How to Change Primary Mouse Button in Windows 11
Changing the primary mouse button in Windows 11 switches your left and right mouse clicks so the right button selects and drags items. Windows sets the left click as the main button by default, but you can swap this layout in less than 30 seconds through the built-in Settings app .
Left-handed computer users often find this adjustment makes navigating the desktop much more comfortable. Opening the Mouse settings page lets you update your button layout right away without installing any extra software.
You can change your primary mouse button in Windows 11 through Settings or Control Panel . In Settings, navigate to Bluetooth & devices, then Mouse, and select your preferred button. Alternatively, open Control Panel , click Mouse, go to the Buttons tab, and check the “Switch primary and secondary buttons” box.
Change Primary Mouse Button in Settings
- Open Settings by pressing Win+I on your keyboard.
- Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left side. Then click on Mouse on the right side. (see screenshot below)
You can change primary mouse button settings in Windows 11 by opening the Settings app, navigating to the Bluetooth and devices menu, clicking on Mouse, and selecting your preferred button from the dropdown menu. This lets you swap your left and right click functions instantly if you are left-handed or prefer a different layout.
- Find the Primary mouse button drop-down menu. Choose either Left (this is the default) or Right. (see screenshot below)
- You can now close the Settings window.
Option Two
Change Primary Mouse Button in Control Panel
You can change primary mouse button settings using the classic Control Panel in Windows 11 by opening the Mouse properties window and checking the box to switch your primary and secondary buttons. This traditional method achieves the exact same result as the main Settings app and works well if you prefer the legacy interface.- Open Control Panel and switch to icon view. Click on the Mouse icon.
- Go to the Buttons tab. You will see a checkbox for Switch primary and secondary buttons. Check this box to use your right button as primary. Leave it unchecked to use your left button as primary (the default). (see screenshot below)
- Click OK to save your changes.
Option Three
Change Primary Mouse Button Using Registry
⚠️ Administrator permissions are needed for this step.
Change Primary Mouse Button to Left
This is the default setting.
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelMouse" /v SwapMouseButtons /t REG_SZ /d 0 /f
Change Primary Mouse Button to Right
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USERControl PanelMouse" /v SwapMouseButtons /t REG_SZ /d 1 /f
Summary
The Settings app offers a reliable method for updating mouse preferences on most systems.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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