What the feature is
The Windows touch keyboard is the on-screen keyboard for touchscreen devices. If a Windows device has a touchscreen, you can enter text by tapping a keyboard that appears on the screen. The part that matters here is the layout called Small.
Microsoft describes Small as a compact keyboard that can be moved anywhere on your screen. It's the same keyboard used when the touch keyboard is undocked. If you undock the Default, Split or Traditional layout, it switches to Small. So there are two ways to reach it: pick it from the layout menu, or undock whichever layout you're using.
Microsoft's page documents swipe typing in its older Windows 10-era section. There, the narrow one-handed layout is meant to replicate your phone, hides less of your screen, and supports swipe-based typing like shape writing. Swipe typing is the gesture where you drag a finger across the letters instead of tapping each one.
A naming wrinkle
MakeUseOf calls the small layout "Compact" and says it "might be called 'Small'" on some laptops. Microsoft's current Windows 11 documentation says Small. Look for that name first. Third-party guides also use "Small" for the phone-sized layout.
How to set it up
- Show the keyboard icon. Right-click the taskbar and open Taskbar settings. Microsoft's steps say to go to Personalization > Taskbar. Under System tray icons, set Touch keyboard to Always. On a touchscreen you can press and hold the taskbar instead of right-clicking.
- Open the keyboard. Select the touch keyboard icon in the system tray. Tapping a text field can also open it automatically, depending on your settings and whether a keyboard is attached.
- Pick the layout. Tap the gear (keyboard settings) icon in the upper-left corner, choose Keyboard layout, then select Small.
- Swipe. Drag a finger from letter to letter to form a word, then lift. Windows suggests alternatives if it guesses wrong.
Microsoft's other two icon options are Never and When no keyboard is attached. Never hides the icon and stops the touch keyboard from appearing. The third option shows the icon only when no keyboard is attached. Microsoft notes that an attached keyboard can be wired or wireless/Bluetooth. Always is the setting that keeps the icon available on a laptop with its physical keyboard connected.
Some Microsoft pages and Windows builds use different labels. One guide places the toggle under Taskbar corner icons. If your Settings app looks different, search Settings for "Touch keyboard" or "Taskbar".
Why Small makes sense on a laptop
- It uses little screen. Microsoft says the narrow layout hides less of your screen. A tip from Australian Tablet PC blog ASI says Small covers much less of the display.
- It moves. You can park it near your typing hand or out of the way.
- It's a phone-like swipe surface. One reviewer reports finding the small keyboard especially useful for swipe typing.
- The icon stays out of your way. You can leave it available and call it up only when you want it, while the physical keyboard stays connected.
Miniman says swipe typing on the compact layout is the fastest he has typed without a real keyboard, and that it felt responsive on his high-refresh Lenovo Yoga 9i. Those are his impressions. I found no controlled benchmark comparing swipe typing with physical typing or dictation.
Caveats and troubleshooting
- Language support varies. Microsoft's page warns that swipe-based typing like shape writing isn't available in all languages. It also says the Small and Split layouts aren't available in all languages. Microsoft doesn't list which languages, or a minimum build, in the pages I reviewed.
- Which layouts swipe is disputed. Miniman says the Default layout accepts swipes too, but is harder with long strokes. Make Tech Easier says swipe typing works only on Default and Small. The Tablet PC blog says the Traditional layout doesn't support swipe typing. Microsoft's current page doesn't settle this. If swiping fails, switch to Small first.
- Apps can differ. Make Tech Easier notes some apps may not support swipe typing.
- Custom words. Swipe typing can use your Personal Dictionary. The guide says to enable "Personal inking and typing dictionary" under Settings → Privacy & Security → Inking & typing personalization. That setting is a privacy trade-off, since it learns from your typing.
- Don't confuse it with the On-Screen Keyboard. Windows also has a separate accessibility On-Screen Keyboard. These steps apply to the touch keyboard, and I haven't verified that the OSK offers swipe typing.
Ergonomics
Miniman's caveat is fair and probably the deciding factor. Reaching up to a vertical laptop screen is awkward. A wobbly hinge makes swiping frustrating. He says it works best on a convertible 2-in-1 in tent or tablet posture, or on a laptop with a firm hinge. That is his judgment, not a Microsoft requirement.
Any touchscreen laptop running Windows 11 can try this in about a minute, at no cost. If your hinge sags or your language isn't supported, you've lost nothing. If you're an avid phone swiper, you may end up using the touchscreen more than you expected.