Googlebooks ditch the Caps Lock key for a new function, and you can't remap it

One of the most notable hardware changes on Googlebooks is that they all have a Quick Insert key. This lets you seamlessly add clipboard items, emojis, and GIFs, while providing access to translation functionality and voice typing. Unfortunately, this comes at the expense of a dedicated Caps Lock key, and it turns out you can’t actually remap this new key.

Googler Mishaal Rahman confirmed in response to a Reddit query that Googlebook OS doesn’t let you remap the Quick Insert button just yet:

Hi, remapping the Quick Insert key is currently not supported, but I’ll note your interest and pass it along to the team!

It’s worth noting that users can still hold the function key and tap the Quick Insert button to access Caps Lock functionality, but this is more convoluted than a straightforward Caps Lock press. You can also simply use the Shift keys instead to type upper-case letters.

I can also confirm that Googlebook OS lets you remap Caps Lock to the Ctrl, Alt, or the Google keys, but all of these keys are pretty important to begin with, especially if you frequently use keyboard shortcuts.

Nevertheless, the inability to remap the Quick Insert button will be disappointing news if you’re like me and frequently use the Caps Lock key instead of the Shift button. By contrast, Microsoft maps its own Quick Insert/clipboard history functionality to Win+. and Win+V on Windows 11.