As the Surface Pen continues to evolve, it has become more than just a tool for taking handwritten notes or signing your name. With Windows 10, you can now use the Surface Pen as a mouse and keyboard throughout the entire operating system. In this post, we’ll show you how to use your Surface Pen to scroll, select, and type with the handwriting input panel.
By default, your Surface Pen behaves like a mouse throughout Windows. You can press and hold the pen to click and drag on the screen. If you want to right-click on something, you can use the button on the barrel of the pen and tap anywhere on the screen. This will perform the right-click function wherever you tap.
However, where the Surface Pen really shines is with the handwriting input panel. To activate it, you can tap inside of a text field or use your Pen to hit the keyboard icon at the bottom right-hand side of your screen. This will bring up the handwriting input panel, which you can use to write in your own handwriting or type with the Pen as a mouse.
If you want to select text, you can hit “Select” on the “Draw” tab and use your Pen to move the cursor and select text like a mouse. As you select text, it will automatically appear in the handwriting input panel. You can also use the handwriting input panel anywhere throughout the computer, not just in programs like Word. This makes it a versatile tool for browsing the web or writing emails in Outlook.
If you don’t see the touch keyboard button at the bottom of your screen, you can turn it on by holding the right-click button on your Pen to right-click on the empty space in your taskbar. From there, you can select the “Show touch keyboard button” option. Once your cursor is flashing like a regular keyboard, you can start typing with your Surface Pen.
With the Surface Pen, you can use your own natural handwriting tool to communicate on your computer, whatever it is you’re trying to do.