Caps Lock Shortcut (On / Off)
Press the Caps Lock key (left of A) to toggle all-caps on Mac and Windows. On a Mac you may need to hold it briefly. Stuck on? Tap it once to turn it off.
| Action | Mac | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toggle Caps Lock | Caps Lock | Caps Lock | |
| Type one capital letter | ⇧ + letter | Shift + letter | |
| Toggle case of selection (Word) | ⇧ + F3 / fn+⇧+F3 | Shift + F3 | |
| ALL CAPS a selection (Word) | ⌃⌥C | Ctrl+Shift+A | |
| Turn Caps Lock off | Caps Lock (tap) | Caps Lock (tap) |
Turning Caps Lock on and off
The Caps Lock key sits just above the left Shift. Tap it once to lock every letter to uppercase; tap again to turn it off. On a Mac keyboard you sometimes have to press and hold it for a moment before it engages — this is deliberate, to avoid accidental presses.
Caps Lock stuck on?
If everything is typing in capitals, Caps Lock is on — tap the key once to release it. A lit indicator on the key means it is active. If the key does nothing, check Mac System Settings → Keyboard → Modifier Keys (it may be remapped), or on Windows check that a layout tool hasn't disabled it.
Change case without Caps Lock (ALL CAPS, Title Case)
In Microsoft Word you rarely need Caps Lock: select the text and press Shift + F3 (Windows) or ⇧ + F3 / fn + ⇧ + F3 (Mac) to cycle lowercase → Title Case → UPPERCASE. This fixes a sentence you typed with Caps Lock on by accident without retyping it.
Disable or remap Caps Lock
If you keep hitting it by mistake: Mac — System Settings → Keyboard → Keyboard Shortcuts → Modifier Keys, set Caps Lock to “No Action” (or remap it to Control/Escape). Windows — there is no built-in toggle; use PowerToys (Keyboard Manager) to remap the key, or a registry scancode edit to disable it entirely.
See the Caps Lock state on screen
Not every keyboard has a light. On Mac an on-screen Caps Lock indicator appears in password fields and you can enable one in some apps; on Windows, turn on Settings → Accessibility → Keyboard → Toggle keys to hear a tone, or Ease of Access → Use Toggle Keys on older builds.
FAQ
What is the Caps Lock shortcut?
Press the Caps Lock key (just above the left Shift) to toggle all-caps on both Mac and Windows.
Why won't Caps Lock turn off on my Mac?
Tap it once firmly; Mac requires a slightly longer press. If it still won't respond, check System Settings → Keyboard → Modifier Keys in case it was remapped.
How do I type one capital letter instead?
Hold Shift and press the letter — this capitalises a single letter without locking Caps Lock.
How do I fix text I typed with Caps Lock on?
Select it and press Shift+F3 (Windows) or ⇧+F3 / fn+⇧+F3 (Mac) in Word to cycle the case back to normal — no need to retype.
How do I disable the Caps Lock key?
Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Modifier Keys → set Caps Lock to “No Action”. Windows: remap it with PowerToys Keyboard Manager or a registry scancode edit.