What Filter Keys does and how to turn it off

Filter Keys is an accessibility feature that ignores brief or repeated keystrokes — useful if you have tremors or difficulty controlling how long you hold a key down. When it is on, your computer waits a moment before registering a keystroke, and it ignores rapid repeated presses. If you find yourself typing slower than usual, or keys are not registering when you tap them quickly, Filter Keys is likely the culprit.

You can turn it off in seconds through your accessibility settings. The steps differ slightly between Windows and Mac, but both take you to the same place: the keyboard settings where Filter Keys lives.

Key Takeaways

  • Filter Keys delays keystroke registration and ignores rapid repeated presses, which slows down typing if you do not need the feature.
  • On Windows, open Settings, go to Accessibility > Keyboard, and toggle Filter Keys off.
  • On Mac, open System Settings, go to Accessibility > Keyboard, and uncheck Enable Slow Keys (the Mac name for the same feature).
  • You can turn Filter Keys back on the same way if you need it again later.
  • A keyboard shortcut can also toggle the feature on and off — check your accessibility settings to see if one is set.

Disable Filter Keys on Windows 10 and 11

Open the Settings app by pressing the Windows key and typing "settings", then press Enter. In the Settings window, select Accessibility from the left sidebar.

Click Keyboard in the Accessibility menu. You will see a section labeled "Filter Keys" with a toggle switch next to it. The switch will show On or Off. Click the toggle to turn it off. The change takes effect when ready — you do not need to restart your computer.

If you see a message saying "Filter Keys is controlled by Group Policy" or similar, your computer is managed by a workplace or school network, and you may not have permission to change this setting. Contact your IT department or network administrator.

Disable Filter Keys on Mac

Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and select System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions). In the sidebar, click Accessibility

In the Accessibility menu, click Keyboard. Look for the option labeled Slow Keys — this is Mac's name for the same feature as Windows Filter Keys. If the checkbox next to "Enable Slow Keys" is checked, click it to uncheck it. The change is when ready.

On some older Mac models, you may find this setting under Accessibility > Keyboard > Slow Keys instead. The location varies slightly by macOS version, but the name and function are the same.

Using a keyboard shortcut to toggle Filter Keys

Both Windows and Mac allow you to set a keyboard shortcut that turns Filter Keys on and off without opening settings. This is useful if you need to switch the feature on and off frequently.

On Windows, the default shortcut is holding Shift for eight seconds. If you hold Shift and nothing happens, the shortcut may have been disabled. You can re-enable it in the same Keyboard settings menu: look for "Keyboard shortcut" under the Filter Keys section and toggle it on.

On Mac, you can set a custom shortcut in the Slow Keys section. Click the "Options" button next to Slow Keys and choose a key combination you want to use. Once set, you can press that combination anytime to toggle Slow Keys on or off without opening System Settings.

What to do if Filter Keys keeps turning back on

If you turn off Filter Keys but it turns back on by itself, a keyboard shortcut may be triggering it accidentally. Check whether you are holding Shift (on Windows) or your custom shortcut key (on Mac) for several seconds without meaning to. If that is the case, disable the keyboard shortcut in your accessibility settings so the feature does not toggle unexpectedly.

Another reason Filter Keys might reappear is if your computer is managed by a network administrator who has set it to turn on automatically. If you work or study on a managed device, contact your IT support to ask whether Filter Keys is required by your organization's settings.

Checking if Filter Keys is actually the problem

Before you assume Filter Keys is causing slow typing, test whether it is actually on. On Windows, open Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and look at the Filter Keys toggle. On Mac, open System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and check whether "Enable Slow Keys" is checked. If the toggle or checkbox is already off, something else is slowing down your keyboard — possibly a different accessibility feature, a hardware issue, or a problem with the keyboard itself.

If you have multiple accessibility features on, try turning them off one at a time to see which one is affecting your typing. Sticky Keys (which lets you press modifier keys like Ctrl or Shift one at a time instead of holding them) and Bounce Keys (which ignores repeated key presses within a short time) can also change how your keyboard feels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off Filter Keys affect other accessibility features?

No. Filter Keys is independent — turning it off does not change Sticky Keys, Bounce Keys, or any other feature. You can have some accessibility features on and others off at the same time.

Can I set different Filter Keys settings for different users on the same computer?

Yes. Each user account on Windows and Mac has its own accessibility settings. If you share a computer with someone who needs Filter Keys, you can turn it off for your account and they can keep it on for theirs.

What is the difference between Filter Keys and Bounce Keys?

Filter Keys delays how fast your computer registers keystrokes. Bounce Keys ignores rapid repeated presses of the same key — so if you accidentally press A five times in quick succession, it counts as one press. They solve different problems and can be on or off independently.

If I turn off Filter Keys, can I turn it back on later?

Yes, the same way you turned it off. Open your accessibility settings and toggle Filter Keys back on whenever you need it. You can also use the keyboard shortcut if you have one set up.