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To adjust pointer speed in Ubuntu, open the Activities overview, search for Mouse & Touchpad, open that panel, and move the Pointer Speed slider. Ubuntu shows the Mouse controls only when a mouse is connected and the Touchpad controls only when a touchpad is detected. Set each device separately because a comfortable speed for a mouse can feel wrong on a laptop touchpad.
Change pointer speed in Ubuntu Settings
The supported everyday method uses Ubuntu’s graphical Settings panel and works without terminal commands.
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- Open the Activities overview by moving the pointer to the top-left hot corner or pressing the Super key.
- Type Mouse & Touchpad in the search field.
- Click Mouse & Touchpad in the results.
- Locate Pointer Speed under the device section you want to tune.
- Drag the slider toward the slower or faster end, then move the pointer around your normal applications to judge the result.
Ubuntu’s help guidance is practical rather than numerical: adjust the slider until pointer motion is comfortable for you. Move the pointer through several tasks before deciding. A setting that feels good when crossing a short text field may feel too slow when moving across a large monitor.
Tune the mouse and touchpad independently
If both devices are present, the panel exposes separate controls. Test the mouse with the mouse and the touchpad with the touchpad; do not assume one slider value is ideal for both. Laptop touchpads often need a different balance of travel and precision than an external mouse. Ubuntu 24.04 documentation specifically notes that the most comfortable setting for one type of device may not be best for the other.
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What Pointer Speed actually changes
Pointer Speed is a software sensitivity setting. It changes how far the on-screen pointer travels for a given physical movement; it does not alter the sensor’s physical resolution or repair a failing device.
GNOME’s peripheral settings schema represents pointer speed on a continuous scale from -1 to 1. The schema describes that range as running from “unaccelerated” to “fast,” with 0 as the system default. The slider is the normal interface for choosing a value, so you do not need to calculate a number for ordinary use.
Under Ubuntu’s libinput stack, the related AccelSpeed setting also uses the [-1, 1] range for flat and adaptive acceleration profiles. These are software values, not a promise that every mouse will move the same physical distance at a given setting. Device hardware, display scaling, pointer acceleration, and the desktop session all affect how the movement feels.
Acceleration profiles in libinput
libinput documents three profile types:
- Adaptive: pointer acceleration changes with movement speed. Slow hand movements can be precise while faster movements cover more screen distance.
- Flat: a constant factor is applied instead of speed-dependent acceleration.
- Custom: a profile can use a device-specific acceleration curve when the desktop and driver expose that capability.
The Ubuntu Settings slider is the least error-prone way to adjust the desktop preference. Profile-level changes are an advanced troubleshooting choice and can behave differently across desktop sessions.
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Why the Mouse or Touchpad section is missing
The panel is hardware-aware. Ubuntu does not display every possible section all the time:
- The Mouse section appears when a mouse is connected and recognized.
- The Touchpad section appears when Ubuntu detects a touchpad.
This means a missing section is usually a detection issue, not a hidden speed option. A desktop computer with no connected mouse can show no Mouse controls. A laptop whose touchpad is disabled in firmware, by a hardware key, or by a driver problem can lack the Touchpad controls.
Check detection before changing configuration
- For a wired mouse, reseat the USB plug and try another port.
- For a wireless mouse, confirm its receiver is connected or that Bluetooth is paired, then check its power switch or battery.
- On a laptop, look for a touchpad-disable key or physical switch and toggle it once.
- Open Settings again after reconnecting the device. The relevant section should appear only after Ubuntu recognizes the hardware.
- If the pointer itself does not move, test the device on another port or computer to separate a hardware fault from an Ubuntu configuration issue.
Do not start by editing driver files when the hardware is not detected. A driver-level change cannot create a Settings section for a device that the system does not see.
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Can you change pointer speed from the terminal?
Yes, but the answer depends on the graphical session. Ubuntu’s xinput utility is an X.Org-oriented tool. It can list input devices and apply some changes while an X.Org session is running. The cited Ubuntu documentation does not establish xinput as a universal method for Wayland sessions, so a command that works under X.Org may have no effect under Wayland.
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Inspect devices with xinput
In an X.Org session, open Terminal and run:
xinput --listThe command prints the input devices visible to X.Org. Identify the mouse or touchpad name, then inspect its available properties:
xinput --list-props "device name"Replace device name with the exact name printed by your system. Property names and available controls vary by device and driver. If a libinput property named libinput Accel Speed is exposed, it uses the documented -1 to 1 range. For example, an X.Org device that exposes that property could be adjusted at runtime with:
xinput --set-prop "USB Optical Mouse" "libinput Accel Speed" 0.4The device name and property must match the output on your computer; the example name is not a universal identifier. A value of 0.4 is simply an in-range example, not a recommended setting. Use a small change, test pointer movement, and return toward 0 if the result is too fast or too slow.
Understand the limits of terminal changes
- Session compatibility:
xinputtargets X.Org. It is not a guaranteed control path for Wayland. - Runtime scope: a property changed with
xinputis an on-the-fly adjustment. The documented material does not provide a universal persistence recipe for every Ubuntu release. - Device scope: the command targets the selected input device or its exposed property, rather than changing every pointer in the desktop.
- Property availability: if
xinput --list-propsdoes not show a relevant acceleration property, that device cannot be changed through that property name.
For a setting you want to keep across normal logins, prefer the Mouse & Touchpad panel unless you have a specific X.Org configuration reason to use a command.
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Settings slider versus terminal: which approach fits?
| Approach | Ease of use | Session compatibility | Scope | Persistence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Settings → Mouse & Touchpad → Pointer Speed | Beginner-friendly visual slider | Ubuntu desktop workflow | Separate mouse and touchpad controls | Desktop preference |
xinput |
Advanced command-line workflow | X.Org-oriented; not guaranteed on Wayland | Selected device and exposed property | Runtime adjustment; no universal recipe established |
Use Settings first for normal sensitivity changes. Choose xinput only when you are deliberately working in an X.Org session and need to inspect or adjust a property that the graphical panel does not expose.
A repeatable way to find a comfortable setting
Start at the default
Because GNOME defines 0 as the default value, begin with the slider near its middle position if you have changed several settings and no longer know the baseline. Move one step at a time rather than dragging from one extreme to the other.
Test precision and travel separately
Use a small target such as a text insertion point or window control to test precision. Then move between opposite sides of the screen to test travel. If the pointer is accurate but requires repeated lifts or long swipes, increase speed slightly. If it overshoots small controls, reduce speed or consider whether acceleration is the real issue.
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Evaluate each device in its normal position
Keep the mouse on the surface and the touchpad at the posture you normally use. Wrist angle, available desk space, and the distance between keyboard and touchpad change how a setting feels. Record the position that works for each device so you can restore it after troubleshooting.
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Fixes for common symptoms
The pointer is too fast
- Lower Pointer Speed in the relevant Mouse or Touchpad section.
- If you used
xinput, move the acceleration value toward0or lower within the -1 to 1 range. - Check that you changed the intended device; a mouse and touchpad can have independent values.
The pointer is too slow
- Raise the slider gradually and test both short and long movements.
- On X.Org, confirm that the selected device exposes the property you are changing before running
xinput --set-prop. - Do not assume a high value is automatically better: fast movement can reduce precision on small targets.
The slider is present but has no apparent effect
- Move the physical device while watching the pointer, rather than testing with a different device.
- Check whether you adjusted Mouse while using the touchpad, or Touchpad while using a mouse.
- Log out and back in only after confirming the device and session; an X.Org command may not affect a Wayland session.
The touchpad works but its section is absent
Ubuntu’s interface should show Touchpad when the hardware is detected. Check the hardware-disable key or switch, reconnect power on a laptop if applicable, and verify that the touchpad is visible to the system before attempting driver configuration. If the device remains undetected, the issue is broader than pointer speed.
What not to change first
A pointer that feels wrong does not automatically require a new driver, firmware edit, or system-wide configuration file. The documented controls already cover ordinary sensitivity changes, and the numeric range is implemented in software by GNOME and libinput. Driver work is justified only after confirming that Ubuntu cannot detect the device or that the available desktop control cannot express the behavior you need.
Also avoid copying an xinput command intended for a different device. Device names, IDs, and properties can differ between computers, and a command aimed at the wrong device can change the wrong pointer or fail without solving the problem. Inspect the current device list and properties first.
Quick Recap
Key takeaways
- Use Settings → Mouse & Touchpad → Pointer Speed for the supported everyday adjustment.
- Mouse and touchpad controls appear conditionally, based on detected hardware.
- Tune mouse and touchpad independently; one device’s ideal value may not suit the other.
- GNOME and libinput document a software speed range of -1 to 1, with 0 as GNOME’s default.
xinputis an advanced, X.Org-oriented runtime tool and is not a guaranteed Wayland solution.
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