Why you might want to disable your touchscreen

A touchscreen stops responding to your finger or stylus when you disable it. This is useful if your screen is cracked and registering phantom touches, if you have a device with both a touchscreen and a trackpad and you keep accidentally brushing the screen while typing, or if you're troubleshooting whether a problem is caused by the touchscreen hardware itself.

Disabling the touchscreen does not erase anything or change your files. It straightforward turns off the hardware's ability to detect touch input. You can re-enable it the same way if you change your mind.

The steps differ depending on whether you use Windows, Mac, or Linux, because each operating system manages hardware differently. Pick the section that matches your computer.

Key Takeaways

  • On Windows, you disable a touchscreen through Device Manager by finding the touch input device and selecting "Disable device".
  • On Mac, touchscreen disabling depends on your model — some Macs do not have touchscreens, and those that do (like the Touch Bar) require different steps than Windows.
  • On Linux, you disable the touchscreen through the terminal using xinput to list devices and disable the one labeled as a touch device.
  • Disabling a touchscreen does not delete data or permanently change settings — you can re-enable it at any time using the same steps.
  • If you cannot find your touchscreen in Device Manager or xinput, your device may not have one, or the driver may not be installed.

Disabling a touchscreen on Windows

Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting "Device Manager" from the menu. If you do not see that option, press the Windows key and type "Device Manager" into the search box, then click the result.

Look for a category called "Human Interface Devices" and click the arrow next to it to expand the list. Scroll through the devices listed under that category and look for one with "touch" in the name — common names include "HID-compliant touch screen", "Integrated Touch Screen", or "Touch Input Device".

Right-click on the touch device and select "Disable device" from the menu. A dialog box will appear asking you to confirm. Click "Yes". The touchscreen will stop working when ready. You will see a small down arrow appear on the device icon in Device Manager, indicating it is disabled.

To re-enable the touchscreen later, right-click the same device and select "Enable device". It will start working again within a few seconds.

Disabling a touchscreen on Mac

Most Mac computers do not have a touchscreen. If your Mac has a Touch Bar (the strip of buttons at the top of the keyboard on newer MacBook Pro models), that is not a touchscreen in the traditional sense and cannot be disabled through standard settings.

If you have an external touchscreen monitor connected to your Mac, you can disable it by unplugging the USB or display cable. If you want to keep it plugged in but turn off touch input, open System Settings, click "Displays", select the external monitor, and look for a "Touch Input" or similar option — the exact setting varies by monitor model.

For most Mac users, the issue is accidental trackpad touches while typing. You can reduce this by opening System Settings, clicking "Trackpad", and adjusting the "Tracking speed" or enabling "Ignore trackpad when typing" if that option is available on your model.

Disabling a touchscreen on Linux

Open a terminal window. You can usually do this by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting "Open Terminal", or by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on most Linux distributions.

Type the command xinput list and press Enter. This will display all input devices connected to your computer. Look through the list for a device with "touch" in the name — you might see "ELAN Touchscreen", "Synaptics TouchPad", or "Wacom Touch Finger".

Note the ID number next to the touch device name (usually a single digit or small number). Then type xinput disable [ID], replacing [ID] with the number you found. For example, if your touch device has ID 12, you would type xinput disable 12 and press Enter.

The touchscreen will stop working when ready. To re-enable it later, type xinput enable [ID] using the same ID number.

What to do if you cannot find your touchscreen

If you looked through Device Manager on Windows or ran xinput on Linux and did not see a touch device listed, your computer may not have a touchscreen. Many laptops and desktops do not include one.

Another possibility is that the touchscreen driver is not installed or is not recognized by your operating system. If you recently upgraded your operating system or installed a fresh copy, the driver may need to be installed separately. Check the manufacturer's website (Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, etc.) for your specific model number and read the touchscreen driver from their support page.

If you have a cracked or malfunctioning touchscreen that is not showing up in Device Manager, the hardware itself may be damaged beyond the point where the operating system can detect it. In that case, disabling it through software will not be possible, and you would need to have the screen repaired or replaced.

Troubleshooting phantom touches

If your touchscreen is registering touches when nothing is touching it, disabling the device will stop those false inputs when ready. However, before you disable it permanently, try these steps first: restart your computer, update your touchscreen driver through Device Manager (right-click the device and select "Update driver"), and make sure the screen is clean and dry.

If the phantom touches continue after a restart and driver update, disabling the touchscreen is a reasonable temporary fix while you arrange for repair. Many people use their computer with the touchscreen disabled for weeks or months without any problem, since most work is done with a keyboard and trackpad or mouse anyway.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will disabling my touchscreen affect my keyboard or trackpad?

No. Disabling the touchscreen only turns off that specific hardware. Your keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and all other input devices will continue to work normally. You can still use your computer exactly as before — you just cannot use your finger on the screen.

Can I disable the touchscreen on just one user account?

No. When you disable a device in Device Manager or through xinput, it is disabled for all user accounts on that computer. The setting applies to the hardware itself, not to individual accounts. If you re-enable it, all accounts will see it enabled again.

What if I disable my touchscreen and then forget how to turn it back on?

You can always re-enable it using the same steps: on Windows, open Device Manager, find the device with the down arrow, right-click it, and select "Enable device". On Linux, run xinput enable with the same ID number. There is no way to accidentally lock yourself out of re-enabling it.

Does disabling the touchscreen use less battery power?

Slightly, but the difference is usually too small to notice. A disabled touchscreen stops scanning for input, which saves a tiny amount of power, but most of your battery drain comes from the display itself, the processor, and wireless radios. Disabling the touchscreen will not significantly extend your battery life.

Can I disable just part of my touchscreen, like the edges?

Not through the operating system. You can only disable the entire touchscreen or leave it enabled. Some touchscreen drivers include software that lets you set a "dead zone" around the edges, but this is rare and depends on your specific device and driver. Check your touchscreen manufacturer's website to see if they offer a control panel for their driver.