Enable Tap to Click in Ubuntu Linux: A Step-by-Step Guide

Enabling tap to click in Ubuntu Linux allows you to click items by simply tapping your touchpad surface, eliminating the need to press the physical button. This intuitive feature is available on most modern Ubuntu installations, saving you time and making navigation smoother.

You can activate tap to click through Ubuntu’s system settings, typically found under “Mouse & Touchpad.” For instance, in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS (Jammy Jellyfish), you’ll find the toggle easily accessible.

Once enabled, you can click on icons, links, and menu items with a quick tap, similar to how you would on a tablet or smartphone. This guide will walk you through the straightforward steps to get this functionality working on your PC.

How to turn on or off tap to click on Ubuntu Linux

As noted, if your device has a touchpad, you can click, double-click, drag, and scroll using only the touchpad, no separate hardware buttons needed.

Here’s how to do that.

Ubuntu Linux keeps most of its settings in one place: the System Settings panel. You can manage everything from system configurations to creating new users and updates there.

Another way to get there is by clicking the System menu at the top-right corner of your desktop.

On the System menu, select Settings, like you see highlighted below.

Click on the Mouse & Touchpad tile in the Settings app to open that section.

In the System Settings -> Mouse & Touchpad panel, under Touchpad, toggle the Touchpad button to On to enable it.

The Touchpad section only shows up if your system actually has a touchpad. Touchpad settings need to be enabled before you can configure other options for it.

With the touchpad enabled, toggle the Tap to Click button to the On position.

To turn it off, flip the button to Off.

That’s all there is to it! You can now close the Settings app.

Conclusion:

• Enabling or disabling Tap to Click in Ubuntu Linux allows you to conveniently perform various touchpad actions without needing separate hardware buttons.
• Access the centralized System Settings panel in Ubuntu Linux to toggle the touchpad and Tap to Click settings on or off.
• Following the outlined steps will enable users to tap to click, tap twice to double click, and double tap to drag items, enhancing the touchpad functionality in Ubuntu Linux.