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Numpad Test

Press each key on your number pad and check it against the live Num Lock state. The fastest way to tell a dead key from a toggled lock.

Num Lock

Unknown

Press any key to read the state.

Keys confirmed

0/17

Last numpad key

—

READY
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Live Key Display
Tested0/17Presses0Max Simultaneous0Progress0%
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Press physical keys or tap virtual keys above. Hover over keys for JavaScript keycode data.

Not pressed yet

NumLockDivideMultiplySubtract789Add456123Enter0Decimal

Reading Your Numpad Test Results

The numeric keypad is a separate 17-key block with its own key codes. Numpad4 is a completely different key from Digit4on the number row, even though both type a 4. That distinction is why a general keyboard test can show a "working" keyboard while your numpad does nothing — it was checking the wrong keys.

The first thing to read on this page is the Num Lock state at the top. When Num Lock is off, the numpad switches to its secondary functions: 8 becomes Up, 4 becomes Left, 7 becomes Home, and so on. The keys are working perfectly — they are simply doing their other job. If the readout says Num Lock is off and your numbers are not appearing, press Num Lock once and try again. That single toggle resolves most numpad complaints.

Below that, each key you press turns green and stays green. Work around the whole block including the operators — divide, multiply, minus, plus, Enter and the decimal point — because those fail just as often as the digits and are easy to skip. A key that never turns green is not sending anything to the browser.

One honest limitation: web pages cannot read the Num Lock LEDdirectly. What we read is the browser's reported modifier state during a key event, which is why the readout shows "unknown" until you press something. Safari and some Linux configurations report this less reliably than Chrome or Edge. If the state looks wrong but your numbers type correctly, trust the numbers.

If keys register but produce doubled digits, the problem is switch bounce rather than the numpad itself — the double typing test measures that. For the rest of the keyboard, the full keyboard test covers every key at once, and the Windows layout test shows the numpad in position on a full 104-key board.

Key Capabilities & Features

Live Num Lock readout

Sampled from the browser on every keystroke, so you can see the state flip as you press the key.

All 17 keys, individually

Digits, both operators rows, Enter and the decimal point — each tracked separately.

Numpad codes, not number-row codes

Matches on Numpad0 through Numpad9, so a working number row cannot mask a dead keypad.

Last-key inspector

Shows the exact code and character your last numpad press produced, which exposes layout mismatches.

Untested key list

Names the keys you have not pressed yet, so you cannot accidentally declare the pad healthy.

Works on external numpads

A separate USB ten-key sends the same codes, so plug it in and test it the same way.

How to Perform This Test

  1. Click once on this page to give the browser tab keyboard focus.:
  2. Press Num Lock and watch the readout above: it should flip between on and off. That confirms the lock key itself.
  3. Leave Num Lock on, then press every digit from 0 to 9. Each turns green and stays green.:
  4. Press the operators: divide, multiply, minus, plus, Enter and the decimal point. These are the ones people forget.
  5. Check the last-key inspector for one or two presses — the character shown should match the digit on the keycap.:
  6. Read the untested list at the bottom. If it is empty, every key on the pad is reaching the browser.:

Troubleshooting Common Hardware Issues

  • Num Lock state shows "unknown": press any key first. The browser only reports modifier state inside a key event, so there is nothing to read until you type.
  • Numbers produce arrows and Home/End instead: Num Lock is off. Press it once. This is the single most common numpad complaint.
  • The numpad moves the mouse pointer: Windows Mouse Keys is enabled. Turn it off in Settings → Accessibility → Mouse.
  • No numpad on your laptop: many compact models overlay it on U-I-O and J-K-L, reached with Fn + Num Lock. Look for faint secondary printing.
  • Decimal key types a comma: that is correct on European layouts and set by your keyboard region, not a hardware fault.
  • One digit is dead and the rest work: a single failed switch, usually debris. Turn the keyboard over, tap it out, and retest before considering a repair.
  • Digits drop out during fast ten-key entry: that is a rollover limit rather than a dead key. Run the N-key rollover test.
  • Num Lock state never changes on macOS: expected. macOS has no Num Lock concept on most Apple keyboards, and the numpad always types digits.

Why Your Numpad Types Arrows Instead of Numbers

Every numpad key has two functions printed on it. Num Lock decides which one you get. This is not a fault — it is a holdover from the IBM Model M era, when the numpad doubled as the only cursor control on the keyboard.

KeyNum Lock onNum Lock off
Numpad77Home
Numpad88Arrow Up
Numpad99Page Up
Numpad44Arrow Left
Numpad55nothing
Numpad66Arrow Right
Numpad11End
Numpad22Arrow Down
Numpad33Page Down
Numpad00Insert
NumpadDecimal. or ,Delete

Note that the decimal key produces a comma rather than a period on many European layouts. That is correct behaviour for those regions, not a fault, and it is set by your keyboard layout rather than the hardware.

Fixing a Numpad That Does Not Work

Work down this list. It is ordered from most to least likely.

  1. Press Num Lock. Genuinely the answer most of the time. Watch the readout above change state as you press it — if it toggles, the key works and the numbers should follow.
  2. Check Mouse Keys (Windows).Settings → Accessibility → Mouse → "Control mouse with keypad". When this is on, the numpad moves the pointer instead of typing. It can be switched on accidentally with Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock.
  3. On a laptop, find the embedded numpad. Compact laptops overlay the numpad on the U-I-O, J-K-L and M keys. It needs Fn + Num Lock, or sometimes Fn + F11, and the printing is often a faint secondary colour.
  4. Rule out the layout. If the digits produce nothing but the operators work, check that a keyboard-remapping tool is not intercepting them. Gaming software with per-key macros is a frequent culprit.
  5. Try a different port and machine. A numpad that fails on two computers is a hardware fault. A standalone USB numpad costs less than a repair and is the practical fix for a broken block on a full-size keyboard.
  6. Suspect the switch if one key alone is dead. A single dead digit with everything else working points at that one switch, usually from debris or a spill. On a hot-swap board you can replace it in seconds.

A note for accountants and data-entry users: if your numpad works but feels unreliable under speed, the issue is often rollover rather than the keys. Rapid ten-key entry sends overlapping presses, and a cheap membrane board can drop them. The N-key rollover test will show you how many simultaneous keys your board actually reports.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I test if my numpad is working?
Press each key on this page with Num Lock on. Every key that reaches the browser turns green and stays green. Anything still grey after you have pressed it is not registering, and the untested list at the bottom names them for you.
Why does my numpad type arrows instead of numbers?
Num Lock is off. Every numpad key has a second function — 8 is Up, 4 is Left, 7 is Home — and Num Lock chooses which one you get. Press it once and the digits come back.
Are numpad keys different from the number row?
Yes, entirely. Numpad7 and Digit7 are separate keys with separate codes, and software can tell them apart. That is why some games let you bind the numpad separately, and why a general keyboard test can pass while your numpad is dead.
Why can this page not read my Num Lock light?
Web pages have no access to keyboard LEDs. What we read is the modifier state the browser reports during a key event, which is close but not identical, and it is less reliable on Safari and some Linux setups. If your numbers type correctly, trust the numbers over the readout.
My laptop has no numpad. Can I still test one?
Plug in a USB ten-key and test that — it sends the same codes. Many compact laptops also have an embedded numpad overlaid on the U-I-O and J-K-L keys, activated with Fn + Num Lock, and this page will detect that too.
Why does my numpad move the mouse cursor?
Windows Mouse Keys is switched on, which repurposes the keypad as a pointer control. The shortcut Left Alt + Left Shift + Num Lock toggles it, so it often happens by accident. Disable it under Settings → Accessibility → Mouse.
Does the numpad decimal key type a period or a comma?
It depends on your keyboard layout, not the hardware. US layouts produce a period; German, French and most other European layouts produce a comma. Both are correct for their region.
Is there a Num Lock key on a Mac?
Apple keyboards with a numpad have a Clear key where Num Lock sits, and the numpad always types digits. macOS has no Num Lock toggle, so the state readout on this page will stay unknown or off — that is expected, not a fault.

Further Reading

Related Tools

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