Change the Double-Click Speed In Windows 11

What the double-click speed controls

A double-click is two presses of the left mouse button within a short time window. If the second press arrives after that window closes, Windows reads two separate single clicks. The slider changes the length of that window.

Moving it toward Slow gives you more time between clicks. Moving it toward Fast gives you less.

Adjust it when a double-click often fails to open a file or folder, or when Windows starts a rename because your two clicks registered as separate. A longer window also helps if you use a mouse with a stiff button, have a hand tremor, or are teaching someone who is new to the mouse. A shorter window suits fast clickers who open items by accident when they click twice in a row.

That includes desktop icons, files in apps, and any program that responds to a double-click. It belongs to your user account, so other people who sign in to the same PC keep their own speed.

Change the double-click speed in 🪟 Windows 11

These steps change the double-click speed in Windows 11 using the slider in Mouse Properties and then test the result before you save it.

1. Open Settings ⚙️. Press Win+I, or right-click the Start button and choose Settings. The Settings ⚙️ window opens with a list of categories on the left.

   

2. Select Bluetooth 🔷 & devices. This category is in the left pane. It lists connected devices, printers, and input options such as the mouse and touchpad.

   

3. Select Mouse. The Mouse page opens. It shows the Primary mouse button and Mouse pointer speed settings, plus scrolling options. No double-click slider appears here.

   

4. Select Additional mouse settings. This link sits under Related settings. If you do not see it, scroll down the Mouse page. A window titled Mouse Properties opens.

   

5. Open the Buttons tab. It is the first tab in the window and is usually selected already. You should see Button configuration, Double-click speed, and ClickLock sections.

   

6. Drag the Double-click speed slider. Move it left toward Slow for a longer window between clicks, or right toward Fast for a shorter one. The slider has no numbers, so adjust in small steps.
7. Test the speed on the folder icon. Double-click the small folder icon to the right of the slider. A successful double-click opens the folder. Double-click it again to close it.
8. Select Apply. This saves the new speed without closing the window. The speed takes effect right away, so you can keep testing in other windows if you want.
9. Select OK. The Mouse Properties window closes and the setting stays in place. No restart or sign-out is needed.

If the folder test does not feel right, go back to the slider step, move it one notch, and test again. To check a slow pair of clicks, click the folder once, wait a moment, then click again. Repeat until the folder opens every time, but a slow pair of clicks does not open it.

Open Mouse Properties without going through Settings

Either method below opens the same window with the same Buttons tab.

• Run dialogPress Win+R, type main.cpl, and press Enter. Mouse Properties opens straight away.
• Control PanelOpen Control Panel, set View by to Large icons or Small icons, and select Mouse. Control Panel is the older settings app that came before Settings.

The Run command is the quickest route and works on every edition of Windows 11, including Home and Pro. No edition difference affects this slider.

Choose a speed that fits how you click

The default sits near the middle of the slider, and it suits most people. Change it in small steps rather than dragging to an extreme. Set the slider too far toward Slow and two separate clicks can register as one double-click. For example, if you click a file once to select it and click again to rename it, a slow setting can read those two clicks as a double-click and open the file.

Use the folder test as your guide, but also try the speed in real use. Open File Explorer and double-click a few folders and files. Pay attention to two things: whether your double-clicks reliably open items, and whether single clicks that you space out stay as single clicks.

If the main problem is opening items by accident, a better fix may be to avoid double-clicking at all. Windows 11 can open items with a single click, which removes the timing issue completely. The post on how to enable single click to open items in Windows 11 covers that option.

Other settings on the same Buttons tab

The Buttons tab holds two more settings that affect how clicks feel. Both are separate from the double-click speed, and you can leave them alone.

• Switch primary and secondary buttonsThis checkbox, in the Button configuration section, swaps the left and right buttons for left-handed use. After you tick it, double-click with the right button. Windows 11 also offers this as Primary mouse button on the Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Mouse page
• Turn on ClickLockThis checkbox lets you drag items without holding the button down. Press and hold briefly to lock the drag, then click again to release it. The post on how to turn on Click Lock for dragging in Windows 11 explains how it works and how to adjust the hold time.

If you move the double-click slider and then notice drags behaving oddly, check that ClickLock is not turned on. It changes how the button responds when held, which is a different behavior from double-click timing.

If the slider does not seem to work

Most problems come from one of a few causes. Check them in this order.

The folder test fails at every speed. Click once, wait a moment, and click again. If the folder still never opens, the problem may be the mouse itself. A worn button can register one press as two, or miss a press entirely.

Try a different mouse or a different USB port, then repeat the test. If a wireless mouse is the issue, replace its batteries first.

You changed the speed, but double-clicks still behave the same. Make sure you selected Apply or OK. Closing the window with the X button discards the change. Open Mouse Properties again and check where the slider sits.

The setting reverts after you restart or sign in. [Verification Required: the introduction says the change persists without a restart, so confirm whether the slider can revert after a restart or sign-in.] If the slider has moved back, sign in to the same account you changed it on, because Windows stores this setting for each user.

Some mouse manufacturers install their own configuration software, which can apply its own click settings when it starts. If you use such software, check its options for a click or double-click setting.

You cannot open Mouse Properties, or the page is blocked. On a work or school PC, an administrator can restrict Control Panel and settings pages. You will see a message that the action has been cancelled or is restricted. Ask your IT team to change the setting, because you cannot work around it without administrator rights.

The Additional mouse settings link is missing. Scroll to the bottom of the Settings › Bluetooth & devices › Mouse page and look under Related settings. If you still cannot see it, use the main.cpl Run command from the previous section.

Undo the change or return to the default

The change is safe and reversible. Open Mouse Properties again, go to the Buttons tab, and drag the slider back to where it was. Select Apply, then OK.

Windows does not show a number for the slider and has no Reset button for it. Note the slider position before you move it, or take a screenshot of the window with Windows + Shift + S. The default position is near the middle, so moving the slider to the center gets you close to the original.

What to do next

The double-click speed is now saved for your account and applies to every double-click from here on. If you still open things by accident, switch to single-click opening using the guide to enable single click in Windows 11. If you work with taskbar icons a lot, you may also want to review the Last Active Click setting for the taskbar. [Verification Required: add where to find this setting in Settings.]