Sticky Keys and Slow Keys on a Mac: Make the Keyboard Easier to Use
Many Mac shortcuts expect you to hold two or three keys at once. That's awkward if you type with one hand, have a tremor, or find fine finger movements difficult. The Mac's keyboard accessibility settings can help.
Find them under Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
Sticky Keys: press shortcuts one key at a time
With Sticky Keys on, modifier keys (Shift, Control, Option, Command, fn) stay "held" after you press them.
So for Command + C, you press Command, let go, then press C.
To turn it on: switch on Sticky Keys in the Keyboard accessibility settings.
How it behaves:
• Press a modifier once and it applies to the next key you press.
• Press it twice to lock it on.
• Press it a third time to release it.
• Press it twice to lock it on.
• Press it a third time to release it.
Symbols appear in a corner of the screen showing which modifiers are active.
Click the ⓘ next to Sticky Keys for options:
• Press the Shift key five times to toggle Sticky Keys. A quick on/off switch.
• Beep when a modifier key is set. Gives you audible confirmation.
• Display pressed keys on screen. Choose where the symbols appear.
• Beep when a modifier key is set. Gives you audible confirmation.
• Display pressed keys on screen. Choose where the symbols appear.
Turned it on by accident? Press Shift five times to switch it off, then turn off that toggle option if it keeps happening.
Slow Keys: ignore accidental presses
With Slow Keys on, a key only registers if you hold it down for a moment. Brief, accidental touches are ignored. This helps if you often brush neighbouring keys.
1. Turn on Slow Keys.
2. Click the ⓘ next to it.
3. Drag the Acceptance delay slider. Start with a short delay and increase it until stray presses stop.
4. Turn on Use click key sounds to hear when a key press has been accepted.
2. Click the ⓘ next to it.
3. Drag the Acceptance delay slider. Start with a short delay and increase it until stray presses stop.
4. Turn on Use click key sounds to hear when a key press has been accepted.
Stop letters repeating
If holding a key a little too long gives you "helllllo":
1. Go to System Settings > Keyboard.
2. Drag Delay until repeat towards Long.
3. Drag Key repeat rate towards Slow, or to Off.
2. Drag Delay until repeat towards Long.
3. Drag Key repeat rate towards Slow, or to Off.
Accessibility Keyboard: type on screen
The Accessibility Keyboard is an on-screen keyboard you click with a mouse, trackpad or other pointing device.
1. In Accessibility > Keyboard, turn on Accessibility Keyboard.
2. A keyboard appears on screen. Click its keys to type.
2. A keyboard appears on screen. Click its keys to type.
It offers typing suggestions as you go, which saves clicks. It also supports Dwell: you hold the pointer still over a key for a moment to "click" it, with no button press needed. That's useful with a head pointer or eye tracker.
Full Keyboard Access: no mouse needed
If the keyboard is easier for you than a mouse or trackpad, turn on Full Keyboard Access. You can then reach every button and control from the keyboard.
• Press Tab to move to the next control, and Shift + Tab to go back.
• Use the arrow keys to move within a group.
• Press Space to activate the highlighted item.
• Press Tab + H to see a list of commands.
• Use the arrow keys to move within a group.
• Press Space to activate the highlighted item.
• Press Tab + H to see a list of commands.
Type less with text replacements
Save keystrokes by creating short codes that expand into longer phrases.
1. Go to System Settings > Keyboard.
2. Click Text Replacements….
3. Click +. Enter a short code in Replace, such as addr, and the full text in With, such as your address.
2. Click Text Replacements….
3. Click +. Enter a short code in Replace, such as addr, and the full text in With, such as your address.
Type the code followed by a space and it expands.
Other ways to avoid the keyboard
• Dictation types what you say.
• Voice Control lets you operate the whole Mac by voice.
• Voice Control lets you operate the whole Mac by voice.
Wrapping up
Start with Sticky Keys if key combinations are the problem and Slow Keys if accidental presses are. Both are in System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard.
