The macOS Dashboard is one of those features that users either hate or love. It offers handy “widgets” to display things like the weather, stock prices, clocks, and much more. I personally never use it, but I know it’s a popular feature with many users.
This short “how to” will show you how to toggle the Dashboard on and off, how to control how it’s displayed, and how to close it when it’s displaying.
How to Toggle the macOS Dashboard On & Off
1.) Click the Apple menu in the upper left-hand corner of the Desktop, and then click the “System Preferences” menu option.
2.) In the System Preferences menu, click “Mission Control.”
3.) In the Mission Control area, look for the “Dashboard” pull-down menu. Here, you can either click “Off” to turn Dashboard off all together, “As Space” to allow Dashboard to display as one of your screen “Spaces” you’ve setup, or “As Overlay,” which will display Dashboard laid over your current screen.
If you select either “Spaces” or “Overlay” as the Dashboard display item, it will appear whenever you hit the Function+F12 keyboard combo.
Closing the Dashboard after you’re finished with it is easy, simply hit the “Esc” key on your keyboard, or the Function+F12 keyboard combo. If you have it setup as an overlay, simply click your mouse anywhere on the screen other than directly on a widget and it will close. If you have Dashboard setup as a Space, simply click the little arrow icon in the lower right-hand corner of the Dashboard screen to return to your previous screen.
For more tips and tricks that can help you make better use of your Mac, iOS device, Apple Watch, or Apple TV, be sure to visit the “How To” section of our website.
