How to Change Mouse Scrolling Direction in Windows 11

What is Mouse Scrolling Direction?

Mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11 controls how your screen moves when you use your mouse wheel. You can set it so rolling the wheel up moves the page up (natural scrolling), or so rolling the wheel up moves the page down (reverse scrolling). Many people prefer the natural scrolling option because it feels more like using a smartphone.

• Rolling the wheel up moves the page up.
• Rolling the wheel down moves the page down.

But Windows 11 can do the opposite. This is known as reverse scrolling: Turning the wheel up moves the page down, and turning it down moves the page up.

• Rolling the wheel up moves the page down.
• Rolling the wheel down moves the page up.

You can pick which way feels best to you. There are two main options:

• Reverse Scrolling: The page moves opposite to your wheel direction.
• Natural Scrolling: The page moves the same way as your wheel direction.

How to Change Mouse Scrolling Direction in 🪟 Windows 11

Step 1Find Your Mouse Device ID

1. Press ⊞ Win+R on your keyboard. A small box will pop up.
2. Type devmgmt.msc and press Enter. Device Manager will open.
3. Find Mice and other pointing devices and click the arrow next to it to expand the list.
4. Double-click on your mouse device. A window will open showing its properties.
5. Click the Details tab.
6. Click the drop-down menu labeled Property.
7. Select Device instance path.
8. Look at the value that appears. It starts with HID and VID. Write this down or copy it. You’ll need it soon.

To change your mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11, you first need to find your mouse’s unique ID. This involves opening the Device Manager and looking up your specific mouse model. Finding this ID is a crucial step before you can adjust the registry settings later on.

Step 2Open the Registry Editor

1. Press ⊞ Win+R again.
2. Type regedit and press Enter.
3. A prompt may appear asking for permission. Click Yes to allow it. ⚠️ Requires admin privileges
4. For more help, check out this guide: How to Open Registry Editor in Windows 11

Step 3Find Your Mouse in the Registry

1. In the Registry Editor, go to this location: Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\HID
2. Look through the folders inside. Find the one that matches the HID and VID number you copied earlier.
3. Open that folder. Inside, find and open the Device Parameters folder.

Step 4Change the Scrolling Direction

1. On the right side of the window, look for an entry called FlipFlopWheel.
2. If you see it, double-click it to open it.
3. Change the value to one of these:

   • 0 = Reverse scrolling (the default setting)
   • 1 = Natural scrolling (works like a smartphone)
4. If you don’t see FlipFlopWheel, 🖱️ right-click on an empty space on the right side. Choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it FlipFlopWheel.
5. Then double-click it and set the value to 1 for natural scrolling.

Now you can change the mouse scrolling direction in Windows 11 by adjusting a specific setting. Look for FlipFlopWheel in your mouse’s registry entries. Changing its value from 0 (reverse scrolling) to 1 (natural scrolling) will switch how your mouse wheel works, making it feel more like a smartphone.

Step 5🔄 Restart Your Computer

1. 🔄 Restart your PC to apply the changes. This makes sure everything works right.

Summary