An On-Screen Keyboard (OSK) is a virtual keyboard displayed on a computer screen. It allows users to input text and interact with the computer without using a physical keyboard. Users can typically interact with an OSK through mouse clicks, touch input, or other pointing devices. In this article, we shall discuss how to use the On-Screen Keyboard. Please see how to prevent the on-screen keyboard from starting automatically and from appearing at login, and Windows Color Filters: A How-To Guide
On-screen keyboards are particularly useful for touchscreen devices, accessibility purposes, or situations where a physical keyboard is not available.
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 Ease of Access 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.
On-Screen Keyboard via Windows Settings
To open the On-Screen Keyboard via Windows Settings, please follow the steps below.
- Click on Start, - Select Settings - Ease of Access - click on keyboard on the right pane, turn on the toggle - Under Use the On-Screen Keyboard.
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.
Note: You can also use your keyboard to turn the on-screen keyboard on or off.
Also, see how to change or add another keyboard language in Windows Server, and how to fix “Cannot open Bluetooth preference pane because it is not available“
Via the Command Prompt:
You can open the OSK via the command prompt in the following ways
Via PowerShell
The same principle can be used to launch the OSK from PowerShell.
FAQs on Onscreen Keyboard
On-screen keyboards are useful in the following areas
– On-screen keyboards are essential for devices like tablets and 2-in-1 laptops that have touchscreen capabilities.
– They are a vital accessibility feature for individuals with motor skill challenges or disabilities that may make using a physical keyboard difficult.
– In public kiosk systems where a physical keyboard might not be practical or secure, an On-Screen Keyboard provides a touch-friendly input option.
– On-screen keyboards are sometimes used for entering sensitive information like passwords in situations where keystrokes may be susceptible to keyloggers.
On-screen keyboards provide some security benefits, but they are not foolproof, and other security measures should also be considered, especially in high-security environments. But below are some takeaways.
– On-screen keyboards can offer a layer of security against hardware-based keyloggers since the keyboard input is not physically pressed.
– Some On-Screen Keyboards use dynamic key layouts, changing the position of keys to prevent predictability and thwarting attacks.
I hope you found this article on How to use the On-Screen Keyboard useful. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
