How to Disable the Touchpad in Windows 11

Some laptops come with a dedicated button or function key to disable the touchpad while some don't. Those whose laptops are privileged to come with the feature can easily disable/enable the touch pads when they need to. Those who don't have the feature readily available will have to take some extra steps to achieve the same.

In this article, we'll show you how you can disable the touchpad in Windows 11 when you need to if your PC does not come with a dedicated button for it.

Why would you need to disable the Touchpad?

The touchpad's position in a laptop is close to where your palms rest. This makes it prone to accidental touches when typing. By disabling it, you can be sure that these accidental touches will not occur.

Another reason you may want to disable the touchpad is if you have a physical mouse. Whichever the reason, the touchpad can easily be disabled from the device settings. Let's see how.

Disabling the Touchpad in Windows 11

Follow the steps below to disable the touchpad.

1. Head over to the settings window by pressing Win + I keys on the keyboard.

2. On the window that opens, Select Bluetooth & devices.

   

   Under the Bluetooth & devices settings, you should see Touchpad settings.

   

3. Click on it to open its settings. Notice there is a toggle next to Touchpad

   

   Flip the toggle to off to disable the touchpad.

   Note: After switching it off, the touchpad will stop working. Stay tuned to see how you can turn it on if you don't have a physical mouse.

4. By clicking on the touchpad's dropdown, you get the option to disable the touchpad when a mouse is connected.

   

   To do so, uncheck the box for Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected as shown below.

   

5. You can also reset the settings back to defaults if you messed something up.

Enabling the Touchpad in Windows 11 without a Physical Mouse

Now that you have disabled the touchpad, your PC should be difficult to use if you don't have a physical keyboard especially if you don't know Windows shortcuts.

To enable the touchpad:

1. Press Win + I keys on the keyboard to open the device settings.

2. Use the Up and Down arrows keys to move the selector up and down until you get to Bluetooth & Settings then press Enter.

3. On this window, Use the Tab Key to move through different sections of the settings. Press the Tab Key until you get to the Devices Settings.

   

   Once you get here, use the arrow keys again to move up and down.

4. Move down until you get to Touchpad settings then Press Enter key.

5. You should now see the touchpad on/off toggle.

   

   Press the Space key to flip the toggle on and your touchpad should be working once again.

That is all for this guide. You can play around with more of the touchpad settings such as setting up the three and four-finger gestures to whatever suits you. You can also configure the touchpad sensitivity to your liking.

Summing Up

This article shows you how to disable and enable the touchpad in Windows 11. Disabling it can come in handy when you are busy typing and the touchpad keeps registering accidental touches every time. Luckily, Windows comes with an option to disable it from the device settings if your PC does not have a dedicated function key for it.

If the article was of help, share it and subscribe to Geekbits.

Thank you for reading : )