The Quickest Way to Turn Off the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10

What to Know

• Press Win+Ctrl+O to turn off the on-screen keyboard with your physical keyboard.
• Alternatively, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard and switch off Use the On-Screen Keyboard.
• If the Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service service is running, the Services app can shut it down.

This article explains how to turn off the on-screen keyboard in Windows 10 and how to disable it from appearing throughout Windows.

Shortcut to Turn Off the On-Screen Keyboard

The easiest and quickest way to toggle the on-screen keyboard off is with a keyboard shortcut. Press Win+Ctrl+O to turn the keyboard off and on. It will open or close automatically each time you press those keys together.

How Do I Turn Off the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10?

If the on-screen keyboard appears at the login screen when you don't want it to, there are some other steps you can take to disable it. Here's how it works through Settings:

1. Press Win+i to open the Settings app. Or, search for it from the taskbar.

2. Select Devices.

   

3. Select Typing from the left-hand side.

   

4. Scroll down until you find the Touch keyboard section. Look for the toggle that reads Show the touch keyboard when not in tablet mode and there's no keyboard attached. Toggle it to Off.

How to Disable the On-Screen Keyboard in Ease of Access

If the above method doesn't turn off the on-screen keyboard, you can also use Ease of Access settings.

1. Using the search bar on the taskbar, search for and select Ease of Access keyboard settings.

   

2. Find the option called Use the On-Screen Keyboard.

3. Press the toggle under that heading to turn off the touch-screen keyboard.

   

How to Disable the On-Screen Keyboard Service

Disabling the on-screen keyboard service can stop it from appearing at all. Only use this method if you don't want to use the keyboard moving forward.

1. Press Win+R to open the Run dialog box, and then enter this command:

    services.msc
   

   

2. Double-click Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service to open its properties.

3. Press the Stop button if it's already running, then use the drop-down menu next to Startup type to select Disabled.

   

4. Select OK to save and close.

Remove Recently Installed Apps or Drivers

If the on-screen keyboard appears at strange times without you triggering it, a recently installed app or driver could be to blame. If you suspect a particular device or driver is to blame, consider disabling the device, removing the hardware, or rolling back the driver.

Why Does My On-Screen Keyboard Pop Up?

The Windows 10 on-screen keyboard usually only appears when it's triggered, like with the shortcut keys. In other cases, the keyboard might appear automatically on the login screen and in other places, usually only on tablets and touchscreen laptops.

How to Disable a Laptop Keyboard in Windows 10

FAQ

• How do I turn off the on-screen keyboard on a Chromebook?

  To disable your on-screen keyboard on a Chromebook, select the time from the bottom right of the screen, then select Settings (gear icon). In the Advanced > Accessibility section, select Manage accessibility features. In the Keyboard and text input section, turn off Enable on-screen keyboard.

• How do I turn off the on-screen keyboard on a Surface?

  You'd disable the on-screen keyboard on a Surface Pro the same way you'd turn it off on other Windows 10 devices, as described above. Easiest way: go to the Ease of Access Keyboard Settings and toggle off the feature.

• How do I turn on the on-screen keyboard on a Mac?

  On a Mac, the on-screen keyboard is called the Accessibility Keyboard. Turn it on here: Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard. On some versions of macOS, the path is Apple menu > System Preferences > Accessibility > Keyboard > Viewer > Enable Accessibility Keyboard.

• How do I disable the on-screen keyboard on Windows 7?

  In Windows 7, open the Control Panel and select Ease of Access > Ease of Access Center. Under Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard, deselect Use On-Screen Keyboard and click OK.