5 Ways to Fix Touchpad Gestures Not Working on Windows 11

Quick Tips

• Ensure your touchpad is clean so that Windows can accurately read your finger movements.
• Consider resetting your touchpad settings and running the hardware and devices troubleshooter to resolve the issue.
• If the problem persists, update or reinstall the touchpad drivers.

Fix 1: Enable Touchpad Gestures

The first thing you need to do is review the touchpad settings on your PC and ensure that gesture controls are enabled. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.

Step 2: Enable the switch next to Touchpad if it isn’t already.

Step 3: Under the Gestures & interaction section, use the checkboxes to enable all the gestures.

Fix 2: Reset Touchpad Settings

If touchpad gestures don’t work after you enable them, try resetting all the touchpad settings. This should help fix any issues caused by misconfigured settings.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + I to open the Settings app and head to Bluetooth & devices > Touchpad.

Step 2: Click the Reset button under Touchpad.

Fix 3: Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter

The Hardware and Devices troubleshooter on Windows can automatically detect and resolve any common hardware-related issues. This tool comes in handy when Windows can’t detect a new piece of hardware or when devices, such as the touchpad, stop responding.

Step 1: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type msdt.exe -id DeviceDiagnostic in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: In the Hardware and Devices window, click Next and Windows will scan your system for any issues.

If the tool finds any problems, follow the on-screen instructions to apply the recommended fixes. After that, restart your PC and check if the issue is still there.

Fix 4: Update the Touchpad Driver

The touchpad driver on your PC allows Windows to communicate with your touchpad. If that driver is outdated or broken, the touchpad will not function properly. In that case, you should consider updating your PC’s touchpad driver using the Device Manager.

Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Device Manager from the list.

Step 2: Double-click on Mice and other pointing devices to expand it.

Step 3: Right-click on the touchpad driver and select Update driver from the menu that appears.

Follow the on-screen prompts to finish updating the driver and then see if the issue is still there.

If updating the driver does not help, the touchpad driver may be corrupt. In that case, uninstall the driver using the Device Manager and restart your PC. Windows will automatically install the missing driver during boot.

Fix 5: Check BIOS Settings

BIOS (or Basic Input Output System) is software that lets you configure your PC’s hardware functions. So, if Windows 11 is still not responding to touchpad gestures, you can enable the advanced touchpad option from BIOS. Here’s how:

Step 1: Press the Windows key + S to open the search menu. Type recovery options in the box and press Enter.

Step 2: Click the Restart now button next to Advanced startup. Select Restart now to confirm.

Step 3: Wait for the PC to reboot and then head to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Firmware Settings.

Step 4: Once you’re in BIOS, go to the Main tab. Then, use the arrow keys to navigate to the Touchpad option, press Enter, and select the Advanced option.

Step 5: Finally, press F10 to save changes and exit BIOS.

Restart your PC after this, and the touchpad gestures should work in Windows 11.