If you find a couple (or several, if you’re feeling fun) cursors you wish to install, you simply need to copy and paste the image files into the corresponding Cursors folder. To pick your cursor from one of these programs, follow the same steps detailed above. These alternative options include Stardock’s CursorFX and websites like the Open Cursor Library, which have specialized features for personalized cursors. However, if you’re tech-savvy or prefer more advanced features, many programs can download supplementary cursor schemes or customized cursors to the menu. Downloading cursor packsĬustomizing the Windows interface has recently declined in popularity. Here, you can change the color of your text cursor and even the thickness of it. Select Text Cursor from the left side of the Ease of Access section of the Settings app. Step 4: You can also adjust the appearance of your text cursor. With Custom, you can choose from either a set of seven suggested colors or pick a custom color of your own. Under Change Pointer Color, you can select from several basic color options to make the cursor more visible: White, Black, Inverted, or Custom. Step 3: Under Change Pointer Size, you can adjust the bar to a size that works best for you. Step 2: In the left-side menu, select Mouse Pointer. Step 1: In the Windows search box, search for “ease of access” and select Ease of Access Mouse Settings from the resulting list. If you are more interested in changing your cursor for accessibility reasons, you can quickly adjust the size or color without needing to mess around with different schemes or designs. Changing cursor size and color screenshot Repeat the process with any other individual cursors you’d like to change, then click Apply and then OK to activate them. (Just be aware that “default” may not always mean the original cursor for that scheme, and it may be better to just hit Cancel instead if what you want is to return to the original cursor for a given scheme.) You can repeat this step as many times as it takes to get the desired result or click Use Default to return to the standard cursor for the scheme in question. Michael Crider/Digital Trends Step 2: Select your cursorsĬlick one that matches the function (not the scheme) of the current cursor, then click Open to apply it to the current scheme.
That will open the default Cursors folder, where hundreds of different cursor options are available. To select a custom cursor for the highlighted individual icon, click Browse. Navigate to the Mouse Properties window as we did earlier.
You can also browse a full list of extra cursors for more choices if you really want to customize your options. The Enable Pointer Shadow option adds a cosmetic shadow to the cursor - it’s interesting, but not all that useful. Then return to the Mouse Properties menu for any additional changes in the future. When you’ve found one that looks good to you, click Apply and then OK to implement the changes. The Inverted schemes are especially useful for those who have a hard time seeing the standard white cursor. You can move back and forth between them to compare the color and size. You can also click on any of the schemes to see a preview of the applicable cursors. The variations come in white and black for the best contrast, and in a variety of sizes to suit different screen resolutions and those with poor eyesight. Most of them are boring but functional, and they take on the regular Windows look. These are collections of static and animated images that completely replace the default “arrow” cursor and its associated tools. Click the Scheme drop-down menu and you’ll see roughly a dozen different cursor schemes. The first option there is Scheme, and it’s all that most users will need. In the Mouse Properties window that appears, select the Pointers tab. Step 2: Browse the available cursor schemes Changing the default cursor Step 1: Change mouse settingsĬlick on the search box located in the taskbar, then type in “mouse.” Select Change Your Mouse Settings from the resulting list of options to open the primary mouse settings menu.
is fairly easy, but users can also customize individual images, or install themed packs.
Changing the cursor to a variety of built-in Windows 10 “schemes” - which function as collections of cursors for normal operation, text selection, hyperlinks, etc.
Users looking for different cursor colors and sizes, whether for better visibility or simply based on cosmetic preference, can follow our simple guide on how to change your mouse cursor in Windows.
Even if you’ve transitioned to a tablet or touchscreen device like Microsoft’s great Surface Pro line, sometimes you just need that reliable old cursor, especially in an operating system that still skews heavily toward the conventional desktop (i.e., Windows).īut that doesn’t mean you have to stick with the default option. The mouse cursor is one of the pillars of modern user interface design.