How to Disable Touchscreen on Chromebook: A Step-by-Step Guide

Why Would You Want to Disable Your Chromebook’s Touchscreen?

Chromebooks with touchscreens are great for drawing, taking notes, and using Android apps—but sometimes, touch input can be more annoying than helpful. Maybe you:

• Prefer using a mouse or trackpad for precision
• Keep accidentally brushing the screen while typing
• Want to clean the display without triggering taps
• Need to troubleshoot touchscreen issues

Whatever your reason, disabling the touchscreen on a Chromebook is simple—and reversible. In this guide, we’ll cover three methods to turn off touch input, depending on your needs.

Method 1: Temporarily Disable Touchscreen (Quick & Reversible)

This method works for ChromeOS versions 59 and later and is perfect if you just need a short-term fix.

Step 1: Open ChromeOS Developer Mode (Crosh)

1. Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open the Crosh terminal (ChromeOS Developer Shell).
2. Type the following command and press Enter:

   shell  

Step 2: Find Your Touchscreen Device ID

3. Enter this command to list all input devices:

   ls /dev/input/  

4. Look for a file named eventX (where X is a number, like event2).

Step 3: Disable the Touchscreen

5. Run this command (replace eventX with your touchscreen ID):

   sudo evtest --disable /dev/input/eventX  

6. Enter your Chromebook password if prompted.

✅ Done! The touchscreen will now be disabled until you restart your Chromebook.

Method 2: Permanently Disable Touchscreen (Advanced Users)

If you never want to use the touchscreen, you can disable it at the system level.

Step 1: Enable Chromebook Developer Mode

⚠️ Warning: This will wipe your local data—back up files first!

1. Turn off your Chromebook.
2. Hold Esc + Refresh (🔄) + Power until recovery mode starts.
3. Press Ctrl + D, then Enter to enable Developer Mode.

Step 2: Disable Touchscreen via Command Line

4. After setup, open Crosh (Ctrl + Alt + T) and enter:

   shell  
   sudo su  

5. Find your touchscreen device with:

   ls /dev/input/  

6. Disable it permanently with:

   echo 'blacklist touchscreen' >> /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf  

7. Reboot your Chromebook.

✅ Done! The touchscreen will stay disabled unless you reset ChromeOS.

Method 3: Use an Extension (No Terminal Required)

If you’re not comfortable with commands, try the “Touchscreen Toggle” Chrome extension:

1. Go to the Chrome Web Store.
2. Search for “Touchscreen Toggle” and install it.
3. Click the extension icon to enable/disable touch input instantly.

✅ Best for: Temporary use without restarting.

How to Re-Enable Your Chromebook’s Touchscreen

Changed your mind? Here’s how to turn it back on:

• If you used Method 1: Just restart your Chromebook.
• If you used Method 2:
• Go back into Developer Mode
• Open Crosh and run:
  shell sudo nano /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist.conf
• Delete the “blacklist touchscreen” line, save (Ctrl + O, Enter), and reboot.
• If you used Method 3: Click the extension icon again.

Why Disabling the Touchscreen Can Be Useful

Scenario	Best Method
Cleaning the screen	Method 1 (temporary)
Preventing accidental touches	Method 3 (extension)
Permanent preference for mouse/trackpad	Method 2 (advanced)

Text Slang Decoded: What Does TS, PMO, SMH & More Really Mean?

Take Control of Your Chromebook’s Touchscreen

Whether you need a quick fix or a permanent solution, disabling your Chromebook’s touchscreen is easy.

🔹 Need it off temporarily? Use Crosh commands or an extension.
🔹 Never use touch? Disable it permanently in Developer Mode.

(This content has been updated in August 2025)

Now you can work without accidental taps—enjoy a distraction-free Chromebook experience!

Found this guide helpful? Share it with someone who keeps accidentally touching their screen! 🚀