How to Disable Edge Swipe in Windows 11
Edge swipe gestures in Windows 11 let you quickly open menus by swiping from the screen’s edge.
Swiping from the left edge opens the Widgets panel, while swiping from the right edge brings up the Notification Center. These gestures are handy but can sometimes pop up by accident.
Disabling Edge swipe gestures stops these accidental actions, making your touchscreen only respond to intentional taps and drags. This is especially useful if you find yourself triggering them by mistake while using a stylus.
Disable edge swipe in Windows 11 by going to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Touch and toggling off gestures, or by using the Local Group Policy Editor or Registry Editor to modify the “Allow Edge swipe” setting. These methods prevent accidental menu openings from screen edges.
Disable via Windows Settings
You can often manage gestures through the Windows 11 settings menu to disable edge swipe.
Touchpad vs. Touchscreen
It’s important to know the difference between your touchpad and touchscreen when you want to disable edge swipe.
Disable Edge Swipe using Group Policy
You can disable edge swipe in Windows 11 using the Group Policy Editor if you have administrator rights on your computer. This method is straightforward and involves changing a specific setting within Windows to turn off the swipe-in feature from the screen’s edge.
- Open the Local Group Policy Editor by searching for “Edit group policy” in the Start menu.
windows 11 edit group policy - In the left menu, go to this path:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Edge UI - On the right side, double-click
Allow Edge swipe.
windows 11 disable or enable screen edge swipe - To turn it off, select Disabled. To turn it on, select Enabled.
windows 11 enable allow edge swipe - Click OK and close the editor.
Disable Edge Swipe using the Registry
You can disable edge swipe in Windows 11 by editing the Registry, but make sure you have administrator access and consider backing up your system first. This involves finding and changing a specific value in the Windows Registry to prevent the edge swipe action from working.
- Press the Windows key + R on your keyboard.
- Type
regeditin the box and press Enter.
run windows registry - Go to this folder path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\EdgeUI - Find the
AllowEdgeSwipevalue. Double-click it and set it to0to turn it off.
windows 11 disable allow edge swipe - Finally, restart Windows Explorer, or restart your PC to save your changes.
Troubleshooting Persistent Gestures
If your edge swipe gestures keep re-enabling after an update, you can troubleshoot by checking drivers and reapplying policy settings.
Summary
You can turn off the edge swipe feature in Windows 11 using standard settings, Group Policy, or the Registry if it’s causing accidental menu openings.
Can I disable edge swipe without editing the registry?
Yes. You can use the Local Group Policy Editor if you are on Windows Pro, or adjust settings within the Windows 11 Touchpad and Touch menus. These methods are safer and do not require modifying the system registry directly, making them better for everyday users.
Does disabling edge swipe affect other multi-touch gestures?
No. Disabling the edge swipe feature specifically targets the swipe-in gestures from the screen borders. Standard multi-touch gestures like pinch-to-zoom, two-finger scrolling, and tap-to-click will continue to function normally on both your touchpad and your touchscreen display.
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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.
I’m on Windows 11 21H2 22000.739 and the registry entry doesn’t exist (anymore?)
I’ve tried searching the registry for it, but to no avail, and all articles I can find on Google seem to reference this same solution.
This doesn’t work. The key is there and set to 0 but didn’t stop the left edge swipe.
same issue here, did you ever figure it out?
said key is no longer there