These days, most laptops come with a touchpad, which allows you to control the cursor on the screen without using a mouse. But if you’re not a fan of the touchpad, you can easily turn it off in Windows 10. In this guide, we’ll show you how to quickly disable the touchpad on your Windows 10 laptop, so you can go back to using a mouse.

How to Turn Off Touchpad on Windows 10

Enable or Disable Touchpad in Windows 10

If your laptop has a touchpad, you can enable and disable it with a few clicks. On Windows 10, the touchpad can be disabled when you connect a mouse, and you can also use the Settings app to disable and enable the touchpad when needed. In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to enable and disable the touchpad on Windows 10.

To enable or disable the touchpad of your laptop, use these steps:

Open Settings. Click on Devices. Click on Touchpad. Toggle the “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” switch to On (enable) or Off (disable). Select the desired sensitivity and delay settings. Quick tip: You can also quickly disable and enable the touchpad by pressing the Fn+F6 key combination.

Using the Control Panel

If you need to disable the touchpad completely, or you can’t find the touchpad settings in the Settings app, you can use the Control Panel app to enable and disable the touchpad.

Open Control Panel. Click on Hardware and Sound. Click on Mouse. Click the Device Settings tab. Select the touchpad device. Click the Enable (or Disable) button. Click Apply and OK to complete the task.

Using Device Manager

If the previous methods don’t work, you can also use Device Manager to disable the touchpad on Windows 10.

Open Start. Search for Device Manager, and click the top result to open the tool. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices, right-click the touchpad device, and select the Disable device option. Click the Yes button to confirm. To enable the touchpad, right-click the touchpad device, and select the Enable device option.

Re-enable Touchpad in Windows 10

If you need to use the touchpad again, you can use the same instructions, but on step No. 5, make sure to turn on the “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” switch.

Alternatively, you can also quickly re-enable the touchpad using the Fn+F6 key combination.

If you used the Control Panel or Device Manager to disable the touchpad, you can repeat the same steps, but on step No. 6 (Control Panel) or No. 7 (Device Manager), select the Enable option.

Using Mouse Settings

If you need to enable the touchpad, but you don’t have a mouse connected, you can use the Mouse Settings to re-enable the device.

Open Settings. Click on Devices. Click on Mouse. Turn on the “Leave touchpad on when a mouse is connected” switch.

Using Device Manager

If you used Device Manager to disable the touchpad, you can use the same tool to re-enable the device.

Open Device Manager. Expand the Mice and other pointing devices section. Right-click the touchpad device. Select the Enable device option. Click the Yes button to confirm.

Top 6 Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. How do I turn off my laptop’s touchpad in Windows 10?

A1. To turn off the touchpad on a Windows 10 laptop, begin by going to the Start menu and selecting the Settings icon. From the Settings menu, select Devices. On the Devices page, select Touchpad from the left menu. On the right side of the page, you will see a toggle switch for the Touchpad. Turn the toggle switch to the OFF position to disable the touchpad. Once the touchpad is off, the toggle switch will turn gray.

Q2. How do I turn off the touchpad on my PC?

A2. To turn off the touchpad on a PC, begin by going to the Start menu and selecting the Settings icon. From the Settings menu, select Devices. On the Devices page, select Touchpad from the left menu. On the right side of the page, you will see a toggle switch for the Touchpad. Turn the toggle switch to the OFF position to disable the touchpad. Once the touchpad is off, the toggle switch will turn gray.

Q3. Is there a shortcut to turn off the touchpad on a Windows 10 laptop?

A3. Yes, there is a shortcut to turn off the touchpad on a Windows 10 laptop. The shortcut is to press the “Fn” key plus the “F7” key. This will turn off the touchpad and the toggle switch will turn gray to indicate that the touchpad is off. Note that the location of the “Fn” key may vary depending on the laptop’s manufacturer.

Q4. How do I turn off the touchpad on my laptop without a mouse?

A4. To turn off the touchpad on a laptop without a mouse, begin by going to the Start menu and selecting the Settings icon. From the Settings menu, select Devices. On the Devices page, select Touchpad from the left menu. On the right side of the page, you will see a toggle switch for the Touchpad. Turn the toggle switch to the OFF position to disable the touchpad. Once the touchpad is off, the toggle switch will turn gray. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut, which is to press the “Fn” key plus the “F7” key.

Q5. How do I know if the touchpad is off?

A5. You will know if the touchpad is off if the toggle switch on the Touchpad page in the Settings menu is gray. This indicates that the touchpad is off and will not respond when you use it. Additionally, you may also see a notification on the screen that says “Touchpad has been disabled.”

Q6. How do I turn the touchpad back on?

A6. To turn the touchpad back on, begin by going to the Start menu and selecting the Settings icon. From the Settings menu, select Devices. On the Devices page, select Touchpad from the left menu. On the right side of the page, you will see a toggle switch for the Touchpad. Turn the toggle switch to the ON position to enable the touchpad. Once the touchpad is on, the toggle switch will turn blue. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut, which is to press the “Fn” key plus the “F7” key.

How to Enable or Disable Touchpad in Windows 10 Settings

You have now learned how to turn off Touchpad on Windows 10. This is a very useful option to have, as it can help reduce the amount of accidental clicks and swipes your laptop may experience. With this added control over your computer, you can help ensure that you are only using the right tools and doing the right actions. With this knowledge, you can now navigate your laptop with confidence and control.