Questions

Slow Keys on a Mac

Slow Keys is a macOS accessibility setting that makes the Mac wait before it accepts a key press, so a key brushed by accident types nothing. Its switch is in System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard. If your keyboard only types when you hold each key down for a moment, Slow Keys is on.

I make InputConfig, a free Mac app for controllers and other input devices, and its guides for a shaky or tired hand start with this setting.

Steps

  1. Open the Apple menu and choose System Settings.
  2. Click Accessibility in the sidebar, then Keyboard.
  3. Turn Slow Keys on or off.
  4. With it on, open its options and set Acceptance delay.
  5. Hold each key until it is accepted, then let go.

Turn Slow Keys on or off

  • You: Open the Apple menu, choose System Settings, click Accessibility in the sidebar, then Keyboard.
  • macOS: Shows the Slow Keys switch, with its options behind the button beside it.
  • Check: With it off, a quick tap on a key types at once.

A keyboard that needs every key held before it types is the mark of Slow Keys.

Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreInputConfig is free on the Mac App Store. macOS 14 or later, no account, no tracking, open source.

Set the delay and the sounds

  • Acceptance delay. How long a key must stay down before the Mac accepts it. Apple describes Slow Keys as the delay between when you press a key and when it is activated.
  • Use click key sounds. One sound plays when you press a key and a different one when the press is accepted, so you can hear when to let go.

Start with a short delay and lengthen it only until stray presses stop.

If typing lags and Slow Keys is off

Climb this ladder, smallest step first:

  1. Look again at the switch. System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard, Slow Keys.
  2. Open Accessibility Shortcuts. Option Command F5, or three quick presses of Touch ID, opens the panel that switches accessibility features on and off.
  3. Check Sticky Keys too. It lives on the same settings page and changes how modifier keys behave. See Sticky Keys on a Mac.
  4. Test the keyboard. The keyboard tester lights each key as the browser receives it, which shows whether presses arrive at all.

Rule out the two settings before blaming the keyboard.

Who Slow Keys helps

It suits a hand that lands on keys it did not aim for: a tremor, a spasm, or a palm that drags. The delay filters short, accidental presses and lets deliberate ones through. The tremor and limited range guide pairs it with a slower pointer and Dwell, and shows the same idea on a controller, where a larger deadzone ignores a shake. Slow Keys filters by time, and a deadzone filters by distance.

The short version

  • Where. System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard, Slow Keys.
  • Typing lags. Slow Keys is on. Turn it off.
  • Using it on purpose. Set Acceptance delay, and turn on the click sounds.

One switch turns it off, and one slider sets how long a key must be held.

Questions

What is Slow Keys on a Mac?

An accessibility setting that adds a delay between pressing a key and the Mac accepting it, so short accidental presses are ignored. It is in System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard.

How do I turn off Slow Keys on a Mac?

Open System Settings, click Accessibility, then Keyboard, and turn Slow Keys off. A quick tap on a key then types at once.

Is there a shortcut for Slow Keys on a Mac?

Apple's settings page lists no key sequence for Slow Keys itself. The Accessibility Shortcuts panel, opened with Option Command F5 or three quick presses of Touch ID, switches accessibility features on and off.

Why do I have to hold a key down before it types on my Mac?

Slow Keys is on. It makes the Mac wait for the Acceptance delay before it accepts a press. Turn it off in System Settings, Accessibility, Keyboard.

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Download InputConfig on the Mac App StoreFree. macOS 14 or later. No account, nothing leaves your Mac. Open source on GitHub.