Enable or Disable Sound Keys in Ubuntu Linux

Sound Keys in Ubuntu makes the system play a short beep when you press Caps⇩, Num Lock, or Scroll Lock. It is a quick audio confirmation that tells you a lock key just changed state, so you can catch a typing mistake before you carry on. The option is available in Ubuntu 22.04 and later.

How to enable or disable Toggle Keys Tone in Ubuntu Linux

The short version: open the Settings app, go to the Accessibility panel, and switch Sound Keys on or off. The full path is Settings › Accessibility › Seeing › Sound Keys. In some older write-ups, and in earlier GNOME releases, this feature is called Toggle Keys. It does the same thing: a sound plays when you press a lock key.

The change applies immediately. You don’t need to log out or restart.

Most Ubuntu settings live in one control center. You manage system configuration, user accounts, updates, and accessibility features from the System Settings panel, so this is the place to start.

Sound Keys is a per-user setting. If several people share the machine, each account has its own switch.

You can also open Settings from the top bar. Follow these steps:

1. Click the System menu in the top-right corner of the top bar. This is the group of icons for network, volume, and power. A panel drops down with quick toggles and a few buttons.

1. Select Settings from the System menu, as shown below. The Settings⚙️ app opens with a list of categories in the left sidebar.

The Accessibility panel groups the features that change how the system looks, sounds, and responds to your keyboard and mouse. Sound Keys is one of them.

1. In the Settings⚙️ window, find Accessibility in the left sidebar. If the list is long, scroll down, because it sits lower than most categories.
2. Click Accessibility. The panel opens on the right, with the options split into groups such as Seeing, Hearing, and Typing.

Sound Keys is listed under the Seeing group, not Hearing. That trips people up because it produces a sound, but it is filed there as an aid for people who can’t see the keyboard’s lock-key lights.

1. In Settings › Accessibility, look under Seeing.
2. Select Sound Keys. The options for the feature are shown, including the on/off switch.

If you don’t see Sound Keys, check your Ubuntu version. The layout described here matches Ubuntu 22.04 and later. Older releases arrange the Accessibility panel differently.

1. In the Sound Keys window, flip the switch to the On position. The switch changes colour to show it is active.
2. Test it by pressing Caps Lock or Num Lock. You should hear a beep each time you press one of the lock keys. The change takes effect right away.

If you hear nothing, check that the system volume is not muted and that the correct output device is selected in Settings › Sound. Sound Keys uses the normal system sound output.

To turn the feature off, reverse the change.

1. Open Settings › Accessibility and go back to the Sound Keys window.
2. Flip the switch to the Off position. The beeps stop right away, and you can turn the switch back on at any time.

That completes the process. You can now close the Settings app. Your choice is saved to your account and stays in place after you log out or restart.

Conclusion:

• Enabling or disabling Sound Keys in Ubuntu Linux is a simple process done through the Settings app, in the Accessibility panel.
• The feature provides auditory feedback for Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock keys and can be toggled on or off according to your preference, with no restart needed.
• Following the steps in this post, you can manage the Sound Keys feature to suit your needs.