By default, a computer mouse scrolls down three lines at a time when using Windows 11. Therefore, the active app window goes three lines lower each time you rotate the mouse scroll wheel downward. When you use a Windows 11 laptop with a touchpad, scrolling on the touchpad reverses the direction. Dragging down two fingers on the touchpad scrolls the active window upwards. If you want to change this behavior, you can set Windows 11 to invert the scrolling direction for your mouse or touchpad. You can do this easily, with just a few clicks or taps, without hacking the Windows Registry or installing third-party software, as many other sites recommend. Here’s how it all works:
How to invert the mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11
You can change the default Windows 11 mouse scrolling behavior (one downward motion scrolls down) and invert the scrolling direction so that it works upwards. To do that, open Settings (Windows + I), go to Bluetooth & devices and click or tap Mouse.
In Windows 11 Settings, access Bluetooth & devices > Mouse
You see the Mouse page with all the settings that can be customized. Look for the Scrolling section, which is found at the bottom of the window. There, you find a setting named Scrolling direction.
Look for Scrolling direction
Click or tap the drop-down list next to the Scrolling direction and choose Down motion scrolls up, instead of Down motion scrolls down.
Reverse the mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11
The mouse scrolling direction is now reversed in Windows 11.
BONUS: Configure other mouse scrolling parameters
You should consider adjusting other scrolling settings on the mouse settings page for a better experience. Here’s what else you can change:
- Roll the mouse wheel to scroll – click or tap the drop-down list next to it and choose whether you want the wheel to scroll Multiple lines at a time or One screen at a time.
- Lines to scroll at a time – if you’re not happy with the default three lines that get scrolled each time you move the scroll wheel, move this slider from 3 to the number of lines you want. The maximum is 100.
- Scroll inactive windows when hovering over them – this feature is enabled by default and does what it says. If you don’t like it, click or tap its switch to turn it Off.
You should also check the other mouse scrolling settings
TIP: Did you know that you can click or right-click with the keyboard in Windows, using a feature named Mouse Keys?
How to reverse the touchpad scrolling direction in Windows 11
If you’re using a Windows 11 laptop with a touchpad, you can use that for scrolling. Even though it is not as precise as a mouse with a scroll wheel, the touchpad works reasonably well. Unlike using a mouse, a downward motion on the touchpad scrolls up. To reverse the scrolling direction, do the following:
First, open Settings (Windows + I), and go to Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.
In Windows 11 Settings, access Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad
You see the Windows 11 Touchpad settings page. Look for the Scroll & zoom section, and click or tap it to extend it.
Expand Scroll & zoom
To reverse the touchpad scrolling direction, click or tap the drop-down list next to the Scrolling direction and choose Down motion scrolls down instead of Down motion scrolls up.
Set the touchpad to scroll in the opposite direction
The touchpad on your Windows 11 laptop now scrolls in the opposite direction.
BONUS: How to turn on touchpad scrolling in Windows 11
If scrolling doesn’t work on your touchpad, it may be disabled. To enable it, in the Scroll & zoom section, check the setting that says Drag two fingers to scroll.
How to enable scrolling on your touchpad
Without this setting enabled, you can’t use the touchpad on your Windows 11 laptop to scroll, and the scrolling direction setting is ignored.
TIP: If you don’t have a mouse connected to your Windows 11 laptop and rely on the touchpad for navigation, I highly recommend this article: How to master the touchpad on a Windows laptop.
Did you get the mouse or touchpad to scroll in the opposite direction?
As you can see, Windows 11 offers all the settings you need to invert the scrolling direction, whether you use a mouse or a touchpad on a laptop. While you’re changing this setting, I highly recommend visiting the other settings I’ve covered in this article. They’ll surely help you enjoy a better scrolling experience. If you’ve encountered problems with the steps shared in this tutorial, or you have unanswered questions, comment using the options below and let me know. I’ll do my best to answer!
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