Getting Hot Corners on Windows 11 — Yes, It’s Possible
If you’re coming from Mac OS, you’re probably familiar with hot corners — those screen edges that trigger specific actions like opening apps or showing the desktop just by hovering. On Windows 11, it’s not built-in, but with a bit of tinkering, you can set something similar up. It wasn’t straightforward at first — I had to fiddle around for a while — but once it was working, I found it surprisingly handy.
Heads up: This method isn’t officially supported by Microsoft, so proceed with caution. Installing third-party tools always carries some risks — especially since they’re unofficial and might stop working after Windows updates. Also, setting up hot corners involves some security considerations, such as running scripts or custom commands, which might trigger your antivirus or cause stability issues if not handled carefully.
Introducing Winx Corners — Your Unofficial Sidekick
The first step was to find this tool called Winx Corners. It’s not available on the Microsoft Store or anywhere official. You download a ZIP file from the developer’s website or a trusted source (make sure it’s legitimate — there are dodgy copies out there). After downloading, right-click the ZIP and select Extract All, then choose a folder like C:\Tools\WinxCorners. On my older ASUS laptop, extraction was a bit tricky because of Windows permissions, so watch out for that.
Launching the app is simple enough — just run WinxCorners.exe from the folder. It won’t open a big window; instead, it runs quietly in the system tray — the area near your clock at the bottom right. If you don’t see it there, maybe the app is blocked or requires administrator permissions. Sometimes, running as admin helps, or check if it’s listed under Task Manager > Processes. You’ll know it’s active if the icon is visible.
Setting Up Your Hot Corners — Not Too Complicated
This part took a bit of trial and error — configuring it wasn’t super obvious. You hover or click the tray icon (sometimes both), then look for options like Configure Corners. Honestly, the interface is pretty minimal and tucked away, so it took me a moment to figure out. It’s likely a popup menu that appears on hover or right-click. Keep at it.
Inside, you assign actions to each corner — top-left, top-right, bottom-left, bottom-right. The options are fairly standard but quite handy: show the desktop, open the Action Center, start screensaver, or even run custom scripts. For example, you can set a corner to launch your favourite app, like the calculator, with a command such as explorer shell:appsFolder\Microsoft.WindowsCalculator_8wekyb3d8bbwe!App. The tricky part was finding the right setting because the GUI is quite basic — sometimes I had to try different options to get it to trigger on hover versus click. The Settings tab in Winx Corners lets you switch between these modes.
Testing & Fine-Tuning
Once you’ve assigned your actions, it’s time to test. Hover over the corner — depending on your setup, it might trigger immediately or require a click. For me, there was often a slight delay, possibly due to system specs or background processes. If it’s not working, toggle the Enable checkbox in the app, or restart it via Task Manager. Sometimes, conflicts with other mouse or hotkey tools can cause issues. Disabling Fast Startup and updating your graphics drivers helped ensure smoother operation, as background settings can interfere if misconfigured.
It’s not perfect, but with patience, you can achieve something close to Mac’s native hot corners. I mainly use it to quickly show the desktop or launch apps without messing around with the taskbar. Just keep in mind — since it’s unofficial, you might need to tweak it after Windows updates or driver updates. Also, some security or privacy settings might block scripts or cause the app to stop working — check your firewall rules if it suddenly stops responding.
Final Tips & Tricks for Getting It Right
Main takeaway: Windows 11 doesn’t natively support hot corners, but tools like Winx Corners make it possible. It’s a bit of a workaround, so it might not be perfect. Remember — third-party apps can introduce security risks, so only download from trusted sources. Expect some trial and error with settings, triggers, and potential conflicts with other desktop tools. If things go awry, try restarting the app or checking for Windows updates that might interfere.
Pro tip: Disable features like Fast Startup and review your graphics or DPI settings. They can subtly affect hover detection or app responsiveness. Reading community forums or user posts about Winx Corners was also a big help during troubleshooting.
Hopefully this guide helps you get hot corners set up efficiently. It took me a fair bit of experimenting late at night to make it reliable, so if you’re giving it a go, hang in there. When it finally responds just right, it feels like a minor victory. Good luck — and may this save you some frustration and hours of trial-and-error!