A Complete Guide to Adjusting Mouse Sensitivity on Windows 11

Everything you need to know about changing your mouse settings

Co-authored by Ken Colburn and Glenn Carreau

Last Updated: March 3, 2026 Fact Checked

Changing Mouse Sensitivity (Settings)

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Changing Mouse Sensitivity (Control Panel)

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Other Mouse Settings

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About Mouse Sensitivity

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When to Adjust

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Is your mouse moving around on the screen too slowly, or is it way too reactive every time you move? Thankfully, it’s pretty easy to change your mouse’s sensitivity on Windows in just a few steps. Mouse sensitivity affects how your mouse responds to movement; you might need to adjust your mouse’s sensitivity for better precision, control, and reaction times—especially if you’re a gamer! In this comprehensive guide, we’ll show you how to change your mouse’s sensitivity on Windows, as well as adjust several other handy mouse settings.

Quick Steps to Adjust Mouse Sensitivity on Windows

Click the Start icon and select Settings from the menu.
Select the Bluetooth & devices tab in Windows Settings.
Scroll down and select the Mouse tab.
Adjust the Mouse pointer speed by clicking and dragging the slider.
Switch the Enhance pointer precision toggle On or Off, as needed.
Select Additional mouse settings to adjust your mouse’s double-click speed.
If using the Mouse Properties window, select Apply, then OK to save changes.

Section 1 of 5:

Changing the Mouse Sensitivity via Settings

Click the Windows Start menu icon in the taskbar; then, select Settings from the Start menu. You can also just type “Settings” once the Start menu is open, and then press Enter.^{[1]
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In the Settings menu, select the Bluetooth & devices tab from the sidebar on the left side of the window. On this screen, you can access settings for your mouse, Bluetooth devices, printers, and more.^{[2]
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Scroll down the Bluetooth & devices page and click the Mouse tab (with the subheading “Buttons, mouse pointer speed, scrolling”). On this screen, you’ll be able to change your mouse’s sensitivity—and access the Mouse Properties menu, if needed.^{[3]
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Adjust your mouse pointer speed. You’ll find the Mouse pointer speed setting near the top of the Mouse window, with a slider to the right. Just click and drag the slider to adjust the mouse pointer speed; drag left to slow it down, or drag right to speed it up. A higher speed increases sensitivity, while a lower speed enhances precision.^{[4]
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- This is the quickest way to change your mouse’s pointer speed—but you can also do this by selecting Additional mouse settings and navigating to the Pointer Options tab.
Pointer precision changes the mouse movement to match the speed of your hand on the mouse (or your finger on the trackpad). Switch the toggle On to enable this feature, or switch it Off to disable it.^{[5]
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Select Additional mouse settings to adjust your mouse’s double-click speed. Double-click speed affects how quickly you need to click to open an application or folder (by double-clicking). To adjust this, click Additional mouse settings (under the Related settings header). In the Mouse Properties menu that opens, move the slider under Double-click speed—whether you want to speed it up or slow it down.^{[6]
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- Move the slider toward Fast to increase your double-click speed, or move the slider toward Slow to decrease it.
- This option is located in the Buttons tab of the Mouse Properties menu (which is the tab that’s open by default when you pull up the menu).
If you end up adjusting your mouse’s settings in the Mouse Properties menu, you’ll need to save your changes before closing the window. Select Apply to save the current settings, then OK to close the window.

Section 2 of 5:

Changing the Mouse Sensitivity via Control Panel

Click on the Start menu (Windows) icon in the taskbar and type “Control Panel,” then press Enter. This will open the Windows Control Panel—where you can access your computer’s settings (including mouse settings).^{[7]
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Once you have the Control Panel pulled up, click on the search field at the top-right corner of the screen and type “Mouse.” The Control Panel will automatically run a search and pull up a series of results related to your mouse.
Scan the results until you see Change the mouse pointer display or speed, and click on that option. This will open the Mouse Properties menu (the same menu accessed by selecting “Additional mouse settings” in the Settings above).
In the Mouse Properties menu, navigate over to the Pointer Options tab; there, you’ll see a slider to change your mouse pointer speed. Just click and drag the slider to increase or decrease the mouse pointer’s speed; a higher speed increases sensitivity, while a lower speed enhances precision.^{[8]
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If you want your mouse’s precision enhanced (essentially changing its movement to match the speed of your hand), check the box next to Enhance pointer precision. If you don’t want to use this feature, uncheck the box.
At the bottom of the Mouse Properties menu, select Apply to save the current settings, then OK to close the window.

Section 3 of 5:

Adjusting Other Mouse Settings on Windows

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Setting the primary mouse button This setting lets you change the primary mouse button to either a left-click or a right-click. Here’s how to adjust the setting:^{[9]
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- Open the Settings menu via the Start menu icon.
- Select Bluetooth & devices → Mouse.
- Click on the drop-down menu and select either Left or Right.
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Changing the mouse pointer’s behavior You can have your mouse automatically move to the default choice in a dialog box, give the pointer a trail (to make it easier to see when moving), or even tell Windows to hide the mouse while you’re typing. All of these behavior settings are available here:
- Open the Settings menu via the Start menu icon.
- Select Bluetooth & devices → Mouse.
- Select Additional mouse settings.
- Navigate to the Pointer Options tab in the Mouse Properties menu.
- Check (or uncheck) the boxes next to Hide pointer while typing, Display pointer trails, and Automatically move pointer to the default button in a dialog box.
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Changing how the mouse wheel works These settings let you adjust how your mouse scrolls—including the number of lines to scroll at a time, and the scrolling direction (based on your hand movements). Here’s how to change your mouse wheel settings:^{[10]
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- Open the Settings menu via the Start menu icon.
- Select Bluetooth & devices → Mouse.
- Look under the Scrolling section and adjust any of the settings there.
  - Select the drop-down menu next to Roll the mouse wheel to scroll and choose either Multiple lines at a time or One screen at a time.
  - Move the slider next to Lines to scroll at a time to tell your computer how many lines to scroll each time you move your mouse wheel.
  - Select the drop-down menu next to Scrolling direction and select either Down motion scrolls down or Down motion scrolls up.
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Changing a mouse pointer’s appearance You can also change the way your mouse looks—although this setting is in a different place compared to the rest. Here’s how to adjust your mouse’s appearance:^{[11]
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- Open the Settings menu via the Start menu icon.
- Select Accessibility → Mouse pointer and touch.
- In this window, find Mouse pointer style to change the pointer’s appearance.
- Under Size, change the size of your mouse pointer.
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Enabling ClickLock ClickLock is a function that allows you to highlight or drag an item without holding the main mouse button down simultaneously. If you want to enable it, just do the following:^{[12]
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- Open the Settings menu via the Start menu icon.
- Select Bluetooth & devices → Mouse.
- Select Additional mouse settings.
- Navigate to the Buttons tab (if Mouse Properties doesn’t open to that tab automatically).
- Check the box next to Turn on ClickLock.
- Select Apply, then OK.

Section 4 of 5:

What is mouse sensitivity on a computer?

Mouse sensitivity determines how your mouse responds to movement. Mouse sensitivity is sometimes called dots per inch (DPI) instead. Essentially, it affects how far a cursor travels based on the user’s movements. Imagine yourself moving your mouse across the screen; a more sensitive mouse will move further, while a less-sensitive mouse won’t travel as far, despite you putting in the same amount of movement.
- A mouse’s default sensitivity can change based on your operating system’s settings (although they’re generally pretty balanced to begin with).

Section 5 of 5:

When should you adjust your mouse sensitivity?

Adjust your mouse’s sensitivity when speed or precision might be an issue. While default mouse sensitivity is usually satisfactory for run-of-the-mill tasks (like scrolling around on the internet, or typing up a document), there are definitely circumstances in which you might want your mouse to be more sensitive or precise—or, conversely, less sensitive. For instance:
- Honing reaction times in games. A hardcore or competitive gamer might want their mouse to be more sensitive, allowing for quicker reaction times in-game. On the other hand, a gamer might want to reduce their mouse’s sensitivity for better accuracy in a game.
- Drawing or working on designs. If you use your computer for graphic design, you might need mouse settings with more precision and pointer control (to help you draw small shapes or straight lines, for example).
- Using two monitors. If you’re using two computer screens, you might need to tweak the mouse sensitivity for each one to make sure they’re consistent (since the sensitivity might not be the same by default).
- Dealing with wrist pain. If you have wrist or hand pain, adjusting your mouse’s sensitivity might reduce the need to move your wrist a certain way as much.