One Chromebook key refuses to type, or the whole keyboard has gone silent. Start with a restart, then work through the fixes that match what your keys are doing. Most settings below are accessible with a mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen.
Start with a restart and check laptop mode
Select the time > Power > Restart. Test the affected keys once the Chromebook starts again. For a full shutdown instead, select the time > Power > Shut down. Then turn the Chromebook back on.
On a convertible Chromebook, unfold the screen into its normal laptop position before testing. Lenovo's 500e Chromebook Gen 4 family, for example, automatically disables the physical keyboard in stand, tent, and tablet modes.
Need a way to type right now? Open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and text input and turn on On-screen keyboard. Select a text field to enter text with your pointer or touchscreen.
Correct keys that produce the wrong character or action
These settings address wrong characters, remapped special keys, and top-row buttons acting as function keys. For incorrect letters or punctuation, open Settings > Device > Keyboard > Change input settings.
If your intended layout is missing under Input methods, add it using Add. Select your intended layout. The Enabled label identifies the active keyboard.
For a modifier, Escape, or Backspace key doing the wrong job, open Settings > Device > Keyboard > Built-in keyboard > Remap keyboard keys. Change the affected key to its intended action. Remapping covers supported special keys, rather than every letter key. To undo all custom mappings instead, select Restore defaults.
If brightness or volume buttons act as F keys, turn off Treat top-row keys as function keys in the built-in keyboard settings. Check the current brightness or volume level when an adjustment key does nothing. If the level is already at its maximum or minimum, press the opposite adjustment key. Test the original adjustment key again.
For Back or Forward keys, check the corresponding browser navigation button. A grayed-out button means there is no page available in that direction. Navigate between pages to make that direction available. Test the navigation key again.
Check settings that change how presses register
Open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and text input. Turn off Slow keys if brief presses are ignored, or reduce its delay if you use the feature intentionally. Turn off Bounce keys if quick repeated presses fail to register, or shorten its delay.
Turn off unwanted Sticky keys if ordinary letters unexpectedly trigger shortcuts. If you intentionally use Sticky keys, press a latched modifier a third time to release it. Pressing it twice leaves it latched.
If typing keys move the pointer, open Settings > Accessibility > Cursor and touchpad. Turn off Mouse keys.
For a key that will not repeat when held, open that keyboard's settings under Settings > Device. Adjust Enable auto-repeat to turn held-key repetition on or off. Adjust the repeat delay to change how long a held key waits before repeating. Adjust the repeat speed to change how quickly it repeats.
If holding a letter opens an accents menu instead, open Settings > Device > Keyboard > Change input settings. Under Inputs and keyboards, select More beside English (US). Under Physical keyboard, turn off accents and special characters.
Tip: Use the search field in Settings to find a control when your Chromebook uses a different keyboard-settings label.
Isolate a problem confined to one app or account
If typing stops alongside a frozen app or browser tab, close unused apps and tabs. For a problematic browser tab, press Ctrl + Shift + r to hard-refresh it.
To deal with an unresponsive task, press Shift + Esc to open Task Manager. Close the unresponsive task.
If a fullscreen game or streamed desktop has captured keyboard commands through Keyboard Lock, hold Esc for approximately two seconds to exit it. Test your normal browser shortcuts again.
To check whether the problem follows your account, sign out. Select Browse as Guest on the sign-in screen. If that option is missing on a personal Chromebook, the owner can enable Guest browsing under Settings > Privacy and security > Manage other people.
Test typing in Guest. Working keys here point you toward troubleshooting the signed-in profile. Sign back into your account.
Open Chrome's More > Extensions > Manage extensions. Turn off one extension at a time. Retest after each change. Remove a confirmed culprit with Remove > Remove.
If extension changes do not help and Guest typing still works, back up local files before recreating an affected non-owner profile. Sign out to reach the sign-in screen.
Open the affected profile's Down arrow > Remove this user. Managed-device restrictions apply to profile removal. Confirm Remove this user.
Select Add person. Sign in again.
If the keys still fail, run the keyboard test below. Removing an owner profile requires Powerwash, so leave that for the reset section.
Run the keyboard test and update ChromeOS
This targets persistent input problems with a keyboard test and a ChromeOS update. Open Settings > About ChromeOS > Diagnostics. Select Input > The internal keyboard > Test.
Follow the test instructions with the test window focused. Keys that do not register need further investigation; that result alone does not prove a hardware defect.
Connect the Chromebook to Wi-Fi. Open Settings > About ChromeOS > Check for updates. Updates depend on your Chromebook remaining eligible for them.
Install an available update. Select Restart to complete the update. Test the affected keys again.
Try a hardware reset for persistent failures
A hardware reset resets the keyboard and other hardware. Use it when the built-in keyboard remains unresponsive after the earlier checks.
Back up files in Downloads first. Google warns that a hardware reset carries a risk of deleting some files from that folder.
Turn off the Chromebook. On most Chromebook laptops, hold Refresh and tap Power. Release Refresh when the Chromebook starts. Test the keyboard again.
For a Chromebook tablet, use Volume Up + Power instead, holding the buttons for at least 10 seconds. Release the buttons. Both volume buttons plus Power enter recovery, which is a separate procedure.
Use Safety reset before a factory reset
On Chromebooks offering it, Safety reset preserves local files and apps while resetting input, network, and browser settings. It also disables extensions and clears temporary site data.
Open Settings > System preferences. Under Reset, select Safety reset. Follow the confirmation prompts. Select Done.
Test the keys before restoring extensions. If Safety reset does not resolve the problem, Powerwash is the factory-reset option for a personal Chromebook, including one with an owner-profile problem. It erases local user data.
For a school or work Chromebook, contact your administrator before attempting a factory reset. Administrators control restrictions affecting Guest access, extensions, keyboard settings, and updates.
On a personal Chromebook, back up local files before continuing. Open Settings > System preferences. Find Powerwash and select Reset. Follow the prompts to complete the reset.
When the necessary keys work, an alternative starting point is to sign out. Press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + r. Select Restart. Select Powerwash > Continue.
Complete setup. Test the keys again.
If the keys still fail after Powerwash, contact the Chromebook manufacturer for diagnosis. ChromeOS recovery is a further option for persistent problems after less invasive troubleshooting; it reinstalls the operating system and erases local data.
Keep typing while you arrange a repair
For an external USB keyboard, reseat its cable or wireless receiver. For a wireless keyboard, check that it is switched on. Reinstall or replace its batteries. Test with another compatible keyboard to compare the behavior.
To use a Bluetooth keyboard as a temporary replacement, put it in pairing mode. Open the time > Bluetooth. Turn on Bluetooth. Select + Pair new device.
Select the keyboard. Complete the pairing prompts. Check Currently connected for the keyboard. This provides another way to type while the internal keyboard remains out of action.
If the built-in keys remain unresponsive, the keyboard test is unsuccessful, or there is physical damage, open Google's Chromebook manufacturer directory. Select your Chromebook brand. Contact its support service with the model and failed-key details.
Tip: Keep On-screen keyboard enabled while arranging support so you can enter text with the pointer or touchscreen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do my Chromebook keyboard settings come back after Powerwash?
Accessibility preferences are included in synced Settings. Open Settings, search for Sync and Google services, and select Manage what you sync. Select Customize sync, then review Settings under Sync data if input preferences return after a reset.
How do I turn on Caps Lock without a Caps Lock key?
Press Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher. On keyboards with Quick Insert and Fn, use Fn + Quick Insert.
Why do letters trigger ChromeVox commands instead of typing?
ChromeVox Sticky Mode changes how keys are interpreted. Quickly press Search or Launcher twice to disable that mode. To turn ChromeVox itself off, press Ctrl + Alt + z.
Can I use voice typing while my keyboard is broken?
Yes. Open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and text input and enable Dictation. Select a text field, then select Speak. Dictation requires microphone access, and your spoken language must match the configured language.