Set Up the On-Screen Keyboard and Text Suggestions in Windows 10/11

Set Up the On-Screen Keyboard and Text Suggestions in Windows 10/11​

Difficulty: Beginner | Time Required: 10 minutes
Windows includes a built-in On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) that lets you enter text without relying on a standard physical keyboard. You can select keys using a mouse, touchscreen, pen, joystick, or another pointing device. Accessibility input modes also allow you to hover over keys or scan through the keyboard using a switch or selected key.
You can also enable text suggestions, sometimes called text prediction, to display possible words as you type. Selecting a suggestion can reduce the number of keystrokes required, improve typing speed, and help with difficult spelling.

Note: The On-Screen Keyboard and touch keyboard are different features. The OSK is an accessibility tool that can emulate most physical keyboard functions. The touch keyboard is primarily designed for text entry on touchscreen devices.

Prerequisites​

Before starting, make sure that:

• You are signed in to Windows 10 or Windows 11.
• You have a mouse, touchscreen, pen, or another input device available.
• The appropriate language is installed if you want suggestions in a language other than your current Windows language.
• You can open the Settings app.

No additional software or administrator account is normally required.

Part 1: Open the On-Screen Keyboard​

Method 1: Use the keyboard shortcut​

1. Press Windows logo key+Ctrl+O.
2. The On-Screen Keyboard should appear on your desktop.
3. Use your mouse, touchscreen, or pointing device to select keys.
4. Press the same shortcut again when you want to close the keyboard.

This is the quickest method if you can still use keyboard shortcuts.

Method 2: Open the OSK from Settings in Windows 11​

1. Select Start.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Accessibility from the left sidebar.
4. Scroll down and select Keyboard.
5. Turn on the On-Screen Keyboard switch.
6. Click or tap inside a text field, such as the search box or a Notepad document.
7. Select keys on the OSK to begin typing.

The keyboard remains available until you close it or turn off the setting.

Method 3: Open the OSK from Settings in Windows 10​

1. Select Start.
2. Open Settings.
3. Select Ease of Access.
4. Select Keyboard in the left pane.
5. Turn on Use the On-Screen Keyboard.
6. Click inside a text field and use the displayed keys to enter text.

Tip: You can also open Start, type osk, and select On-Screen Keyboard from the search results.

Part 2: Open the OSK from the Sign-In Screen​

The On-Screen Keyboard is available before you sign in, which is useful if your physical keyboard is disconnected or not responding.

1. Go to the Windows sign-in screen.
2. Select the Accessibility or Ease of Access button in the lower-right corner.
3. Select On-Screen Keyboard.
4. Click or tap inside the PIN or password field.
5. Use the OSK to enter your sign-in information.

Security note: Make sure nobody can view your screen while you enter a password or PIN. The OSK is helpful for accessibility, but it should not be treated as protection against screen recording or monitoring software.

Part 3: Configure the On-Screen Keyboard​

The OSK includes several input methods and accessibility options.

1. Open the On-Screen Keyboard.
2. Select the Options key.
3. Review the available settings.
4. Select the options that best match how you want to use the keyboard.

Common options include:

• Use click sound: Plays a sound whenever you select a key.
• Turn on numeric keypad: Adds a number pad for faster numeric entry.
• Click on keys: Enters a character when you click or tap its key.
• Hover over keys: Automatically enters a character after you point at its key for a specified amount of time.
• Scan through keys: Highlights groups of keys in sequence so that you can choose a key using a switch, mouse click, game controller, or assigned keyboard key.
• Show keys to make it easier to move around the screen: Provides additional visual or positioning assistance, depending on your Windows version.

If you select Hover over keys, adjust the hover duration so that characters are not entered too quickly. If you select Scan through keys, choose a scanning speed that gives you enough time to make each selection.

Change the OSK layout​

Recent Windows versions may offer General and Nav layouts:

• General provides the full keyboard with standard keys.
• Nav provides a simplified layout containing navigation keys such as Tab, Enter, Space, and the arrow keys.

Select Nav or General on the OSK to switch layouts.

Important: Windows may remember the last OSK layout you used. If the keyboard opens with only navigation keys, select General to restore the full layout.

Part 4: Enable Text Prediction in the OSK​

Text prediction displays possible words as you type, allowing you to select a complete word instead of entering every letter.

1. Open the On-Screen Keyboard.
2. Select Options.
3. Select Use Text Prediction.
4. If available, enable Insert space after predicted words.
5. Select OK to save the changes.
6. Open Notepad or another text-entry app.
7. Start entering a word.
8. When suggestions appear, select the word you want.

The option to insert a space automatically is useful when entering several predicted words in sequence.

Language note: OSK text prediction is available for supported languages, including English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. Install the appropriate language components if predictions do not appear.

Part 5: Enable Suggestions for a Physical Keyboard​

Windows can also show suggestions while you type on a connected physical keyboard.

Windows 11​

1. Press Windows logo key+I to open Settings.
2. Select Time & language.
3. Select Typing.
4. Turn on Show text suggestions when typing on the physical keyboard.
5. If you type in more than one language, turn on Multilingual text suggestions.
6. Open an application and start typing to test the feature.

When suggestions appear, select one with your mouse or touchscreen. You can also press the Up arrow key, move between suggestions with the Left arrow and Right arrow keys, and press Enter. Press Esc to dismiss the suggestion window.

Windows 10​

1. Press Windows logo key+I to open Settings.
2. Select Devices.
3. Select Typing.
4. Under Hardware keyboard, turn on Show text suggestions as I type.
5. To enable suggestions for software keyboards, turn on Show text suggestions as I type on the software keyboard.
6. If needed, enable suggestions based on the recognized languages you are typing in.
7. Test the feature in Notepad, a browser, or another supported app.

Tips and Troubleshooting​

The OSK does not open​

• Press Windows logo key+Ctrl+O again.
• Search for osk from the Start menu.
• Restart Windows if the keyboard opens and immediately closes.
• Check that the On-Screen Keyboard switch is enabled under Accessibility or Ease of Access settings.

Text suggestions do not appear​

• Confirm that text prediction is selected in the OSK’s Options window.
• Verify that the physical-keyboard suggestion setting is enabled.
• Make sure the correct input language is active.
• Try a standard app such as Notepad, because suggestion behavior can vary between applications.
• Type several letters before expecting a suggestion to appear.

The OSK has disappeared while using hover or scan mode​

Check the taskbar for the minimized OSK. In scan mode, pressing your configured scan key may restore it. On a touchscreen device, Task View may also help you return to the keyboard.

The touch keyboard appears instead​

The touch keyboard normally appears when you tap a text field on a touchscreen device. If you need accessibility modes, navigation keys, or broader keyboard functionality, open the dedicated On-Screen Keyboard instead.

Conclusion​

The Windows On-Screen Keyboard provides a practical alternative when a physical keyboard is unavailable or difficult to use. Its click, hover, scan, navigation, and numeric-keypad options allow it to accommodate a variety of accessibility needs.
Text suggestions can further reduce typing effort by completing words and assisting with spelling. Once the OSK and prediction settings are configured, they remain easy to access from Settings, the sign-in screen, or the Windows logo key+Ctrl+O shortcut.
Key Takeaways:

• The On-Screen Keyboard works with a mouse or other pointing device and does not require a touchscreen.
• Windows 11 places OSK settings under Accessibility, while Windows 10 uses Ease of Access.
• Click, hover, and scanning modes support different accessibility requirements.
• Text prediction can reduce keystrokes and assist with spelling.
• Physical-keyboard suggestions can be enabled separately in Windows Typing settings.
• The OSK is also available from the Windows sign-in screen.

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This tutorial was generated to help WindowsForum.com users get the most out of their Windows experience.