How to Enable Caps Lock | Three Methods That Actually Work

Enabling Caps Lock works differently on every device — a double-tap of Shift does it on iPhone and iPad, while Windows, Chromebooks, and standard keyboards all use their own method.

One wrong tap and you’re typing in all caps again. The fix depends entirely on what device sits in front of you. A physical keyboard has a dedicated Caps Lock key, but iPhones hide the setting three menus deep, and Chromebooks skip the key entirely. Here is the exact procedure for every major platform, from the one-tap toggle to the registry hack that kills the key for good.

How Caps Lock Works on a Full-Size Keyboard

Most Windows, Mac, and Linux desktop keyboards include a dedicated Caps Lock key on the left side, usually between Tab and Shift. Pressing it once locks the alphabetic keys into uppercase; pressing it again unlocks them. A small LED on the key or keyboard frame lights up when Caps Lock is active.

This is the simplest case — no setup required. If the key does nothing, the next step is checking whether the keyboard layout or a remapping tool has disabled it. The Windows registry method in this guide can also reverse a broken or stuck Caps Lock key.

How to Enable Caps Lock on iPhone and iPad

Your iPhone or iPad does come with Caps Lock, but it is turned off by default and requires a setting change before the double-tap gesture works.

Open Settings > General > Keyboard and toggle Enable Caps Lock to the on position — the switch turns green. Once enabled, double-tap the Shift key (the up-arrow icon) on the on-screen keyboard to lock uppercase. Double-tap Shift again to turn it off.

This setting is device-wide and applies to all apps. There is no physical Caps Lock key on an iPhone or iPad, so the software toggle is the only way to enable the feature. Apple’s community guidance confirms the setting exists on all modern iOS and iPadOS versions.

How to Enable Caps Lock on a Chromebook

Chromebook keyboards rarely include a dedicated Caps Lock key. The Search key — the magnifying-glass key where Caps Lock sits on standard boards — serves as the default launcher key. Enabling Caps Lock means remapping that key or using a shortcut.

Open Settings > Device > Keyboard. Under the list of modifier keys, locate Search and change its assignment to Caps Lock. The Search key now works as a Caps Lock toggle. Alternatively, hold Search + Alt together to switch Caps Lock on and off without changing the keyboard layout — handy when you need it temporarily and want to keep the Search key functional.

The shortcut method works on the current version of ChromeOS regardless of the keyboard model. The remap method depends on keyboard settings available on your specific Chromebook; most models support it.

Windows 10 and 11: The Two Ways to Control Caps Lock

Windows offers two distinct routes — one that changes how Caps Lock turns off, and another that disables the key entirely. Pick the one that fits your habit.

Change Caps Lock Behavior So Shift Turns It Off

You can make the Shift key deactivate Caps Lock instead of pressing the Caps Lock key again. This is useful for touch typists who hit Shift reflexively after accidentally engaging Caps Lock.

Navigate to Start > Settings > Time & Language > Typing > Advanced keyboard settings > Language bar options > Advanced Key Settings. In the dialog box, select Press the SHIFT key and then Apply and OK. Lenovo’s official support documentation confirms these exact steps for Windows 10 and 11.

Once applied, pressing Shift turns off Caps Lock, but the Caps Lock key still activates it. The setting does not remove the Caps Lock key — it only changes the deactivation method.

Disable Caps Lock Completely in Windows 11

If you never want Caps Lock to work, a registry edit removes its function at the system level. This is a permanent change until you delete the registry entry, so copy the code exactly as shown.

Open Registry Editor and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layout. Right-click the Keyboard Layout folder, choose New > Binary Value, name it Scancode Map, and paste the following data:

00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,02,00,00,00,00,00,3a,00,00,00,00,00

Reboot your computer. The Caps Lock key will do nothing. If you need it back later, delete the Scancode Map entry and restart. Microsoft Q&A confirms this method works across Windows 10 and 11.