combination F11 or the Fn + F11 key to show the desktop, hiding all the windows that you have open at that moment.
If none of these keyboard shortcuts have worked for you, it may be due to a change in Mission Control settings. If keyboard shortcuts worked for you but you want to change them so that open windows are automatically hidden by pressing a different shortcut, you can do it quickly.
With that said, below we show you specifically how to activate, configure or customize the keyboard shortcut that allows you to minimize all open windows on your Mac so that only its desktop is shown:
How to minimize open windows on your Mac so that only the desktop is shown
1. Click on the apple icon in the upper left corner of the screen.
2. In the drop-down menu you will have to select the option: System preferences
3. In the new window, select the option: Mission control.
4. Now you will have to locate the section: Show Desktop.
5. Here you will find two fields to configure. The leftmost one refers to keyboard shortcut settings, while the second refers to the use of mouse buttons.
Note: If the keyboard shortcuts shown above did not work for you, it may be because the first configuration box is shown blank or involving a different key than F3 or F11.
6. Click on the first configuration box and select any of the keys offered in the menu. If you prefer a combination of keys, you can press Shift, Control, Option, or Command. This will modify the list of keyboard shortcut options.
7. Once you have indicated the desired keyboard shortcut, you will be able to use it directly to check how all the windows open at that moment will be automatically hidden around the edges of the screen, exposing only the desktop.
Note: As we have mentioned, you can also configure a mouse action to display the desktop automatically. Here you can configure the Right Mouse Button or Middle Mouse Button.
Use hot corners to minimize all open windows on your Mac to show only the desktop
You may not know it, but there is a hidden feature on your Mac called Hot Corners. This feature allows you to perform actions simply by placing the cursor in one of the four corners of your Mac screen. Here’s how to configure it:
1. Go back to the Mission Control window (shown in the previous method)
2. In this window you will have to click on the Active Corners button at the bottom left.
3. Now a new window will appear in which you must configure one of the four corners of the screen.
4. By clicking on the desired box for the row followed by selecting the option: Desktop.
5. From this moment when you click with the mouse on the configured corner, you will see how the open windows will automatically be hidden and you will only see the desktop.
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