How to adjust how quickly the pointer moves when you use a trackpad or mouse with iPad

iPad tracking speed mouse trackpad settings

Thanks to the new iPad tracking speed settings that are available with the iPadOS 13.4 update or higher, you can easily increase or decrease the speed with which the pointer moves across the screen while using trackpads or mice with your Apple tablet. Follow along with our step-by-step tutorial as we show you how to adjust the iPad tracking speed to your liking.

iPad tracking speed

With iPadOS 13.4 or later, customers have sliders at their disposal in the Settings app that make it easy to change how a connected trackpad or mouse interacts with their iPad.

Using a pointing device with your iPad, such as a Magic Trackpad or a mouse like the Magic Mouse 2, lets you select things faster by moving the dynamic pointer across the screen instead of your finger. You can even perform Multi-Touch gestures without touching the screen.

TUTORIAL: How to use a mouse or trackpad with your iPad

Depending on your pointing accessory, you can do things like change the tracking speed, as well as manage features like Natural Scrolling, Tap to Click and Secondary Click.

Follow along with our step-by-step tutorial as we show you how to change your iPad tracking speed for any  trackpads or mice that are connected to your tablet.

How to change iPad tracking speed

Use the iPad tracking speed slider in Settings to control how quickly the onscreen pointer moves when you use a trackpad or mouse with your Apple tablet.

  1. Open Settings on your iPad.
  2. Choose General from the main list.
  3. Depending on your accessory, tap Trackpad or Trackpad & Mouse.

To change the iPad trackpad tracking speed, simply drag the slider underneath the heading Tracking Speed to set the tracking speed of the pointer when it’s moving across the screen.

iPad tracking speed trackpad mouse settings
Adjusting the trackpad and mouse tracking speed in iPadOS 13.4

To make the pointer move slower, drag the slider to the left. Conversely, to make the pointer move faster when you slide your finger across the trackpad, push the slider to the right.

I don’t like slow pointers so I set the tracking speed for my trackpad and mouse to about 80 percent or so. That’s the tracking speed I’m most comfortable with as it lets me quickly move the pointer from one screen edge to another without lifting my finger from the trackpad.

TUTORIAL: Using gestures with your iPad trackpad or mouse

You cannot adjust your mouse and trackpad tracking speed independently of one another  — the slider controls tracking speed regardless of a pointing device connected to your iPad.

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