The fastest way to disable your touchscreen
Open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start button and selecting Device Manager. Look for Human Interface Devices in the list and click the arrow next to it to expand. Find the entry that says HID-compliant touch screen — there may be more than one if you have multiple touch inputs. Right-click it and select Disable device. Windows will ask you to confirm; click Yes. Your touchscreen stops working when ready.
This method works whether your touchscreen is built into your monitor, your laptop, or connected by USB. The touchscreen remains disabled until you re-enable it the same way, even after you restart your computer. You do not need to restart to make the change take effect.
If you cannot find Human Interface Devices in Device Manager, your touchscreen may be listed under Mice and other pointing devices instead. Look for anything with "touch" in the name and disable it the same way.
Key Takeaways
- Device Manager is the built-in Windows tool for disabling hardware, and it takes about one minute to find and disable your touchscreen.
- Right-click the Start button, select Device Manager, expand Human Interface Devices, and disable any entry labeled HID-compliant touch screen.
- The touchscreen stays disabled across restarts until you re-enable it through the same Device Manager menu.
- If you cannot find the touchscreen in Human Interface Devices, check under Mice and other pointing devices instead.
Why you might want to disable your touchscreen
Touchscreens on laptops and monitors can be annoying when you do not want them active. If you rest your hand on the screen while typing, accidental touches can click buttons, close windows, or select text you did not mean to. Some people find the fingerprints and smudges not worth the occasional convenience of touch input.
Disabling the touchscreen does not affect your keyboard, trackpad, or mouse — those all keep working normally. You are only turning off the touch input, not any other part of your device.
Re-enabling your touchscreen later
To turn the touchscreen back on, open Device Manager again and find the same HID-compliant touch screen entry. Right-click it and select Enable device. The touchscreen works again when ready.
If you disable the touchscreen and then forget where it went, Device Manager shows disabled devices in a slightly faded way. Look for any grayed-out entries under Human Interface Devices — those are devices you have turned off.
What happens if you cannot find the touchscreen in Device Manager
Some touchscreens are built into your monitor rather than your computer. If that is the case, you may need to disable it through your monitor's own menu instead of Windows. Check your monitor's manual or look for buttons on the back or bottom edge that let you access settings.
A few older or less common touchscreen models show up in Device Manager under different names. If you see something like Touch Input Device, Integrated Touch, or Precision Touch Pad, try disabling that instead. The worst that happens is you disable the wrong thing and re-enable it.
Using Settings instead of Device Manager
Windows 11 also lets you disable touchscreen through the Settings app, though the path is less direct. Open Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Touch. Toggle Touch to Off. This disables all touch input on your device.
The Settings method is simpler if you just want a quick on-off switch, but Device Manager gives you more control if you have multiple touch devices and want to disable only one of them. Both methods work equally well.
Disabling touchscreen for specific programs only
If you want to keep your touchscreen working overall but turn it off for one particular program, Windows does not have a built-in way to do that. Your only option is to disable the touchscreen entirely through Device Manager or Settings, use the program, then re-enable it.
Some programs have their own settings that let you ignore touch input. Check the program's preferences or settings menu to see if that option exists. For example, some drawing programs let you disable touch so that your hand resting on the screen does not interfere with your work.
Troubleshooting if disabling does not work
If you disable the touchscreen in Device Manager but it still responds to touch, the device may have re-enabled itself. This sometimes happens after Windows updates. Open Device Manager again and check whether the touchscreen is listed as enabled or disabled — if it is enabled, disable it again.
If the touchscreen is definitely disabled but still works, you may have a second touch input device you missed. Expand all the categories in Device Manager and look for any other entries with "touch" or "HID" in the name. Disable those as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will disabling the touchscreen affect my keyboard or trackpad?
No. Disabling the touchscreen only turns off touch input. Your keyboard, trackpad, mouse, and all other input devices keep working normally. You can type and click as usual.
Does the touchscreen stay disabled after I restart my computer?
Yes. Once you disable it in Device Manager, it stays disabled across restarts until you re-enable it. You do not have to disable it again each time you turn on your computer.
What if I disable the wrong device in Device Manager?
You can re-enable it the same way — right-click the disabled device and select Enable device. If you are not sure what something is, you can safely disable it, test whether your touchscreen still works, and re-enable it if you made a mistake.
Can I disable the touchscreen without opening Device Manager?
Yes. Open Settings, go to Bluetooth & devices, then Touch, and toggle it off. This is faster if you just want a quick switch, though Device Manager gives you more control if you have multiple touch devices.
Why does my touchscreen keep re-enabling itself?
Windows updates sometimes re-enable disabled devices. If this happens, disable it again in Device Manager. If it keeps happening, check Windows Update to see whether a recent update restored it, and disable it again after each update.