# How to turn off the Quick Note hot corner on a Mac

> The bottom right corner opens Quick Note by default. Change it in System Settings under Desktop and Dock, then Hot Corners, by picking another action.

Canonical: https://www.notchstar.com/tips/turn-off-quick-note-hot-corner-mac/
Last updated: 2026-11-04

Published 2026-11-04.

The bottom right hot corner is set to Quick Note by default, according to Apple. To stop the pointer opening it, open System Settings, click Desktop and Dock in the sidebar (you may need to scroll), click Hot Corners, change the pop up menu for the bottom right corner to a different action, then click Done.

## Steps

1. Open System Settings.
2. Click Desktop & Dock in the sidebar. You may need to scroll down.
3. Click Hot Corners.
4. Find the bottom right corner. Its pop up menu is set to Quick Note.
5. Click the pop up menu and choose a different action. Apple's page gives Notification Center, Apps and Lock Screen as examples of actions.
6. Click Done.

## Use a modifier key instead

Apple says you can add a modifier key to a corner's action: press and hold Command, Shift, Option or Control, or a combination, while you are viewing the pop up menus. The corner then fires only when you hold the key. That keeps Quick Note on the corner without accidental triggers.

## Which name does your Mac use

Apple's hot corners page tells you to go to the System Settings app and click Desktop & Dock. Its version selector lists macOS releases back to High Sierra, and Apple does not say on that page which release first used which name. If your Mac shows different wording, check your macOS version with [how to check your macOS version](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-check-your-macos-version/).

## What about the keyboard shortcut

Hot corners and the Fn or Globe and Q shortcut are separate ways to open Quick Note. Changing the corner does not change the shortcut. Apple's Quick Note page documents the shortcut as holding Fn or Globe and pressing Q. See [Quick Note keyboard shortcut](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/quick-notes-shortcut-mac/).

## When you want a note tool with no corner

NotchStar's [Quick Notes](https://www.notchstar.com/features/quick-notes/) opens only when you hover the notch, with no screen corner involved. It is a plain text scratchpad, not the Apple Quick Note feature. For the feature itself, see [how to use Quick Note](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-use-quick-notes-on-mac/). Notes also saves each Quick Note in one place, described in [where Quick Notes are saved](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-are-quick-notes-saved-on-mac/).

## Keep reading.

- [How to use Quick Note on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-use-quick-notes-on-mac/): Start a Quick Note with Fn or Globe and Q, or the bottom right hot corner. Where the notes are saved, how to start a fresh one, and how to add from Safari.
- [Quick Note keyboard shortcut on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/quick-notes-shortcut-mac/): The Quick Note shortcut on a Mac is Fn or Globe plus Q. What it does, how it differs from the hot corner, and what Apple says about changing it.
- [Where are Quick Notes saved on a Mac?](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-are-quick-notes-saved-on-mac/): Apple Quick Notes are saved in the Quick Notes folder inside the Notes app. How to open it, and how that differs from a scratchpad in the notch.
- [A scratchpad that is always one hover away](https://www.notchstar.com/features/quick-notes/): A plain text scratchpad in the notch that saves as you type. Jot down a number, a name or a to do without opening another app.

## More in Notes.

- [How to use Quick Note on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/how-to-use-quick-notes-on-mac/): Start a Quick Note with Fn or Globe and Q, or the bottom right hot corner. Where the notes are saved, how to start a fresh one, and how to add from Safari.
- [Quick Note keyboard shortcut on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/quick-notes-shortcut-mac/): The Quick Note shortcut on a Mac is Fn or Globe plus Q. What it does, how it differs from the hot corner, and what Apple says about changing it.
- [Where are Quick Notes saved on a Mac?](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/where-are-quick-notes-saved-on-mac/): Apple Quick Notes are saved in the Quick Notes folder inside the Notes app. How to open it, and how that differs from a scratchpad in the notch.
- [How to use sticky notes on a Mac](https://www.notchstar.com/tips/sticky-notes-on-mac/): A Mac has a built in sticky notes app called Stickies. How to make a note, change its color, make it float on top, and what happens when you close the app.