How to Enable Onscreen Keyboard in Windows 10/11?

Windows 10 and 11 (this also applies to older versions, such as 8 and 7) have a built-in on-screen keyboard. It is part of accessibility features, plus you need it on tablets and laptops with touchscreens. Even if your computer does not have a touchscreen, you can still enable the on-screen keyboard in Windows at any time.

This article will show you how to turn on the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 and 11.

Turn On On-screen Keyboard in Windows

Windows 11 and 10 display a button for turning on the on-screen keyboard by default on computers with touchscreens. All you need to do is click or tap the button with a keyboard icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen.

Tip. If you use a convertible Windows laptop, the on-screen keyboard will show up only when you switch your computer to tablet, tent, or presentation mode. You can override this setting by making the on-screen keyboard button permanent.

To enable the on-screen keyboard in Windows on the login screen, click the accessibility button in the bottom-right corner of the screen and toggle on the On-screen keyboard option. It will help you get to the desktop if your physical keyboard does not work.

Enable Onscreen Keyboard in Windows 10

Turning on the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 is a simple process that takes just a couple of clicks. Right-click empty space on the taskbar and place a checkmark next to the Show touch keyboard button option. After that, Windows 10 will always display the on-screen keyboard button regardless of device orientation.

Here is another way to open the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10:

Press Win + I to launch the Settings app and go to the Ease of Access section.
Open the Keyboard tab.
Enable the Use the on-screen keyboard option.

Note that the method above describes enabling the legacy on-screen keyboard available since Windows 7. It does not support modern features, such as swipe input, emojis, GIFs, themes, etc.

Tip. You can also enable the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 and 11 using the Win + Ctrl + O shortcut or press Win + R and enter the osk command. Another way to open the on-screen keyboard is to open the Start menu and find the Windows Ease of Access folder.

How to Activate Onscreen Keyboard in Windows 11?

Windows 11 has a brand-new taskbar, which means some of the features from Windows 10 are no longer available, including the taskbar context menu. To enable the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, you need to utilize the Settings app.

Right-click the Start menu button and select Settings. You can also press Win + I.
Go to the Personalization section and click Taskbar.
Enable the Touch keyboard option.

Now you can turn on the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11 using the button in the bottom-right corner of the screen. If you want to enable the legacy on-screen keyboard in Windows 11, do the following:

Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
Navigate to Accessibility > Keyboard.
Toggle on the On-screen keyboard option.

Finally, you can open the Start menu, click All apps and launch the On-screen keyboard from the Windows Ease of Access folder.

That is how to enable the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 and 11.

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Cyril Kardashevsky

I enjoy technology and developing websites. Since 2012 I'm running a few of my own websites, and share useful content on gadgets, PC administration and website promotion.

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