How to disable your laptop touchpad
Let’s face it: not everyone likes the touchpad. In some cases, there are those who look for a mouse right after buying a computer, either out of taste or in search of more ergonomics. But did you know that you can disable your laptop touchpad through the operating system settings?
Well, I guess I will have to teach you how to disable or enable your laptop touchpad in this guide. You’ll find out how to disable the touchpad on a laptop with Windows 10, Windows 11, and MacOS.
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How to disable your laptop touchpad in Windows
Microsoft offers options to disable the touchpad in Windows. However, it should be noted that the procedure for disabling the peripheral is different in Windows 10 and Windows 11. Learn how in the following step-by-step:
How to disable laptop touchpad in Windows 10
1: Go to Windows Settings
Go to the Start menu and click on the gear icon to enter Windows settings.
2: Click on the “Devices” option.
3: Access the “Touchpad” menu
On the side, click on the “Touchpad” option.
Disable the touchpad
In the window that opens, disable the “Touchpad” switch to completely turn off the notebook mouse. To reactivate the feature, simply turn the key back on.
If you don’t want to completely disable the touchpad, you can leave it inactive only when a USB mouse is connected to the notebook.
To do this, you need to click on or off in the “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” checkbox.
How to disable laptop touchpad in Windows 11
1: Go to the Start menu and select Settings.
2: Click on “Bluetooth and Devices” in the sidebar.
3: Choose the “Touchpad” option.
4: Enable or disable the “Touchpad” option to turn the peripheral on or off.
Still can’t disable or enable the touchpad on your Windows laptop?
The procedure is quite simple, but it is not immune to failure. In the Microsoft community, some users of the operating system reported that they did not find the option to disable the touchpad through Windows settings. And if that’s your case, don’t worry, because there are solutions.
The first is through Device Manager. To do this, after connecting a new mouse to your computer , simply perform the following procedure:
- Press the Windows + X keys at the same time.
- Go to “Device Manager“.
- Look for the touchpad and click on this option twice.
- Click the “Disable” button to disable the touchpad.
Some computers also have specific keys to turn off the built-in peripheral. These shortcuts are usually identified by the mouse or touchpad symbol on a function key (F1, F2, F3, etc). Therefore, it is important to check the computer manual before performing the procedure.
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How to disable your laptop trackpad on Mac
The Mac also allows you to disable the trackpad, but with a little workaround. Find out how below:
- Click on the Apple menu.
- Choose the option “System Preferences“.
- Click on the “Accessibility” button.
- Access the “Cursor Control” page.
- Check the “Ignore built-in trackpad if a wireless mouse or trackpad is connected” option.
What are trackpad gestures and how do they work on Mac
The Mac trackpad offers several gestures to make the system easier to use. As with the iPhone and iPad, you can use the pinch command to increase and decrease the size of photos and the like. You can also search by tapping text with three fingers at the same time, for example.
