System-wide mouse wheel smoothing
One wheel can feel completely different in Chrome, File Explorer, VS Code, and desktop tools. SmoothScroll gives those wheel ticks one configurable smoothing engine.
Free for supported use cases. No telemetry. Windows 10 and 11 supported.
Short answer
SmoothScroll adds smooth mouse-wheel scrolling on Windows by intercepting wheel ticks before they reach the foreground app and converting them into eased output. It supports configurable step size, animation time, easing, acceleration, horizontal scrolling, per-app profiles, exclusions, and raw pass-through when an app needs it.
Windows applications do not all animate wheel input the same way. Browsers often add their own motion, while desktop utilities, editors, panels, and older apps may move in more obvious steps. Hardware vendor software can help, but it is usually tied to a device family.
SmoothScroll works at the Windows input layer, so its smoothing is not tied to a specific mouse brand. If Windows recognizes the wheel, the app can process the wheel deltas and apply the configured curve before passing movement to the target application.
Step size controls how far a notch travels. Animation time controls how long that movement takes to settle. Easing changes the shape of the motion, while acceleration lets consecutive wheel ticks build momentum when you spin faster.
Keeping these controls separate is useful because “faster” and “smoother” are not the same thing. You can reduce step size for precise reading while preserving a soft deceleration, or shorten animation time for a code editor without increasing distance.
Per-app profiles and exclusions let you opt out where smoothing is unwanted. Modifier pass-through keeps Ctrl + wheel or Alt + wheel raw for apps that use the wheel for zooming, scrubbing, or other commands.
The tray controls and global hotkey also make A/B testing immediate: toggle SmoothScroll off, compare native scrolling, then turn it back on without uninstalling or changing Windows settings.
Install SmoothScroll and test the default profile in two or three apps that currently feel different from each other.
Adjust step size first so each notch travels the right distance, then tune animation time and easing for the motion you prefer.
Use per-app profiles when an editor needs a tighter response than a browser or long-form reading app.
Add exclusions or modifier pass-through for workflows that depend on raw wheel events.
SmoothScroll works from Windows wheel input rather than requiring one vendor driver. The project is designed to work with mice that Windows recognizes, including gaming and productivity mice.
No. The project uses a Windows low-level mouse hook and does not install a custom mouse driver or background service for scrolling.
Yes. SmoothScroll includes per-app exclusions and per-app profile assignments, so one application can receive raw wheel input while others stay smoothed.
Get a more Mac-like mouse-wheel feel on Windows 10 and 11 with configurable easing, animation time, acceleration, reverse direction, and per-app profiles.
If mouse-wheel scrolling feels jumpy in Windows 11, turn discrete wheel ticks into continuous motion with configurable easing and per-app profiles.
Windows scrolling guides
Choose the guide closest to your setup. Each page explains the problem, the relevant SmoothScroll controls, and a practical starting configuration.
Tune mouse-wheel easing, duration, and direction for a more gliding Windows scroll feel.
Read guide →A practical path for mouse-wheel scrolling that feels jumpy in apps without consistent inertia.
Read guide →Use system-level smoothing while keeping Ctrl + wheel zoom responsive.
Read guide →Give VS Code its own profile for precise navigation without changing every other app.
Read guide →