Windows 11's dormant feature reemerges in testing phase following a year-long break; users can access it immediately
Windows 11 is set to add a new accessibility feature: a mouse pointer crosshair. However, if you can't wait for the wider rollout, you can already use this feature with the help of PowerToys.
What is PowerToys?
PowerToys is a collection of utilities packaged together into a single app, designed for power users but also handy for everyday computer users. It's one of the favorite Windows 11 apps and is recommended by many, including the author. You can find PowerToys free at GitHub and the Microsoft Store.
Within PowerToys, there's a collection of mouse utilities, including the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature.
Enabling the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs
To enable the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature on Windows 11 using PowerToys, follow these steps:
- Download and install PowerToys from the official Microsoft repository.
- Launch PowerToys and go to the Input / Output settings tab.
- Find and enable the "Mouse Pointer Crosshairs" feature.
- Customize settings like color, line thickness, opacity, and toggle shortcut as desired.
- Use the shortcut or let it run on startup to see the crosshair around your mouse pointer.
Customizing the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs
The mouse pointer crosshair uses crossing lines to indicate the cursor's location. You can fine-tune several aspects of Mouse Pointer Crosshairs, including the color, opacity, thickness of lines, and radius of the center.
Activating the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs Automatically
It's possible to have the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature activated whenever PowerToys starts. Users can customize the shortcut to turn the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature on or off in PowerToys.
Alternative Mouse Pointer Highlighting Features
PowerToys also includes other mouse utilities such as Find My Mouse and Mouse Highlighter. Find My Mouse dims the screen and highlights a circle around the cursor, while Mouse Highlighter leaves a highlighted circle wherever the user clicks that remains in place for about one second.
The Future of the Mouse Pointer Crosshair
Microsoft stopped including the feature in Windows 11 Build 26085 around a year and a half ago, but it is set to return. The current implementation in PowerToys can be found in the Canary Channel, as well as the latest Dev and Beta Channel builds, using the same ID (27829265).
Using PowerToys offers a customizable and immediate way to enhance mouse pointer visibility on Windows 11, providing a valuable aid for accessibility and certain work scenarios.
- PowerToys is a collection of utilities packaged together, available for free at GitHub and the Microsoft Store, recommended by many for Windows 11.
- Within PowerToys, you can find the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature, which you can enable on Windows 11 to assist with cursor visibility.
- To enable the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature using PowerToys, download and install it, launch PowerToys, go to the Input/Output settings tab, find and enable the feature, and customize settings as desired.
- PowerToys also includes alternative mouse pointer highlighting features like Find My Mouse and Mouse Highlighter, offering various ways to improve cursor visibility.
- Microsoft plans to reintroduce the Mouse Pointer Crosshair feature in Windows 11, with the current implementation found in the Canary Channel and the latest Dev and Beta Channel builds of PowerToys.
