Every Accessibility Keyboard Shortcut in Windows 11

Quick Reference: The Most Used Accessibility Shortcuts

This table lists the shortcuts people look for most often. Each one is explained in more detail in the sections that follow.

How to Turn On the Accessibility Keyboard Shortcuts in 🪟 Windows 11

Several accessibility keyboard shortcuts in Windows 11 stay inactive until you enable them in Settings. These steps turn on the shortcuts for Sticky keys, Filter keys, color filters and Mouse keys.

Menu labels below match current Windows 11 builds (24H2 and 25H2). Wording can differ slightly on older builds.

1. Press Windows + U. Settings opens on the Accessibility page, with categories listed on the left and tools grouped in the main pane.

   

2. Select Keyboard. The page lists Sticky keys, Filter keys, Toggle keys and the On-screen keyboard setting.

   

3. Select Sticky keys to expand it. Sticky keys lets you press modifier keys (keys such as Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Windows that change what other keys do) one at a time, instead of holding them together.
4. Turn on Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys. Pressing Shift five times now opens the Sticky keys prompt.
5. Select Filter keys to expand it. Filter keys tells Windows to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes.
6. Turn on Keyboard shortcut for Filter keys. Holding the right Shift key for 8 seconds now offers to turn Filter keys on.
7. Select Back, or press Windows + U again, to return to the Accessibility page.
8. Select Color filters. This page controls screen color adjustments for color blindness and light sensitivity.
9. Turn on Keyboard shortcut for color filters. Then press Windows + Ctrl + C to switch your chosen filter on and off.
10. Return to the Accessibility page and select Mouse. Mouse keys lets the numeric keypad move the pointer.
11. Select Mouse keys to expand it and check the shortcut option. Labels can differ between builds, so use the option that matches what you see in that section.

To undo any of this, return to the same page and turn the shortcut setting off. The tool keeps its own on/off setting. Turning off the shortcut does not stop the tool if it is already running.

If you only want to stop an accidental pop-up, turn off the shortcut for that one feature. Leave the others on.

Shortcuts That Open Accessibility Settings and Tools

The table below lists the shortcuts that open the main accessibility controls from anywhere in Windows 11.

For a tour of what each Accessibility page contains, read How to Use Windows 11 Accessibility Features. If you are setting up a PC for someone else, How Do You Configure Windows 11 Accessibility? covers the wider settings.

Sticky Keys, Filter Keys, Toggle Keys and Mouse Keys Shortcuts

These four features change how the keyboard and numeric keypad respond. Each has a built-in trigger that you can press from any screen.

Sticky Keys Shortcut

Press Shift five times in a row. A prompt asks whether to turn on Sticky keys. Select Yes to confirm.

With Sticky keys on, you press Ctrl, Alt, Shift or the Windows key once, then press the next key. For example, you press Ctrl, release it, then press C to copy. Pressing a modifier key twice locks it until you press it a third time. This is the option for anyone who finds it hard to hold two keys at once.

To turn Sticky keys off, press Shift five times again, or switch it off in Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard. Sticky keys can also turn off when you press two keys at once, if that option is turned on.

Filter Keys Shortcut

Hold the right Shift key for 8 seconds. A prompt appears. Select Yes to turn Filter keys on.

Filter keys covers three behaviors: ignoring quick repeat presses (bounce keys), requiring a longer press (slow keys) and slowing key repeat (repeat keys). The setup, including each timing option, is covered in How to Manage Keyboard Filter Keys in Windows 11 Accessibility Settings.

Toggle Keys Shortcut

Hold Num Lock for 5 seconds. Toggle keys plays a sound when you press Caps Lock, Num Lock or Scroll Lock, so you know the state changed without looking at an indicator light.

Repeat the same 5-second hold to turn it off. The setting also appears as Toggle keys in Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard. Some builds may not have a separate on/off checkbox for this shortcut.

Mouse Keys Shortcut

Press Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock. A prompt asks you to confirm. Mouse keys then lets the numeric keypad move the pointer (the arrow on screen that the mouse moves).

With Mouse keys on and Num Lock set so the keypad is active for pointer control, these keys apply:

• The 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 keys on the numeric keypad move the pointer in each direction.
• 5 clicks.
• / selects the left mouse button, - selects the right button and * selects both.
• + double-clicks.
• 0 holds a button down for dragging, and . releases it.
• Hold Ctrl to move the pointer faster. Hold Shift to move it more slowly.

Magnifier Shortcuts

Magnifier enlarges part or all of the screen. Windows has three views: full screen, lens (a movable magnified rectangle) and docked (a fixed magnified strip at the top of the screen).

The Plus and Minus keys work on both the main keyboard and the numeric keypad. If Magnifier opens too large or too small, press Windows + Minus or Windows + Plus until the text is comfortable. The zoom steps and other options are in Settings › Accessibility › Magnifier.

Narrator Shortcuts

Narrator is the built-in screen reader that reads aloud what is on screen. Many Narrator commands use the Narrator key, which is Caps Lock or Insert by default. Either key works.

While Narrator runs with Caps Lock as its key, press Caps Lock twice quickly to toggle Caps Lock as normal. The first time you start Narrator, a short setup screen may appear. Select Exit on the Narrator Quick Start window if you want to move on, or work through it to learn the basics.

The full setup is in How to Set Up Windows Narrator for Accessibility.

Color Filters and Contrast Theme Shortcuts

These shortcuts change how the screen looks to make it easier to read or to reduce strain.

Win+Ctrl+C does nothing until you turn on Keyboard shortcut for color filters in Settings › Accessibility › Color filters. Choose a filter on that page first. The shortcut then toggles the filter you chose.

The contrast theme shortcut may show a confirmation prompt before it applies. If nothing happens, open Settings › Accessibility › Contrast themes and apply a theme there. Some builds may not have a setting to disable this shortcut.

Voice, Captions and On-Screen Keyboard Shortcuts

These shortcuts handle input and output without a standard keyboard or without sound.

Voice access and live captions are available in current Windows 11 versions. The first time you use either one, Windows may ask you to download language files, so you need an internet connection for that step.

The On-Screen Keyboard shows a clickable keyboard on screen, useful when a physical keyboard is unavailable. Read How to Open and Use the On-Screen Keyboard in Windows 11 for its options.

Everyday Shortcuts for Using Windows Without a Mouse

These standard shortcuts are not part of the Accessibility settings, but they matter most for anyone who navigates by keyboard.

Use the arrow keys to move through a menu. Use Enter to select an item and Esc to go back.

Shortcuts for Switching Keyboard Language

People who type in more than one language need a fast way to switch. Two shortcuts handle it:

• Windows + Spacebar switches between installed input languages and layouts.
• Left Alt + Shift also switches input language by default, if more than one is installed.

Both do nothing if only one language or layout is installed. To add one, see How to Select Your Default Keyboard Language in Windows 11.

Why an Accessibility Shortcut Doesn’t Work

When a shortcut does nothing, one of these causes is usually responsible.

• The shortcut is turned off. Sticky keys, Filter keys and color filters each have a shortcut setting under Settings › Accessibility. Turn it on, as described above.
• The feature needs a keypad. Mouse keys uses the numeric keypad. A laptop without one cannot control the pointer this way.
• Left and right keys matter. Mouse keys and contrast themes use the left Alt and left Shift keys. Right Shift is used for Filter keys.
• Another app uses the same combination. Some apps register global hotkeys (shortcuts that work in any window). Close the app and try again.
• A work PC restricts it. A managed PC may have accessibility options limited by an administrator. Ask your IT team.
• A known Windows issue. Microsoft lists a known issue on Windows 11 24H2 and 25H2 (KB5101650) where some built-in Windows features stop responding to certain keyboard shortcuts after a hotkey cleanup change. Restart the affected app. If that does not help, report the problem through the Feedback Hub app.

The accessibility prompts can also appear by accident. If Sticky keys keeps popping up during games, turn off Keyboard shortcut for Sticky keys in Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard.

What to Do Next

Press Windows + U now to confirm that Settings › Accessibility opens, then test one shortcut from the table that matches your needs. To find where Windows keeps accessibility tools as files and shortcuts, read How to Find the Accessibility Folder in Windows 11. A feature update or a new user profile can bring back default shortcut settings, so recheck the Keyboard page if a shortcut stops working later.