How To Turn Off Touchscreen on Windows (Very Easy)

I primarily bought my Microsoft Surface because it was a small, capable Windows tablet.

However, I knew that I’d be using it as a laptop much more than a tablet. I rarely use the touchscreen, frankly.

Why Should You Turn Off Your Touchscreen?

I’m a battery hypermiler. I love it when I can get through an entire day without resorting to the charger, so I do everything in my power to reduce power consumption.

Disabling Touch Screen Could Extend Battery Life

In addition to checking that WiFi and Bluetooth are off when I’m not using them, turning off the touch screen functionality in Windows can potentially save battery life on my Surface. Touch screen operations typically consume additional power, so disabling this feature might extend the device’s battery life, especially when I don’t use the touch screen.

Disabling Touch Screen Avoids Accidental Taps

Disabling the touchscreen can prevent accidental inputs, especially in scenarios where the screen is frequently touched or brushed against. Here’s the thing: my main computers don’t have touch screens, so sometimes I point at things on the screen. Worse: there was once I lifted my Surface to eye-level, and realized that my thumb was resting on the red “X” exit button. Oops!

How To Disable Touch Screen in Windows 11

So I wondered how to disable it. Here’s how.

Open your Start Menu and start typing “Device Manager”. You should trigger a search and see the following. Click on Device Manager.

In Device Manager, go to Human Interface Devices.

Look for “HID-compliant touch screen”. Right-click on it and disable it.

You should immediately notice that touch screen is no longer sensitive to taps.

Re-enabling Touch Screen in Windows 11

However, one downside: if you ever want to use your touch screen again, then you will have to re-enable it.

The process is the same, except instead of disabling, you’re enabling.

1. Go to the Start Menu, type in “Device Manager”
2. Open Device Manager and go to Human Interface Devices > HID-compliant touch screen.
3. Right-click HID-compliant touch screen and “Enable device”.
4. The touch screen should work immediately.

Touch Settings?

Another menu that you can explore is the Touch settings menu. Do a search in the Start Menu and you’ll find it.

In there, you’ll be able to enable or disable three/four-finger gestures. Not sure what they are? Check out my article on Surface Tips & Tricks.

You can also disable the Touch indicator which shows a circle on the screen where you tap on.