# How to show the desktop on a Mac

Source: https://ribbonformac.com/show-desktop-mac  
Updated: 2026-10-29

Press <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>F3</kbd> (the Mission Control key), or <kbd>F11</kbd> on keyboards where the function keys work as F-keys. On a trackpad, spread your thumb and three fingers apart. On macOS 14 Sonoma and later, clicking the wallpaper also clears the windows away, which is great until you do it by accident.

## Ways to show the desktop

| Method | How |
| --- | --- |
| Keyboard | <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>F3</kbd>, or <kbd>F11</kbd> (<kbd>Fn</kbd><kbd>F11</kbd> if your top row is set to media keys) |
| Trackpad | Spread your thumb and three fingers apart. Pinch them together to bring the windows back. |
| Click the wallpaper | macOS 14 and later; see below |
| Hot corner | System Settings → Desktop & Dock → **Hot Corners…**, set a corner to **Desktop** |

The windows aren't closed or minimized, just pushed to the edges of the screen. Do the same thing again, or click a window edge, to bring them back.

If <kbd>F11</kbd> turns the volume down instead, your keys are set to media mode. Either hold <kbd>Fn</kbd>, or change the shortcut in System Settings → Keyboard → **Keyboard Shortcuts** → **Mission Control** → **Show Desktop**. The trackpad gesture can be turned on or off in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures → **Show Desktop**.

## Stop windows vanishing when you click the wallpaper

macOS 14 Sonoma added **Click wallpaper to reveal desktop**, and it's on by default. Click an empty bit of desktop between windows and they all slide away.

To turn it off: System Settings → Desktop & Dock, in the Desktop & Stage Manager section, set **Click wallpaper to reveal desktop** to **Only in Stage Manager**. The keyboard shortcut and trackpad gesture keep working.

## Hide or minimize windows instead

Showing the desktop is temporary. To actually clear things away:

| Shortcut | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>H</kbd> | Hide the front app |
| <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⌥</kbd><kbd>H</kbd> | Hide every app except the front one |
| <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>M</kbd> | Minimize the front window to the Dock |
| <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⌥</kbd><kbd>M</kbd> | Minimize all windows of the front app |

There's no single shortcut that minimizes every window of every app. Hiding is usually better anyway: a hidden app comes back with all its windows when you click its Dock icon or <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>Tab</kbd> to it.

## Why you keep needing the desktop

Most people show the desktop for one of three reasons: to grab a file, to drop something onto the desktop, or because the screen is a mess. The first two are easier with a Finder window showing the Desktop folder: in Finder, choose **Go → Desktop** (<kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⇧</kbd><kbd>D</kbd>) and leave that window open.

The third reason is the one a window manager fixes. With [Ribbon](https://ribbonformac.com/), windows don't stack on top of each other; each one has its own column on a horizontal strip, and the strip scrolls. Keep a narrow Finder column on the strip and your files are always one swipe away, without sweeping everything else off screen. You can [try the strip in the live demo](https://ribbonformac.com/#demo) and see [pricing](https://ribbonformac.com/#pricing) ($9.99 once) when you're ready.

## FAQ

### What's the shortcut to show the desktop on a Mac?

<kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>F3</kbd>, or <kbd>F11</kbd> (with <kbd>Fn</kbd> on keyboards whose top row is set to media keys). You can change it under Keyboard Shortcuts → Mission Control → Show Desktop.

### How do I stop my Mac hiding windows when I click the desktop?

Set "Click wallpaper to reveal desktop" to Only in Stage Manager, in System Settings → Desktop & Dock.

### How do I minimize all windows on a Mac?

<kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⌥</kbd><kbd>M</kbd> minimizes every window of the front app. To clear all other apps, press <kbd>⌘</kbd><kbd>⌥</kbd><kbd>H</kbd> to hide them.

### How do I get my windows back after showing the desktop?

Repeat the shortcut or gesture, or click one of the window edges at the side of the screen.

## Keep reading
- [See all open windows](https://ribbonformac.com/see-all-open-windows-mac) — Mission Control, App Exposé, minimized windows, other desktops and a window switcher.
- [Multiple desktops (Spaces)](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-virtual-desktops-spaces) — Create, switch and remove Spaces, the shortcuts to turn on, and the settings that keep them in order.
- [Trackpad gestures for multitasking](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-trackpad-gestures-multitasking) — Mission Control, App Exposé, desktops, Show Desktop, and freeing a swipe for a window manager.
- [Window keyboard shortcuts](https://ribbonformac.com/mac-window-keyboard-shortcuts) — Switching, hiding, closing, full screen, desktops and tiling, in one table.
- [Stage Manager alternatives](https://ribbonformac.com/stage-manager-alternative) — Turn Stage Manager off, then pick what to use instead: tiling, Spaces or a strip.