Enable Natural Scrolling in Ubuntu Linux
Natural scrolling in Ubuntu Linux reverses your mouse wheel or touchpad direction so that swiping down brings page content up, matching the feel of a touchscreen. This built-in preference works across recent releases, including Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, and changes how windows react to your hardware.
Open the Mouse & Touchpad menu in your system settings to turn this feature on or off in a few clicks.
Open System Settings, then click Mouse & Touchpad. Under the Touchpad or Mouse section, toggle the Natural Scrolling button to the On position. This reverses the scroll direction for a more intuitive feel.
How to turn on or off natural Scrolling in Ubuntu Linux
Natural Scrolling Ubuntu settings let you change how your mouse wheel or touchpad moves content on the screen. To turn this feature on or off, open the Settings app from the top-right corner of your desktop, select the Mouse & Touchpad menu, and toggle the natural scrolling switch to match your preference.
Open the System menu in the top-right corner of your desktop and select Settings.
Click the Mouse & Touchpad tile in the Settings app to open that panel.
In the System Settings - Mouse & Touchpad panel, under Touchpad, toggle the Touchpad button to the On position to enable it.
If your computer does not have a built-in touchpad, this section will not appear.
Natural scrolling allows hardware to feel more responsive, much like scrolling through a webpage on a smartphone. Once the main touchpad settings are active, locate the Natural Scrolling toggle. Switch this option to the On position to activate the feature.
To disable the feature, flip the same toggle back to the Off position.
Desktop mice also support this behavior. Locate the Mouse section and toggle the switch for Natural Scrolling to activate it there.
Closing the Settings app finalizes the configuration process.
Natural scrolling makes daily navigation much more intuitive.
- Enabling or disabling Natural Scrolling in Ubuntu Linux is a straightforward process that enhances the touchpad or mouse experience.
- Utilizing the System Settings panel or clicking on the System menu allows quick access to the necessary configurations.
- Remember to enable the Touchpad before adjusting settings related to Natural Scrolling.
- Verifying that the Touchpad or Mouse section is available on your system before attempting to configure Natural Scrolling is crucial.
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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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