Steps to disable the virtual keyboard on Windows 10

How to disable the virtual keyboard in Windows 10?

If you're just using the virtual keyboard in Windows 10 on the desktop or in apps and want to turn it off (or on again), press Windows key + Ctrl + O to turn the keyboard on and off.

However, if you find that the virtual keyboard appears at the login screen when you don't want it, you may need to take extra steps to disable it.

Step 1. Open Windows Settings app by pressing Windows key + I.

Step 2. Select Devices.

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Step 3. Select Typing from the left side.

Step 4. Scroll down until you find Touch keyboard section. Look for the toggle that says Show the touch keyboard when not in tablet mode and there's no keyboard attached. Switch it to Off.

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Disable the virtual keyboard in Ease of Access Center

If the above method does not disable the virtual keyboard, you can also disable it in the Ease of Access Keyboard Windows 10 menu.

Step 1. Use the Windows search box to find Ease of Access Keyboard Settings and select the corresponding result.

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Step 2. Find the toggle switch titled Use the On-Screen Keyboard and turn it off, then on again. You may see the touch screen keyboard pop up and then disappear again.

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Disable virtual keyboard service

Disabling the virtual keyboard service may cause it to no longer appear. Only use this method if you don't want to use the keyboard anymore. If you disable it now, you will need to re-enable the service later when you want to use it.

Step 1. Use the Windows search feature to search for Services and select the corresponding result.

Step 2. Scroll down the list of services until you find Touch Keyboard and Handwriting Panel Service Properties. Double-click it to open the service's properties.

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Step 3. Click the Stop button if the service is running, then use the drop-down menu next to Startup type to select Disabled.

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Step 4. Select Apply > OK.

Remove recently installed applications or drivers

Sometimes the virtual keyboard may randomly appear at the login screen due to a recently installed application or driver. If you have any idea what could be wrong, try disabling, restoring, or removing that setting to see if this fixes the problem. You can also try reverting to a restore point.

Lesley Montoya

Update 21 July 2021