How to Disable a Keyboard on PC or Mac

Last Updated: April 21, 2021

This wikiHow teaches you how to disable the keyboard on your Windows PC, as well as how to disable a MacBook's built-in keyboard when an external keyboard is connected.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:
Windows

1
Go to https://www.keyfreeze.com in a web browser. KeyFreeze is a free Windows app that allows you to disable your computer’s keyboard quickly.
2
Click Download now. If prompted to select a download location, chose the Downloads folder.
3
Double-click the Keyfreeze installer.
4
Click Install. Keyfreeze will now install. When it’s finished, it will launch automatically.
- In the future, you will be able to open it by clicking Keyfreeze in the All Apps area of the Start menu.
5
Click Lock Keyboard & Mouse. A confirmation message will appear.
6
Click Yes. This gives Keyfreeze permission to lock your keyboard. The keyboard will lock immediately.
7
Press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then Esc to unlock the keyboard.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:
macOS

1
Go to https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ in a web browser. Karabiner is a free app that will quickly lock your Mac’s keyboard.^{[1]
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- This method will help you disable your Mac’s default keyboard when another keyboard is connected.
2
Click Download Karabiner-Elements-11.5.0. The number of the app may vary depending on when you install it. If prompted to select a download location, choose the Downloads folder.
3
Double-click the installer you just downloaded.
4
Drag the Karabiner icon to the Applications folder. This opens the installer.
5
Click Continue. This installs the app on your Mac.
6
Open Karabiner. It’s the blue icon that says “KEY” on the Launchpad.
7
Type disable into the search bar. It’s near the top-left corner of the window. A list of search results will appear.
8
Check the box under “Disable an internal keyboard while external keyboards are connected.” Now whenever you plug your other keyboard into your Mac, the built-in keyboard will disable immediately.