We all have been thorough this annoyance. You are typing a crucial email and then the mouse cursor suddenly jumps to some other location or application.
This happens due to the high touchpad sensitivity. The best way to address the issue is to disable the touchpad while typing. Since manually disabling the touchpad every time you want to type something is not a good idea, it’s best to configure Windows 10 to automatically disable the touchpad while typing.
When you configure Windows 10 to automatically disable the touchpad while typing, the touchpad or trackpad is disabled/blocked as long as you type. The moment you stop typing, the touchpad/trackpad is enabled or activated again.
Fortunately, Windows 10 offers a built-in option to disable the trackpad while typing. You don’t need to go for a third-party software for this job.
Turn off the trackpad while typing in Windows 10
Complete the given below directions to disable the touchpad/trackpad while typing in Windows 10.
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Navigate to Devices > Touchpad.
Step 2: In the Touchpad sensitivity section, select Low sensitivity option from the drop-down box to disable the touchpad while typing. If you don’t want to completely disable the touchpad while typing, you can select Medium sensitivity option.
How to automatically turn off the touchpad when mouse is connected article might also interest you.
Kathy Clark says
I like what the commenter said about putting a piece of cardboard over the touchpad. What’s even more annoying than typing going to the wrong place is when you look up, a whole section has been highlighted accidentally, then you accidentally touch the touchpad again, and it erases everything you typed! GRRR…. Hey Microsoft, some of us were taught to rest our thumbs on the space bar when we learned typing. You can’t do that on a laptop, not even by accident. It’s hard not to let your thumbs touch the touchpad. Will try the cardboard.
Andrew Hoffman says
This fix did not work at all. Previously I could use the F6 button to shut off the touchpad while typing, but that no longer works either. How freaking unhelpful!!!
Dave Slomer says
I’m sorry, Admin, but setting Touchpad Sensitivity to Low Sensitivity does NOT disable touchpad while typing on all machines (e.g., mine), nor is it documented as being so. It might help to set AAPThreshold in the registry to 0. It is found in the registry key on the next line.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\PrecisionTouchPad
That won’t disable the touchpad while typing, either, but it is well documented as helping to minimize stray taps. However, be assured that stray taps will still continue. The frequency will lessen. That’s about it.
WTH, Microsoft and manufacturers of “Precision Touchpads”, whose “precision” seems to actually be to sniff for any semblance of a touch of the pad or just getting too danged close.
It might be best to just disable “Tap with a single finger to single-click” and just always use the left button to click. BTW, that option is right below the Sensitivity setting, and right below it is “Tap with TWO fingers to right-click” and that’s a really cool thing that is almost impossible to do accidentally. I’d check that box no matter what is done to the “single finger” checkbox.
Also, clicking Additional Mouse Options on the Mouse Setting screen opens a dialog with several tabs, on one of which is the option to hide the cursor while typing. That SHOULD improve the inadvertent clicks horror, but it doesn’t on MY machine.
Microsoft has blessed us with this (MIS!)behavior since Windows 8 and apparently have no clue how it all works. My old 2011 Dell had this option and there were NO stray clicks.
Tony Wray says
It is so annoying to type a sentence and find that half of it is in the wrong place. With my previous laptop, I was able to edit the mousepad gestures and turn off the “tap” function completely, but with this HP one the best I can do is turn down the sensitivity, which does nothing to help. I may end up having to fasten a flap of cardboard over the mousepad – thanks Microsoft.
Matthew says
This does not work.NOTHING works. the only thing that helped slightly was SmartSense. But, SmartSense only made it so I could use it for a second. Nothing helps. And this dumb setting makes fps games and other games impossible to play. make this easier to turn off.
Brendan says
Ha! This actually helped me do exactly the opposite – turn the sensitivity all the way up. The reason is because I was playing a game where I needed to use the keyboard to move around, and move and click with the touchpad at the same time (Stardew Valley). Thanks to this post I understand what setting was causing the cursor to freeze while I was touching the keyboard. But now I know what setting I need to change when I’m having issues accidentally touching the touchpad.
Thanks.
Jeff says
This touch pad is not likeable for me and I shut down scrolling and it still scrolls occasionally and I can’t figure out how to stop the tap option. I could do this on my last lap top. It is crazy when typing if I tap the touch pad I wind up on another page and it is just crazy I would love to just use my buttons to tap and the two and three fingers scroll I hate it and is problematic for me. Please tell me how to disable this touchpad or just the tap portion. I still want to move my pointer around but that is it, no automatic scrolling. Help!!!!