Caps Lock on a Chromebook: How to activate it

One of the first things new Chromebook users realize is that the Caps Lock key on the keyboard isn't actually a Caps Lock key. Google replaced it with a Search key on Chromebooks, which is also referred to as the Launcher key or, as of late last year, the Everything button. Why? because a lot more people now utilize search than they use capital-letter sequences. The fact that Google is rather well-known for search makes sense as well.

Without a doubt, there are instances when you'll want to express your feelings in all caps, in which case you'll need to hold down the Shift key while typing. However, things don't have to be that way. Here are instructions on how to change the Search key to the Caps Lock key and how to do it using a keyboard shortcut.

Head to the Settings section of your Chromebook

The Settings menu on your Chromebook can be accessed in a few different ways. Ironically, one of them is to utilize the key you want to switch functions for, Search. When you start typing Keyboard while holding down the Search key, you'll notice options for Shortcuts (I'll talk about those in a moment) at the top and to open the Keyboard settings immediately below.

By selecting the time in the lower right corner of your screen, you may also access the Settings menu. You can then access the complete options menu by clicking the sprocket icon at the top of the quick settings panel, which is opened as a result. You can then scroll down to the Device settings or utilize the navigation on the left side of the Settings to get there right away. Simply select Keyboard when you get there.

Caps Lock, Swap Search, and other things

The Search key's function can be changed using a drop-down menu at the very top of the Keyboard options. Simply pick Caps Lock from the drop-down menu after clicking on it. Since you no longer require the Search key for Caps Lock, you can now use Caps Lock exclusively for whatever purpose you needed it.

While you're in the Keyboard options, you may change how the Ctrl, Alt, Esc, and Backspace keys behave as well as make a few other adjustments that can make using your Chromebook more convenient for you. A comprehensive list of keyboard shortcuts, including one for activating and deactivating caps lock, are also accessible from this page.

You've selected to continue using the Search key

For good reason—you can access a lot with it both online and offline—Google rebranded the Search/Launcher button as the Everything button. You may use it to activate applications, launch Gmail emails, locate local files, perform web searches, and a ton more things. Keyboard shortcuts can be used for several Search key operations. Go to Settings>Device>Keyboard>View keyboard shortcuts to see a list of them. Of course, there is another one there for turning caps lock on and off.

Caps lock is activated by pressing the Alt key along with the Search key. When it's turned on, a notification symbol with an up arrow and a line underneath it will show up in the bottom right corner of the screen. Caps lock can be disabled by pressing those two keys together once more and by pressing the Shift key.

There you have it, then. The two simplest methods for activating caps lock are those two. On a Chromebook, I find the Search key to be essential for expediting tasks, but if you simply want your Caps Lock key to return to its proper location, you now know how to do it.