Enable Single-Click to Open Items in Windows 11

This post shows students and new users steps to turn on a single (one) click to open an item when using Windows 11.

By default, it takes double clicks to open an item on Windows 11. The double clicks feature is meant to prevent accidental opens.

However, some people may like to open an item with just one click, and if you are among them, the steps below will show you how to do that.

Enabling single-click to open an item on Windows 11 can save you time and reduce the number of clicks required to open a file or folder. By default, Windows 11 requires you to double-click an item to open it, but if you enable single-click, you can open items with just one click.

This can be useful if you have a lot of files or folders to open or prefer a faster and more efficient way to navigate your files and folders on Windows 11.

To enable a single click to open items on Windows 11, follow the steps below.

How to turn on one click to open an item on Windows 11

As mentioned above, the standard way to open items on Windows is to double-click them. If you want to click once to open files and folders, the steps below show you how to do that.

First, go and open File Explorer on Windows 11. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + E on the keyboard to open File Explorer.

Once opened, click on the ellipse (three dots on the toolbar) and select Options.

On the General tab, under Click items as follows, select the option to enable Single-click to open an item (point to select).

With the settings enabled, if you ever want to select an icon without opening it, just hover your mouse over it momentarily.

You can also enable check boxes in File Explorer to select items without opening them.

Read the post below to enable File Explorer check boxes.

How to turn on check boxes in File Explorer

That should do it!

Conclusion:

• Enabling single-click to open items on Windows 11 provides a quicker way to access files and folders.
• The process is simple and increases efficiency, especially for users who navigate through many items regularly.
• You can still select items without opening them by hovering over them, maintaining control over your selections.
• Consider using checkboxes in File Explorer for an even more organized way to manage multiple files and folders.
• Enjoy a smoother and faster workflow with these adjustments to your Windows 11 settings.