Chromebook Tech Tip: Help! My Chromebook isn't typing the correct keys!

A printable version can be found here.

The Problem:

You or your students are typing away on your Chromebook and all of a sudden you realize when you type the “s” key, it is no longer an “s” but instead a “o”.

What’s Happening?

Chrome OS has the ability to switch between multiple keyboard layouts and languages.  Usually we all use the US standard keyboard, but some people may use the Dvorak, US International, or even Colemak keyboards.  When the keyboard gets “messed up” it is usually because it was either intentionally or unintentionally changed to a different language or keyboard style.

How do I fix it?

Switching between keyboard layouts is pretty quick and easy, which is one of the reasons that we sometimes do it by mistake.

The first step in fixing the problem is to determine which keyboard you are using.  To do this, look in the bottom right corner of your screen.  If you are using the standard US Keyboard (which is the one we are used to using), it should look like this:


If it is on the Dvorak keyboard it will look like this:


Notice the US keyboard says “US” and the Dvorak keyboard says “DV” next to my profile picture.

To change your keyboard layout you can either:

• Press Alt+Shift to switch between different input methods, or
• Press Ctrl and space to switch to your previous input method.

(If they don’t remember the keystrokes, they can just click on the bottom right corner, choose the keyboard option, then choose US)

But what if US isn’t an option?

US Standard (US) keyboard style is the typical qwerty keyboard.  If your students have turned off this option and you are not able to get back to it by clicking Alt+Shift, then you will need to go into the settings and turn it on.  To do this, follow the few short clicks in this video:
https://youtube.portageps.org/v/GZRnuopOtAA