Windows offers various touchpad gestures that make navigating your device a cakewalk. However, if you want more accuracy and better ergonomics, use an external mouse. To use an external mouse or trackpad, you must turn off the built-in touchpad to avoid compatibility issues, accidental clicks, and cursor moments. Here are five ways to disable your Windows 11 touchpad.

1. Disable the Touchpad By Pressing Its Dedicated Key

The quickest way to turn off your Windows 11 touchpad is to press its dedicated key. Many laptop manufacturers provide a dedicated function key to manage your touchpad.

Simply press that key in combination with the Fn key to turn off your touchpad. The key will be different for different manufacturers, but the general rule of thumb is to look for a function key that has a touchpad logo on it. Refer to your device manual if you’re unsure.

• After disabling the touchpad, you will see a confirmation message on your screen saying, “TouchPad is disabled.”
• To enable the touchpad, press that function key again with the Fn key.

2. Disable the Touchpad Using the Settings App

If your device doesn’t have a dedicated key to disable the touchpad, you can use the Windows Settings app. Press Windows+i to open the Settings app, click “Bluetooth & devices” in the left sidebar, then “Touchpad” in the right pane.

• On this screen, turn off the toggle next to “Touchpad”.

You’ll now see that the touchpad has stopped working. To enable the touchpad again in the future, simply turn on the “Touchpad” toggle.