Touchpad gestures for your Windows 11 laptop

With Windows 11, you define the meaning of every touchpad tap, swipe, and pinch. Do you want a three-finger tap to open the Settings menu? You got it! Would you like to tap a single finger to single-click? Done! Learn how to curate touchpad gestures, cursor speed, and more to use your Windows 11 laptop your way.

Get started with Touchpad gestures

If you’re ready to match all touchpad gestures to your personal preferences, follow these steps to get started:

1. Open Windows 11 settings by selecting Windows logo key + I or the Windows icon (four squares) and choosing Settings.
2. Select the drawer icon in the upper-left corner of the Settings window.
3. Scroll down to select Bluetooth & devices.
4. Select Touchpad. Now that you’re in Touchpad settings, you can determine your preferred shortcuts for all your gestures and taps.

Touchpad options

Use the touchpad your way by choosing from hundreds of configuration options. Here are the primary options you’ll find in Touchpad settings.

Cursor speed

Do you like your cursor to move at a snail’s pace, lightning speed, or a nice, mellow middle of the road? You can adjust and choose the speed that works for you.

Taps

Control touchpad sensitivity, from super-responsive to needing a stronger tap to react, and choose from these tap options.

• Tap with a single finger to single-click.
• Tap with two fingers to right-click.
• Tap twice and drag to multi-select.
• Press the lower right corner of the touchpad to right-click.

If you’re not finding the tap option you want, see more possibilities in Touchpad > Advanced gestures.

Scroll & zoom

Decide on scrolling motion (whether down motion scrolls up or down the screen), whether two fingers can be used to scroll, and if pinching in and out controls your zoom.

Three-finger and four-finger gestures

In the Touchpad menu, choose the action for three-finger and four-finger swipes and taps from a short list of options, including switching between apps, desktops, or sound settings. In Touchpad > Advanced gestures, you can take more control of three-finger and four-finger movements; select from a wider range of options for each of these movements: tap, swipe up, swipe down, swipe left, and swipe right.

More touchpad settings

When you navigate to Touchpad > More touchpad options, the Mouse properties window opens. There, choose from several pointer types and schemes, button configurations, and more.

Touchpad tips and tricks

With all the touchpad gestures available, you can design your own personalized user experience. Here are a few tips and tricks to find what works best for you.

• Do more with media. If you use your device for creating, viewing, or listening to media, you might curate your touchpad to enhance those experiences. Try the Change audio and volume setting in the Three-finger or Four-finger gestures area of Touchpad settings. You can also choose for one tap to Play/pause.
• Browse better. Scroll, click, and zoom with just a few taps and swipes. If browsing is one of your main Windows 11 activities, you might design your touchpad gestures with that in mind. Try toggling on Pinch to zoom, Drag two fingers to scroll, and Tap with a single finger to single-click.
• Multitask like a pro. If you’re moving between apps and desktops to attend to a wide range of tasks, your touchpad configuration can simplify those transitions. Try the Switch apps and show desktop setting in the Three-finger or Four-finger gestures area of Touchpad settings. Now you can swipe up for the Multitasking view.

Once you choose the touchpad gestures that work best for you, you’ll be swiping and tapping to your heart’s content. For more ways to get the most out of your Windows 11 laptop, head to the Windows Learning Center.