How to Change the Scrolling Direction in Windows 11
Windows 11 is the latest version of the Microsoft operating system, but it’s not without its quirks and changes which may require some getting used to.
One of the changes that may take you a while to get comfortable with is the scrolling direction. By default, Windows 11 has changed the way mouse and touchpad scrolling direction works from what you may be used to. Rather than the classic scrolling behaviour where scrolling up on the mouse or touchpad leads to upward movement on the screen, Windows 11 has switched the direction to mimic the scrolling behaviour on smartphones and tablets: scrolling up leads to downward movement on the screen, and vice versa.
Fortunately, Windows 11 allows you to customize the scrolling direction to your preference. This article will show you how to change the scrolling direction in Windows 11.
Step 1: Open Settings
Click on the Start menu on the taskbar or press the Windows key on your keyboard. From the Start menu, click on the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I to quickly open Settings.
Step 2: Select Devices
On the Settings window, click on the “Devices” tab.
Step 3: Select Mouse or Touchpad
Depending on your input device, select either “Mouse” or “Touchpad” from the left pane.
Step 4: Change Scrolling Direction
Toggle the “Scroll direction” button to your preferred orientation. If the toggle is blue, it means that scrolling is set to the “natural” or inverted scrolling direction where scrolling up leads to downward movement on the screen. If the toggle is gray, scrolling is set to the classic way, where scrolling up leads to upward movement on the screen. Simply click the toggle button to switch between the two options.
You can experiment with both scrolling directions to decide which one works best for you. It may take some time to get used to the new direction, but once you do, you may find it more intuitive, especially if you also own a smartphone or tablet with similar scrolling behaviour.
