DeskStag → Blog → Mac Desktops Shortcut: Control+1 to 9 and Every Other Key That Switches

Mac Desktops Shortcut: Control+1 to 9 and Every Other Key That Switches

11 November 2026

The short answer

Control and the left or right arrow moves one desktop at a time. Control and a number, 1 to 9, jumps straight to that desktop, but macOS ships those off. Turn them on in System Settings, Keyboard, Keyboard Shortcuts, Mission Control. Then name the desktop each number points at with DeskStag, so Control 3 is "Client", not "the third one, I think".

For the full set of ways to switch, including trackpad and mouse, read Switch between desktops on a Mac.

The shortcuts macOS gives you

The first two work the moment you have more than one desktop. The numbered ones are the prize, and they need switching on.

Turn on Control+1 to 9

1. Make the desktops first. Open Mission Control and click the plus at the top right until you have the number you want. The shortcuts only appear for desktops that exist.
2. Open System Settings, then Keyboard, then Keyboard Shortcuts.
3. Click Mission Control in the list.
4. Tick "Switch to Desktop 1", "Switch to Desktop 2" and so on. The default key is Control plus the number.

Try it: Control 2 goes to the second desktop at once, with no animation through the ones in between.

Why the numbers fail people

The number is the desktop's position. If macOS reorders your desktops by recent use (the default), Control 3 goes to whatever is third right now, which changes all day. Turn off "Automatically rearrange Spaces based on most recent use" in Desktop & Dock first, or the numbers never settle.

The second problem is memory. Four numbers are easy. Eight are not, and the thumbnails in Mission Control all say Desktop with a number, so checking does not help. The fix is to make each desktop say what it is.

Name what the number points at

DeskStag puts a name and a colour on each desktop's thumbnail in Mission Control, so the row reads Email, Client, Code, Personal. The names stay put through reboots and reorders, so Control 3 and "Client" mean the same thing every day. When you switch, Control Option Command N flashes the current desktop's name on screen, which is faster than opening Mission Control to look. It runs on macOS 13 and later and asks only for the Accessibility permission.

A shortcut for the window too

Switching is half the job; the other half is taking a window with you. DeskStag adds Control Shift and the right arrow to carry the front window to the next desktop, with the left arrow for the other way. Hold the keys, the window comes along, and you land on the new desktop with it in front.

FAQ

Can I change the keys from Control to something else? Yes. In the Mission Control shortcut list, double-click the key combination and press the new one. Option plus a number is a common choice.

Why does Control 5 do nothing? Either you have fewer than five desktops, or the tick for Switch to Desktop 5 is off. The tick box exists only when the desktop exists.

Do the shortcuts work in a full-screen app? Control with the arrows does. The numbered shortcuts also work, and a full-screen app counts as a desktop in the row, so it takes a number.