What is Caps Lock

Definition of Caps Lock

Caps Lock is a key on a computer keyboard that, when activated, causes all typed alphabetic characters to appear in uppercase without the need to hold down the Shift key. It effectively switches the keyboard input to capital letters.

How Caps Lock Works

When the Caps Lock key is pressed, it toggles the state of the keyboard so that every letter you type will be in uppercase. Pressing it again turns off the feature, allowing you to type in lowercase letters again. It does not affect numbers or special characters.

Caps Lock vs. Shift Key

Unlike the Shift key, which must be held down to type uppercase letters or special characters, Caps Lock remains active until it is toggled off. Shift is often used for temporarily typing uppercase letters, while Caps Lock is useful for longer sections of uppercase text.

Common Uses of Caps Lock

Caps Lock is primarily used when typing titles, abbreviations, or acronyms where capital letters are needed. It’s also used when formatting text in all caps for emphasis.