Change keyboard bindings in MSFS 2020, create a custom profile, remove conflicts, and fix mappings that will not save or respond.
To change keyboard bindings in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, open Options > Controls Options, select Keyboard, duplicate the default preset, find the command, assign the new key or combination, clear any unwanted conflicting assignment, then choose Apply & Save. Custom profiles preserve the default layout for easy recovery.
How do you remap keyboard controls in MSFS 2020?
- Open Controls Options. Enter it from the main Options menu or pause a flight and open the controls menu.
- Select Keyboard. Device tabs appear across the controls screen. Check that Keyboard is selected rather than a joystick, controller or another connected device.
- Create a custom preset. Open Preset Manager, duplicate the default keyboard preset and give the copy a recognisable name. This avoids losing a known-good layout.
- Find the command. Set the filter to All if the command is hidden, then search by its name. Search by input instead when you know the existing key but not the command it operates. Our explanation of finding commands and active assignments on the keyboard map covers those search tools in more detail.
- Assign the new input. Select one of the command’s assignment boxes, use the scan or search-by-input control in the assignment dialogue, and press the desired key or key combination. Hold modifiers such as Ctrl, Shift or Alt while pressing the main key, then validate the input.
- Check conflicts. If MSFS reports that the input is already used, review every listed command. Keep the duplicate only when both actions can safely share a key; otherwise clear the unwanted assignment and validate the change.
- Save and test. Choose Apply & Save, return to the cockpit and test the command. Confirm that the custom keyboard preset remains selected.
A command can have two assignment slots. Adding a new key to the empty slot does not remove the old one, so clear the original slot if the intention is to replace rather than supplement it. A printable reference covering the standard keyboard commands is useful when planning a larger remap.
Which version of a command should you bind?
Choose the command whose behaviour matches the type of input; similarly named MSFS commands are not interchangeable.
| Command type | Best use | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Toggle | A single keyboard key that alternates between two states | Binding separate on and off actions when one key is intended to do both |
| Set, on or off | Separate keys or maintained hardware switches | Using Set on a momentary key and expecting toggle behaviour |
| Increase or decrease | Digital keys for trim, lighting, mixture or similar stepped controls | Selecting an axis command for an ordinary key |
| Axis | Analogue yokes, sticks, pedals, throttles and rotary controls | Expecting a keyboard key to provide proportional movement |
Read the full command name before assigning it. For example, a toggle command, a dedicated on command and an axis may all appear under the same control category but react very differently.
Why does the new keyboard mapping not work?
A non-working mapping is usually caused by the wrong profile, a duplicate assignment or the wrong form of the command.
- Wrong device or preset: return to Controls Options and confirm both Keyboard and the custom preset are active.
- Hidden command: change the filter from Assigned or Essential to All before searching.
- Conflicting binding: search by the pressed key and remove any command that should not activate with it. Conflict warnings do not automatically prevent both actions from firing.
- Incorrect command type: replace an unsuitable axis, set or on/off command with the toggle or incremental version appropriate for a keyboard.
- Unsaved change: validate the assignment and use Apply & Save before leaving the controls screen.
- Numeric keypad issue: check Num Lock when a numpad assignment is not recognised as expected.
- Aircraft automation: autopilot or AI control can immediately counter a working manual command. Test again with the relevant automation disengaged.
Can you create different keyboard profiles?
MSFS 2020 supports multiple custom keyboard presets, so separate layouts can be created for airliners, general aviation, cameras or accessibility needs.
The simulator does not reliably choose a keyboard preset solely because a particular aircraft has loaded; verify the active profile when changing roles. Keyboard, joystick, yoke, throttle and pedal profiles are managed separately, as explained in our practical guide to configuring MSFS PC control devices together.
How do you restore the default keyboard bindings?
Select the original Keyboard Default preset to restore Microsoft’s standard mapping without deleting the custom profile.
If the custom layout has become difficult to repair, switch back to the default, duplicate it again and rebuild only the required changes. You can also compare your profile with the standard MSFS 2020 keyboard assignments before resetting everything.