Whether you're a gamer or just someone who types a lot, chances are you've got a mechanical keyboard sitting at your desk. However, for all the advantages and features they bring compared to cheaper membrane keyboards, mechanical keyboards aren't perfect, and have some annoying quirks that can be really troublesome from time to time.

One of the biggest issues you can likely face on a mechanical keyboard is key chatter. That said, as annoying as keyboard chatter is, it can be rather easy to fix.

What Is Chatter in Mechanical Keyboards, and Why Does It Happen?

Simply put, keyboard chatter, also called key bounce, is when certain keys seem to repeat keystrokes two or more times very rapidly when pressed just once. As you can guess, this can be very annoying if it happens frequently, as you'll find yourself hitting backspace more than you're typing. In games, this can throw you off, especially if you're playing a game where you need the keystroke to register just once.

Given how mechanical keyboard switches work, it's not difficult to understand why keyboard chatter happens. Generally speaking, it's the result of a faulty keyboard switch and is otherwise a very rare problem.

However, if your switch or underlying circuit board inside the keyboard is rather dirty, dust and debris can get inside the switches and cause the problem. Most keyboards come with factory-lubed switches. As you use your keyboard, the switches tend to dry out, especially the metallic leaf inside the switch that registers a key press. This increased friction inside the switch can also contribute to chatter.

How to Fix Mechanical Keyboard Chatter

Thankfully, keyboard chatter isn't difficult to fix, but it does depend on how your mechanical keyboard is built. There are both hardware and software solutions, so if you're not comfortable taking apart your keyboard, you can find software that'll make the problem go away. That said, considering it's a hardware issue at the core, it's best if you address the problem by fixing the faulty hardware.

Try Cleaning the Keyboard and Switch

The first thing you should do when encountering keyboard chatter is to clean up your keyboard and switches. As mentioned above, dust and debris can get inside your keyboard over time and can cause all sorts of issues, let alone chatter. Dried-up switches can also contribute to the problem, so chatter can be a very good indication that your keyboard requires some maintenance.

Start by removing the keycaps, dabbing a piece of microfiber cloth or cotton in some rubbing alcohol, and running it alongside your switches. You can also put a drop or two inside your switches to see if that helps the problem.

Alternatively, if you're comfortable, you can also take apart the keyboard and lube your switches. There are multiple ways of doing this. If you've never lubed your switches before, we've explained how to lube switches in both the traditional and an "easy" way. It's a bit cumbersome, but it can be a fun activity from time to time.

Replace the Switch

The most obvious solution is simply swapping out the faulty switch with a new one. If you have a hot-swappable keyboard, this is going to be as easy as chucking the old switch out and putting a new one in. If you're looking for recommendations, we've compared Cherry MX, Gateron, and Kailh switches, and there are heaps more options available.

However, if your keyboard has switches soldered to the circuit board, the process is a little complicated. It's not impossible to desolder a keyboard switch and solder a new one in place, but it does require some electrical and soldering knowledge. If you feel like you're up for the challenge, you can give it a shot. Otherwise, it's best to move on to the next method.

Software Solutions

Mechanical keyboard chatter can sometimes also happen because of a messed-up debounce routine in the keyboard firmware. All mechanical switches have a certain "bounce" time that the switch takes to return to its original position, and if the keyboard firmware isn't set right, it can end up detecting one keypress as multiple ones.

Regardless of whether your chatter problem is hardware or software-based, there are software solutions out there that can help rectify the issue. You can try out the Keyboard Chatter Blocker and Keyboard Unchatter tools. They're free, open-source, and available on GitHub if you want to take a look at the source code.

One advantage of using software tools to address the chatter problem is that they can be customized individually for each switch. This allows you to fix the problem across the board and customize the feel of your keyboard. You will have to play around with them to figure out what works best, though.

Consider Replacing Your Keyboard

Finally, if nothing else works,, your best bet is to replace the entire keyboard. This is especially true with cheaper, entry-level keyboards that don't offer hot-swappable switches.

The mechanical keyboard space has come a long way in the past couple of years, so there are plenty of options to choose from without hurting the wallet. If you're just getting started and need a good mechanical keyboard without any specialized features, my recommendation would be the Keychron K2 V2. That said, you can always browse around and see what works best for you.