Windows key locked: how to unlock it on your laptop
The Loro team
In short
On many laptops, Fn + Windows locks the Windows key, and then Ctrl + Win does nothing. Press them again to unlock it. Loro lets you know: the pill says "Your Windows key is locked · press Fn + Windows and Loro works again". If you'd rather not depend on that key, pick others in Settings › Dictation › Dictation shortcut.
How to fix it
- Press Fn + Windows once.
- Try again: hold Ctrl + Win and talk.
On some gaming laptops, the Windows key also gets locked by a game mode or by a key with a padlock on it. Turn it off and try again.
Other keys for dictating
- Open Settings › Dictation.
- Under Dictation shortcut, click Change.
- Press your new keys, for example Ctrl + Shift.
To go back to the usual keys, click Back to Ctrl + Win.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't Loro unlock it by itself?
The lock is in the keyboard itself, and no app can change it. Loro can only notice and let you know.
Does this happen on a Mac?
No: on a Mac you dictate with fn.
You might also need
- The dictation shortcut: how to use it and how to change itTo dictate with Loro you hold Ctrl + Win (fn on a Mac), talk and let go. What the same shortcut does with text selected, what Ctrl + Alt is for and how to pick other keys.
- Loro doesn't type what I dictate: what to checkIf you dictate and the text doesn't show up, Loro's pill tells you why. What each message means, what to check if the pill doesn't appear and how to get a dictation back.
- Voice typing on Windows 10 and 11: how to turn it on, and when an app is worth it GuideHow to dictate with your voice on Windows 10 and 11 using Windows + H, how to add punctuation, what to do if it doesn't work, and when an app like Loro, which cleans up your text and works offline, is worth it.
- How to dictate in Word with your voice (Windows and Mac) GuideThree ways to dictate in Word: Microsoft 365's Dictate button, Windows or Mac dictation, and Loro, which types clean text in Word and in any other app. Step by step, and which one is worth it.