Touch Keyboard in Windows 11 number pad version removed with recent update?

Anonymous
2022-01-23T10:58:40+00:00

I use my Surface Pro 7 for work, I do not have a physical keyboard, I rely solely on the on-screen touch keyboard. In Windows 10, and after the upgrade to Windows 11 the Touch Keyboard offered a version/option to have a number pad on the right of a keyboard. The numbers and direction/navigation buttons were on the primary touch keyboard every time it popped up.

In the past week, with no action by me, the touch keyboard opened up with no number pad on the right. All options for a keyboard format with a number pad have been removed, and only this new useless version is available. This is completely unusable for the primary function of my job using excel documents with customers. I cannot navigate in excel, and I cannot enter more than one number without having to press the shift button to access numbers and direction keys.

This happened a couple of years ago and took several months for Microsoft to fix. Microsoft continually removes/"improves" core items that power users have come to rely on that completely destroy the user experience of their signature platform and Surface experience. I have 10 employees using Surface Pros and something as simple as eliminating the option for different keyboard layouts makes them useless.

Does anyone know how to get the touch keyboard with the number pad on the right back in Windows 11?

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Surface | Surface Pro | Performance and maintenance

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-01-20T21:09:47+00:00

    I have to say the OSK is a terrible work around. Mainly due to the extra key section that seems unnecessary for touch input. "pg up", etc. section makes the num keys basically useless. Your screenshot is a great example. Second reason is that the keyboard isn't really locked down and accessible like the touch keyboard is. It doesn't naturally call up and hide as you engage in typing and then finish.

    Generally the touch keyboard and Microsofts implementation of it seems to be low priority. It's not optimized just seems tacked on. It is undoubtedly the biggest weakness of my new Surface Pro 9. I have a feeling it may make me grow to hate using the device. Throughout recent history, physical and touch keyboards design is pretty important as they can make or break the success of a product. Think Blackberry Storm Vs iPhone. Think Apples first few years with the MacBook butterfly keyboard. VS the Dell XPS. Surface is starting to get some pretty good competitors both on Android and Windows. I think they need to really push forward with a new innovative touch keyboard that is optimized and scalable.

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-01-20T13:37:20+00:00

    I'm with you 100%. My organization forced an update to Windows 11 recently on my Surface and it's been infuriating. The lack of the touchscreen number pad has more than doubled the time it takes for me to input the data that I need. I'm completely baffled as to why Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, would see fit to remove such a core piece of functionality. Fix this!!

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-01-20T11:44:13+00:00

    Actually the touch numpad still exist, just that it'll only appear when typing passwords, debit credits or typing bank account number during bank transfer, where only numbers were allowed.

    Microsoft, pls pls, bring back the touch numpad option, it is very important to surface and other windows tablet user~šŸ™šŸ½šŸ™šŸ½šŸ™šŸ½

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    Which web page is using this number pad? Which OS version number do you have? Probably somewhere deep inside Windows Number pad is, but is not visible outside for developers and this could be some hack how to enable it.

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-01-04T23:47:50+00:00

    I'm using my surface go 2 to enter invoice quantities on the go. (ie inside of stores) . After finding this thread, I found numpad emulators. I'm using this one and I like it.

    https://sourceforge.net/projects/numpad-emulator/

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  5. Anonymous
    2022-11-25T13:57:13+00:00

    Actually the touch numpad still exist, just that it'll only appear when typing passwords, debit credits or typing bank account number during bank transfer, where only numbers were allowed.

    Microsoft, pls pls, bring back the touch numpad option, it is very important to surface and other windows tablet user~šŸ™šŸ½šŸ™šŸ½šŸ™šŸ½

    Image

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