Blog · Mission Control · 1 November 2026

Mission Control not working? Seven fixes

When Mission Control won't open, the cause is usually a shortcut or gesture that got turned off, or the Dock process, which runs Mission Control, getting stuck. Work down this list; most people are done by step 3.

1. Check the shortcut is turned on

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts… → Mission Control. Make sure Mission Control is ticked and still set to ⌃↑. Apps can take over the same keys; if a shortcut works in Finder but not in one app, that app has claimed it.

2. Check the trackpad or mouse gesture

Open System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures (or Mouse → More Gestures) and check that Mission Control isn't set to Off. If you use three-finger drag, the three-finger swipe is taken; switch Mission Control to four fingers.

3. Restart the Dock

Mission Control is part of the Dock process. If it froze or stopped responding, restarting the Dock usually fixes it. Open Terminal and run:

killall Dock

The Dock disappears for a second and comes back. Your windows and apps stay open.

4. Try the F3 key with fn

If F3 stopped working but ⌃↑ works, check System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts… → Function Keys. With Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys turned on, you need fnF3. Many third-party keyboards never send the Mission Control key; use ⌃↑ there.

5. Check your hot corner

If a hot corner stopped working, open System Settings → Desktop & Dock → Hot Corners…. A corner set up with a modifier key only fires while you hold that key, which is easy to forget.

6. Quit apps that change windows or gestures

Window managers, gesture tools and keyboard remappers hook into the same parts of macOS. Quit them one at a time and try again. If one is the cause, look in its settings for a conflicting shortcut or gesture.

7. Restart, then update macOS

A restart clears most leftover state. If the problem came back after a macOS update, check System Settings → General → Software Update for a fix.

If Mission Control opens but feels limited

Some people search for this because Mission Control works, but they can't do much in it: no way to close a window, minimize it or send it full screen. That's how macOS is built. Mission Boost adds close, minimize and full-screen buttons to every window in Mission Control, plus ⌘W, ⌘M and ⌘Q that act on the window under the pointer.

Try Mission Boost free About Mission Boost

More about Mission Control

Questions

Why is Control-Up Arrow not opening Mission Control?

The shortcut may be turned off or changed in System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Mission Control, or another app may have claimed the same keys. Check there first, then restart the Dock with killall Dock in Terminal.

Is it safe to run killall Dock?

Yes. It restarts the Dock, which also runs Mission Control and your desktops. Open apps and windows are not affected.

Why does three-finger swipe not open Mission Control?

If three-finger drag is on, macOS gives the three-finger swipe to dragging. Set Mission Control to four fingers in System Settings → Trackpad → More Gestures.

Ondřej RomancovEngineer in Prague · X · LinkedIn · GitHub