Whether it is in the home office, bedroom, or in the living room on the couch, working from home often requires alternative, or at the very least awkward, interaction with our devices. The global COVID-19 pandemic has changed how and where many of us work. SEE: Coronavirus: Critical IT policies and tools every business needs (TechRepublic Premium) You can also opt to enable the microphone to open the dictation interface or one of the touchpad options to move to an interface that supports touch displays.īeyond the type of interface and style of keyboard, there is also an option to choose a different language for your virtual keyboard. There are three different styles of virtual keyboards, including a full QWERTY keyboard ( Figure D). Click the X in the upper right corner to hide the virtual keyboard again.īy choosing one of the icons located in the upper left-hand corner of your virtual keyboard, you can change the default settings. You can click the virtual keys with your mouse or, if you have a touch display, you can tap the keys with your finger. Showing the touch keyboard button means that you should now have a keyboard icon located in the taskbar tray on your Windows 10 desktop, as shown in Figure B.Ĭlicking that icon in your taskbar will bring up a virtual keyboard, as shown in Figure C. Right-click on any open area of your Taskbar and select the “Show touch keyboard button” item from the context menu ( Figure A). Enable and use virtual input devices in Windows 10Įnabling access to the built-in Windows 10 virtual interface is about as simple as it gets for this operating system. This how-to tutorial shows you how to enable and use the virtual interface built into Microsoft Windows 10. TechRepublic and the author were not compensated for this independent review.

Obviously, it can be difficult to type with a squirming (or purring) creature on our lap, which is where an alternative virtual interface can save the day.ĭisclosure: TechRepublic may earn a commission from some of the products featured on this page. Must-read Windows coverageĭefend your network with Microsoft outside-in security servicesįor many of us, working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic means working with the reality of children and pet interactions and interruptions to our workflow. These virtual input devices can come in handy under certain conditions when proper ergonomic interaction with your device is problematic. Microsoft Windows 10 includes a simple set of virtual interfaces because circumstances often require more than just the standard options.Īlthough they are often forgotten, the latest version of Microsoft Windows 10 includes a simple to enable and use set of virtual interfaces. How to enable and use virtual input devices in Windows 10

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