9 Ways to Fix Keyboard Input Lag on Windows 10 and 11

A laggy keyboard can drive you up the wall, especially when working on something important. If you're tired of fighting your keyboard, then try these nine methods to fix Windows 10 and 11 keyboard woes.

Change the Keyboard Properties

Changing a few keyboard properties may help resolve the input lag. Here is all that you need to do:

1. Press the Win + R keys, type "control keyboard" in the text field of the Run dialog and press Enter.
2. There will be two options in the Character Delay section. Repeat delay adjusts the delay between you press-holding a key and the initiation of the repeated output of the key. Repeat rate allows you to adjust the speed at which this output is repeated.
3. Shorten the Repeat delay and increase the Repeat rate to eliminate the input lag. Experiment with the levels that feel more responsive.
4. Click on OK to save and exit.

Update or Reinstall the Keyboard Driver

A hardware driver tells your PC how to handle external hardware like your keyboard. If your keyboard's driver is outdated, your computer will struggle to communicate with the hardware and might cause keyboard input lag.

There are a few ways to find and replace outdated Windows drivers. Here's how to update or reinstall your keyboard driver using Device Manager:

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1. Press the Win key, type Device Manager, and press Enter.
2. Right-click on the keyboard driver and choose Update driver from the context menu.
3. Click on Search automatically for drivers. If your system has an updated version available, it will notify you, and you can proceed with installing it.
4. Otherwise, you can choose Search for updated drivers on Windows Update and install the updated version if available.

Alternatively, you can manually download the latest version of the driver from the manufacturer's website. Then, follow these steps:

1. Repeat steps 1-3 from above and choose Browse my computer for drivers.
2. Locate and select the updated version you just downloaded and install it.

Disable Filter Keys

Filter keys is an accessibility feature that instructs Windows to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes. This could potentially be a reason for the delayed output of your keyboard. You can fix this by disabling Filter keys from the keyboard settings.

1. Open Settings by searching for “settings” in the Start Menu.
2. Select Ease of Access and scroll down to the Keyboard section from the right pane.
3. Click on Keyboard and look for Use Filter Keys.
4. Under this head, you will find a toggle button. If it's enabled, disable it and close the Settings app.

If you're running Windows 11, you'll find the option to disable Filter Keys in Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard > Filter Keys.

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Then, try typing something into your text editor and see if it still lags.

Disable Background Programs

Sometimes, multiple background programs can result in a delay in the keyboard's response. So, close all the unwanted programs in the background from the system tray or use Task Manager to end processes that you don't need currently.

Disable Game Mode

Windows Game Mode can also help you curb every notorious background process while gaming. This mode has a history of causing input lag on Windows PCs, so you're better off without it, especially while you're not gaming.

Head to Settings > Gaming > Game Mode and turn off the toggle.

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Check the Keyboard in Safe Mode

Safe Mode runs Windows with bare minimum drivers and services and is a great way to isolate hardware issues. If your keyboard works fine in Safe Mode, then you must reinstall the keyboard driver from the manufacturer's website.

Repeat the following steps to boot into Safe Mode:

1. Press the Win key and click on the Power icon.
2. Hold the Shift key and click on Restart.
3. Your PC will boot to the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRe) page. Click on Troubleshoot and select Advanced options.
4. Select Start-up settings and click on Restart.
5. Press F6 to boot into Safe Mode. Check if your keyboard works fine.

Use the Windows Keyboard Troubleshooter

Fortunately, Windows comes with some great built-in troubleshooting tools. Whether you're experiencing input lag or your keyboard isn't working at all, the keyboard troubleshooter can provide you with a solution. Here's how to use it:

1. Open the Settings app and navigate to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
2. You'll now see a list of recommended troubleshooters. If there are none, simply click on Additional troubleshooters and look for Keyboard. Click on it and select Run the troubleshooter.

If you're running Windows 11, you'll find the Keyboard troubleshooter in Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other Troubleshooter > Keyboard.

The troubleshooter will look for potential issues. If it finds something to fix, go ahead and follow the directions. Unfortunately, Microsoft plans to retire the Keyboard Troubleshooter this year, and it's already slowly becoming unavailable on more recent versions of Windows 11.

Perform Specific Fixes for Wireless Keyboards

The above methods apply to keyboards in general. However, some issues are specific to wireless keyboards. If your keyboard is wireless, try the following fixes.

Replace the Batteries

Start by ruling out the possibility of the lag being caused by a drained battery. To do this, replace the battery or recharge your keyboard to full. If this doesn't fix the problem, try the next solution.

Check the Connection

Start by trying to re-sync your keyboard with the USB receiver. If that doesn't help, insert the USB receiver into a different USB port on your computer if the current port lacks enough power. Try placing the keyboard closer to the USB receiver if possible.

Remove Interference From Wireless Devices

If you've placed other Wi-Fi devices, such as a router or a cell phone, near the computer, move it away and see if that eliminates the input lag.

Consider Getting a New Keyboard

If none of these solutions work, it could be a sign of hardware damage. Before you start searching online for a new keyboard, connect a different keyboard that works fine on another computer to confirm hardware damage as the cause.

While you're waiting for your new keyboard, you can use the Windows onscreen keyboard. Search for "onscreen keyboard" in the Start Menu and launch the Best Match.

Alternatively, you can use one of the several virtual keyboard apps available out there. If you don't like the idea of virtual keyboards, you can use speech-to-text software to type, which is getting better with time.