• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Technipages

Smart phone, gadget and computer tutorials

  • Topics
    • Android
    • Gaming
    • Hardware
    • Internet
    • iOS
    • MacOS
    • Office
    • Software
    • Windows
    • Definitions
  • Product Reviews
  • Downloads
  • About
Linux Mint: How to Enable the on-Screen Keyboard

Linux Mint: How to Enable the on-Screen Keyboard

Posted on November 27, 2020 by Mel Hawthorne Leave a Comment

If you have difficulty with using a keyboard, you may prefer using an on-screen keyboard that you can control with other input devices. While not particularly useful for most users, it can be important to those users that need it.

To activate Linux Mint’s on-screen keyboard, you need to go into the accessibility settings. To do so, click on the Linux Mint icon in the bottom-left corner, then move the mouse up to “All Applications” and then sideways to the top option “Accessibility”.

To open the accessibility settings, click on the Linux Mint icon in the bottom-left corner, then hover over “All Applications” and click on “Accessibility”.

Once in the accessibility settings, switch to the “Keyboard” tab and click the top slider, labelled “Enable the on-screen keyboard” to the “On” position.

Switch to the “Keyboard” tab, then click the “Enable the on-screen keyboard” slider to the “On” position.

Four more keyboard options will appear once the keyboard has been enabled. The first allows you to configure the layout of the keyboard, you can choose between “Tablet”, “Touch”, “Full scale”, and “Scanning”.

“Keyboard position” allows you to configure the location of the on-screen keyboard. You have a choice between it being located at the top or the bottom of the screen. The “Keyboard size” option, allows you to configure how much of the screen the on-screen keyboard takes up, with the ability to choose a quarter, third, or half of the vertical space of the screen.

Note: When testing the keyboard position and size settings, it appeared the on-screen keyboard needed to be toggled off and on again for the settings to take effect. It’s also important to point out that placing the on-screen keyboard at the bottom of the screen caused it to interfere with screen elements such as the start menu. Placing the keyboard at the top of the screen reliably set that part of the screen aside for the exclusive use of the on-screen keyboard.

Placing the on-screen keyboard at the bottom of the screen can cause it to interfere with the start bar.

The “Activation mode” setting allows you to choose if the on-screen keyboard is always enabled when the user has enabled it, or if the keyboard only appears if a text box is expecting input.

Note: Some apps, such as Google Chrome do not get recognised as expecting input so the keyboard may never show up unless set to be always enabled.

For the best experience, we would recommend using your preferred layout, placing the keyboard at the top of the screen, setting it to “a quarter of the screen”, and leaving it permanently enabled.

You Might Also Like

  • Linux Mint: How to Change Your Keyboard LayoutLinux Mint: How to Change Your Keyboard Layout
  • Linux Mint: How to Rebind System Keyboard ShortcutsLinux Mint: How to Rebind System Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Linux Mint: How to Create New Custom Keyboard ShortcutsLinux Mint: How to Create New Custom Keyboard Shortcuts
  • Linux Mint: How to Enable Key DebouncingLinux Mint: How to Enable Key Debouncing
  • Windows 10: Enable/Disable On-Screen KeyboardWindows 10: Enable/Disable On-Screen Keyboard
  • Linux Mint: How to Enable Visual Accessibility FeaturesLinux Mint: How to Enable Visual Accessibility Features
  • Linux Mint: How to Enable Automatic Checks for Captive PortalsLinux Mint: How to Enable Automatic Checks for…
  • Linux Mint: How to Show the Clock and an Away Message on the Lock ScreenLinux Mint: How to Show the Clock and an Away…
  • Linux Mint: How to Add New ExtensionsLinux Mint: How to Add New Extensions

Filed Under: Software

Reader Interactions

Did this help? Let us know! Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Microsoft Teams: Mouse Scroll Wheel Not Working
  • Fix Microsoft Teams Browser Not Supported
  • Android 10: How to Adjust the Keyboard Size
  • OneNote Error Code 0xE00001AE – Fix
  • WhatsApp: How to Change Your Phone Number
  • Fix OneNote Error 0xe00001bb: Section Is Corrupted
  • Zoom: How to Show the Unread Message Icon
  • How To Calculate Tips on Android

Who’s Behind Technipages?

Baby and Daddy My name is Mitch Bartlett. I've been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.

You May Also Like

  • Best Smart Phone with Keyboard: Top 8 Reviewed
  • Linux
  • Screen Font
  • Screen Saver

© Copyright 2021 Technipages · All Rights Reserved · Privacy