How to Enable or Disable Pen Cursor in Windows 11
The pen cursor in Windows 11 is a small dot or circle that shows up on your screen when you move a stylus close to the display. Turning this visual helper on or off lets you hide distracting marks when you draw or take notes on touch screens.
You can change this setting in a few clicks through the main Windows 11 settings app without needing any extra software. Disabling the extra dot cleans up your screen so you can see your artwork and handwriting much clearer.
Go to Settings Bluetooth & devices Pen & Windows Ink Expand Additional pen settings and check or uncheck the box next to Show cursor to enable or disable it. This setting controls the visual indicator that appears when your stylus is near the screen.
Enable or Disable Show Pen Cursor in Settings
- Open Settings by pressing
Win+I. - Click on Bluetooth & devices on the left side. Then click on Pen & Windows Ink on the right side. (see screenshot below)
Press Win+I to open Settings . Select Bluetooth & devices from the sidebar, then click Pen & Windows Ink. A dedicated toggle controls whether the pen cursor appears to pinpoint stylus location.
- Click on Additional pen settings to expand it.
- Check the box (to turn on) or uncheck the box (to turn off) next to Show cursor. What happens? The pen cursor will appear or disappear when you use your pen.
- You can now close Settings.
Option Two
Enable or Disable Show Pen Cursor Using Registry
Advanced users with administrator rights can also manage the pen cursor using the Registry (a hierarchical database storing low-level settings for the operating system). Windows Terminal executes specific commands to update these underlying values directly.
Open Windows Terminal and run a command to control the pen cursor's behavior. Available commands appear below:
To enable both 'Show visual effects' and 'Show cursor' (default):
This serves as the standard operating system configuration.
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Cursors" /v PenVisualization /t REG_DWORD /d 35 /f
To disable both 'Show visual effects' and 'Show cursor':
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Cursors" /v PenVisualization /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
To disable 'Show visual effects' but keep 'Show cursor' on:
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Cursors" /v PenVisualization /t REG_DWORD /d 32 /f
To enable 'Show visual effects' but turn off 'Show cursor':
Summary
Managing the pen cursor in Windows 11 happens through either the Settings application or the Registry.
How do I change the pen cursor in Windows?
Changing the visual appearance of the pen cursor, such as shape or color, requires Mouse Properties. Open Settings, search for mouse configuration, and select the Pointers tab to browse alternative styles.
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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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