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You can change the Search or Launcher key from Chromebook keyboard settings—most commonly to make it act as Caps Lock. Sign in, open Settings from the time menu, go to Device > Keyboard, choose Remap keyboard keys under the keyboard category you are using, and assign the action you want. The same area includes a way to restore the original behavior.

The exact controls can differ between ChromeOS versions and between the built-in and external-keyboard sections. If a label is slightly different on your Chromebook, use the remapping control displayed in your own Keyboard settings rather than looking for a physical switch or buying another keyboard.

What the Search or Launcher key does

On a Chromebook, the key marked with a magnifying-glass Search icon or a circle Launcher icon normally opens search or the app launcher. Google uses “Search” and “Launcher” for the same Chromebook keyboard position, so instructions may use either name. The icon and wording can vary by Chromebook model and ChromeOS release.

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On a Windows keyboard plugged into a Chromebook, the Windows key in the position between Ctrl and Alt serves as the Chromebook’s Search or Launcher key. That means you can remap that Windows-key position through ChromeOS when the external keyboard is recognized.

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Change the key on the built-in Chromebook keyboard

Use this procedure when you want to change the key physically attached to the Chromebook.

  1. Sign in to your Chromebook account.
  2. Select the time in the lower-right corner of the screen to open the system menu.
  3. Select Settings.
  4. In the Settings sidebar, open Device, then select Keyboard.
  5. Under Built-in keyboard, select Remap keyboard keys.
  6. Find Search or Launcher in the list.
  7. Open the action selector for that key and choose the behavior you want.

The change normally applies as soon as you select an action. Test it in a text field and in the places where you normally use the key. If the selector offers a different label or the keyboard section is organized differently, follow the control shown for your ChromeOS version; Google notes that available controls depend on the keyboard category and software version.

Assign Caps Lock to Search or Launcher

To make the key work as Caps Lock, choose Caps Lock for Search or Launcher in the remapping list. Afterward, pressing that key turns capital-letter mode on or off, just as a traditional Caps Lock key does. The Search or Launcher function is no longer performed by that key unless you assign it back.

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There is also a shortcut that toggles Caps Lock without changing the key’s assignment: press Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher. This is a temporary keyboard command, not a remap. Use the shortcut when you still want the key to open search or the launcher on its own; use remapping when you want a single press of that key to be Caps Lock every time.

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Restore the original behavior

Return to the same remapping screen if you change your mind. In the relevant keyboard category, select Restore defaults when it is shown. The original Search or Launcher action is then reinstated. Restore defaults affects the remaps in that keyboard category, so review the list before confirming if you have changed more than one key.

Built-in versus external keyboard settings

ChromeOS separates remapping controls by input device. The built-in section controls the Chromebook’s attached keyboard; an external-keyboard section controls a USB or Bluetooth keyboard when one is connected and recognized. Google’s input-device guidance describes remapping in both categories.

Keyboard you are using Where to look Key name to find What to expect
Chromebook’s attached keyboard Settings > Device > Keyboard > Built-in keyboard Search or Launcher Remap the key printed with the Search or Launcher icon.
External Windows keyboard Settings > Device > Keyboard > external-keyboard category, if displayed Windows key, identified by ChromeOS as Search or Launcher The Windows key between Ctrl and Alt fills the Chromebook Search/Launcher role.
Another external keyboard layout The external keyboard category shown in your Keyboard settings The key name ChromeOS lists Available remap controls depend on how ChromeOS identifies that device.

Connect and unlock the external keyboard before opening its settings section. If ChromeOS does not display an external category, check that the keyboard is connected, powered, and visible to the Chromebook; a remapping list cannot be used for a device the system has not recognized.

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Remapping a key is not the same as changing a shortcut

A remap changes the function generated by one physical key. For example, assigning Caps Lock to Search changes what a single key press sends to ChromeOS. It does not edit a multi-key command such as a screenshot or window-management shortcut.

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Shortcut customization uses the separate Shortcuts app. Open that app when you want to change a combination of keys, inspect existing commands, or create a shortcut rather than redefine one key. Google advises that custom system shortcuts should include the Search or Launcher key to reduce the chance of conflicts with commands handled by browser apps.

Your goal Use this control Example
Give one physical key a new role Keyboard settings > Remap keyboard keys Search becomes Caps Lock.
Change or create a combination of keys Shortcuts app Customize a command that uses Search plus another key.
Toggle Caps Lock only when needed Keyboard shortcut Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher.

Why you might not see the remapping control

The menu label is different

Google’s current help documentation calls the control Remap keyboard keys, but ChromeOS updates can move settings or change wording. Look inside Device > Keyboard for a control that lists individual keys and lets you choose an action. Also check both the built-in and external sections; a control shown for one category may not appear for the other.

You are looking at the wrong keyboard category

If you are trying to change a USB or Bluetooth keyboard while viewing Built-in keyboard, the key you need may not be listed. Select the external keyboard category that appears after the device connects. Conversely, disconnecting an external keyboard can hide its category, so reconnect it before changing its assignment.

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The Chromebook is managed

School, business, and other managed Chromebooks can restrict settings. If the remapping option is missing, disabled, or immediately reverts, the device administrator may control keyboard behavior. You can ask the administrator whether key remapping is permitted; changing browser shortcuts will not override an administrator policy.

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The key still performs its old action

First verify that you changed the intended entry—Search versus Launcher can be different labels for the same position, while an external Windows key is listed according to the connected keyboard. Confirm the selected action, close and reopen the app in which you are testing, and try a plain text field. A shortcut handled by a particular app may not reflect a remap in the way you expect, especially if the app intercepts the key.

You remapped the wrong key

Open the keyboard remapping page again and use Restore defaults in the affected category. Then assign only the key you intend to change. This is safer than stacking several experimental assignments, because it returns the category to its original mapping before you start again.

Choosing whether to remap Search or use a shortcut

Remapping is useful when Caps Lock is part of your normal typing workflow, when you rarely use the launcher key, or when a physical layout places Caps Lock in an uncomfortable position. It is less suitable if you frequently open apps or search with one press, because that function moves elsewhere after the remap.

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  • Choose remapping when you want a persistent, one-key behavior.
  • Use Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher when Caps Lock is occasional and you want to preserve the original Search/Launcher key.
  • Use the Shortcuts app when your goal involves a key combination rather than a single key.
  • Restore defaults before handing the Chromebook to another person who expects the standard layout.

Practical checks after changing the setting

  1. Open a text editor or browser address field and press the remapped key once.
  2. Type a short word to confirm whether capitalization or the selected action behaves as intended.
  3. Try the key in the app where you noticed the original problem; app-specific handling can differ from a basic text field.
  4. If you use an external keyboard, test that keyboard separately from the built-in one so you know which category changed.
  5. Write down the original assignment or use Restore defaults if you need to return the Chromebook to its standard layout.
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What this setting does not require

Changing the Search or Launcher key is a ChromeOS software setting. You do not need a replacement keyboard, keycap-removal tool, new keycap, or another accessory. An external keyboard can be remapped when ChromeOS recognizes it, but connecting one is optional and does not unlock a special Caps Lock mode on the built-in keyboard.

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Common questions answered

Are Search and Launcher different keys?

They are alternate names and icons for the Chromebook key that opens search or the app launcher. The wording shown in Settings depends on the device and ChromeOS version.

Can I make Search act as Caps Lock and still search?

Not with the same single press after remapping: that press is assigned to Caps Lock. To keep Search or Launcher available, leave the key unchanged and use Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher for Caps Lock instead.

Does the Windows key on an external keyboard work?

Yes. On a Windows keyboard connected to a Chromebook, the Windows key between Ctrl and Alt functions as Search or Launcher and can be listed in the external keyboard remapping controls.

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Will changing a remap alter my other shortcuts?

It changes the output of the selected physical key. Shortcut combinations are managed separately in the Shortcuts app, so review that app if a multi-key command is what you actually want to change.

Bottom line

Open Settings > Device > Keyboard, choose Remap keyboard keys under the correct keyboard category, and assign a new action to Search or Launcher. Select Caps Lock for a permanent one-key replacement, use Alt + Search or Alt + Launcher for a temporary Caps Lock toggle, and use Restore defaults to undo the remap.

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