The Disappearing Pointer
Windows 11 includes a little-known accessibility option that automatically hides the mouse cursor after a few seconds of keyboard-only input. This feature is designed for users who prefer to navigate entirely via the keyboard and find a static pointer distracting. However, if this setting is accidentally enabled, it creates a confusing experience for typical users: you type a paragraph, reach for the mouse to click somewhere else, and the cursor is completely invisible. You frantically jiggle the mouse, the pointer reappears, but the moment you return to typing, it vanishes again. Many users mistake this for a hardware fault or a driver issue before discovering it is a deliberate Windows feature.
Keeping the Mouse Cursor Visible
To stop Windows 11 from automatically hiding the mouse cursor while you are typing, you need to disable the specific pointer behaviour in the legacy Mouse Properties control panel.
Press Win + R to open the Run dialogue, type main.cpl and press Enter. This opens the classic Mouse Properties window. Navigate to the Pointer Options tab. In the “Visibility” section at the bottom, you will see a checkbox labelled Hide pointer while typing. Uncheck this box. Click Apply and then OK. The mouse cursor will now remain permanently visible on screen regardless of whether you are typing, using keyboard shortcuts, or interacting with the mouse. This setting takes effect immediately and persists across reboots. If you are experiencing a different issue where the cursor disappears in full-screen applications or games, that is typically controlled by the application itself, not by this system setting.