Google replaced the Caps Lock key with a search button on Chromebooks long ago, but if you plug an external keyboard up to a Chromebook and hit the Caps button, guess what happens? Caps. That’s what happens. Fortunately, you can easily change this.
RELATED: How to Remap the Search Key on Your Chromebook
Personally, the search key on my Chromebooks is an integral part of the way I use the operating system—it’s how I quickly launch apps and Google searches. But when I’m using my Chromebook at my desk, I use an external keyboard and mouse. Since it’s become habitual to tap that search key and start typing, I need the external keyboard to function the same way that the integrated keyboard does.
To do this, first open the Chrome OS settings menu by clicking the system tray, then the gear icon.
In the menu, scroll down to the Device section and choose “Keyboard.”
A new menu will expand and show several options for button remapping, including Search, Ctrl, Atl, Caps Lock, Escape, and Backspace. To change the Caps key to a Search key, simply select “Search” from the dropdown box next to the “Caps Lock” entry.
Boom, now your external keyboard will work exactly like the one built into your Chromebook.
