How to remap Chromebook’s keyboard

Chromebooks are pretty different from traditional laptops in a lot of ways — and not just because of their software.

If you aren’t thrilled with that arrangement, though, don’t despair. You can actually remap a fair number of your Chromebook’s keys and dramatically change how you use your device.

To get started, simply head into the Keyboard section of your Chromebook’s settings:

• Click the clock in the lower right corner of the screen.
• Tap the gear-shaped icon in the panel that appears.
• Scroll down to the Device subhead and click the “Keyboard” option.

There, you’ll see a list of keys you can customize:

• The Launcher key (sometimes also called the Search key)
• The Ctrl key
• The Alt key
• The Escape key
• The Backspace key
• The Assistant key (on Pixelbooks only)

Each key can be remapped to handle any of the following functions:

• Launcher (the Chrome OS app drawer and search prompt)
• Ctrl
• Alt
• Caps Lock
• Escape
• Backspace
• Assistant (on devices where Google Assistant is available)