Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11

It is quite common for laptop users to use an external mouse instead of the device's touchpad (touchpad). In addition to familiarity, many people consider the mouse to be more precise and easier to control. However, most laptops today have precision touchpads that can support advanced touchpad gestures.

Windows computers have powerful trackpad gestures, but unfortunately this is one of the least used tools. Some users are aware of these gestures but do not customize them to their liking, while many others are completely unaware of their existence.

This guide will show you the different touchpad gestures available in Windows 11 and how you can customize them to your needs.

Types of touchpad gestures in Windows 11

Windows 11 supports 3 types of touchpad gestures. That is:

1. Tap gesture: This is the most common gesture used to detect one or more fingers briefly tapping the trackpad. Tap gestures are simple; they allow you to select specific items on your computer.
2. Zoom & Scroll Gestures: Scroll gestures allow you to conveniently flip through a page or document without pressing the Windows scroll bar. On the other hand, the zoom gesture allows you to zoom in and out of a specific item. You can do this by pinching or extending two fingers on your trackpad.
3. Three-finger gestures : These are customizable touchpad gestures in Windows 11, that allow you to create specific movements, such as swiping or tapping, to perform an action on your computer. me.

How to enable/disable touchpad gestures on Windows 11

If you're having trouble with enabling and customizing touchpad gestures in Windows 11, here's how to get started. How to enable/disable touchpad gestures on Windows 11.

How to customize three-finger gestures in Windows 11

If the available three-finger gestures are not of much use to you, you can customize them depending on what you require. Windows 11 lets you map your own keyboard shortcuts or mouse actions to all three-finger gestures. Here's how to do it:

Step 1. From Touchpad settings , scroll down and click on Advanced gestures option.

Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11 Picture 1

Step 2. From the Advanced gestures window , you have the option to customize the three-finger gesture.

Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11 Picture 2

Step 3. In the Configure three-gestures menu , click the gesture you want to customize. For example, you want to change the action for Tap. You have the option to choose from preselected Windows actions or bind the shortcut via the Custom shortcut option.

Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11 Picture 3

Step 4. If you want to create your own shortcut, click Custom shortcut from the menu.

Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11 Picture 4

Step 5. Next, click the Start recording button and press the shortcut you want to associate with the gesture.

Basic guide to touchpad gestures on Windows 11 Picture 5

Step 6. When you see the shortcut show up in the box, click the Stop recording button . Alternatively, pressing and holding the Esc key will confirm the action.

Step 7. Repeat steps 3 to 6 for all the gestures you want to associate with a shortcut.

A regular mouse may be easier to control, but you can create gestures that can be customized to your needs via the trackpad. Through touchpad gestures, you can get more out of your Windows system, especially when paired with other powerful Windows 11 features.

Kareem Winters

Update 07 February 2023