How to Enable a Wireless, Wired, or On-Screen Keyboard on Mac or Windows

Are you trying to turn on a keyboard or connect it to your Windows or Mac computer? Or is your keyboard disabled or working incorrectly? Whether you’re trying to connect a new Bluetooth keyboard, troubleshoot an unresponsive keyboard, or display a virtual keyboard on your screen, we’ve got you covered! We also explain how to install and activate different keyboard layouts.

How to Enable a Keyboard

In most cases, you can plug in a USB keyboard, and it will connect automatically. If you're using a Bluetooth keyboard, turn it on and put it in pairing mode, then open your computer's Bluetooth settings to connect it. If your keyboard is connected but not working, you may need to reinstall the driver.

Section 1 of 8:

Connecting a New Keyboard (Windows)

1
Plug a wired keyboard into a USB port. Most USB keyboards work almost instantly when you plug them in. Windows should automatically download any necessary drivers. Simply plug your keyboard into an available port to start using it!
- USB 2.0 or 3.0 ports tend to work best.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have any available USB ports, you can use a USB hub. However, the connection might not be as reliable.
- If your keyboard doesn’t start working right away, see the Troubleshooting section below.
- Most wired/USB keyboards don’t need to be powered on in order to work. They receive power through the wired connection.
2
Connect a wireless keyboard using a USB receiver. Some wireless keyboards connect using a USB receiver or “dongle.” This works pretty much the same way as a wired USB keyboard. Plug the dongle into a USB port, then make sure your keyboard is turned on and fully charged (or has fresh batteries). You might need to flip a power switch somewhere on the keyboard. Windows should automatically install any necessary drivers once it detects your keyboard.

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3
Connect a Bluetooth keyboard in Settings. Bluetooth keyboards require a little more setup than wired keyboards. Take the following steps to enable a wireless keyboard in Windows:^{[2]
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- Make sure your keyboard is fully charged and turned on. There’s usually a power switch somewhere on the top, side, or back of the keyboard, but check the instructions for your specific model.
- Go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices in Windows 10) and toggle on Bluetooth.^{[3]
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- Put the keyboard in pairing mode. There’s typically a pairing button somewhere on the keyboard. You may need to press and hold it until an indicator light starts flashing.
- Click Add device or Add Bluetooth or other device. You may need to specify that you’re adding a Bluetooth device. Select your keyboard from the list of available devices.
- Follow any additional instructions (for example, you might need to enter a PIN to finish pairing your keyboard). Once it’s connected, click Done.

Section 2 of 8:

Connecting a New Keyboard (Mac)

1
Plug in a Magic Keyboard to set it up for the first time. Apple’s Magic Keyboard is wireless, but it’s designed so you can easily enable it by plugging it into your Mac. Depending on what kind of ports your Mac has, you might need a USB-C to Lightning cable or adapter to plug the keyboard into your computer. Once it’s plugged in:^{[4]
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- Turn on the Magic Keyboard. The switch is located on the back of the keyboard at top right. It will turn green when it’s in the On position.^{[5]
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- Leave your Magic Keyboard plugged in while it charges and pairs with your Mac. It should pair automatically using Bluetooth, but you can check the connection by going to
  Apple menu > System Settings > Bluetooth and finding the keyboard in the list of connected devices.
- Unplug the keyboard to use it wirelessly.
2
Set up third-party USB keyboards with Keyboard Setup Assistant. Most modern wired or wireless USB keyboards are compatible with Mac. Simply plug the computer into a USB port on your Mac (you might need an adapter, depending on what kind of ports you have). If it’s a wireless keyboard with a USB receiver/dongle, plug in the receiver and turn on the keyboard. If the Keyboard Setup Assistant pops up, follow any onscreen instructions to confirm the type and layout of your keyboard.
- The Keyboard Setup Assistant may prompt you to hit keys near the Shift key (such as Control, Option/Alt, or Command) in order to identify what type of keyboard you’re using.
- You can always modify your keyboard layout after the fact by going to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard. Adjust the settings in this menu or click Set Up Keyboard at the bottom of the window for more options.
3
Install Bluetooth keyboards in System Settings. You can use both Apple and third-party Bluetooth keyboards with your Mac. Enable one of these keyboards the same way you would any Bluetooth device:^{[6]
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- Make sure your keyboard is turned on and fully charged (or has fresh batteries).
- Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Bluetooth and make sure Bluetooth is toggled on.
- Put your device in pairing mode, if necessary. You might need to hold down a button or turn on a switch to do this. Check the manual for your keyboard for specific instructions.
- Wait for your keyboard to appear under Nearby devices. Hover over it and click Connect.
- Follow any additional prompts to finish the pairing process. For example, you might need to enter a PIN, which should be listed in the manual or packaging that came with your keyboard.
- If the Keyboard Setup Assistant pops up, follow the instructions to set up your new keyboard.

Section 3 of 8:

Troubleshooting a Disabled Keyboard

1
Make sure your keyboard is turned on and charged. If you have a wireless keyboard, make sure it’s switched on and that the batteries are charged. If your keyboard has replaceable batteries, try putting in fresh ones. Make sure they’re seated correctly in the battery compartment.
2
Try a different port if your keyboard is wired. If you’re using a USB keyboard, switch it to a different port. Try the same if you have a wireless keyboard with a USB receiver/dongle. If your keyboard or dongle is plugged into a USB hub, try connecting it directly to your computer instead.
3
Charge your laptop. On Mac laptops in particular, a low battery can cause problems with peripheral devices like a wireless keyboard or mouse. Make sure your laptop is plugged into a reliable power source.
4
Check your Bluetooth connection. Make sure Bluetooth is enabled on your computer and that your Bluetooth keyboard is actually paired with the computer. If it is paired but you’re still having issues, you might need to forget the keyboard and re-pair it.
- In Windows, go to Start > Settings > Bluetooth & devices (or Devices). Click ••• next to your keyboard and select Remove device > Yes. Reconnect your keyboard and see if the issue is resolved.
- On Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Bluetooth. Click ⓘ next to your keyboard and select Forget This Device > Forget Device. Then, try reconnecting your keyboard.
- If you’re still having trouble getting a good connection, disconnect other accessories (both wireless and wired) from your computer and try again. There might be interference from another nearby or connected device.
5
Check your Accessibility settings. Sometimes a setting like Filter Keys, Slow Keys, or Sticky Keys can prevent your keyboard from responding the way you expect. To turn off these settings:
- In Windows, go to Start > Settings > Accessibility (or Ease of Access in Windows 10) > Keyboard. Toggle off Filter Keys and Sticky Keys, then check to see if your keyboard works the way it’s supposed to.
- On Mac, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and make sure Sticky Keys and Slow Keys are toggled off.
6
Reinstall the device driver (Windows). If there’s something wrong with your keyboard’s driver, it might be unresponsive or glitchy. In Windows, you can uninstall the driver and force Windows to reinstall it. Here’s how:^{[7]
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- Right-click the Start menu and select Device Manager.
- Expand the Keyboards section of the menu.
- Right-click your keyboard and select Uninstall Device > Uninstall.
- Restart your computer. Windows should automatically reinstall the keyboard driver.
7
Update your operating system. If your OS is out of date, your computer might have trouble connecting properly with accessories like your keyboard. Check if any updates are available and install them, then try using your keyboard again.
- Check out our guides on how to update Windows and macOS.
8
Check for hardware problems. There might be something physically wrong with your keyboard. One of the easiest ways to rule this out is to try connecting your keyboard to a different computer. If it doesn’t work, there might be something wrong with the power supply or the keyboard itself.
- If your keyboard is still under warranty, you might be able to get a refund or free replacement.
- Sometimes keyboards don’t work properly because they are dirty or sticky. Check out our article on safely cleaning your keyboard.

Section 4 of 8:

Enabling the Accessibility Keyboard (Mac)

1
Click the
Apple menu. It’s at the top-left corner of the screen.
- This method will enable a virtual keyboard on your Mac’s screen.
2
Click System Settings. It’s near the top of the menu.
3
Click Accessibility. It’s the blue circle with the outline of a person inside. You’ll see this option in the left-hand menu pane.
4
Click Keyboard. It’s under the Motor header in the Accessibility menu.
5
Toggle on Accessibility Keyboard. The keyboard will appear on your screen. You can use your mouse to drag the keyboard to a different location. Click the X button to close it.
- You can also access this keyboard at any time by clicking the Input icon in the menu bar at the top right side of your screen. This icon may look like a keyboard or a language abbreviation (like “US” for US English) in a rectangle. When the menu opens, select Show Keyboard Viewer.
  - Don’t see this icon in your menu bar? Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and click Edit next to Input Sources. Toggle on Show input menu in menu bar and click Done.

Section 5 of 8:

Enabling the On-Screen Keyboard (Windows)

1
Open the on-screen keyboard in Accessibility. The on-screen keyboard (OSK) is a virtual keyboard you can use by clicking the keys with your mouse. You can drag and drop the keyboard anywhere on the screen, and exit it by clicking the X icon. To open it:^{[8]
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- Go to Start > Settings > Accessibility (or Ease of Access in Windows 10) > Keyboard.
- Toggle on On-Screen Keyboard or Use On-Screen Keyboard.
- Alternatively, quickly open the OSK by pressing Windows key + Ctrl + O.
2
Open the OSK at startup. If you want to open the On-Screen Keyboard from the login screen, click the Accessibility button at the bottom right corner of the screen, then select On-Screen Keyboard.
3
Change the OSK layout. You can switch between a simplified (“Nav”) keyboard or a full (“General”) keyboard at any time. If you’re in “General” mode, click the Nav key on the keyboard to switch to “Nav” and vice versa.

Section 6 of 8:

Enabling the Touch Keyboard (Windows)

1
Right-click the taskbar. If your PC has tablet mode or touchscreen capabilities, the touch keyboard allows you to type on the screen instead of using a physical keyboard. You can easily launch the touch keyboard by clicking the touch keyboard icon in your taskbar, but you might need to enable this icon first. To get started, right-click your taskbar.^{[9]
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2
Select Taskbar Settings. If you’re using Windows 10, skip this step.
3
Select Always or When no keyboard attached next to “Touch keyboard”. You’ll see this option in the System tray icons section. Depending on which option you chose, you’ll see the touch keyboard icon in the taskbar all the time or automatically when you remove your physical keyboard.
- If you’re using Windows 10, select Show touch keyboard button in the menu that pops up when you right-click the taskbar. For more options, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Typing. From there, you can choose whether to automatically show the touch keyboard button when the physical keyboard is detached.https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/enable-and-disable-the-touch-keyboard-in-windows-e2b05375-908d-45ec-b7f7-729349a10c7a#id0ebf=windows_10
4
Click the keyboard icon. This opens the touch keyboard. You can now use your touchscreen to type.

Section 7 of 8:

Adding Another Language Keyboard (Windows)

1
Open the Language & region menu. You can easily install new keyboard layouts in Windows. To get started, open the Start menu, then go to Settings > Time & language > Language & region (or Language in Windows 10).^{[10]
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2
Select your current display language and click •••. In Windows 10, you don’t have to click •••.
3
Click Language Options. In Windows 10, this is just Options.
4
Click Add a keyboard. First, check under the Keyboards header to make sure the keyboard you want isn’t already installed. If not, select the Add a keyboard option.
5
Click the layout you want to enable. This downloads the language/layout and adds it to the list of available keyboards.
6
Select the language input icon in the taskbar to change your layout. Once a new keyboard layout is installed, you can quickly change it in the taskbar. Click the icon showing your current keyboard language selection, then select the layout you want from the pop-up menu.

Section 8 of 8:

Adding Another Language Keyboard (Mac)

1
Open the keyboard settings menu. You can add new keyboard language layouts in System Settings on Mac. To get started, click
Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard.
2
Click Edit next to “Input Sources”. It’s under the Text Input header.
3
Click + in the lower left corner. This will bring up a menu of keyboard languages/layouts.
4
Select the layout you want and click Add. Browse the alphabetical list of languages and select the one you want. Some languages, like English, have multiple layouts available. Those will appear on the right side of the menu. Once you’ve selected the layout you want, click Add.
5
Toggle on Show Input menu in menu bar. This option is at the top of the Input Sources menu in the right panel.
6
Click Done. Your edits will be saved.
7
Choose your keyboard layout from the Input menu. It’s located on the right side of the menu bar at the top of the screen. This icon typically displays an abbreviation for your current keyboard layout selection (for example, US for US English). Click the icon and select your preferred keyboard layout from the dropdown menu.