Filter Keys in Windows 10

Filter Keys is a free Windows feature that helps individuals who press the wrong keys while typing due to tremor or mild in-coordination. It is a free accessibility option within Windows and is therefore always worth trying, although it’s important to point out that keyguards and specialist keyboards may be able to help more.

Open the Windows Start menu and select the gear icon.

Click on “Ease of Access” in the Windows Settings menu.

Select “Keyboard” item.

To enable Filter Keys, slide the toggle switch for “Ignore or slow down brief or repeated keystrokes and adjust keyboard repeat rates”

The three options here allow you to turn on Filter Keys by holding the right shift for 8 seconds. It’s worth noting that for other computer users Filter Keys can be very confusing as it appears that the keyboard is not working. The quite beep sound is useful and Filter Keys icon is useful to help others identify that Filter Keys is enabled and to turn it off if required.

If you are still finding yourself hitting the wrong keys you could try enabling Slow Keys. While this does slow down typing considerably it also reduces errors. Click on the Enable Slow Keys toggle to turn this feature on.

Slow Keys allows you to set a minimum time needed to press a key before windows accepts it as an intentional act. Adjusting this setting to 0.3 seconds is a good compromise between accuracy and speed, but their are various options which you can customize to your need.

Repeat Keys provides a similar function to the Windows keyboard repeat options but with longer delays and slower repeats.

You can choose a longer repeat delay (the first repeated keystroke) than in the standard control panel settings.

Prediction Software to Speed up Typing

If you are using a Slow Keys or a Keyguard then your typing speed will be limited. A special software package able to predict the words you are typing can help to improve efficiency.

On-Screen Keyboards

On-Screen keyboards such the Windows On-Screen Keyboard or Dasher, which can be operated with standard or specialist mice, can sometimes be faster than using a physical keyboard.