How to Use Mouse Keys with Num Lock in Windows 11

In Windows 11, Mouse Keys (a feature that lets you control your mouse with your keyboard) is a helpful accessibility feature that lets you move your mouse pointer using the number keys on your keyboard. This is helpful if you find using a regular mouse or touchpad tricky.

What Can Mouse Keys Do?

Once Mouse Keys is active, you can:

• Press the 5 key to click
• Press the + key to double-click
• Use other number keys to move the mouse pointer around the screen

You can also choose to make Mouse Keys work only when the Num Lock key is turned on. This means you can switch Mouse Keys on or off by pressing Num Lock without turning off the Mouse Keys feature completely.

How to Turn On or Off “Only Use Mouse Keys When Num Lock is On”

Here’s how to set this up on your Windows 11 computer:

1. Open the ⚙️ Settings app. You can do this by clicking the ⊞ Start menu and then clicking Settings. Or just press Windows key + I on your keyboard.
2. In ⚙️ the Settings window, click Accessibility on the left side.
3. Scroll down and click on Mouse on the right side to open mouse settings.
4. Turn on the Mouse keys switch.
5. Below it, you will see the option “Only use mouse keys when Num Lock is on”. Check this box if you want Mouse Keys to work only when Num Lock is on. Uncheck it if you want Mouse Keys to work all the time.

Mouse settings in Windows 11 Accessibility options

Turning on Mouse Keys and enabling “Only use mouse keys when Num Lock is on”

6. When you are done, close the ⚙️ Settings app.

Why Use This Feature?

• It helps people who have trouble using a regular mouse or touchpad.
• You get to control the mouse pointer using just your keyboard.
• You can choose when to activate Mouse Keys with the Num Lock key for easier switching.
• It gives you more options to use your Windows 11 computer in a way that feels comfortable.

Try it out and see if it makes using your computer more manageable!

Summary

Mouse Keys is a Windows 11 accessibility feature that lets you control your mouse pointer using keyboard number keys. You can set it to work only when Num Lock is on by opening Settings, going to Accessibility, clicking Mouse, turning on Mouse Keys, and checking the “Only use mouse keys when Num Lock is on” option. This feature is great for people who prefer keyboard control or have difficulty using a traditional mouse or touchpad.