Easy Ways to Change the Touch Sensitivity & Pointer Speed on Android

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Learn how to increase the touch sensitivity on Android

Co-authored by Darlene Antonelli, MA Reviewed by Stan Kats

Last Updated: July 5, 2025 Fact Checked

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• Changing Touch Sensitivity on Android
|
• Changing Touch Sensitivity on Samsung
|
• Changing Mouse and Pointer Settings
|
• Troubleshooting
|
• Video
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

Do you have a hard time tapping things on your Android? Or do you have a mouse connected to your Android and find that it's moving slowly? Fortunately, you can change settings to address both of these issues! This wikiHow article teaches you how to change the touch sensitivity as well as the pointer and mouse settings on Android smartphones and tablets.

Quickly Change Mouse or Touch Sensitivity on Android

The most common way to increase touch sensitivity is in "Settings > Display/Advanced Features > Touch Sensitivity/Screen Protector Mode." If you're using a mouse with your Android phone or tablet, change the pointer speed in "Settings > General management > Mouse and trackpad."

Steps

Section 1 of 4:

Changing Touch Sensitivity on Android

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1. 
   1
   Open Settings

   

   . Tap the gear icon in the Quick Panel by swiping down from the top of your screen.

   • Use this method if you're finding it difficult to tap buttons on your screen and you have an Android phone like the Google Pixel.
2. 
   2
   Tap Display & touch. It's next to a sunburst icon that's half white and half black.
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3. 
   3
   Tap Touch Sensitivity. It's under the "Touch" section header.
4. 
   4
   Tap the toggle next to "Screen protector mode" to enable it. The toggle should be colored and pointing right if it's enabled.

   • You can also change the touch sensitivity on an iPhone and iPad.
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Section 2 of 4:

Changing Touch Sensitivity on Samsung

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1. 
   1
   Open Settings

   

   . Tap the gear icon in the Quick Panel by swiping down from the top of your screen.

   • Use this method if you're finding it difficult to tap buttons on your screen and you have a Samsung phone, like the Galaxy smartphones.
2. 
   2
   Tap Display. You'll find it next to a neon green icon with a sunburst inside.
3. 
   3
   Tap the toggle next to "Touch Sensitivity" to turn it on. The toggle should be colored and pointing right if it's enabled.

   • You can also change the touch sensitivity on an iPhone and iPad.
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Section 3 of 4:

Changing Mouse and Pointer Settings

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1. 
   1
   Open Settings

   

   . The app is usually on the home screen or in the app drawer. You can also open Settings by swiping down from the top of your screen and tapping the gear icon in the Quick Panel.

   • Use this method if you're using a mouse with your smartphone or tablet and need to change how the pointer reacts to the mouse as you use it.
2. 
   2
   Tap General management or System. The wording of this general menu changes depending on your Android's model and manufacturer, but you'll find the pointer settings in a menu that allows you to change the system's settings.

   • In some phones, you might find the keyboard and mouse settings in "Accessibility."
   • If you can't find it, you can search your settings to easily locate this section. Open Settings, and type mouse pointer into the search bar to find it.
3. 
   3
   Tap Mouse and trackpad. A new menu will appear with settings so you can change your mouse's pointer and scrolling speed.
4. 
   4
   Drag the sliders to adjust how your pointer behaves. Drag the sliders to the right if you want the pointer speed or the scrolling speed to be faster, or drag them to the left to slow these speeds down.

   • There are more settings, so you can change what your mouse buttons do.
   • Enable "Enhance pointer precision" to make your pointer move faster and slower according to your mouse.
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Section 4 of 4:

Troubleshooting

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1. 
   1
   Force restart your Android. A glitch can cause your phone to respond slowly to your touches, and simply restarting it may do the trick.

   • For non-Samsung Android phones: press and hold the side button for 20-30 seconds to restart. If the Assistant or Gemini pops up, try the other method.
   • For Samsung phones, press and hold the Volume Down and Side buttons at the same time for a few seconds, then select Restart from the power menu.
2. 
   2
   Check for a software update. An outdated phone may act sluggish and laggy, which means touches aren't responsive. To update:

   • Go to Settings (if you're using a non-Samsung phone, tap System)
   • Tap Software update
   • Tap Download and install, Check for system updates, or Check for software updates.https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS10002027/
3. 
   3
   Optimize your storage. A full phone can be laggy and unresponsive, so fix it by freeing up space. You can do a few things to help empty your phone's storage:

   • Reset your app's cache
   • Uninstall unwanted apps
   • Transfer photos and videos to a computer
   • Save photos and videos to an external SD or cloud storage
4. 
   4
   Remove phone cases and screen protectors. These items can trap heat and cause your phone to overheat, which will also impede your phone's touch sensitivity. You should be able to pop your phone out of a hard case, but if you're having issues, you might need the help of a prying tool, like a plastic guitar pick.
5. 
   5
   Clean the display. If your screen has a lot of oils, fingerprints, or dust on it, your touch sensitivity may be decreased. Use something like a damp electronic wipe or a dry microfiber cloth to wipe it clean.
6. 
   6
   Use phone-compatible gloves. Many newer glove markets are usable with phones because they have special threads that transmit electronic signals from your skin through the fabric of the gloves. That way, you can keep your fingers warm and still be able to use the touchscreen on your smartphone!
7. 
   7
   Let your phone cool down. If a phone overheats, the touch sensitivity can suffer. Phones that don't even have cases on them can still overheat under certain conditions, like playing a graphics-intensive game for a while or recording a lengthy 4K video.

   • Fix this by setting the phone aside and letting it cool down.
   • Avoid putting it in the freezer or on ice since the sudden temperature change may shatter your phone's screen or camera lenses.
8. 
   8
   Use additional touch settings in Accessibility. If enabling the touch sensitivity toggle didn't increase the touch sensitivity enough, you can go to Settings > Accessibility > Interaction and dexterity and look under "Touch settings." There are different settings you can change, like "Tap duration" and "Touch and hold delay."
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Tips

• If you've changed the touch sensitivity but still have trouble touching anything, test your screen to make sure it's working properly.
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