How to Enable or Disable Display Additional Keys Pressed when using Pen in Windows 11
You can enable or disable the display of additional keys pressed when using a pen in Windows 11 through the Pen & Windows Ink settings.
The "Show additional keys pressed with pen" feature displays modifier keys like Shift, Ctrl, Alt, and Win directly on your screen when you press them with a digital pen. This visual cue helps users track complex pen-and-keyboard actions.
Windows 11's "Show visual feedback on screen" setting makes keyboard key presses visible near the pen cursor. For example, when a user holds down the Shift key to draw a perfect circle, this action appears on screen.
Go to Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Pen & Windows Ink. Expand Additional pen settings and check or uncheck the box for “Display additional keys pressed when using my pen” to enable or disable it.
Option 1Use Settings
You can turn on or off the display of additional pen keys in Windows 11 right from the Settings app.- Open Settings by pressing ⊞ Win+I on your keyboard.
- Click or tap Bluetooth & devices on the left side. Then click or tap Pen & Windows Ink on the right side. Open Pen & Windows Ink settings
- Click or tap Additional pen settings to expand it.
- Check the box to enable or uncheck the box to disable Display additional keys pressed when using my pen. By default, this is unchecked (disabled).
- You can now close Settings.
Option 2Use Registry
Open the Windows Terminal app and run the commands below.
Enable Display Additional Keys Pressed when using Pen
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Pen" /v PenKeySuppress /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
Disable Display Additional Keys Pressed when using Pen
This is the default setting.
reg add "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Windows\Pen" /v PenKeySuppress /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Summary
This guide shows you how to control whether Windows 11 displays extra pen keys, like Shift or Ctrl, right on your screen when you use your pen.
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Richard
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Richard, a writer for Geek Rewind, is a tech enthusiast who loves breaking down complex IT topics into simple, easy-to-understand ideas. With years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, he’s developed a knack for offering practical tips and solutions. Richard aims to make technology more accessible and actionable. He's deeply committed to the Geek Rewind community, always ready to answer questions and engage in discussions.
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