Smooth scrolling is like the gentle hum of a luxury car, offering a seamless and uninterrupted journey through documents and web pages. By default, Windows has a set trajectory; when you scroll, be it in Word documents or any browser, it moves three lines at once. It’s like moving in leaps when what you want is a serene glide. But what if you could change that? Enter the world of smooth scrolling, a feature designed to offer a fluid motion as you navigate. It ensures that your virtual journey is as refined as possible, avoiding the abrupt jumps associated with standard scrolling. In this guide on risewindows, we’ll illuminate the steps to activate this elegant feature on your Windows 11/10 system and also across popular browsers such as Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera. Dive in and transform your scrolling experience.
How to Change Smooth Scrolling in Windows 11 or 10?
To change the scrolling settings system-wide on your Windows 11 or 10 computer, use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open the Control Panel.
Step 2. Now, click on Hardware and Sound.
Step 3. Click the Mouse option on the next screen.
Step 4. After that, switch to the Wheel tab when “Mouse Properties” appears on your computer screen.
Step 5. Next, under the “Vertical Scrolling,” you can increase or decrease the number of lines to scroll simultaneously. You can even choose One screen at a time to scroll.
Step 6. Click on the Apply button.
Step 7. Click on the OK button.
When you complete the above steps, the changes will be applied system-wide, including in apps and browsers.
Moreover, if you wish to retain the default settings of Windows and only want to change for your web browsers, you can do this in Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Opera, and Firefox.
How to Enable Smooth Scrolling on Edge browser?
To turn on smooth scrolling on the Edge browser, use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, click on the Start button and type systempropertiesadvanced.
Step 2. In those search results, click on the systempropertiesadvanced to open the System Properties window.
Step 3. Then, switch to the Advanced tab.
Step 4. Click on the Settings button under the Performance section.
Step 5. Once the “Performance Options” window appears, switch to the Visual Effects tab.
Step 6. Next, uncheck (To disable) / check (To enable) Smooth-scroll list boxes.
Step 7. Click on the Apply button.
Step 8. After that, click on the OK button.
Step 9. Then, click the OK button again.
For a Chromium-based Edge browser, you can also use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open Edge browser and type edge://flags in the address bar.
Step 2. Then, hit the Enter key on the keyboard.
Step 3. Next, type smooth in the search box.
Step 4. Now, select Enabled using the drop-down menu “Smooth Scrolling.”
Step 5. Finally, click on the Restart button to apply the changes.
To revert the changes, select Default in step 4 above.
How to Enable Smooth Scrolling in Google Chrome?
To turn on smooth scrolling in the Chrome browser, do the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open Chrome.
Step 2. Then, type chrome://flags in the address bar and hit the Enter key on the keyboard.
Step 3. Next, search for smooth.
Step 4. Now, select Enabled in the “Smooth Scrolling” drop-down menu.
Step 5. Finally, click the Relaunch button to restart the Chrome browser.
To revert the changes, repeat the above steps, and in step 4, select the Default option.
How to Enable Smooth Scrolling on Mozilla Firefox?
To turn on smooth scrolling on the Firefox browser, use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open Firefox.
Step 2. Then, click on three horizontal lines (Open application menu) and select Settings from the drop-down menu.
Step 3. Then after, switch to the General tab on the Firefox Settings page.
Step 4. On the right-side pane of the General tab, scroll down to the Browsing section and check/uncheck Use the smooth scrolling option to enable or disable this feature.
How to Enable Smooth Scrolling in Opera?
To turn on the smooth scrolling in the Opera browser, use the following steps:-
Step 1. First, open Opera.
Step 2. Then, type opera://flags in the address bar and hit the Enter key on the keyboard.
Step 3. Then, type smooth in the search box.
Step 4. Select Enabled in the Smooth Scrolling drop-down menu.
Step 5. At last, click on the Relaunch button to restart the Opera browser.
To revert the changes, repeat the above steps, and from step 4, select Default [Undefined].
That’s it!
Conclusion
Smooth scrolling enhances the user experience by offering a seamless and uninterrupted journey through documents and web pages. Windows, by default, scrolls in a defined trajectory, which can sometimes feel like abrupt jumps. However, by adjusting settings in the Windows operating system and various popular web browsers like Microsoft Edge, Chrome, Firefox, and Opera, users can achieve a refined and fluid motion. The steps outlined above guide users on how to activate this feature across these platforms, promising a more elegant and smooth navigation experience.
