geartest
Language: English

Keyboard test

Press every key once, then type as you normally do. Each key lights as it registers; one that never lights, or that types twice from one press, is named in the result and the report.

Result: Not tested yet

    Click here, then press the keys

    While the picture has focus, every key goes to the test. Hold Esc for two seconds to leave it.

    Media, browser and app keysMuteVolume downVolume upPrevious trackPlay/PauseNext trackStopBackForwardRefreshStop loadingSearchFavouritesBrowser homeMailMedia playerMy computerCalculatorMost keyboards have only some of these; none is needed. The system or the browser may take one first (Mail, Search, Refresh, Home…) and then it does not light: that says nothing against the key.

    Last presses

    Newest last; a press read twice is marked, with its gap.

      Every key pressed

      The shortest gap is from the key's release to its next press. 20 ms or less is one press read twice; up to 40 ms, press again to be sure.

      KeyPressesShortest gapLongest holdReading

      What no web page can see

      • Fn: read inside the keyboard; it changes the other keys and sends nothing itself.
      • Win and Command combinations, and Ctrl, Alt and Delete: the system takes them first. Win alone may open the system's menu.
      • Print Screen: on Windows and Linux only its release reaches a page; it counts when it does.
      • Brightness keys and some media keys: often handled by the system first; a media, browser or app key lights below the picture when it reaches the page.
      • How fast the keyboard reports to the computer (its polling rate) or its lag: a page sees only the events the system passes on, so no number here would be honest.

      Report

      Print it, save it as a PDF, or copy it for a return or a warranty claim.

      

         
      

      

      

      How it works
      

      1. Click the keyboard picture, or just start typing: the page takes every key while the picture has focus.
      2. Pick your keyboard's layout and size if the guess is wrong: the picture follows, and the test waits only for the keys yours has.
      3. Press each key once. A key turns blue while held and stays ticked once it has worked; one that stays white has not reached the page.
      4. Then type a few lines at your normal speed. A key that types twice from one press is named, with how few milliseconds lay between the two.
      5. Print or copy the report: it lists the keys that never registered and the ones that typed twice.
      

      What the results mean
      

      A key that types twice
      Under each key a contact closes as you press. Worn, dirty or with a faulty switch, it can open and close again within a few milliseconds, so one press types two letters: keyboard makers call it chatter. A finger lifting off and pressing again takes far longer, so the test reads any second press under 20 ms (30 ms after a press too short for a finger) after a release as the same press read twice, and one under 40 ms as close enough to press again a dozen times.
      Why type, not only tap
      A key can pass a slow single press and still double when you type: the bounce shows in quick, real typing. So the test keeps timing every key while you type, not only while you tick the picture.
      Left and right, Enter and Numpad Enter
      The page reads which physical key went down, not which letter it typed, so left and right Shift, Ctrl and Alt are told apart, and so are Enter and the number pad's Enter. A dead right Ctrl is named as a dead right Ctrl.
      Many keys at once
      The test shows how many keys are held now and the most at once. A keyboard on the basic USB report reads six keys at once besides Shift, Ctrl, Alt and Win; one that reads more is sold as N-key rollover. A combination that drops a key is the keyboard's limit, not a dead key: the same key alone still works.
      

      Questions
      

      A key never lights up. Is it broken?
      Press it firmly a few times, then try the keyboard on another port or computer. If it still stays white here and types nothing in a text box either, the key's switch or the keyboard's circuit has failed. Several dead keys in one row or one column together point to the circuit, not to the keys.
      

      The test says a key types twice. What can I do?
      Press it a dozen times at your normal pace and see how often it doubles. On a mechanical keyboard, blowing out the switch or raising the debounce time in its maker's software often cures it; otherwise the switch needs replacing, or the keyboard goes back under warranty with the report.
      

      Why does Fn not light up?
      Fn is read inside the keyboard: it changes what the other keys send and sends nothing of its own, so no web page can see it. Test it with what it does, such as Fn and a volume key.
      

      Is it the keyboard or the computer?
      Test it with nothing in the way. Close any macro or key-remapping program and connect the keyboard straight to the computer, not through a hub. Press the key 30 to 50 times at your normal pace, here and in a plain text editor. Then try another computer, or this page on a phone with the keyboard connected. A key that doubles or stays dark everywhere is the keyboard; one that does so on a single computer points to that computer, its driver or its software.
      

      My key shows a different letter. Is the layout wrong?
      The picture shows each key in its place; the letter on it is what your computer's keyboard setting types. If Ç types «;», the computer is set to another layout: the key itself is fine.
      

      Can I test the keyboard on my phone?
      Not the on-screen one: it is not a physical key and sends text, not key presses. Connect a USB or Bluetooth keyboard to the phone or tablet and the test reads it.
      

      Is anything I type sent anywhere?
      No. The test runs on this page; nothing you type, no result and no report leaves your device.
      

      What does «held down» mean?
      A key that goes down and sends no release for five seconds is named in the result while it stays down. If you are not holding it, it is stuck: its switch or keycap is jammed, or the keyboard lost its release. Press it again; if it keeps coming back as held down, the switch needs cleaning or replacing.
      

      Why press each key 20 times?
      A failing switch does not always fail on the first press. Pick 20 presses each and the picture fills each key as its count grows; the result names the keys still short of it, the least pressed first.