Undergoing Testing Again After A Year-Long Absence: The Reemergence of a Concealed Windows 11 Function - Immediate Access Available Now
On July 31, 2025, Windows 11 users will have the opportunity to enhance their visual experience with a new accessibility feature: the mouse pointer crosshair. This feature, previously in testing but removed from Windows 11 Build 26085 around a year and a half ago, has been reintroduced and is now available within the popular Windows 11 app, PowerToys.
PowerToys, a collection of utilities that can be found on GitHub and the Microsoft Store, is one of the favourite Windows 11 apps and is available for free. The mouse pointer crosshair feature, present in Build 27891, is part of the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs utility within PowerToys.
To enable this feature, follow these simple steps:
- Download and install PowerToys from GitHub or the Microsoft Store if you haven't already.
- Launch PowerToys, then go to the Input / Output section in its settings.
- Find the "Mouse Pointer Crosshairs" feature and enable it.
- Customize the appearance of the crosshairs (color, opacity, thickness) as desired.
- Set or use the default shortcut (typically Windows + Alt + P) to toggle the crosshair feature on or off.
- Optionally, you can configure it to activate automatically when PowerToys starts.
The mouse pointer crosshair uses crossing lines to indicate the mouse's location, providing improved visibility and accessibility. 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 a click occurs and remains in place for about one second.
With PowerToys, users can enable or disable its features, avoiding bloated programs running in the background. Additionally, users can customize the shortcut to turn the Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature on or off, ensuring a personalised user experience. The Mouse Pointer Crosshairs feature can be found in the Input / Output section of the settings page in PowerToys, allowing users to fine-tune several aspects, including the color, opacity, thickness of the lines, and the radius of the center.
Embrace the new accessibility feature and enhance your Windows 11 experience with the mouse pointer crosshair today!
- The reintroduced mouse pointer crosshair feature is part of PowerToys, a collection of utilities developed by Microsoft.
- Users can find PowerToys on both GitHub and the Microsoft Store, making it easily accessible for masses.
- This new feature, available in Windows 11, can be used on various devices such as laptops, including the Surface Laptop.
- For Xbox users, this feature can also be beneficial, as Windows 11 has an integrated Xbox app.
- With the update of Windows 11, users can expect more technology advancements, such as the mouse pointer crosshair, to improve their overall PC experience.
