How to change mouse scroll direction on Windows 11

To reverse the mouse scrolling direction on Windows 11, open Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Mouse and choose the “Down motion scrolls down” or “Down motion scrolls up” option.
To change the scrolling direction with the Registry, open the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\HID path, select the “Device Parameters” key, set the “FlipFlopWheel” value to “1,” and restart the computer.

On Windows 11, it’s possible to change the scrolling motion of the mouse in at least two ways, depending on the version of the operating system installed on your computer, and in this guide, I will explain how to complete this configuration.

Although most users are comfortable scrolling the mouse wheel down or using the scroll up to scroll up, some people prefer to reverse the motion so that scrolling down will scroll up, and scrolling up with the wheel will scroll down.

In the latest build of Windows 11 available through the Canary Channel, Microsoft is testing a setting to control the scrolling direction through the Settings app, but if you have Windows 11 23H2 or 22H2, you won’t have the option, leaving the Registry as the option to reverse the direction of the mouse.

In this guide, I will outline two ways to change the mouse wheel’s scrolling direction on Windows 11.

Change mouse scroll direction on Windows 11 (Canary)
Change mouse scroll direction on Windows 11 (23H2)

Warning: Before proceeding, it’s crucial to acknowledge the risks associated with modifying the Windows Registry. Incorrect changes can lead to system instability or operational issues. Therefore, ensure you have a full system backup before making any changes. Proceed with caution and understanding.

Change mouse scroll direction on Windows 11 (Canary)

To change the scrolling direction on Windows 11 from the Settings app, use these steps:

Open Settings on Windows 11.
Click on Bluetooth & devices.
Click the Mouse page.
Choose the “Down motion scrolls down” or “Down motion scrolls up” option in the “Scrolling direction” setting to reverse the scrolling direction of the mouse.

Once you complete the steps, scrolling the mouse wheel will follow the direction configured in the “Mouse” settings.

Change mouse scroll direction on Windows 11 (23H2)

To change the mouse scrolling direction through the Registry, use these steps:

Open Start.
Search for devmgmt.msc and click the top result to open the Device Manager app.
Double-click the “Mice and other pointing devices” branch.
Right-click the mouse and choose the Properties option.
Click on the Details tab.
Choose the “Device instance path” option in the “Property” setting.
Confirm the “VID ID” value for the mouse (for example, VID_0E0F&PID_0003&MI_00).
Close the Device Manager app.
Open Start.
Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry Editor.

Open the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\HID

Double-click the key (folder) that matches the “VID ID” of the mouse (for example, VID_0E0F&PID_0003&MI_00).
Double-click the subkey (folder).
Select the Device Parameters key.
Right-click the FlipFlopWheel DWORD and choose the Modify option.
Change the DWORD value from 0 to 1.
Click the OK button.
Restart your computer.

After you complete the steps, the new settings will apply, and now, the mouse wheel will follow the direction you specified in the Registry.

It’s important to note that the Registry instructions will work on virtually any release of Windows 11 or even on Windows 10, while the steps to use the Settings app will only work on Windows 11 build 26257.5000 or higher releases. At the time of this writing, you would have to install the latest build of Windows 11 in the Canary Channel to access this feature through the Settings app.