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To open Windows 11’s on-screen touchpad, enable Virtual Touchpad in Taskbar settings, then select its icon beside the clock and date. This is the pointer-control feature—not either of Windows’ on-screen keyboards.

Enable and open Virtual Touchpad

  1. Right-click an empty area of the taskbar. On a touchscreen, press and hold the taskbar to open its context menu.

  2. Select Taskbar settings.

  3. Under Personalization > Taskbar, open System tray icons.

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  4. Turn on Virtual Touchpad.

  5. Select the Virtual Touchpad icon in the system tray beside the time and date. The on-screen touchpad opens and lets you control the mouse pointer.

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Microsoft’s instructions for enabling and disabling Virtual Touchpad describe the same setting and icon. Microsoft also explains how to customize taskbar icons.

Hide the touchpad icon

Close the open touchpad with its close control. To remove its icon from the system tray, return to Taskbar settings > System tray icons and switch Virtual Touchpad off. Microsoft notes that the icon will then no longer appear in the system tray.

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Virtual Touchpad vs. Windows’ on-screen keyboards

Virtual Touchpad controls the mouse pointer. It does not display keys for typing. Windows has two separate keyboard features:

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  • On-Screen Keyboard (OSK): Use this to type with a keyboard displayed on screen. Its setting is at Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard. See Microsoft’s guide to using the On-Screen Keyboard.

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  • Touch Keyboard: This is a separate taskbar feature for text entry, with its own icon and visibility options. Microsoft explains how to enable or disable the Touch Keyboard.

For additional accessibility options that can help with focusing on tasks, see Microsoft’s Windows guidance.

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