Sticky Keys, Filter Keys and Toggle Keys are accessibility features that change how the keyboard behaves. They are useful for the people they are designed for and confusing for everyone else, because each has a shortcut that turns it on by accident: five taps of Shift, eight seconds on the right Shift, or five seconds on Num Lock. This guide explains what each one does, how to turn it off, and how to disable the shortcuts so it stays off.
What each feature does
| Feature | What it does | Accidental shortcut | Symptom when on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sticky Keys | Modifiers stay “held” after one press | Shift five times | Capitals or shortcuts fire when you did not hold the key; a popup appears |
| Filter Keys | Ignores brief or repeated presses | Hold right Shift for 8 seconds | Dropped letters, lag, keys that work only when held |
| Toggle Keys | Beeps when a lock key changes | Hold Num Lock for 5 seconds | Beep on Caps Lock or Num Lock |
On a Mac, Sticky Keys keeps its name and Filter Keys is called Slow Keys. There is no Toggle Keys.
Turn them off in Windows 11
- Open Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard.
- Turn off Sticky keys, Filter keys and Toggle keys.
To stop them coming back:
- Click into Sticky keys and turn off Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys.
- Click into Filter keys and turn off Keyboard shortcut for Filter keys.
- Click into Toggle keys and turn off its shortcut.
The quick route: press Win+Ctrl+O to reveal the on-screen keyboard is not needed; instead search Start for “Sticky keys” and the settings page opens directly.
Turn them off in Windows 10
- Open Settings → Ease of Access → Keyboard.
- Turn off Use Sticky Keys, Use Filter Keys and Use Toggle Keys.
- Untick Allow the shortcut key to start Sticky Keys, and the same under Filter Keys and Toggle Keys.
The classic Control Panel path also works: Control Panel → Ease of Access Center → Make the keyboard easier to use.
Turn them off on a Mac
- Open System Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard.
- Turn off Sticky Keys and Slow Keys.
- Click the i next to Sticky Keys and turn off Press the Shift key five times to toggle Sticky Keys.
The Mac also has a Shortcut option under Accessibility → Shortcut that lets Option+Command+F5 open an accessibility panel; leave it on or off as you prefer.
Turn them off on a Chromebook
Open Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard and text input and turn off Sticky keys. Chrome OS has no Filter Keys equivalent.
When you actually want them
Sticky Keys is genuinely useful for one-handed typing or for people with limited dexterity: press Ctrl, release, press C, and Windows sends Ctrl+C. Filter Keys helps if a tremor causes doubled letters, and its repeat settings can slow key repeat further than the standard keyboard settings allow. If that is you, turn them on the same way and keep the shortcuts on so you can toggle them without the mouse.
Symptoms these cause, and where to go next
- Capital letters or shortcuts triggering on their own: Sticky Keys. See Shift key not working.
- Dropped letters and lag: Filter Keys. See Keyboard lag or input delay.
- Keys that work only when held: Filter Keys. See One key not working.
- Alt or Ctrl combinations failing: Sticky Keys. See Alt key not working.
- Beeps on Caps Lock: Toggle Keys.
Use them on purpose without the surprises
If you rely on Sticky Keys, three settings make it predictable. Under its options on Windows, Lock modifier keys when pressed twice in a row lets you double-tap Shift to hold it until you tap again; Turn off Sticky Keys when two keys are pressed at the same time switches it off the moment someone uses the keyboard normally, which is the setting that makes it seem to turn off by itself; and Play a sound when a modifier key is pressed confirms each press. Turn the second one off if you want Sticky Keys to stay on.
Filter Keys has two modes worth knowing. Bounce Keys ignores repeated presses of the same key within a set time, which is a genuine fix for a chattering switch. Slow Keys ignores any press shorter than a set time, which is the mode that makes a keyboard feel dead. The Windows dialog lets you pick one or the other.
The shortcuts, listed
| Feature | Windows shortcut | Mac shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Sticky Keys | Press Shift 5 times | Press Shift 5 times (if enabled in Accessibility) |
| Filter Keys | Hold right Shift for 8 seconds | None; Slow Keys has no shortcut |
| Toggle Keys | Hold Num Lock for 5 seconds | None |
| Mouse Keys | Left Alt+Left Shift+Num Lock | Option+Command+F5 opens the accessibility shortcuts panel |
| High contrast | Left Alt+Left Shift+Print Screen | Control+Option+Command+8 inverts colors |
Every one of the Windows shortcuts can be disabled individually in Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard, and Mouse Keys under Accessibility → Mouse.
Troubleshooting flow
- Search Start or System Settings for “Sticky keys”.
- Turn off Sticky, Filter and Toggle Keys (Sticky and Slow on a Mac).
- Turn off each feature’s keyboard shortcut.
- Tap each modifier once to clear any stuck state.
- Test typing.
Related
Frequently asked questions
Why does a Sticky Keys window appear when I press Shift? +
Pressing Shift five times in a row is the shortcut that offers to turn Sticky Keys on. Games and fast typing trigger it. Turn off the shortcut in the Sticky Keys settings to stop the prompt.
What does Sticky Keys actually do? +
It lets you press modifier keys one at a time instead of holding them, so Ctrl then C works like Ctrl+C. It exists for people who cannot press two keys together.
What does Filter Keys do? +
It ignores brief or repeated keystrokes and can slow key repeat. It helps people with tremors, but for everyone else it makes the keyboard feel laggy or drop letters.
Why does my keyboard beep when I press Caps Lock? +
Toggle Keys is on. It plays a sound whenever Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock changes. Turn it off under Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard.
Are Sticky Keys and Filter Keys on the Mac? +
Yes. Sticky Keys has the same name; Filter Keys is called Slow Keys. Both are under System Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard.