How to Type with a Virtual Keyboard

This updated guide examines How to Type with a Virtual Keyboard and organizes the essential facts, background, and practical takeaways in clear American English.

Method 1

PC

1. Open the Start menu. This will give you access to all of your computer's basic programs.^{[1]XResearch source}
   • You can also press the?Winbutton on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
2. Open the "All Apps" menu. This menu lists all of your applications.
   • On some systems, the "All Apps" folder will be labeled "All Programs" instead.
3. Find the "Windows Ease of Access" folder. Since the "All Apps" contents are organized alphabetically, head to the "W" section.^{[2]XResearch source}
   • On older operating systems, open the "Accessories" folder, then find the dedicated "Ease of Access" folder within "Accessories".
4. Open the "Windows Ease of Access" folder. This folder houses applications like text-to-speech and the virtual keyboard.
5. Locate the "On-Screen Keyboard" icon. Click this to open Windows' virtual keyboard.
6. Click the virtual keyboard keys to type. For special keys, like the?Shiftkey, click once to activate the function (for example, temporary upper-case) and click again to negate the function.
   • If you need to access special characters or characters from a language other than English, you can use the Windows "Character Map" or Google Translate, then copy and paste.

Method 2

Mac

1. Open the Apple menu. It's located in the upper left corner of your screen.
2. Select "System Preferences".
3. Open the "Keyboard" folder. This should open a menu with your keyboard's settings.
4. Click the "Show Keyboard & Character Viewers" box. You should now have a "Keyboard and Character Viewers" icon in your upper right-hand menu bar.^{[3]XResearch source}
   • After you check the relevant box, you can exit out of System Preferences and the Keyboard menu.
5. Open the Keyboard Viewer from your menu bar. This should open your "Keyboard Viewer" menu.
6. Click "show keyboard viewer". The on-screen keyboard should appear on top of any open applications.
7. Click the virtual keyboard keys to type. For special keys, like the?Shiftkey, click once to activate the function (for example, temporary upper-case) and click again to negate the function.