Windows 11 gives you several ways to change the look of the mouse pointer, but the built-in options are still fairly limited. If you want to give the default Windows cursor a more eye-catching look without messing with Windows Update, changing themes and icons, or modifying the operating system itself, Custom Cursor offers an easy alternative.
Give Windows a Custom Cursor
The idea behind Custom Cursor is simple: instead of settling for the standard Windows pointer and its limited customization options, you can choose from a huge variety of distinctive designs and apply them to your system with just a click.
The biggest advantage over Windows' built-in customization options is the sheer variety of available styles. There are packs ranging from clean, minimalist designs to characters, games, anime, neon effects, and plenty of other playful options. The official collection currently features more than 10,000 cursor packs.
There's also an interesting benefit if you're dealing with the mouse customization issue introduced by the Windows 11 KB5120998 update. Microsoft has confirmed reports that cursor personalization settings can be changed or reverted to their default values after installing the update. Custom Cursor provides an alternative way to customize the cursor without relying solely on Windows' built-in settings.
To get started, simply download the Custom Cursor app from the Microsoft Store and install it on Windows.
Custom Cursor is also available as a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, Brave, and other Chromium-based browsers. The extension changes the cursor only while you're browsing the web, whereas the Windows app is designed to apply custom cursors system-wide. The Chrome extension, for example, currently offers more than 10,000 cursor packs.
This means you can use one cursor design across Windows and a completely different one while browsing. Alternatively, you can use the browser extension on its own and leave the Windows cursor untouched. If you don't need both, simply use whichever version suits you best.
Choose a Cursor Design That Fits Your Style
When you open the Custom Cursor app, you'll see four default cursor packs. To find even more designs and add them to the app, simply click More Cursors.
This opens the Custom Cursor website, where you can browse the available collections and pick a design you like. The View option lets you preview a cursor before adding it, while the Collections section at the top offers plenty of different styles to choose from.
Once you've found a pack you like, click the Windows icon to add it to the Custom Cursor app automatically.
You can then select the pack in the app and click Apply to make it your active Windows cursor.
You're not limited to choosing a design, either. If the new cursor looks too small or too large, you can adjust its size directly in Custom Cursor. This can be particularly useful on high-resolution displays, where a smaller pointer can be harder to spot.
Simply click the Settings icon in the upper-right corner...
....and use the size slider to find the setting that works best for you. Then click Apply to save the change.
While you're here, it's also worth enabling Run at Windows startup. This makes sure Custom Cursor launches automatically when Windows starts, so your custom cursor is ready to use. Depending on the app version, Custom Cursor may also remain accessible from the system tray for quick access.
If you ever want to go back to the standard Windows pointer, simply click Default Cursor in the top-right corner.
Using the Custom Cursor Extension
If you want to combine two different cursor designs—or use a completely different cursor only while browsing the web—you can also use the Custom Cursor extension with Chromium-based browsers such as Chrome, Brave, and Edge.
To install it, open the Chrome Web Store and find Custom Cursor here. Then click Add to Chrome. Once the extension is installed, its icon will appear in the browser toolbar.
Next, click the Custom Cursor icon to open the extension's pop-up menu. From there, choose any of the available cursor packs and click one to activate it.
To change the cursor size, click the Change Size option and move the slider until you find a size that feels right.
You can also download additional cursor packs from the Custom Cursor website, just as you did with the Windows app.
Click More Cursors in the bottom-right corner to open the Custom Cursor collection. From there, click Add next to the Windows icon to add the selected pack to the extension.
There is one important limitation to keep in mind, though: the extension can't change the cursor on every page in a Chromium-based browser.
For example, custom cursors won't work on the Chrome Web Store, browser-internal pages, or the browser's new tab page. This is a browser-level restriction, so there's nothing wrong with the extension if the cursor doesn't change on these pages.
So, when you install the extension and start experimenting with different designs, don't test it on the Chrome Web Store. Instead, open a regular website and you'll see the cursor change immediately.
Is Custom Cursor Worth Using?
Custom Cursor isn't a groundbreaking feature that's going to change the way you use Windows. It's simply one of those small tweaks that can make everyday mouse use feel a little more personal and visually appealing.
It can also be handy if a Windows update messes with your cursor customization. Instead of going through Windows' settings again, you can use the app to quickly apply your preferred cursor design and get things looking the way we want again.
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