Caps Lock works but letters still appear lowercase

You press Caps Lock, its light comes on, but the letters you type are still lowercase. That can happen if Shift is being held, the keyboard input settings are unusual, or the app is changing the text after you type it.

Test the keys outside the app first. The Keyboard Test checks whether your key presses reach the browser. It can help separate a keyboard problem from a setting or an app issue.

Test Caps Lock and the letter keys

1. Open the Keyboard Test on the computer with the problem.
2. Press Caps Lock once, then press a few letter keys. Check whether the test detects each key.
3. Press Caps Lock again and try the same letters. This checks whether the key registers both times, but the test does not tell you what case an app will type.
4. Press and release the left Shift key, then the right Shift key. Try a few letters after each one, without holding Shift.
5. Open a plain text field, such as a new document in a basic text editor, and type a short test with Caps Lock off and on. If possible, repeat in another app.

With Caps Lock on, holding Shift while pressing a letter normally produces a lowercase letter. This is expected behavior, so check that neither Shift key is being held down or stuck.

What the result means

Caps Lock and the letters are detected

The browser is receiving those key presses. If text is still lowercase in one app, the issue is more likely to be an app setting, an active text format, or a modifier key than a completely unresponsive keyboard. Try typing in another app before changing system settings.

Caps Lock is detected, but a letter key is not

The Caps Lock key can work while a different key has a fault. Test several letters, including ones on different rows. If the same letter is missed in multiple apps, check that key for debris or damage and try another keyboard if you have one.

Letters are detected, but Caps Lock is not

The browser is receiving the letter presses but not detecting Caps Lock. Some keyboards or operating system settings can change how that key behaves. Test it again in another browser, then check the keyboard settings below. A lit indicator by itself does not prove that the browser received the key event.

Letters appear uppercase in one app but lowercase in another

The keyboard is probably working. The app may be applying lowercase formatting, converting text, or handling input differently in that field. Check the app's text formatting and try a new, plain text document.

How to fix lowercase letters

1. Release both Shift keys. Tap the left and right Shift keys separately, then type a few letters with Caps Lock on. A stuck Shift key reverses Caps Lock for letters, so the result is lowercase. If you use an external keyboard, disconnect and reconnect it to clear a modifier state that may have been left active.
2. Check the keyboard layout. On Windows 11, open Settings › Time & language › Language & region and check the keyboard layout listed for your language. On macOS, open System Settings › Keyboard › Text Input and check the selected input source. An unexpected layout can change which characters keys produce, though it usually does not change uppercase letters to lowercase by itself.
3. Turn off keyboard accessibility features temporarily. On Windows 11, go to Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard and check whether Sticky Keys or Filter Keys is on. On macOS, open System Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard and check Sticky Keys and Slow Keys. These features change how modifier or key presses are handled. Turn them off for a quick test if you do not rely on them.
4. Check the app's text formatting. Look for a case conversion, lowercase style, or text transformation setting in the app. Type into a different plain text field. If Caps Lock works there, change the app setting or restart the affected app.
5. Restart and test another keyboard. Restart the computer, then check Caps Lock again. If an external keyboard works normally but the built-in keyboard does not, the issue is likely with the built-in keyboard or its connection.

When the keyboard may be faulty

A Caps Lock light can show that the keyboard is powered or that its indicator changed state. It does not guarantee that every key is sending the right input to the computer. If Caps Lock or particular letter keys fail in the Keyboard Test and in several apps, connect another keyboard to compare. If the second keyboard works, the first one may need cleaning, repair, or replacement.

For a laptop, avoid removing keycaps unless the manufacturer says they are removable. A loose or damaged built-in keyboard is usually a repair or warranty issue. If the test detects the keys but only one program types lowercase, focus on that program's settings instead.