How to Change Time to Activate Window by Hovering Over with Mouse Pointer in Windows 11
This tutorial shows you how to change how long your mouse needs to hover over a window before it opens. You can use this feature in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
Adjust the hover activate window time in Windows 11 Settings by going to Accessibility Mouse and moving the slider under Activate on hover. Alternatively, use Registry Editor to change the ActiveWndTrkTimeout value in 🗝️HKEY_CURRENT_USERControlPanelDesktop.
Why Would You Want This?
By default, Windows requires you to click a window to open it and bring it into focus. But what if you want windows to open automatically when you hover over them with your mouse?
If you turn on this feature, a window will activate by itself after you hover over it for half a second (500 milliseconds by default). You can make this time longer or shorter based on what you prefer.
What Happens When You Change This Setting?
Once you adjust the hover time, Windows will wait for the exact amount of time you set before opening a window. This can make your workflow faster or slower, depending on your needs.
Option 1Change Hover Time in Settings
- Open Settings by pressing
Win+I. - Click Accessibility on the left side, then click Mouse on the right side under Interaction.
- Under Activate on hover, adjust the Amount of time mouse needs to be over a window to activate it to what you want.📝NoteThis requires Activate on hover to be turned on first.
- You can now close Settings if you like.
Option 2Change Hover Time Using Registry Editor
- Open Registry Editor by typing
regedit.exein your search bar and pressing Enter.⚠️ Requires admin privileges
- Navigate to the location below in the left pane of Registry Editor.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop - In the right pane of the Desktop key, double-click the ActiveWndTrkTimeout entry to modify it.
Note: If you do not see the ActiveWndTrkTimeout entry, verify you have turned on Activate a window by hovering over it with the mouse, refresh by pressing
F5in Registry Editor, and check again. - Select Decimal, type in a number for how many milliseconds (ms) you want for the timeout, and click OK.
Tip: The default time is 500 ms. 1000 ms equals 1 second.
- Close Registry Editor.
Summary
Changing your hover activation time is easy. You can use the Settings app if you have the latest Windows 11 version, or you can edit the Registry if you prefer the manual method. Either way, you can now customize how long your mouse needs to hover over a window before it automatically opens. This helps you work the way that feels most comfortable to you.
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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