Accessibility Turn On or Off On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off the On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) for your account in Windows 11.

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 Accessibility 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.

When you turn on OSK, 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 (turn off).

With the OSK open, you can click/tap on 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.

Reference:

A PC with a touchscreen also has a touch keyboard. The touch keyboard will appear when you tap inside a text box.

EXAMPLE: On-Screen Keyboard and Options








1 Press the Win + Ctrl + O keys to toggle on or off the On-Screen Keyboard.





1 Click/tap on the Close (X) button on the On-Screen Keyboard. (see screenshot below)







1 Open Settings (Win+I).

2 Click/tap on Accessibility on the left side, and click/tap on Keyboard on the right side. (see screenshot below)



3 Turn On or Off (default) On-screen keyboard for what you want. (see screenshot below)


4 You can now close Settings if you like.





1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Ease of Access Center icon.

2 Click/tap on the Start On-Screen Keyboard link at the top. (see screenshot below)

3 You can now close the Ease of Access Center if you like.







1 Open the Start menu , and click/tap on the All apps button. (see screenshot below)


2 Expand open the Accessibility folder in the All apps list, and click/tap on On-Screen Keyboard. (see screenshot below)






1 Open Windows Search (Win+S). (see screenshot below)

2 Type osk into the search box.

3 When On-Screen Keyboard is found, either press Enter or click/tap on Open.







1 Open Run (Win+R). (see screenshot below)

2 Type osk into Run, and either press Enter or click/tap on OK.

When you open the On-Screen Keyboard on the sign-in screen, it will not stay open when you sign in to Windows.

1 While on the sign-in screen, perform the action below you want:



A) Click/tap on the Accessibility icon at the bottom right corner. (see screenshot below)

B) Click/tap on On-Screen Keyboard in the menu.





A) Click/tap on the Close (X) button on the On-Screen Keyboard. (see screenshot below)




That's it,
Shawn Brink