How to Enable & Improve On Screen Keyboard in Ubuntu 22.04

Need on-screen virtual keyboard? Here’s how to enable and use the function in Ubuntu 22.04 LTS.

The default GNOME desktop environment has built-in on-screen keyboard for use in case you don’t have a physical keyboard. It’s easy to enable this feature by doing following steps one by one:

Enable on-screen keyboard:

1. Firstly, open settings (gnome-control-center) via the top-right corner system menu option.

2. When it opens, navigate to “Accessibility” in the left. In right, screen down and turn on the option for “Screen Keyboard”.

A new human body icon should appear in top-bar, indicates that “Screen Keyboard” has enabled. There are as well toggle options for ‘High Contrast’, ‘Large Text’, ‘Sticky keys’, and more.

Improve OSK Usability:

On-screen keyboard by default only arise in few cases, such as when you focus the search box in ‘Activities’ overview.

However, it does not show you the virtual keyboard in most cases, include typing in text editor or inserting number in a input box.

So the “Improved OSK” extension is present to improve the function by adding a small indicator applet on top-bar. By clicking on it, you may open up the on-screen keyboard at anytime and any input area your cursor focused.

Install “Improved OSK” extension

Method 1: Install extension via browser

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to install the agent:

sudo apt install chrome-gnome-shell

Next, turn on the slider icon in the link page below to install the extension:

Improved OSK

~~NOTE: The pre-installed Firefox is a Snap package that does not work for this stuff. Use another browser or try method 2.~~

Method 2: Use extension manager

Since Ubuntu 22.04, there’s an “Extension Manager” app available in system repository to install and manage Gnome extensions.

1. First press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open terminal. Then, run command to install the app:

sudo apt install gnome-shell-extension-manager

2. Next, press Windows (Super) key on keyboard, then search for and open the “Extension Manager”

3. Finally, search for and install “Improved OSK” extension using the app under ‘Browse’ tab.

After installed the extension, open its settings page either via “Gnome Extensions” or “Extension Manager” (both available in Ubuntu Software/Gnome Software).

In the preference, you may increase or decrease the keyboard size, ignore touch input, and toggle display the indicator applet.

12 responses to How to Enable & Improve On Screen Keyboard in Ubuntu 22.04

Olav September 14, 2022 at 8:05 pm

Thank you!

Peter russell October 24, 2022 at 4:41 am

Nice fix. Thanks heaps!

Jan Vorel November 9, 2022 at 8:18 am

Very good. Thank you.

Aliah November 25, 2022 at 6:22 pm

Thanks a lot!

min November 27, 2022 at 5:45 pm

new to ubuntu install OCT 2022
this fix my laptop Vr keyboard thanks

Seamus February 2, 2023 at 11:58 pm

Thanks so much for this explanation. Is it possible to set the on screen keyboard to only pop up when the icon in the status bar is tapped? Right now it opens whenever I touch a text field. I’m using Ubuntu 22.04 LTS

Ubufed March 1, 2023 at 3:42 pm

Hello,

In Ubuntu 22.10 it is reported as incompatible
Is it possible to be made compatible?
Thanks

Stephen Brown March 12, 2023 at 7:29 pm

Thank you. Solved the problem

Alvin May 23, 2023 at 1:12 pm

bless you G.

Martins Ngene August 1, 2023 at 4:05 pm

Thank you so much for this post. It helped me a lot.

Hugo November 30, 2023 at 2:28 am

Great post. Thank you Ji m

Eddy April 20, 2024 at 10:27 pm

Thank you…. You’ve saved me from copying and pasting