How to use the keyboard tester
- Press Start testing.
- Press keys on a physical keyboard. Each key you press lights up while held and turns green once it has worked.
- Read the last key, its code, its location and the modifiers held, and the count of keys tested.
- Press Escape twice quickly or use the button to stop. Use Reset to start again.
What is tested
The page listens for key presses while testing is on, and lights up the matching key on a full-size US layout with a number pad. It shows the key value, the key code and where the key is, such as left, right or number pad. A key code names the physical key, so the key keeps its place whatever language the keyboard is set to.
If a key never lights up, the keyboard may not send it, or the browser or the system may keep it for itself. Function and media keys, and the Fn key on laptops, usually do not reach web pages at all. A key your keyboard does not have simply stays gray. A phone or tablet without a keyboard cannot be tested.
Your keystrokes are not recorded
The page keeps which keys have been pressed at least once, which is a list of key positions and not a record of what you typed. It does not keep the order, the timing or any text. Nothing is logged and nothing is sent anywhere. The last key shown is replaced by the next one.
While testing is on the page takes over the keys so browser shortcuts and scrolling do not interfere. To leave without a mouse, press Escape twice within a moment. Related tools are the typing test, the reaction time test and the tally counter, and the screen resolution checker covers your display.
When to use it
Use it after cleaning a keyboard, after a spill, when a key seems to stick or double-type, or when checking a new keyboard. Pressing a key slowly and then quickly can reveal a switch that registers only some of the time.
Assumptions and limits
- The layout is a full-size US keyboard with a number pad and shows physical key positions.
- Only the set of keys pressed and the last key are kept, in memory, and are never stored or sent.
- Keys the browser or system keeps, such as Fn and media keys, cannot be tested.
- Press Escape twice quickly to stop testing from the keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
How do I test if a key on my keyboard works?
Press Start testing, then press the key. If it works, it turns green on the on-screen keyboard and the key code is shown.
Does this record what I type?
No. It remembers which keys have been pressed, not the order or the text, and it never sends anything.
Why does the Fn key not show up?
Most keyboards handle Fn inside the keyboard itself and never send it to the computer, so a web page cannot see it.
Why do some shortcuts not work while testing?
The page captures keys during a test so you can see them. Press Escape twice quickly to stop and get your shortcuts back.