How to unlock touchpad on any laptop

Touchpads are now a standard feature on almost every laptop, making them essential for everyday navigation, quick gestures, and basic productivity when a mouse isn’t available. When a touchpad gets disabled or stops responding, even simple tasks can become frustrating, especially if you rely on it while travelling or working on the go. Knowing how to enable or unlock your touchpad helps you regain control quickly, avoid unnecessary troubleshooting, and keep your workflow moving. Here’s how to enable or unlock the touchpad on any laptop.

How to enable or unlock the touchpad on any laptop

If your laptop touchpad is not working, chances are it might be disabled accidentally through a keyboard shortcut, system setting, or device option. To help you get it working again quickly, here’s how to enable or unlock it on any laptop.

Step 1: Check for a touchpad button or keyboard shortcut

Many laptops include a built-in shortcut to lock or unlock the touchpad. Look for a dedicated touchpad button near the keyboard or directly on the touchpad itself. You can also try pressing Fn along with one of the function keys from F1 to F12 that shows a touchpad icon. The icon usually looks like a rectangle, sometimes with a line or finger symbol. Pressing this key combination toggles the touchpad on and off.

Step 2: Enable the touchpad in Windows Settings 

If the shortcut does not work, check the touchpad settings in Windows. Press Windows + I to open Settings, go to Bluetooth and devices or Devices, then select Touchpad. Turn the touchpad toggle on. Once enabled, the touchpad should start responding right away. 

On older versions of Windows, touchpad controls may still live in the Control Panel. Open Control Panel, go to Hardware and Sound, then select Mouse. Look for a Touchpad, ClickPad, or Device Settings tab, enable the touchpad, and apply the changes. This method is common on laptops using Synaptics or ELAN touchpads.

Step 3: Enable the touchpad in Device Manager 

If the touchpad is disabled at the system level, Device Manager can re-enable it. Press the Windows key, type Device Manager, and open it. Expand Mice and other pointing devices, then right-click the touchpad device and select Enable. If you do not see it there, also check Human Interface Devices and enable the HID-compliant touchpad if present. Restart your laptop after making changes.

– Here’s Enabling the Touchpad on macOS

On MacBooks, the trackpad is usually disabled only when a mouse is connected. If a mouse is plugged in, unplug it, and the trackpad should work again.

ALSO READ: How to use your iPhone as a mouse for your Mac

To keep the trackpad enabled while using a mouse, open System Settings, go to Pointer Control, and turn off Ignore built-in trackpad when mouse is present.

– Enabling the Touchpad on a Chromebook

On Chromebooks, touchpad behaviour can be controlled through settings or shortcuts. To re-enable tap to click, open Settings, go to Device, then Touchpad, and turn Tap to click on. To fully re-enable the touchpad, press Search + Shift + P. If that shortcut does not work, advanced keyboard shortcuts may need to be enabled in Chrome flags.