Windows keyboard layouts map the physical keys of the keyboard to the actual character (or action). While keyboard layouts are well defined for different languages, Apple keyboards are not fully compatible with Windows.
Click here for all international standard Windows Keyboard Layouts.
With the Magic Keyboard Layouts, we try to make your Apple keyboard more compatible with Windows.
Supported keyboard layouts
Click the language to see a preview of the key mappings.
Note: There is no extra keyboard layout for Japanese keyboards.
Simply activate Japanese Microsoft IME as your input method.
Install the Magic Keyboard Layouts
Our free Magic Keyboard Layouts offer Windows like key mappings for the 3rd character.
If your keyboard works fine there is no need to install the "Magic Keyboard Layouts".
| Download link | Windows | Platform | Version | Release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MagicKeyboardLayouts-Setup-2.0.exe | 10 + 11 | x64 + ARM64 | 2.0 | 23 Nov 2024 |
Changelog |
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macOS like key mappings
The free Windows Keyboard Layouts offer macOS like key mapping for the 3rd character.
Click here for download and instructions.
Follow the instructions below but use the layouts with suffix (WKL) instead of (Magic Utilities).
Add the layout as input method
After installation, the new keyboard layouts have been installed. Now you need to add yours as a new input method.
In case you can't find your (Magic Utilities) layout, restart your computer.
The layout list is not always alphabetical sorted. Your layout might be at the top of the list.
If this doesn't work:
- uninstall the Magic Keyboard Layouts,
- restart your computer,
- reinstall the Magic Keyboard Layouts and
- restart your computer once more.
Windows 11
- Open Windows Settings
- Select Time & Langauge
- Select Language & region
- On your language (i.e.: English (United States) click on the 3 dots button at the right side
- Select Language options
- Select your keyboard layout which ends with (Magic Utilities), i.e. German (Magic Utilities)
Example: Install and activate the German (Magic Utilities) keyboard layout (animated GIF).
Windows 10 version 1803 (April 2018 Update) or later
- Open Windows Settings
- Select Time & Langauge
- Select Region & language
- Below "+ Add a language" click on your language i.e. English (Australia)
- Click on the upcoming Options button
- Click Add a keyboard
- Select your keyboard layout which ends with (Magic Utilities), i.e. German (Magic Utilities)
Example: Install and activate the German (Magic Utilities) keyboard layout (animated GIF).
Windows 10 before version 1803 (April 2018 Update)
- Open the Control Panel
- Make sure it's set to View by: Category
- Under Language and Region click Change input methods to open Language Preferences
- Click Options on the right of your language
- Under Input method click Add an input method
- Select the language of your keyboard with (Magic Utilities) as a suffix
- Click the Add button at the bottom right
- Click the Save button at the bottom right
Windows 7
- Open the Control Panel
- Make sure it's set to View by: Category
- Under Language and Region click Change keyboards or other input methods to open Keyboards and Language preferences tab.
- Click the Change keyboards... button
- Click the Add... button
- Scroll to your language and press the [+] to expand the branch
- Press [+] again to expand the Keyboard branch
- Select the checkbox of the language with the (Magic Utilities) suffix
- Click OK at the right
- Click OK at the bottom
- Click OK at the bottom
Activate the layout
You have two keyboard layouts installed, the current layout and the new layout. In the Windows system tray (right side of the Windows taskbar) you will see a language abbreviation. Click it and activate the new layout.
We can't test every Apple keyboard out there, there are too many different language models which are not available to buy in every region. Let us know if we missed something.