If you use an Ubuntu Linux laptop, you might have encountered a deeply frustrating hardware behavior: the moment you plug a USB mouse (or connect a Bluetooth mouse) into your computer, your laptop’s built-in trackpad instantly dies. You can no longer swipe, tap, or scroll using the integrated hardware until you physically unplug the external mouse.
This is not a bug; it is a deliberate accessibility feature implemented by the GNOME desktop environment. The logic is that if you have a physical mouse connected, you are likely typing heavily and do not want accidental palm brushes on the trackpad to move your cursor. However, if you are a power user who likes to use the mouse for precise clicking but the trackpad for multi-finger gesture scrolling, this automated disablement completely breaks your workflow.
You can easily override GNOME’s hardware detection protocol, forcing Ubuntu to keep your trackpad powered on and fully functional even when an external mouse is actively connected.
How to Keep the Touchpad Active with a Mouse Connected
You must adjust the specific Touchpad behavior settings in the GNOME Control Center.
- Open the Settings application (you can find it in the app grid or by clicking the top-right system menu).
- In the left-hand navigation pane, scroll down and click on Mouse & Touchpad.
- Look at the right side of the screen under the “Touchpad” section.
- Locate the toggle switch labeled Disable touchpad while typing (which is good to keep on), but look below it for a specific toggle or checkbox labeled Disable Touchpad While Mouse Is Connected.
- Uncheck or toggle this option to the Off position.
- (Note: If this option is missing from the GUI in older versions of Ubuntu, you can force it via the terminal by running:
gsettings set org.gnome.desktop.peripherals.touchpad send-events enabled)
Your laptop’s hardware will instantly synchronize. You can now seamlessly transition between using your external USB mouse for precise clicking and your built-in trackpad for smooth, multi-finger scrolling, without the operating system interfering.