Where are the keyboard settings?
The keyboard screen is where autocorrect, predictive text and extra languages all live, and it is usually one or two taps from the start. We read the settings tree of all 43 systems in the catalogue and recorded where each one keeps it.
What each system calls it
22 of the 43 operating systems in our catalogue have this setting, and between them they use three different labels for it:
| Name on screen | Systems |
|---|---|
| Keyboard | 19 |
| Keyboards | 1 |
| On-screen keyboard | 1 |
| On-Screen Keyboard | 1 |
The most common is Keyboard, on 19 of the 22. If that is not the word on your screen, the table above is the rest of the vocabulary to try.
Some of those rows differ only in capitalisation — 4 spellings for three actual names. We have kept them apart because that is what is printed on the screen, and a settings search that matches case will tell them apart too.
Where it lives on each system
These are the shortest paths from the first settings screen on the newest release of each system. 16 of the 22 are within two taps; the rest sit deeper, and the table shows how much deeper.
| System | Path | Taps |
|---|---|---|
| Firefox OS Firefox OS 2.5 | Keyboards | 1 |
| Mac OS 9 9.2 | Keyboard | 1 |
| Mac OS X 10.6 | Keyboard | 1 |
| macOS 27 Golden Gate | Keyboard | 1 |
| Ubuntu 26.04 LTS | Keyboard | 1 |
| Windows 98 98 SE | Keyboard | 1 |
| BlackBerry OS 10 | Language and Input › Keyboard | 2 |
| Google TV 14 | Device Preferences › Keyboard | 2 |
| iOS 27.0 | General › Keyboard | 2 |
| iPadOS 27.0 | General › Keyboard | 2 |
| KaiOS 3.0 | Device › Keyboard | 2 |
| Meta Quest v81 | Bluetooth › Keyboard | 2 |
| tvOS 27 | System › Keyboard | 2 |
| visionOS 27 | General › Keyboard | 2 |
| Windows 11 | Accessibility › Keyboard | 2 |
| Windows XP SP3 | Printers and Other Hardware › Keyboard | 2 |
| ChromeOS 151 | Accessibility › Keyboard and text input › On-screen keyboard | 3 |
| HarmonyOS 6.0 | System & updates › Language & input › Keyboard | 3 |
| OxygenOS 16 | System settings › Languages and input › Keyboard | 3 |
| Samsung Tizen TV Tizen 10 | Connected Devices › Device Manager › Keyboard | 3 |
| Wear OS 7 | System › Languages & input › Keyboard | 3 |
| Windows 7 SP1 | Ease of Access › Ease of Access Center › Start On-Screen Keyboard › On-Screen Keyboard | 4 |
Each system name above opens the real menu in the simulator, so you can walk the path before you touch your own device.
Why the names came out this way
On touch systems the keyboard is software, so its settings sit near language and input. On desktop systems the keyboard is hardware, so its settings sit near the mouse. Same word, two completely different neighbourhoods, and that is the main reason people cannot find it after switching.
The plural matters: a system that says Keyboards expects you to have more than one installed, which is usually a sign that it handles multiple languages well.
Find it on your own device
If your system is not in the table, or the label on your screen is different again, there are three ways through it:
- Search every system at once for a setting by name — it looks inside all 43 trees, not just the one you are holding.
- Open your own system in the settings simulator and click to the screen without changing anything real.
- Follow the step-by-step guide to changing the system language, or see where that setting lives on every system.
Related settings in the same part of the menu:
- Where are the date and time settings?
- Where is the 24-hour time setting?
- Where is the autocorrect setting?
All of it comes from the same catalogue: 43 systems, 135 versions, published as an open dataset.
Try it yourself, on the real menusOpen any of 43 operating systems in your browser and walk the Settings tree exactly as it appears on the device. No download, no account.Frequently asked questions
Where are the keyboard settings on most systems?
On 16 of the 22 systems that have it, within two taps of the first settings screen. The most common label is “Keyboard”, used by 19 of them. The table above gives the exact path for each system.
Why can I not find it by searching my settings?
Because settings search matches the label your system uses, and there are three different labels in use for this one setting. Searching for the word your previous device used is the single most common reason a setting appears to be missing.
How many systems have this setting at all?
22 of the 43 operating systems we catalogue. The rest either have no hardware for it or fold the behaviour into something else, which is why a feature that feels universal often is not.