Two-finger scroll is dragging two fingers, typically the index and middle finger, across any part of a laptop’s touchpad to scroll. Scrolling refers to the act of moving the visual portion of a web browser or application window vertically or horizontally. Windows that appear on laptops are not large enough to show all of the content that’s present on a page at the same time. The ability to scroll through the page allows users to view all of the content in fragments.
Scrolling is considered one of the basic methods of user navigation. Scrolling can be accomplished in a variety of increments. Some applications can be scrolled line-by-line or page-by-page. The majority of browser and application windows on a laptop can be scrolled using the two-finger scroll.
To scroll with two fingers, move both fingers between the top and bottom of the touchpad to scroll up and down, or left and right to scroll sideways. Be sure to space your fingers apart. If they are too close together, the touchpad may read it as one finger and not scroll.
How to enable two finger scrolling
On a Mac, the two-finger scroll feature is set as a default. It’s also enabled by default in Windows 10. Not all Windows laptops support two-finger scrolling, but there is a workaround if it’s not supported out of the box.
Enable two-finger scrolling through settings
- Navigate to Settings > Devices > Touchpad
- Under the Scroll and zoom section, select Drag two fingers to scroll.
Enable two-finger scrolling through alternative options
If two finger scrolling is not available in the native settings, you can install an external touchpad or use a third party tool through GitHub.
