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11 Ways to Open the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10

Windows 10's virtual keyboard is surprisingly useful and often becomes essential when your hardware keyboard fails. The On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) has been a built-in Windows feature since the XP era, and it's still going strong today. What's interesting here is how many users don't realize it exists until they need it — whether due to a stuck key, suspected malware infection, or a keylogger threat.

The beauty of this tool lies in its simplicity. It displays all standard keys on your screen, and you can interact with it using your mouse, a pointing device, or even keyboard shortcuts to navigate. Below, we'll walk you through 11 different methods to launch the On-Screen Keyboard on Windows 10.

How to Open the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 10

1. Using a Keyboard Shortcut

The quickest way to toggle the on-screen keyboard is pressing Win + Ctrl + O. This combination instantly opens or closes the tool.

If your keyboard is damaged and you can't type, try this workaround: Select the text "osk" using your mouse, copy it, then paste it into the Windows 10 search box.

2. Through the Start Menu

Type On screen keyboard into the search box on your Start Menu or taskbar, then press Enter. The application launches immediately.

Can't type because your keyboard is broken? Try method 5 below, or ask someone to send you the text "osk" via messaging. Simply copy and paste it into the search field using your mouse.

Opening the virtual keyboard from Start Menu

3. Via the Run Command

This classic method still works perfectly:

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.

Step 2: Type OSK (case doesn't matter) and hit Enter. Done.

Using the Run command to open OSK

4. Using Command Prompt or PowerShell

For those comfortable with command-line tools, this approach is straightforward:

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell, type OSK, and press Enter. The keyboard appears in seconds.

Launching from Command Prompt

5. From Ease of Access in Start Menu

Navigate to your Start Menu and click All apps. Find and expand the Windows Ease of Access folder, then select On Screen Keyboard. This method is especially helpful if your keyboard is completely unresponsive.

Finding On-Screen Keyboard in Ease of Access

6. Through PC Settings Ease of Access

Step 1: Open the Settings app from your Start Menu.

Step 2: Click Ease of Access.

Step 3: Select Keyboard, then toggle the switch next to Turns on the on-screen keyboard to ON.

Enabling through Settings

7. Via the Classic Control Panel

Step 1: Right-click the Start button and select Control Panel.

Step 2: Find and click Ease of Access.

Step 3: Click Ease of Access Center.

Step 4: Finally, click Start On-Screen Keyboard.

Using the Control Panel method

8. Launching It Automatically at Startup

Want the keyboard to open every time Windows boots? From the Ease of Access Center, click Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard under Explore all settings.

Select Use the computer without a mouse or keyboard

Under Type using a pointing device, check the box for Use On-Screen Keyboard, then click OK. Now it will launch automatically on startup.

Enable Use On-Screen Keyboard option

9. Enabling the Touch Keyboard

Windows 10 includes a separate Touch Keyboard designed for touchscreen devices. To enable it, right-click your taskbar, select Show touch keyboard button, and a keyboard icon appears near your volume control.

The real concern here is that this keyboard only appears when needed — tap the icon to use it, then it hides when you switch to your physical keyboard or move your mouse elsewhere.

For touch devices or remote desktop scenarios, go to Settings > Devices > Typing and enable Show the touch keyboard when not in tablet mode and there's no keyboard attached. The keyboard will automatically appear whenever you tap a text input field.

10. Customizing Your Virtual Keyboard

Once the on-screen keyboard is displayed, click the Options button in the bottom-right corner to access customization settings. You'll find several useful configurations:

  • Adjust Scanning Speed to control how quickly the keyboard scans through keys.
  • Use click sound — Enable audio feedback when you press keys.
  • Show keys to make it easier to move around the screen — Keys highlight as you type for better visibility.
  • Turn on numeric keypad — Expands the keyboard to include a dedicated number pad.
  • Click on keys (or press Alt + C) — Interact with the keyboard by clicking individual keys with your mouse or pointing device.
  • Hover over keys (or press Alt + H) — Select keys by hovering your mouse over them. Use the Hover duration slider to set how long you need to hover before a key activates.
  • Scan through keys (or press Alt + S) — Use external devices like switches, spacebar, or gamepads to navigate. The keyboard continuously scans, and you activate keys by pressing your chosen input device.
  • Use Text Prediction (or press Alt + T) — The keyboard suggests words as you type, improving speed and reducing spelling errors.
  • Enable automatic spacing after selected words by pressing Alt + W.

11. Pinning the Keyboard to Stay in Place

Want the keyboard to remain visible on your screen? Follow these steps:

Step 1: Click the Windows button at the bottom-left of your screen to open the Start Menu.

Opening the Start Menu
Opening the Start Menu

Step 2: Select Settings.

Selecting Settings
Selecting Settings

Step 3: Click Ease of Access in Windows Settings.

Clicking Ease of Access
Clicking Ease of Access

Step 4: Select Keyboard under the Interaction section.

Selecting Keyboard
Selecting Keyboard

Step 5: Toggle the Use the On-Screen Keyboard option to ON.

Toggling the On-Screen Keyboard option
Toggling the On-Screen Keyboard option

Step 6: Close the dialog by clicking the X button. Your virtual keyboard now stays in its position even when you're not actively using it.

Closing the Keyboard dialog
Closing the Keyboard dialog

That covers all the major ways to access and customize Windows 10's on-screen keyboard. Whether you're dealing with hardware issues or just prefer an alternative input method, these 11 methods should handle any scenario you encounter.

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