PC users who also own an Apple MacBook or iMac with Magic Trackpad probably aware of the default two-finger scrolling feature of the Mac. That is while using a Mac, a user can use two fingers to vertically or horizontally scroll a webpage or a window.
Users who own both Mac as well as PC, and constantly need to switch between these computers might want to enable the two-finger scrolling feature on Windows as well to avoid confusion.
Luckily, two-finger scrolling is enabled by default in Windows 10 on supported PCs. That is, if your PC’s touchpad supports the two-finger scroll feature, it’s enabled by default.
Unfortunately, two-finger scrolling isn’t supported by all Windows laptops. That said, there is a workaround out there to enable two-finger scrolling even if your laptop’s touchpad does not support it out of the box.
In simple words, you can enable two-finger scrolling on all laptops. Follow the below-mentioned instructions to enable two-finger scrolling on Windows 10/8.1 laptops.
Method 1 – enable two-finger scrolling via Settings
Method 2 – turn on two-finger scrolling for Synaptics touchpad
Method 3 – enable two-finger scrolling using third-party software
Method 1 of 3
Enable two-finger scroll via Settings in Windows 10
Step 1: Navigate to Settings > Devices > Touchpad.
Step 2: In the Scroll and zoom section, select the Drag two fingers to scroll option to turn on the two-finger scroll feature. If you want to change the default scroll direction, choose an option from the drop-down box located just below the option.
NOTE: If the option doesn’t exist, it’s likely because your laptop is not equipped with the precision touchpad. If you want to enable precision touchpad gestures on your laptop as well, refer to the workaround in our enable precision touchpad gestures on any laptop guide.
Method 2 of 3
Enabling two-finger scrolling without using third-party tools
In this guide, we’re going to show you how to enable two-finger scroll on a Windows 10/8.1 notebook or netbook with Synaptics touchpad:
Step 1: Start the procedure by updating your Synaptics driver to the latest version. If the Synaptics touchpad driver isn’t installed, please visit this page, download the driver (it’s around 110 MB) and install it. You might be asked to restart your PC to complete the driver installation. For directions, refer to our how-to update device drivers in Windows 10 guide.
Step 2: Once installed, navigate to Settings > Device > Touchpad. In the Related settings, click on the Additional settings link to open the Mouse Properties dialog.
Step 3: Here, switch to the Device Settings tab. Please note that the Device Settings tab appears only if the touchpad driver is installed on your PC.
Step 4: Under Devices, select Synaptics TouchPad and then click Settings to open Properties for Synaptics TouchPad.
Step 5: On the left side, expand MultiFinger Gestures, check the Two-Finger Scrolling option, and then click the Apply button. That’s it!
NOTE: To change the default behavior of two-finger scrolling, select the Two-Finger Scrolling option, and then click the Settings icon next to it.
Method 3 of 3
Enabling two-finger scrolling with the help of a third-party tool
Step 1: Download the zip file of the Two Finger Scroll tool from here. It’s compatible with both 32-bit and 64-bit systems.
Step 2: Extract the zip file onto the desktop or any other location.
Step 3: Double-click on TwoFingerScroll.exe file to run the application. That’s it!
NOTE: With default settings, Two Finger Scroll doesn’t start with Windows and you need it to enable the option under Two Finger Scroll settings (right-click on the Two Finger Scroll icon in the system tray) to avoid manually launching the tool.
Our how-to enable two-finger tap for right-clicking in Windows 10 guide might also interest you.