How to Change Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture in Windows 11
The three-finger tap gesture in Windows 11 lets you open apps or run shortcuts by tapping three fingers on your laptop touchpad. You can change this action in the Settings app to open Search, control your music, or view notifications instead.
This trick works on any laptop that uses a precision touchpad, which comes built into almost all modern Windows 11 laptops.
Navigate to Settings, then Bluetooth & devices, and click Touchpad. Expand Three-finger gestures and select your desired action from the Taps dropdown menu.
Change Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture in Settings
- Open Settings (press Win+I).
- Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left side. Then click on Touchpad on the right side.
You can change touchpad gestures using the main Windows 11 settings menu without needing any extra software. Open the Settings app by pressing the Win and I together, click Bluetooth & devices on the left, and select Touchpad on the right. From there, expand the three-finger gestures options to pick a new action for your taps.
- Click on Three-finger gestures to expand the section.
- Select one option from the Taps drop menu: Nothing, Open search (default), Notification center, Play/pause, or Middle mouse button.
- You can now close Settings.
Option Two
Change Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture using Registry
You can change touchpad gestures using the Registry Editor (a database for low-level system settings) if you want more control than the standard menu allows. This advanced method lets you turn off the tap completely or force specific shortcuts by editing system values directly. Be careful, as mistakes in the registry can cause system problems.
Set Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture to “Nothing”
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v ThreeFingerTapEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Set Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture to “Open search”
Configure the gesture value to disable the tap entirely or revert to Open search (default).
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v ThreeFingerTapEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Set Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture to "Notification center"
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v ThreeFingerTapEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 2 /f
Set Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture to "Play/pause"
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v ThreeFingerTapEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 3 /f
Set Touchpad Three-finger Tap Gesture to "Middle mouse button"
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad" /v ThreeFingerTapEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 4 /f
Summary
Customizing touchpad behavior relies on either the graphical Settings application or direct registry modifications.
How do you customize the Trackpad gestures on a Mac?
Mac users can access similar controls by selecting System Settings from the Apple menu and clicking Trackpad. From there, toggling behaviors, adjusting sensitivity, and reviewing supported shortcuts takes only a few clicks. Tapping with one finger performs a standard click.
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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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