How to Disable the Touchscreen in Windows 11

Not a fan of the touchscreen on Windows 11 laptops, computers, and Microsoft’s line of Surface devices? No problem. This guide will walk you through the steps for how to temporarily and permanently disable the Windows 11 touchscreen.

How Do I Turn off Touchscreen on Windows 11?

No special hacks or tricks are needed to disable the Windows 11 touchscreen, as the option is built directly into the operating system and can be used as often as you like. Here’s how to use it to turn off all touch functionality whether you’re using a Microsoft Surface or another Windows 11 computer with a touchscreen.

1. Open the Windows 11 Start menu.

2. Type Device Manager.

   You don't need to select the search bar as all typing is automatically detected when the Start menu is open.

3. Select Device Manager from the search results within the Start menu.

4. Tap the arrow next to the Human Interface Devices list to expand it.

5. Select the first HID-compliant touch screen item.

6. From the top menu, select Action.

7. Select Disable device.

8. Select Yes.

9. Select the second HID-compliant touch screen item.

   If you don't have a second item, that's completely fine. This means you're finished and your touchscreen should now be disabled.

10. Once again, select Action.

11. Select Disable device.

12. Select Yes. The touchscreen should now be disabled on your Windows 11 device.

How Do I Temporarily Disable a Touchscreen in Windows 11?

The steps shown above for disabling the touchscreen on Windows 11 devices are actually temporary and can be reversed at any time. Much like turning off the touchscreen, turning the Windows 11 touchscreen on is just as fast and can be repeated as often as you like.

How Do I Permanently Disable Touchscreen in Windows 11? 

To permanently turn off your Windows 11 touchscreen, all you need to do is follow the steps covered at the top of the page and then leave them as is. Once disabled, your touchscreen will not turn back on unless you decide to make this change manually.

How Do I Disable Windows Touchscreen Indicator?

Windows 11 features a subtle visual cue in the form of a circle when the screen is touched. If you’d like to disable this touch indicator so no icon appears when using the touchscreen, open Settings, go to Accessibility > Mouse pointer and touch, and turn the switch next to Touch indicator off.

On the flip side, if you want to make the touch indicator more noticeable, check the box next to Make the circle darker and larger on this same screen.