Turn it on at Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and text input → On-screen keyboard. Then click or tap a text field; ChromeOS displays the virtual keyboard. Supported convertible Chromebooks can open it automatically when flipped into tablet mode, while a conventional laptop usually requires the setting to be enabled manually.
What the Chromebook on-screen keyboard does
The on-screen keyboard is ChromeOS’s built-in virtual keyboard. It lets you enter text in documents, email, chat, search boxes and other editable fields when the physical keyboard is unavailable, inconvenient or difficult to use. Google also documents it as an accessibility input method that works with a touchscreen, mouse or another pointing device (Google’s on-screen-keyboard guide; ChromeOS accessibility features).
It is useful to distinguish the terms:
- On-screen keyboard: the full virtual keyboard you can enable in Settings.
- Tablet-mode keyboard: the same built-in input surface, normally shown automatically on a supported 2-in-1 when the display is folded into tablet mode.
- Speak, Handwrite, Emoji, glide typing and Clipboard: tools available from the on-screen keyboard, not separate keyboard apps.
Turn on the on-screen keyboard
- Sign in to your Chromebook.
- Select the time in the bottom-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Under Keyboard and text input, turn on On-screen keyboard.
These labels come from Google’s current instructions (Google Chromebook Help). ChromeOS releases and device configurations can rearrange menus. If you cannot find the option, use the Settings search box and search for on-screen keyboard; Google documents Settings search as the general way to locate controls (Settings help). You can also press Alt + Shift + S to open the system menu, then choose Settings (Accessibility shortcuts).
Open, use and hide it
Open an app or website with an editable field, then click or tap inside that field. The keyboard normally appears when ChromeOS detects active text entry. Tap its letter, number or punctuation keys as you would on hardware. Backspace, Enter, Shift and the arrow keys work for ordinary editing; tap Shift for a capital letter or uppercase layout.
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The keyboard is not expected to stay visible on every screen. To dismiss it, click or tap outside it. In tablet mode, you can also select Hide keyboard in the lower-right corner (Google tablet-mode instructions). Hiding it is temporary; turning off the Accessibility switch disables the feature until you enable it again.
Tablet mode and automatic behavior
On a supported convertible Chromebook, fold the display back over its hinge to enter tablet mode. ChromeOS normally opens the on-screen keyboard when you tap a text box. Selecting outside the keyboard or using Hide keyboard dismisses it. Connecting a mouse can switch that Chromebook back to laptop mode, according to Google’s tablet documentation (tablet mode).
This automatic behavior does not apply to every Chromebook. A standard clamshell model has no tablet mode, so enable the keyboard manually. The keyboard can still be operated with a mouse or other pointing device even when the Chromebook has no touchscreen, although handwriting and glide typing are designed for finger or touchscreen-stylus input.
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Choose the input method that fits the task
| Need | Useful option | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| No usable physical keyboard | Full on-screen keyboard | Tap keys with one or more fingers, or click them with a pointing device. |
| Long passages without much tapping | Speak | Dictate in most ordinary text fields after granting microphone permission. |
| Touchscreen or stylus input feels easier | Handwrite | Write in the pad and select ChromeOS’s recognized text. |
| Repeated words are easier as gestures | Glide typing | Slide through letters and lift your finger to complete a word. |
| Previously copied text is needed | Clipboard | Choose an item from clipboard history instead of using Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V. |
| Accented or language-specific characters | Another keyboard language and AltGr | Enable the appropriate input method and choose its characters. |
Voice typing
- Place the cursor in a text field and open the on-screen keyboard.
- Select Speak near the keyboard’s upper-right area.
- The first time, approve microphone access by selecting Got it or the equivalent permission control.
- Speak naturally. Say commands such as “comma,” “period,” “question mark” or “exclamation point” for punctuation.
Google describes voice input as working in most places where you normally type (on-screen keyboard help). Availability can vary with language, app, ChromeOS version and administrator policy, so a dictation button may not work in every text control.
Handwriting
- Select a text field and open the keyboard.
- Select Handwrite.
- Write in the pad with a finger or compatible touchscreen stylus.
- Select the recognized result, then continue writing.
Recognition can misread unclear characters, names, symbols or very fast writing. It is often a convenient alternative for short entries, but may be slower than another method for a long document.
Swipe or glide typing
Place your finger on the first letter, slide across the letters in order and lift when the word is complete. ChromeOS inserts a space after the gesture. If the result is wrong, select the word and choose another suggestion when one is offered. Gesture typing is enabled automatically in Google’s documentation. To disable it, select the time, open Settings → Advanced → Languages and input → Inputs, open the options beside the enabled keyboard and turn off Enable glide typing (Google’s steps). Menu placement can differ between releases.
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Emoji
Select the Emoji button near the bottom of the keyboard, then choose an emoji or other graphic. Emoji suggestions may appear in the suggestions bar in tablet mode (Google emoji and keyboard settings). On personal Chromebooks they are on by default; on school-, company- or otherwise managed devices they are off by default and may be controlled by an administrator.
Accented characters and keyboard languages
- Open the keyboard and select its Settings control.
- At the bottom, select Advanced, then Languages and input.
- Under Input method, select Manage input methods.
- Enable and select a keyboard language other than the US layout.
- Select AltGr at the bottom of the on-screen keyboard and choose the required accented character.
If only the US keyboard is listed, add the language first. Labels and locations can vary, but the principle is the same: enable the language, switch to that input method, then use its character set or AltGr options (Google language-input instructions).
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- Place the cursor where the text should go.
- Open the on-screen keyboard and select Clipboard.
- Select an item to paste it.
- To remove an item, press and hold it, then choose Delete.
This is clipboard history, not a replacement for every browser copy-and-paste command. It is especially useful when keyboard shortcuts are difficult to use.
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Dock, float and resize the keyboard
Open the keyboard and use its layout controls:
- Dock: attach it to the bottom edge. This is predictable for ordinary typing but uses more vertical screen space.
- Float: make it movable over the page. Hold and drag the directional-pad control to reposition it; floating can reveal more of a document but may cover content.
- Resize: select the directional-pad control until a blue outline appears, then drag a blue corner. A larger layout gives bigger touch targets while leaving less room for the app.
If Dock or Float is missing, select the right arrow at the keyboard’s upper-left to reveal more controls. A docked keyboard must be switched to Float before it can be resized (Google keyboard controls).
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Change autocorrection and other keyboard settings
Google says autocorrection is on by default for on-screen keyboards and Latin-language keyboards, although some language keyboards do not provide it. To change it, select the time, open Settings, choose Device → Keyboard → Input settings → Input method, open the options beside the enabled keyboard and adjust Auto-correction under On-screen keyboard (keyboard settings help).
Other available controls can include keypress sound, the automatic-correction level, auto-capitalization, inserting a period after two spaces and personal-dictionary entries (Google on-screen keyboard settings). These controls affect the virtual keyboard; settings for a physical keyboard may appear elsewhere. If the exact path differs, search Settings for input method, autocorrection or on-screen keyboard.
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Turn the feature off
- Select the time in the bottom-right corner.
- Select Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Under Keyboard and text input, turn off On-screen keyboard.
When the keyboard does not appear
- Confirm that On-screen keyboard is enabled in Accessibility.
- Test a known text field, such as the browser address bar or a simple document.
- If the Chromebook is convertible, verify that it is actually in tablet mode.
- Select another text field to hide and reopen the keyboard.
- Check connected peripherals. Google says a mouse can return a supported convertible to laptop mode.
- If controls are hidden, select the keyboard’s upper-left right arrow.
- Try a different app or website. A particular Android app, Linux app, remote-desktop session, game or unusual web control may not trigger the keyboard consistently.
- If the setting is missing, consider whether a school or company administrator limits accessibility, language, emoji or microphone features.
- If the switch is enabled but the interface is unresponsive, restart the Chromebook and install any available ChromeOS updates as general troubleshooting steps.
Do not assume a missing keyboard means the Chromebook is defective until you have tested another text field; app-specific behavior can be the cause.
Which method should you use?
Use the full on-screen keyboard for normal short-to-medium typing and when the physical keyboard is unavailable. Choose glide typing when swiping is faster than tapping. Use Handwrite with a touchscreen stylus or finger when character recognition suits the task, and Speak when dictation is easier than touch input. For extensive writing, spreadsheet work or frequent shortcuts, a USB or Bluetooth keyboard remains more efficient, but it is not required to use your Chromebook’s built-in input tools.
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