Learn how to customise keyboard bindings in MSFS 2024, create a control preset, assign key combinations, fix conflicts and save changes.
To customise keyboard bindings in Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, open Settings, choose Controls, select the Keyboard device, then create or duplicate a custom preset. Search for a command, select its assignment field, press the new key or key combination, resolve any conflicts, and apply and save the preset.
How do I change a keyboard binding in MSFS 2024?
The safest method is to edit a separate keyboard preset rather than altering or replacing the default mapping.
- Open the keyboard controls. From the main screen, open Settings and then Controls. Select Keyboard from the connected input devices.
- Create a custom preset. Duplicate the default preset or use the option to create a new one. If the stock preset is read-only, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 will require a custom copy before accepting changes. Our practical guide to creating and testing control profiles covers profile management in more detail.
- Find the command. Search by its function, such as
parking brake,pitch trimorlanding light. Change the filter to show all commands if the list is displaying assigned controls only. If the simulator's terminology is unclear, use our keyboard-command reference for choosing bindings. - Record the new input. Select the command's binding field and activate the on-screen scan or listening function. Press the complete key combination together, including modifiers such as Ctrl or Shift, then confirm it.
- Check every conflict. A warning means the key is already used elsewhere. Remove the old assignment if both commands could be active together. Sharing can be harmless when the commands belong to mutually exclusive contexts, but do not dismiss the warning without checking.
- Apply and test the preset. Save the changes and verify that your custom keyboard preset remains selected. Test it in a parked aircraft where an unexpected throttle, brake or flight-control input cannot cause trouble.
A command can have more than one assignment slot. Keep the original key if you want both shortcuts; clear it first if the intention is to replace the stock binding.
Which command type should I bind?
Choose the command whose behaviour matches what you expect from the key, not simply the first search result with a familiar name.
| What you want | Command type to choose | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Change a switch between two states | Toggle | Using toggle when you need a guaranteed on or off state |
| Set a known switch state | Separate on and off commands | Assigning both states to the same key |
| Make a small adjustment | Increase and decrease commands | Holding the key until keyboard repeat produces a large jump |
| Control a proportional surface or lever | A hardware axis where available | Expecting a keyboard key to provide precise analogue movement |
Trim is a typical example: short taps on increase and decrease commands are easier to control than holding the key. For lights, autopilot modes and similar cockpit switches, separate on and off bindings are more predictable than toggles when using checklists or external control software.
Why does the new keyboard binding not work?
A new binding usually fails because the wrong preset is active, a filter is hiding the intended command, or another interface element is capturing the keystroke.
- Wrong preset: confirm that the edited keyboard profile is selected, not the default or another custom profile.
- Wrong command context: aircraft-specific and avionics-specific controls only work where the relevant system exists.
- Search field still active: click away from text-entry boxes before testing. EFB and cockpit search fields can consume ordinary keyboard input.
- Modifier recorded incorrectly: rescan the binding and press Ctrl, Shift or Alt together with the final key.
- Duplicate assignment: inspect all reported conflicts, including commands in other categories. If inputs begin firing unexpectedly after remapping, follow our checks for duplicate bindings, stuck modifiers and conflicting devices.
- Keyboard layout or Num Lock: numpad behaviour changes with Num Lock, while symbol keys may not match the displayed label on every regional layout. Scanning the physical key is safer than selecting it from a list.
How do I undo a custom keyboard binding?
Clear the individual assignment when only one command is wrong; switch back to the default preset when the whole custom layout is unsuitable.
Avoid resetting every connected device just to repair one keyboard shortcut. If the profile has accumulated duplicates or unwanted changes, our instructions for clearing individual bindings or restoring a control profile show the less destructive options first.