How to switch virtual desktops with mouse gestures on Windows 10

Windows 10 has great touchpad gestures if you happen to have a precision touchpad. You can customize what the gestures do and they’re pretty great so long as you don’t have problems with the touchpad drivers. One of the gestures allows you to switch between virtual desktops. If you use a mouse instead of a touchpad and would like to switch virtual desktops with mouse gestures, you need a free app called StrokeIt.

StrokeIt is free for home/personal use.

Switch virtual desktops with mouse gestures

Before you set the mouse gestures up, you should close all virtual desktops so that you only have one desktop. This is necessary so that you can record the hotkey that the gesture will execute.

Download, install, and run the app. You will see a long list of pre-added gestures. Right-click the Global Actions group of gestures and select ‘New Action’ from the context menu. Right-click the newly added action and select Rename from the context menu. Give the action a name that will tell you what it’s for.

We will need to add two different actions. One for switching to the desktop on the left, and one for switching to the desktop on the right. Name the first action Left Desktop, or something similar.

When you select this new action, you will see a gestures section on the right. Open the dropdown and select the gesture you want to use to switch to the desktop on the left.  We used the Left gesture. Click Add Gesture.

Next, right-click the action and select ‘New Command’ from the context menu. Open the dropdown on the right and select ‘Keys – Hotkey’. Click inside the Hotkey field and execute the keyboard shortcut that switches you to the desktop on the left which is Win+Ctrl+Left Arrow.

Once you’re done, repeat the above and create a new action for switching to the desktop on the right. You will obviously have to give it a different name e.g., Right Desktop. Under gestures, select the Right gesture, and in the hotkey, you will execute the shortcut Win+Ctrl+Right Arrow.

Close the window and the app will minimize to the system tray.

Executing mouse gestures

To execute the Left mouse gesture and go to the virtual desktop on the left, click and hold the right mouse button and draw a horizontal line towards the left. You will be switched to the virtual desktop on the left, if there is one.

To execute the Right mouse gesture and go to the virtual desktop on the right, click and hold the right mouse button and draw a horizontal line towards the rights. You will be taken to the virtual desktop on the right.

You can select any of the other gestures that this app supports though these two are the easiest to remember and are intuitive to execute.

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Fatima Wahab

Fatima has been writing for AddictiveTips for six years. She began as a junior writer and has been working as the Editor in Chief since 2014. Fatima gets an adrenaline rush from figuring out how technology works, and how to manipulate it. A well-designed app, something that solves a common everyday problem and looks

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