How you can remap your Chromebook’s keyboard

Chromebooks are fairly completely different from conventional laptops in a whole lot of methods — and never simply due to their software program.

The obvious bodily distinction? Chromebooks characteristic keyboards with a wide range of Chrome OS-specific capabilities, which implies they don’t have commonplace keys like F1 and even Caps Lock. Relying in your type of working, that might be a welcome change or a large ache.

Should you aren’t thrilled with that association, although, don’t despair. You may really remap a good variety of your Chromebook’s keys and dramatically change how you employ your machine.

To get began, merely head into the Keyboard part of your Chromebook’s settings:

• Click on the clock within the lower-right nook of the display.
• Faucet the gear-shaped icon within the panel that seems.
• Scroll all the way down to the System subhead and click on the Keyboard choice.

There, you’ll see a listing of keys you may customise:

• The Launcher key (additionally referred to as the Search key)
• The Ctrl key
• The Alt key
• The Escape key
• The Backspace key
• The Assistant key (on Pixelbooks solely)

Every key could be remapped to deal with any of the next capabilities:

• Launcher / Search (the Chrome OS app drawer and search immediate)
• Ctrl
• Alt
• Caps Lock
• Escape
• Backspace
• Assistant (on gadgets the place Google Assistant is on the market)

To remap any key, simply click on the field alongside it and choose no matter operate you’d prefer it to have. You would possibly wish to change the Launcher (or Search) key again to a Caps Lock, as an example. Or, if you happen to like having the Launcher key in its default function however nonetheless miss Caps Lock, you would possibly wish to assign the Caps Lock operate to your Escape or Assistant keys.

In case you have any Chromebook aside from the Pixelbook (which, as talked about earlier than, has a devoted Google Assistant key) and need simpler entry to Assistant, you would possibly take into account assigning the Escape key and even the Launcher key to deal with that operate.

There’s another keyboard remapping choice value noting: beneath that checklist of customizable keys, you’ll see a setting referred to as Deal with top-row keys as operate keys. Should you activate the toggle alongside that, the specialty keys on the highest row of your Chromebook’s keyboard — the instructions for going again, reloading a web page, maximizing a window, and so forth — will probably be reworked into commonplace F1-style operate keys. You’ll nonetheless be capable of entry their specialty capabilities in that situation however provided that you first maintain down the Launcher key after which press them.

Replace Might twenty fifth, 2022, 2:30PM ET: This text was initially revealed on October twenty first, 2019, and has been up to date with just a few slight clarifications concerning the Launcher / Search key.