Use the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) to type

There are several different kinds of keyboards for PCs. The most common type is a physical, external keyboard that plugs into your PC. But Windows has a built-in Ease of Access tool called the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) that can be used instead of a physical keyboard.

You don’t need a touchscreen to use the OSK. It displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys, so you can use your mouse or another pointing device to select keys, or use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Note: A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. The touch keyboard will appear when you tap inside a text box when your PC is in tablet mode.

To open the On-Screen Keyboard

Go to Start , then select Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard, and turn on the toggle under Use the On-Screen Keyboard. A keyboard that can be used to move around the screen and enter text will appear on the screen. The keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.

Note: To open the OSK from the sign-in screen, select the Ease of Access button in the lower-right corner of the sign-in screen, and then select On-Screen Keyboard.

To change how info is entered into the On-Screen Keyboard

With the OSK open, select the Options key, and choose 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 the 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.

Scan through keys. Use this mode if you want the 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 the OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don’t need to type each complete word.

Text Prediction is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you want to use one of these languages and it isn’t installed, install the language files for that language.

If you’re using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize the OSK, 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 the OSK and switch to tablet mode, use the Task view button to get back to the OSK.

There are a few different kinds of keyboards. The most common is a physical, external keyboard that you plug into your PC.

Windows also has the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK), an Ease of Access tool. Use the OSK instead of a physical keyboard to move around your PC and enter text. You don’t need a touchscreen to use the OSK. The OSK displays a visual keyboard with all the standard keys. Select keys using the mouse or another pointing device, or use a physical single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Note: A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. When you’re using a Windows 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.

To open the On-Screen Keyboard

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, and then tap Search.
(If you’re using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, and then click Search.)

Enter On-Screen Keyboard in the search box, and then tap or click On-Screen Keyboard.

A keyboard appears on the screen that can be used to move around your PC and enter text. The keyboard will remain on the screen until you close it.

Note: To open the OSK from the sign-in screen, tap or click the Ease of Access button in the lower-left corner of the sign-in screen, and then tap or click On-Screen Keyboard.

To change how info is entered into the On-Screen Keyboard

With the 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 the 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.

Scan through keys. Use this mode if you want the 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 the OSK to suggest words for you as you type so you don’t need to type each complete word.

Text Prediction is available in English, French, Italian, German, and Spanish. If you want to use one of these languages and it isn’t installed, install the language files for that language.

If you’re using either hovering mode or scanning mode and accidently minimize the OSK, 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 the OSK and switch to the Start screen or a full-screen app, you won’t be able to get to the OSK. Open the OSK first, and then go to the Start screen or app.

Instead of relying on the physical keyboard to type and enter data, you can use On-Screen Keyboard. On-Screen Keyboard 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 single key or group of keys to cycle through the keys on the screen.

Watch this video to learn how to type without using the keyboard (1:21)

To type without using the keyboard

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, and then, under To use the On-Screen Keyboard, select the mode you want:

In clicking mode, you click the on-screen keys to type text.

Hover over keys

In hovering mode, you use a mouse or joystick to point to a key for a predefined period of time, and the selected character is typed automatically.

Scan through keys

In scanning mode, On-Screen Keyboard continually scans the keyboard and 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.

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’re using a mouse click to select a key in the Scan through keys mode, the mouse pointer must be located over On-Screen Keyboard.

The keyboard layout changes in On-Screen Keyboard depending on the language displayed in the active program.

You can have On-Screen Keyboard make an audible click when a key is pressed.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Use click sound check box, and then click OK.

You can use a numeric key pad to enter numbers with On-Screen Keyboard.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Turn on numeric key pad check box, and then click OK.

When text prediction is enabled, as you type, On-Screen Keyboard displays a list of words that you might be typing.

Open On-Screen Keyboard by clicking the Start button, clicking All Programs, clicking Accessories, clicking Ease of Access, and then clicking On-Screen Keyboard.

Click Options, select the Use Text Prediction check box, and then click OK.

If you don’t want to automatically add a space after you insert a word using text prediction, clear the Insert space after predicted words check box, and then click OK.

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

Text prediction isn’t included in Windows 7 Home Basic.

Windows 10 keyboard tips and tricks

Whether it’s being productive, staying in touch, or just plain having fun, Windows 10 has lots of little tricks and shortcuts that can help you achieve more. Here are a just a few of them:

Smile and the world smiles with you

Emojis aren’t just for your phone anymore! The new emoji keyboard in Windows 10 lets you express yourself like never before. To use it:

During text entry, type Windows logo key + . (period). The emoji keyboard will appear.

Select an emoji with the mouse, or keep typing to search through the available emojis for one you like.

Type all the symbols like a pro

Sometimes you need to type a character that isn’t on your keyboard, like an em-dash (—) or the copyright symbol (©). If you have a numeric keypad on your keyboard, you don’t have to find one and copy and paste, you can just do it! Here’s how:

Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.

With the Alt key held down, type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad for the character you want. (Include the leading 0 if that’s required.)

Note: This only works on the numeric keypad. This won’t work on the row of numbers at the top of the keyboard.

Release the Alt key.

Here’s just a few of the characters you can type with the Alt key:

Password Recovery

On-Screen Keyboard is a virtual keyboard that can be used in place of a physical keyboard. You can use your mouse or other pointing device to type the keys. In this tutorial we’ll show you 6 ways to turn on / open On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10.

Method 1: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Control Panel

Open the Control Panel and select either Large icons or Small icons in the View by menu. Click Ease of Access Center.

Click Start On-Screen Keyboard.

Method 2: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Run or Command Prompt

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, or open the Command Prompt. Type osk and hit Enter. This will open the On-Screen Keyboard immediately.

Method 3: Open On-Screen Keyboard from PC Settings

Press the Windows key + I to open the PC Settings app. Click Ease of Access.

In the left sidebar, select the Keyboard option. Under On-Screen Keyboard on the right side, move the slider to the right to turn it on. This will launch On-Screen Keyboard immediately. After closing it, the slider will be automatically put back to Off.

Method 4: Open On-Screen Keyboard via Cortana Search

Click the Cortana Search box on the taskbar, type osk and then click the “On-Screen Keyboard” desktop app to launch it.

Method 5: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Start Menu

Click the Start button. From the Start Menu, expand the Windows Ease of Access folder and you can access On-Screen Keyboard.

Method 6: Open On-Screen Keyboard from Login Screen

At Windows 10 login screen, click the Ease of Access icon at the bottom-left corner. From the popup menu, you can select On-Screen Keyboard, and then use it to type your Windows password.

How to Open and Close Onscreen Keyboard on Windows 8/8.1

Like Touch Keyboard (see pic.1), there is On-Screen Keyboard (refer to pic.2) hidden in windows 8/8.1 computer. Furthermore, comparing the following two photos, you can find that the keys and functions of the later are more than those of the former. Meanwhile, the On-Screen Keyboard is more similar to the physical keyboard.

Pic.1 Touch Keyboard

Pic.2 On-Screen Keyboard

In consequence, it is advantageous for you to use the On-Screen Keyboard if you own a Windows 8 tablet. Besides, if your Windows 8 PC is laptop or desktop, you can apply this keyboard to input some significant and confidential data such as bank card number, bank card password, payment code, etc. And if you are still wondering about how to open and close On-Screen Keyboard, you can refer to the following methods.

Video guide on how to open and close On-Screen Keyboard on Windows 8:

1. Four methods to open On-Screen Keyboard

Way 1: Use a run command to open the keyboard.

Press Windows key+R to open the Run window, input osk in the empty box and then tap OK to open it.

Way 2: Open On-Screen Keyboard in the Ease of Access Center.

Step 1: Open Ease of Access Center with the hot key of Windows key+U.

Step 2: Locate and choose Start On-Screen Keyboard in the center.

Way 3: Open the keyboard from Apps interface.

Step 1: Right-tap an icon or blank area on the Start screen, and select All apps on the lower right corner.

Step 2: As the Apps screen appears, find On-Screen Keyboard and open it by a click.

Way 4: Use Search function to seek out and open On-Screen Keyboard.

Step 1: Press Windows key+F to open Search bar.

Step 2: Choose Apps in the Search list, and enter on-screen keyboard in the blank box.

Step 3: Tap On-Screen Keyboard in the left search result.

2. Two methods to close On-Screen Keyboard

Method 1: Close the keyboard by the close button on it.

Click the close button on the top right of the keyboard.

Method 2: Use composite key to turn it off.

Step 1: Tap blank space on the keyboard to select it.

Step 2: Press Alt+F4 to close it.

The introduction on the means to open and close Windows 8/8.1 On-Screen Keyboard comes to an end. BTW, if you want to learn more about Touch Keyboard, you may be interested in How to Turn on Windows 8/8.1 Touch Keyboard.

Related Articles:

iSunshare is dedicated to providing the best service for Windows, Mac, Android users who are in demand for password recovery and data recovery.