thechromeguideBeginner's Guide for ChromeOS

How to Disable Touchscreen on Chromebook

By Ajoy KumarPublished Updated
Check before following

This still relies on the 'Debugging keyboard shortcuts' flag (#ash-debug-shortcuts) and Search + Shift + T. Third-party guides from 2025 and 2026 say it still works, but Google does not document it, and Chrome flags can be removed at any time.

Many Chromebooks come with a touchscreen feature that allows users to use the device as a tablet. This versatility is a convenient aspect of Chromebooks, providing users with different modes of interaction. However, there may be instances where you would want to disable the touchscreen feature, especially if you primarily use a mouse and keyboard.

In this blog post, we will guide you through the steps to disable the touchscreen on your Chromebook. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

How to Disable Touchscreen on Chromebook

Disabling the touchscreen on your Chromebook can be beneficial in scenarios where you want to prevent unintentional touches or conserve battery life. This customization option is a practical solution for those who prefer traditional input methods.

Watch on YouTube: How to Disable Touchscreen on Chromebook

Here are the steps you can follow to disable and enable the touchscreen on your Chromebook:

Step 1: Open the Chrome browser.

Step 2: In the address bar, type chrome://flags and press Enter.

Screenshot not in the archive: Chrome Flags

Step 3: In the search bar of the Flags window, type debugging keyboard shortcuts and press Enter.

Step 4: Alternatively, you can directly type chrome://flags/#ash-debug-shortcuts in the Chrome address bar.

Step 5: From the drop-down menu, select Enabled.

Step 6: Click the Restart button at the bottom-right corner to apply the changes.

Screenshot not in the archive: Disable Touchscreen on Chromebook

Step 7: After the reboot, press the Search + Shift + T keyboard shortcut to disable the touchscreen.

Step 8: To re-enable the touchscreen, press the same keyboard shortcut, and the touchscreen will become active again.

Screenshot not in the archive: Touchscreen Keyboard Shortcut for Chromebook

Conclusion

Here’s a helpful guide on how to disable and re-enable the touchscreen feature on your Chromebook. The touchscreen is a useful feature for easily maneuvering your device, but there may be times when you want to turn it off completely.

In that case, you can use a keyboard shortcut to toggle the touchscreen on and off with ease. Knowing Google Chrome keyboard shortcuts can make using your Chromebook much easier, so be sure to check out our list of 20 Chromebook shortcuts to use Chrome OS like a Pro.

You did it!

You reached the end of this guide. Want to learn one more thing?

Restored guide

Written in 2024 for the ChromeOS and Chrome versions of that time, so menus may look different today. Restored from the Internet Archive copy of 2024-10-04. 3 of 3 screenshots were not saved by the archive; their captions are kept in the text.