How to turn on or off Filter Keys in Windows 10

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The Filter Keys is a Microsoft Windows 10 feature that prevents the computer from recognizing multiple taps of a key on the keyboard. People whose hands tremor have chances of hitting keys on the keyboard, when placed on it.

This might make things difficult if the hands press keys when an application with mapped keys is open on the computer. You can turn the Filter keys on to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes on the keyboard. 

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Ways to Enable/Disable Filter Keys in Windows 10

There are multiple ways for Windows 10 users to turn this on on their computers. 

  1. Keyboard Shortcut
  2. Windows Settings
  3. Control Panel

Turning Filter Keys On or Off with the Keyboard Shortcut

The keyboard shortcut for enabling or disabling the Filter keys is the Shift key. 

Press and hold the Shift key for 8 seconds to activate this feature on your PC. This feature has to be turned on before it can be activated with the keyboard shortcut. 

Enabling Filter Keys using Windows 10 Control Panel

This is how to enable this feature in your computer through the Control Panel:

  1. Search for the Control Panel in the search bar on your Taskbar. Launch it.
  2. In the Control Panel, open the Ease of Access center.
open the Ease of Access center
  1. Choose Make your keyboard easier to use and in it, locate the Make it easier to type section.
Choose Make your keyboard easier to use and in it, locate the Make it easier to type section
  1. In this section, check the Turn on Filter Keys checkbox.
  2. Click Apply and then Ok.

Enabling Filter Keys through the Windows 10 Settings

You can use Windows Settings to allow the shortcut key to start filter keys in a Windows 10 computer. These are the steps to do so:

  1. Open the Windows Settings. It is the gear icon on the left when you open the Start menu.
Open the Windows Settings
  1. Open the Ease of Access settings.
  2. Scroll down on the left pane and select the Keyboard option, under the Interaction section. 
  3. In the Keyboard window, from the Use Filter Keys category, click on the toggle switch under Ignore brief or repeated keystrokes and change keyboard repeat rates to enable the Filter Keys feature. 
Click on the toggle switch under Ignore brief or repeated keystrokes and change keyboard repeat rates to enable the Filter Keys feature
  1. If you wish to use the Shift key as the shortcut, check the Allow the shortcut key to start Filter Keys check box. 

After this is checked, you will be able to ‘Press and hold the right Shift key for eight seconds to turn on Filter keys’.

Options under Filter Keys

When you enable the Filter Keys to feature on your Computer, you will be able to see other options. If you are using the Control Panel to try and figure out what the options could mean and what changes they can make to your PC when enabled or disabled, follow this path first.

Ease of Access Center > Make it easier to type > Turn on Filter Keys

Once you have reached this location, enable Filter Keys and click on the Set up Filter Keys option. A new window opens. 

This Window contains settings dedicated entirely to the Filter Keys feature.

Click on the Setup Filter Keys option.

In this Window, you will see terms that need to be learned about to completely understand the entire concept of Filter Keys and what it does. The important terms are Bounce keys, Repeat keys, and Slow Keys. These sub-features can help stop the entry of double strokes, input by mistake, and the repetition of keyboard input. 

a. Bounce Keys

Bounce Keys instructs Windows to ignore unintended keystrokes. If you press the same key twice by mistake, Bounce keys can help you. Users just have to set a certain period during which the double input will be avoided being entered. A 2-second gap is recommended.

Turn on Bounce Keys

b. Repeat Keys

If you have hand tremors or know someone who does, you may find yourself repeatedly pressing the same key for a long period of time. If you want to disregard repeated keystrokes, turn on the Repeat Keys option. Allows you to change the repetition rate or turn it off completely with the Repeat Keys feature.

c. Slow Keys

Slow keys instruct Windows to ignore keys that are not pressed for a short while. The computer will disregard keyboard repeat rates till the time you set. 

The Repeat Keys and Slow Keys option comes together in the Set Up Filter Key settings. You have to turn on Repeat Keys and Slow keys for these changes to be applied.

Set Up Repeat Keys and Slow Keys option

Other Filter Key Settings

Filter Keys in Windows - Other Filter Key Settings

a. Beep when keys are pressed or accepted

When this option is enabled, you will hear a beep when keys are pressed or accepted after small intervals of time. There are different kinds of beeps based on when the right Shift key is pressed.

  1. If the Right Shift key is pressed for four seconds, a beep will be heard. This is a warning to the user that they are going to activate Filter Keys.
  2. If you hold the Shift key for eight seconds, a rising tone can be heard. This means that these settings have been activated:
    1. RepeatKeys – On, 1 second
    2. SlowKeys – On, 1 second
    3. BounceKeys – Off
  3. When you keep holding it for sixteen seconds, two rising tones will be heard. This triggers Emergency Level 1 Filter Keys configuration:
    1. RepeatKeys – Off
    2. SlowKeys – Off
    3. BounceKeys – On, one second
  4. Holding it for twenty seconds will trigger three rising tones and Emergence Level 2 configurations:
    1. RepeatKeys: Off
    2. SlowKeys: On, two seconds
    3. BounceKeys: Off

b. Display Filter Keys on the Taskbar

This option places a Filter Keys icon on the TaskBar. The FIlter Keys icon is a small timer.

Display Filter Keys on the Taskbar

Click on it to start Filter Keys settings. You can turn on or turn off Filter Keys and other related options. Uncheck this option in the settings to remove the icon on the taskbar.

Do check our article on how To Fix Video Stuttering on Windows 10 Issue

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