Googlebooks Swap Caps Lock for Quick Insert Key That Cannot Be Remapped
Google's first wave of Googlebooks replaces the dedicated Caps Lock key with a Quick Insert key, and a Google representative has confirmed the new button cannot be remapped at this time.
The Quick Insert key is among the most noticeable hardware changes across the first Googlebooks. According to the report, it lets users add clipboard items, emojis and GIFs, and provides access to translation and voice typing. Those functions come at the cost of a standalone Caps Lock key, which no longer has a dedicated position on the keyboard.
Mishaal Rahman, a Googler, confirmed the limitation in a reply to a question on Reddit. "Hi, remapping the Quick Insert key is currently not supported, but I'll note your interest and pass it along to the team!" he wrote, according to Android Authority.
Users who need capital letters can still hold the function key and tap Quick Insert to activate Caps Lock, a combination the report describes as more convoluted than a straightforward Caps Lock press. The Shift keys remain available for typing upper-case letters.
Android Authority said it also confirmed that Googlebook OS allows Caps Lock to be remapped to the Ctrl, Alt or Google keys, although those keys already carry important functions, particularly for users who work with keyboard shortcuts frequently.
The report said the inability to remap the Quick Insert button will be disappointing news for users who habitually reach for Caps Lock instead of Shift. Microsoft takes a different approach on Windows 11, where the clipboard history feature is mapped to the Win+V shortcut and the emoji and symbol panel to Win+period, leaving the standard keys in their usual places.
The Quick Insert key and its fixed behaviour apply to every device in the first wave of Googlebooks, the report said.