Elain Brown Tech 05.26.2022 19:May PM EDT

Chromebook Tips: Here’s How To Customize Your Keyboard

The Chromebook's keyboards have different key functions, unlike any other operating system.

Chromebooks have distinctive keyboards, which are unlike those of other computers. Instead of the usual function keys, the keyboard has a row of keys that are each used for a different Chrome OS function.

This is what makes the Chrome OS different from Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows in a variety of ways, and Google has modified the keyboard on its Chromebooks to emphasize these distinctions.

The fact that the layout of the keyboard can change depending on the model of Chromebook you are using adds another layer of complexity to an already complicated situation.

For instance, rather than the typical Caps Lock key that is found on most keyboards, Chromebooks have a key command called the Launcher key. If Microsoft has a Windows Start Menu and Apple has a Mac Launchpad, Google's Chromebook has the Launcher key.

How To Customize Keyboard in Chromebook

If you are looking to make your Chromebook's keyboard a little more familiar and convenient, you can freely customize your functions and commands to your own liking, according to The Verge.

To customize your keyboard, all you need to do is navigate to the Keyboard section of the settings on your Chromebook:

Simply select the clock that's located in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen.
Click the icon that looks like a gear that appears in the new panel.
Scroll down until you reach the Device subheading, then click the option that says Keyboard.

After doing that, you will see a list of keys that you can customize to suit your workflow. The keys listed are:

The key for the Launcher (also called the Search key)
The control key
The key labeled Alt
The key labeled "Escape"
The key labeled "Backspace"
The key for the Assistant on Pixel Books

The default options might not be that vast, but you can still interchange those keys with the different function assigned to it, choosing from the options below:

Alt
Ctrl
Escape
Assistant
Caps Lock
Backspace
Search or Launcher

However, to reassign any key, all you have to do is click the box next to it and then select the new function you would like it to perform.

Furthermore, there is one more keyboard customization option that you can try.

Just below the list of keys that you can customize, you will find a setting that says "Treat top-row keys as function keys." If you activate the toggle that is located next to it, the specialty keys that are located on the top row of the keyboard of your Chromebook will be converted into standard F1-style function keys.

These keys control actions such as going back, reloading a page and maximizing a window. You will still be able to use their specialized functions in that situation.

However, in order to do so, you will need to first press and hold the Launcher key and then use the buttons.

How To Create Shortcuts on External Keys on Chromebook

Aside from your internal keyboard, you can also change the commands of your external keyboards to cater to your needs.

To customize your functions, as recommended by Google, here's what you have to do. First, if you're on Windows, press the command key. On the other hand, if you are using a Mac keyboard, press Command.