Use your Chromebook keyboard
Your Chromebook keyboard works just like a regular keyboard, with a few differences.
Unique keys on your Chromebook keyboard
Your unique Chromebook keys usually appear on the top row of your keyboard from left to right.
Search your apps and the web To turn Caps Lock on or off, press Alt + Search. |
|
Go to the previous page (F1) | |
Go to the next page (F2) | |
Refresh your current page (F3) | |
Make your page take up the full screen (F4) | |
Show all your open windows (F5) | |
Decrease screen brightness (F6) | |
Make the screen brighter (F7) | |
Turn off the sound (F8) | |
Lower the volume (F9) | |
Raise the volume (F10) |
Note: If you're using a Windows keyboard with your Chromebook:
- The F keys work like the keys above, sometimes with a few differences
- The Windows key between Ctrl and Alt works as the Search key
Change your keyboard settings
For example, you can make the Search key work as a Caps Lock key.
- If you haven't already, sign in to your Chromebook.
- At the bottom right, select the time. Or press Alt + Shift + s.
- Select Settings
.
- In the "Device" section, select Keyboard.
- Use the menus to change how the keys work.
To add a word to your dictionary, right-click or press Search + Shift + Volume Up , on the word and select Add to dictionary.
To add several words to your dictionary:
- If you haven’t already, sign in to your Chromebook.
- At the bottom right, select the time. Or press Alt + Shift + s.
- Select Settings
.
- Under "Device," select Keyboard
Change language and input settings.
- Select Spell check.
- Select Custom spelling.
- Enter a word into the field "Add a new word," then select Add word.
- To delete a word from your dictionary, select the X next to the word.
To turn on autocorrect or spell check:
- If you haven't already, sign in to your Chromebook.
- At the bottom right, select the time. Or press Alt + Shift + s.
- Select Settings
.
- Under "Device," select Keyboard
Change language and input settings.
- Select Input method.
- Next to your enabled keyboard, select New tab
.
- Next to "Auto-correction," choose the level of auto-correction you'd like.
- To get more corrections as you type, choose Aggressive.
Note: If you have more than one keyboard language, you'll need to turn on autocorrect for each one. Some keyboards don't have autocorrect.
Note: Currently, word prediction only works in Gmail.
- If you haven't already, sign in to your Chromebook.
- At the bottom right, select the time. Or press Alt + Shift + s.
- Select Settings
.
- Under "Device," select Keyboard
Change language and input settings.
- Select Input method.
- Next to your enabled keyboard, select New tab
.
- Next to "Auto-correction," choose Modest or Aggressive.
- Check the box next to Enable next word prediction.
Fix problems with your keyboard
If the volume or brightness keys don't work, you might be at the upper or lower limit for that setting.
If the backward or forward buttons don't work, check if the same icons in a web browser window are grayed out. For example, if the back button on a webpage is gray, the browser isn't aware of a page to move backward to.
If you're having other problems with your keyboard, try these steps:
- Turn off the Chromebook, then back on.
- Try using the keys while you browse as a guest. If the keys work, delete the account that's having the problem on your Chromebook, then add it again.
- If the owner account is having problems, reset the Chromebook.
If you're still having trouble after trying these steps, contact your Chromebook manufacturer.