In the previous article, I mentioned How To Open And Use Emoji Keyboard On Windows 11, but in this article, I have mentioned how to enable or disable a virtual touchpad in Windows 11.
Windows 11 features a virtual TouchPad that works like the physical TouchPad on your keyboard. It is an on-screen feature that lets you move and control your mouse pointer on a touchscreen PC.
You can try out this feature if you use a touchscreen PC and disable it if you do not prefer using it. This post will show you how to enable or disable the virtual touchpad in Windows 11.
How to Enable Virtual TouchPad in Windows 11
You can turn on the virtual touchpad on your Windows 11 PC in two ways. Find them out below:
Method 1: Enable Virtual TouchPad with the System Settings
You can enable the virtual touchpad in the system settings with the following steps:
Step 1: Settings
The first step is to open the Settings app on your PC with any of the options below.
- Click on the start icon on your keyboard's taskbar or the Windows button and select settings under the pinned apps section.
- Click the search button from the taskbar. Type Settings in the search field when the Search page displays, then click the settings icon in the search result.
- Press the Windows button + I anywhere on your keyboard.
Step 2: Personalization
The next step is to click on the personalization tile when the settings window opens. You will find it in the sidebar of the page.
Step 3: Taskbar
The settings under the personalization tab will display on the right pane of the Settings page. Scroll through the options in the right pane and click on the taskbar tile.
Step 4: Virtual TouchPad
Now in the taskbar settings, locate 'virtual touchpad' in the on-screen options. Click on the toggle next to it to turn it on, and it will be enabled.
Since you have clicked on the toggle, you will see the virtual touchpad icon on the taskbar.
Method 2: Enable Virtual TouchPad from the Taskbar
You can enable the virtual touchpad from the taskbar as follows.
- Long-press or right-click on the taskbar. You can only long-press if you use a touchscreen PC.
- Click on Taskbar settings from the context menu.
- Scroll to the virtual touchpad tile and click the toggle to enable it.
How to Open and Use the Virtual TouchPad
If you have successfully enabled the virtual touchpad, you only need to open it from the taskbar whenever you want to use it. Here is how.
Locate the icon in the notification area on the right side of the taskbar, and click on it to open and use the virtual touchpad.
How to Disable Virtual TouchPad in Windows 11
The Windows virtual touchpad is not for everyone, and you may be more productive on your computer without it. In that case, it is best to disable it with the steps below:
Step 1: Settings
Open the Settings app with any of the options you saw earlier in this post. See them below again.
- Click on the start icon on your keyboard's taskbar or the Windows button and select settings under the pinned apps section.
- Search for Settings with the Windows search button and click the Settings icon in the search result.
- Press the Windows button + I anywhere on your keyboard.
- You can also right-click on the start icon on the taskbar and select Settings from the context menu.
Step 2: Personalization
Click on the personalization tile in the settings window in the sidebar of the settings window.
Step 3: Taskbar
Scroll through the personalization options in the right pane and click on the taskbar tile.
Step 4: Virtual TouchPad
Locate 'virtual touchpad' in the on-screen options, and click on the toggle next to it to turn it off.
How Does the Virtual TouchPad Work?
A virtual touchpad is a tool that enhances on-screen cursor navigation. Creators introduced this feature to replace the physical mouse or trackpad.
It lets you move the cursor across your computer screen without an optical mouse by dragging it with your finger.
Like the physical touchpad, you can configure the virtual touchpad sensitivity and a few other settings. However, the feature can only work on touchscreen computers.
Conclusion
You can use the virtual touchpad in place of your optical mouse on Windows 10 and 11 PCs. The steps in this post will guide you to enable it successfully, and you should disable it if you are more effective without it.
You may also like to read:
How to Turn On Storage Sense In Windows 11
