What you need to know
- The latest Windows 11 preview build includes a new setting to switch the scrolling direction on mice.
- Up until now, it's not been possible to do this without editing the Windows Registry or downloading a third-party app.
- Users have been able to configure this behavior on touchpads for many years.
Microsoft is finally adding an option to flip the behavior of your mouse's scroll wheel to the Windows 11 Settings app, letting users change the direction of scrolling with just a few clicks. Up until now, switching the scroll direction on a mouse required editing the Windows Registry, but that will no longer be the case soon.
Spotted in the latest Windows 11 preview build, the ability to change the scrolling direction on mice is being added to the mouse settings page in the Windows Settings app. By default, it's set to "down motion scrolls down," as that's what most people are likely used to. However, some people prefer the opposite, where a down motion actually scrolls up.
Changing this behavior mimics touchpads, which attempt to replicate a touchscreen. So a two-finger swipe down on a touchpad will scroll a page up. This behavior is reversed with a mouse wheel, but some people don't like that. If you are one of those people, you'll soon be able to change it to match the direction as if you were using a touchpad or touchscreen with ease in the Settings app.
Users have been able to change the behavior of scrolling on a touchpad within the Windows Settings app for many years, but for whatever reason the company is only just getting around to adding the same option for mice. Users have been able to change this behavior with third-party software for years, but it's nice to get a built-in native option for users to easily configure.
