Applies to Windows 8, Windows RT

Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type

Watch a video about how to use the On-Screen Keyboard to type. (To view captions in your language, tap or click the Closed captioning button Closed Captioning button.)

There are a few different kinds of keyboards. The most common is a physical, external keyboard that you plug into your PC. A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. When you’re using a Windows 8 or Windows RT PC with a touchscreen, tap in a text field or other area where you can type and the touch keyboard appears. For more info about the touch keyboard, see How to use the touch keyboard.

Windows also has On-Screen Keyboard (OSK), an Ease of Access tool. You can use OSK instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data. You don’t need a touchscreen to use On-Screen Keyboard. OSK displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. You can select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or you can use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

To open On-Screen Keyboard

  1. From the Start screen, tap or click the Desktop tile to open the desktop.

  2. Open Control Panel by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Settings, and then tapping Control Panel (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, clicking Settings, and then clicking Control Panel).

  3. Tap or click Ease of Access, and then tap or click Ease of Access Center.

  4. Tap or click Start On-Screen Keyboard.

    A keyboard appears on the screen and it can be used to enter text. Feel free to close Control Panel and begin using the keyboard with your apps. The keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.

Note

Note

  • You can also open OSK from the sign-in screen. Click the Ease of Access button Ease of Access button in the lower-left corner to choose to have OSK open automatically every time you turn on your PC.

To change how information is entered into On-Screen Keyboard

  • With OSK open, tap or click the OSK Options key, and then select the options you want:

    • Use click sound. Use this option if you want to hear a sound when you press a key.

    • Show keys to make it easier to move around the screen. Use this option if you want the keys to light up as you type.

    • Turn on numeric keypad. Use this option to expand OSK to show a numeric keypad.

    • Click on keys. Use this mode if you prefer to click or tap the on-screen keys to enter text.

    • Hover over keys. Use this mode if you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key. The characters you point to are entered automatically when you point to them for a specified time. You can set the time in the Options dialog box.

    • Scan through keys. Use this mode if you want OSK to continually scan the keyboard. Scan mode highlights areas where you can type keyboard characters by pressing a keyboard shortcut, using a switch input device, or using a device that simulates a mouse click.

    • Use Text Prediction. Use this option if you want OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don't need to type each complete word.

    Notes

    Notes

    • Text prediction is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. To use text prediction in a specific language, first install additional language files for that language.

    • If you're using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize On-Screen Keyboard, you can restore it by pointing to it in the taskbar (for hovering mode) or by pressing the scan key (for scanning mode).

    • If you minimize OSK and switch to the Start screen or a full-screen app, you won't be able to get to OSK. Open OSK first, and then go to the Start screen or app.