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Here’s how to disable ‘Click wallpaper to reveal desktop’ on macOS Sonoma

Apple on Tuesday released macOS Sonoma to the public, and the update brings multiple new features – including some minor ones. One thing users have probably noticed after installing the update is the new “Click wallpaper to reveal desktop” option that comes enabled by default, and, as the name suggests, it hides all windows when you click on the wallpaper.

If you’re annoyed by this new feature, don’t worry, there’s a way to turn it off.

Stop your Mac from showing the desktop when you click the wallpaper

macOS has always had shortcuts to quickly show the desktop, so that you can easily access your files there or simply take a look at your beautiful wallpaper (and macOS Sonoma comes with beautiful new ones). For example, you can press the Command + F3 keys on the keyboard or simply use a gesture on the trackpad to reveal your desktop when there are windows on the screen.

But to make things even easier for some users, macOS Sonoma lets you reveal the desktop with a simple click on any part of your wallpaper. However, some people end up using this feature all the time without wanting to, making it super annoying.

If this is the case for you, here’s how you can turn “Click wallpaper to reveal desktop” off on macOS:

  1. Open the System Settings app
  2. Click on the Desktop & Dock menu
  3. Look for the option “Click wallpaper to reveal desktop”
  4. Where it shows “Always” click and choose “Only in Stage Manager”
Here's how to disable 'Click wallpaper to reveal desktop' on macOS Sonoma

After following these steps, your Mac will no longer show the desktop when you click on the wallpaper, except when Stage Manager is on.

Was this feature bothering you? Let us know in the comments section below.

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Avatar for Filipe Espósito Filipe Espósito

Filipe Espósito is a Brazilian tech Journalist who started covering Apple news on iHelp BR with some exclusive scoops — including the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 5 models in titanium and ceramic. He joined 9to5Mac to share even more tech news around the world.

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