You can move the cursor with keyboard arrow keys in Windows. Here is how to move the cursor without a mouse in Windows OS.
The mouse is one of the essential input devices for many users. After all, most components in the operating system, software, and elsewhere are designed with mouse input in mind.
Not to mention, using a mouse to interact with the computer makes everything that much easier. For example, clicking the “+” to open a new tab is often easier for most users than pressing the awkward “Ctrl + T” keyboard shortcut.
However, there might be times when you need to control or move the mouse cursor with the keyboard. For example, you might need it as part of your accessibility feature, faulty or non-functional mouse, etc. No matter the reason, you can move the cursor with the keyboard when needed.
So, let me show you how to move the cursor with a keyboard or without a mouse in Windows.
Table of contents:
The steps below work the same in Windows 10 and 11.
Move cursor with keyboard in Windows
Windows operating system has a neat accessibility option that lets you move the cursor with Numpad (Number Pad). All you must do is enable the option, and you are good to go. Let me show you how.
- Open the Settings app.
- Click on “Accessibility” on the sidebar.
- Click on “Mouse” under the “Interaction” section.
- Turn on the “Mouse keys” option.
- (Optional) select the “Only use mouse keys when Num lock is on” checkbox.
- (Optional) select the “Hold the Ctrl key to speed up and the Shift key to slow down” option.
Steps with more details:
First, use the “Win + I” shortcut to launch the Windows Settings app. Next, go to the “Accessibility” page. Here, scroll down and click the “Mouse” option under the “Interaction” section. This is where you will find all the mouse accessibility features.
Turn on the “Mouse keys” option to move the cursor with Numpad in Windows.
Optionally, select the “Only use mouse keys when Num lock is on” and “Hold the Ctrl key to speed up and the Shift key to slow down” checkboxes.
Close the Settings app. With that, you can now move the cursor with Numpad in Windows. Below are the exact directions for moving the cursor with Numpad below.
Directions to move the cursor with Numpad:
Ensure the Num Lock is turned on to control the mouse cursor with Numpad. On most keyboards and laptops, you see a small light or system notification when the Num Lock is turned on or off.
Use the below keys to move the cursor in different directions and control it.
| Cursor movement/action | Press |
|---|---|
| Up | 8 |
| Down | 2 |
| Left | 4 |
| Right | 6 |
| Up and to the left | 7 |
| Up and to the right | 9 |
| Down and to the left | 1 |
| Down and to the right | 3 |
| Select left button | / |
| Select right button | – |
| Select both buttons | * |
| Left click an item | Select left button (/), point the item, and press “5” |
| Right-click an item | Select right button (-), point the item, and press “5” |
| Double-click and item | Select left button (/), point the item, and press “+” (plus sign) |
| Drag and item | Point the item with cursor and press “0” |
| Drop and item | Point the cursor on the drop location and press “.” (period) |
Important note: When you select a mouse button with the provided shortcuts (/, -, or *), the button stays selected until you change it. For example, if you choose the left mouse button with (/), it remains selected even after you release the (/) key.
Change numpad cursor speed and acceleration:
If you feel the cursor speed is slow or fast for your liking, you can change it from the settings app. Follow the below steps.
Open the Settings app, and go to the “Accessibility > Mouse” page. Use the “Mouse keys speed” and “Mouse keys acceleration” sliders to change the cursor speed and acceleration.
Move cursor with keyboard arrow keys
If you don’t like or have access to the Num Pad, you can move the cursor with arrow keys.
For that, we are going to use a free software called NeatMouse. It is pretty simple to configure and use the software. Let me show you how.
- Get the NeatMouse software.
- Install the NeatMouse software.
- Open the NeatMouse app from the Start menu.
- Select the “Up” field and press “Up Arrow.”
- Select the “Down” field and press “Down Arrow.”
- Click the “Left” field and press “Left Arrow.”
- Select the “Right” field and press “Right Arrow.”
- Choose an activation key from the “Activation” dropdown menu.
- Press the “Save” icon on the top bar.
- Minimize the application.
- Press the “Activation” key.
- You can now use the arrow keys to move the cursor.
Download NeatMouse: https://neatdecisions.com/products/neatmouse/
Steps with more details:
First, download the NeatMouse application from the official website and install it. After installing, open it from the Start menu.
By default, the application is set to use Num Pad to move the cursor. We can change it to use the arrow keys. To do that, configure it as follows:
- Select the “Up” field – Press the “Up” arrow.
- Select the “Down” field – Press the “Down” arrow.
- Choose the “Left” field – Press the “Left” arrow.
- Select the “Right” field – Press the “Right” arrow.
Press the “Save” icon at the top and minimize the application.
To use the app, press the “Activation key.” You will see a notification saying that the NeatMouse app is active. As long as the NeatMouse app runs, you can use the arrow keys to move the cursor.
(Optional configuration)
You can also configure/change the Activation key and mouse buttons if needed. The “Activation key” is the key that activates the NeatMouse app and the mouse buttons help you select the corresponding mouse button when you press the respective shortcut key.
- Choose an Activation key from the “Activation” dropdown menu. The default activation key is “Num Lock.”
- Select the “Left button” field and press the key of your choice.
- Select the “Right button” field and press the key of your choice.
- Choose the “Middle button” field and press the key of your choice.
You can also change the mouse cursor speed. For example, the default cursor speed might be too much. In that case, reducing the speed makes controlling the cursor much easier.
To change the cursor speed in NeatMouse, click the “More Settings” icon.
Next, set the cursor speed in the “Speed” field under the “Other Settings” option. For me, setting the speed to 5 works fine. Your mileage may vary. So, try different values and see what works for you.
If you want the application to minimize to the tray, open “More Settings” and select the “Minimize” checkbox.
Once configured, don’t forget to press the “Save” icon at the top to save changes.
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That is all. It is that simple to move the cursor with the keyboard in Windows.
I hope this simple and easy Windows how-to guide helped you.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.
