How to turn off Sticky Keys on Windows 11

2 min read · 5 steps · Updated 3 October 2026

Sticky Keys lets people press shortcuts such as Ctrl + S one key after the other instead of together. It is a real help for anyone who types with one hand. For everyone else it usually appears by accident, with a beep and a pop-up, after Shift was pressed five times, often in a game.

These steps are for Windows 11. The pictures are simplified diagrams of the Settings window, not screenshots, so colours and spacing on your PC look a little different.

Step by step

1. Open the keyboard settings

   Press Windows key + U, or open Start, Settings, Accessibility. Select Keyboard.

   Done

2. Switch Sticky keys off

   Turn the Sticky keys switch off.

   Done

3. Switch off the shortcut

   Select the Sticky keys entry itself to open its options and switch off Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys. Pressing Shift five times then no longer does anything.

   Done

4. Do the same for Filter keys

   Filter keys makes the keyboard ignore short or repeated key presses, which feels like a keyboard that has stopped working. It turns on when the right Shift key is held for eight seconds. Switch it off in the same list, and its shortcut in its options.

   Done

5. And for Toggle keys

   Toggle keys plays a sound when you press Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock. It turns on when Num Lock is held for five seconds. Switch it off in the same list if the beeps bother you.

   Done

Good to know

If the pop-up Do you want to turn on Sticky Keys? appears, choose No. The link in that pop-up leads straight to the setting for the shortcut.

If keys still behave oddly afterwards, the keyboard itself may be the cause: Windows 11 keyboard or mouse not working: 7 fixes to try.

An alternative when a key is broken: how to use the on-screen keyboard on Windows 11.

In short: Windows key + U, Keyboard, Sticky keys off, then open the entry and switch off its keyboard shortcut. Filter keys (right Shift, eight seconds) and Toggle keys are in the same list.