Whether or not you might have simply switched from a PC to a Mac and have found that the ” and @ keys aren’t the place you have been anticipating, you may’t discover the euro signal, pound signal, or hash key in your Mac keyboard, or you should kind some uncommon characters or accents and don’t know the way, are right here to assist.
The primary downside is that the placement of the particular characters might depend upon the place you’re based mostly on the earth: keyboard structure differs by nation, with sure characters getting extra prominence on the keyboards of the individuals who use them extra. You’ll discover QWERTY keyboards for English audio system, whereas French audio system get a AZERTY keyboard, and Germans get QWERTZ, for instance. Keyboards have fully completely different key layouts relying on the nation, so we’ve included the placement of those particular keys for quite a lot of keyboards.
Even U.S. and U.Okay. keyboards have quite a lot of stunning variations when it comes to key placement. Australians have a tendency to make use of the American keyboard structure.
One other supply of confusion is the truth that some Mac keyboards label the Alt key Possibility whereas others name the Possibility key Alt (relying in your viewpoint). On a Mac keyboard the important thing has an emblem that appears like this: ⌥
Which means some guides you’ll learn will discuss an Possibility or Alt key you may’t see in your Mac. The bottom line is one and the identical. See: The place is the Possibility key.
And if you’re utilizing a PC keyboard along with your Mac the Alt key will do the job of the Possibility key, whereas the Home windows key will do the job of Command, and you’ll little doubt be very confused.
![Mac vs PC keyboard compared](https://images.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3504584/mac-vs-pc-keyboard.jpg)
Find out how to kind °$€@®©# £€¢™ and Æ
That’s not a hid swear phrase! These are all symbols that you could be end up needing to kind time and again, and but they’re hidden from view in your Mac keyboard. Don’t fear although, we’ll let you understand what you should do to kind them.
Earlier than we start, this can be a useful overview of the hidden characters that you could kind utilizing Alt. The primary instance is the U.S. keyboard, the second is a U.Okay. keyboard. If you wish to see an outline of a unique keyboard in your display we’ll embrace the steps to see it beneath.
![US extra keys on keyboard](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/US-extra-keys-on-keyboard.jpeg?quality=50&strip=all)
The ‘hidden’ keys on a U.S. Apple keyboard.
Foundry
![UK extra keys on keyboard](https://b2c-contenthub.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/UK-extra-keys-on-keyboard.jpeg?quality=50&strip=all)
The ‘hidden’ keys on a U.Okay. Apple keyboard
Foundry
Find out how to kind Euro image on a Mac keyboard – €
- On a U.S. keyboard to kind euro you should press: Alt/Possibility-Shift-2 = €
- On a U.Okay. keyboard to kind euro it’s best to press: Alt/Possibility-2 = €
European keyboards give extra prominence to the Euro signal, however the location of the euro key, and the mixture of keys required, will depend on the nation.
- On French Apple Magic Keyboards you’ll discover the Euro signal (and greenback signal) subsequent to the return key.
- On German, Italian, Swiss and Spanish keyboards the euro signal is typed by urgent choice/alt and the E key.
- Portuguese keyboards have the Euro signal on the quantity 3: press choice/Alt and that key.
- For Norwegians and the Danish the euro is typed by urgent choice/Alt and the quantity 4.
- And Dutch keyboards have the euro on the quantity 2.
Find out how to kind the pound signal on a Mac keyboard
Not solely is typing a pound signal difficult as a result of the placement of the important thing will differ relying on the keyboard, but additionally the phrase itself has a unique which means relying on the place you’re.
For U.Okay. residents the phrase pound represents the forex: £. Nonetheless, some nations name the hashtag or hash key a pound.
In case you are within the U.Okay. the hashtag signal shares the three key with the pound signal (£) however on different nation’s keyboards the U.Okay. £ signal is discovered elsewhere (we’ll get to that subsequent).
Find out how to kind a # (hash)
- On a U.S. keyboard to kind # you want solely press Shift-3 = #
- On a U.Okay. keyboard to kind # it’s best to press Alt/Possibility-3 = #
- The hash signal on French keyboards is discovered to the left of the number one.
- German keyboards have the hash key beside the return key.
- Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish and Portuguese keyboards have the hash key on quantity 3.
- Italian keyboards have the hash key (cancelletto) simply above the decrease proper shift key.
Find out how to kind a £ (pound signal)
We’ll point out the UK Pound signal right here for everybody who’s utilizing a non-U.Okay. keyboard as its location on a U.Okay. keyboard isn’t any thriller (okay – if you’re nonetheless wanting it’s on the three key).
- On a U.S. keyboard you should kind £ you should press Alt/Possibility-3 = £
The £ key might not even be illustrated on the U.S. keyboard!
- On French and Swiss keyboards, the £ is discovered above the right-hand shift key, beside the enter/return key.
- Italian keyboards have the £ on the quantity 3, like U.Okay. keyboards.
Find out how to kind ‘at’ – @
This @ key’s a degree of confusion for PC customers coming to Mac keyboards as a result of the ” key and @ key change locations.
- On a U.S. or U.Okay. keyboard you’ll discover the @ key on the two key. It is advisable to press Shift-2 = @.
- Spanish and Swedish keyboards even have the @ on the two.
- On Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, and Swiss keyboards the @ key’s subsequent to the return key, above the right-hand shift key.
- French keyboards have the @ signal to the left of 1.
- German keyboards have the @ key on L.
- Italian keyboards even have the @ subsequent to the L.
The place is the ” key?
- On a U.S. or U.Okay. keyboard you’ll discover the “ key will probably be down on the precise the place the ‘ key’s positioned.
- On German, Danish, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swiss, Swedish and Italian keyboards the ” key’s on the two.
- French keyboards have the ” on 3.
© ® and ™
The varied copyright and trademark indicators will be generally utilized in sure traces of labor. Fortunately there’s a simple strategy to kind them on a Mac keyboard.
You may assume that logically the Copyright signal could be hidden on the C key, however you’d be improper. The C key’s the house of assorted accented Cs. If you wish to kind a © you should press Alt/Possibility and G.
If you wish to kind the Registered Trademark image much less Possibility/Alt and R:
As for the ™ the way you kind will depend on the keyboard:
- On a U.S. keyboard to kind ™ you should press: Alt/Possibility-2 = ™
- On a U.Okay. keyboard to kind ™ it’s best to press: Shift-Alt/Possibility-2 = ™
Need to kind the Pi (π) image? Now we have a tutorial that explains how to try this right here: Find out how to kind the Pi (π) image on a Mac or iPhone.
Æ
This one was popularised by Elon Musk and Grimes once they named their little one Æ A-12 Musk.
If you wish to kind Æ simply press and maintain the A key. You’ll see a spread of choices seem in a field – simply choose the one you need or press 5.
Levels
If it’s getting scorching the place you’re you may need to inform somebody. Wherein case a level signal may very well be useful. Right here’s tips on how to kind a °
- Shift-Alt/Possibility–8 = °
You may marvel what circumstances would trigger you to wish to kind an Apple brand, however with Apple naming a couple of merchandise with the Apple image if is perhaps that you should kind TV or Watch. In the event you do, the important thing mixture is as follows:
Learn:
Find out how to kind on an iPhone.
A examine mark or tick
It is a useful one – the V virtually appears like a tick or examine mark, add an Possibility/Alt and that’s what you get.
Different keys
There are a couple of keys which might be hidden in plain sight. We’ll point out them right here simply in case you’re struggling to seek out them:
~ (aka the Tilde signal) – It’s on the left by the Shift key
/ – on the precise by the Shift key
– on the precise above the Shift key
| – press shift and (beside enter/return)
Typing accents on a Mac keyboard
In case you are attempting to kind accents on an English keyboard if generally is a bit daunting – if you’re utilizing a keyboard that’s designed for that language it will likely be significantly simpler to kind accents, for apparent causes. To kind an accented letter all you should do is press and maintain the related key. While you accomplish that a menu will seem with the assorted accented characters to select from.
For instance, in the event you press and maintain the E key then you’ll ultimately see this menu pop up. You may select the model along with your pointer, or by urgent the corresponding quantity.
![Type Accent Keys Mac Keyboard](https://images.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3504584/accented_keys_mac_thumb.jpg)
You’ll discover accents related to the next keys: e, y, u, i, o, a, s, l, z, c, n.
Typing emoji on a Mac
You may assume that emoji are restricted to iPhones and iPads, however they aren’t. It’s attainable to entry emoji in your Mac. If you find yourself utilizing a phrase processor or related program you may press Management-Command-Area to convey up the Emoji pallet.
Learn our information to utilizing Emoji on the Mac right here.
Typing different characters on a Mac
You could recall the Character Viewer – a device which you could possibly increase to seek out varied characters to be added to textual content paperwork. It predated Emoji and since Emoji arrived it appears to have been hidden away, nevertheless it’s nonetheless there.
As above, press Management-Command-Area to convey up the Emoji pallet then click on on the icon within the high proper of the Emoji field to convey up the Character Viewer. Right here you’ll discover greater than Emoji: there are additionally Arrows, different forex symbols, Maths Symbols, and extra.
That is the place you will see that forex symbols corresponding to ¥ ¢ ₽ ₩ ₱ ₹ ﷼
Maths symbols corresponding to xxx ∄ ℇ ℏ ≥ ≯ ∑ √ ∱≉
There are additionally some pictographs that predate emoji together with all of those
![Pictographs on the Mac](https://images.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3504584/pictographs_mac_thumb.jpg)
Find out how to see the Keyboard overview in your display
To see the keyboard overview for any language comply with these steps:
- You probably have an emblem indicating US/UK or one other language within the menu on the high of your display (subsequent to the highlight icon) click on on that.
- You will note choices to Present Emoji & Symbols and Present Keyboard Viewer. Click on on Present Keyboard Viewer.
- You may click on on the Possibility key (the ⌥ key subsequent to the Command key) on that overlaid keyboard to see what characters will seem while you press that at the side of one other key.
- In the event you press the shift and choice keys you’ll different choices accessible to you.
In the event you don’t see the image in your menu go to System Setting > Keyboards and ensure Present Enter menu in menu bar is chosen.
A bonus is the truth that while you kind with this keyboard viewer on view you will notice varied recommended autocomplete phrases that you simply may need to use.
![Keyboard Viewer Mac](https://images.macworld.co.uk/cmsdata/features/3504584/keyboard_viewer_thumb.jpg)
If you end up utilizing completely different characters typically you may wish to attempt an app like PopChar X from Ergonis. The app makes it very easy to entry the assorted characters which might be accessible within the completely different fonts in your Mac. You should buy it right here for $29.99/£30.85.
Questioning tips on how to copy and paste on a Mac? You may additionally discover our iPhone keyboard typing ideas helpful.