How To Enable or Disable On Screen Keyboard On Windows 11

OSer

7 months ago

Summary: An on-screen keyboard is a piece of software that replaces your physical keyboard with a virtual one. When your built-in or external keyboard malfunctions, you can use the virtual keyboard to enter text. In this article, we will teach you to enable or disable onscreen keyboard in Windows 11.

An on-screen keyboard is a virtual keyboard, which is an alternative to the physical keyboard that you may use to input text into any program. This feature has been around for a long time, which is designed to be used with touchscreens, but it can also be used with a mouse or a stylus in tablet mode.

Then on-screen keyboard has been developed over time with additional capabilities and greater usability. Besides, when you have a laptop with a touchscreen, typing with your finger or pen on the touch keyboard is more easier than typing on the physical keyboard. Next, we will show you the methods to enable or disable the on-screen keyboard in Windows 11.

Methods To Enable On-screen Keyboard

Method 1: Enable On-Screen Keyboard via Keyboard Shortcut

Enable the on-screen keyboard using the keyboard shortcut is the easiest way, and just press the Ctrl + Win + O shortcut on the keyboard.

Method 2: Enable On-Screen Keyboard via Windows Settings

Press Win + I to Open the Windows Settings app.
Select the Accessibility tab from the left sidebar, scroll down and select the Keyboard option under the Interaction section.
Toggle on the On-Screen Keyboard option under On-screen, access keys, and Print screen.

Method 3: Enable On-Screen Keyboard via Start Menu

Open the Start Menu from the taskbar and click the All apps button.
Scroll and click the Windows Ease of Access folder.
Click the On-Screen keyboard button to open it.

Method 4: Enable On-Screen Keyboard via Windows Run

Press the Win + R key combination on the keyboard to open the Windows Run.
Type in osk and click the OK button to open the on-screen keyboard.

Method 5: Enable On-Screen Keyboard via Desktop Shortcut

Right-click the desktop and click Shortcut.
In the item location, type in: C:\WINDOWS\System32\osk.exe, and click the Next button.
Allot any file name to the shortcut and click the Finish button to create the On-Screen keyboard shortcut.
Last, click the On-Screen keyboard shortcut to open it.

Method to Disable On-Screen Keyboard in Services

Press the Win + R key combination on the keyboard to open the Windows Run.
Type in services.msc and press Enter.
Double-click on Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service to open its properties.
Set the Startup type option to Disabled and restart your PC.

FAQs Related to On-Screen Keyboard

Where is the On-Screen Keyboard located in Windows?

The On-Screen keyboard is actually located at C:\WINDOWS\System32 with the executable file named osk.exe.

What is the Difference Between On-Screen Keyboard and Touch Keyboard?

The size of the on-screen keyboard may be changed, but the touch keyboard has limited scaling options. In terms of customizing the UI, however, the touch keyboard is more flexible than the on-screen keyboard.