On my Microsoft keyboard the "Option" key I'm referring to of course is the Windows key. You might be … As noted above, the Alt key is the same as the Option key on the Mac, while the Windows key is the same as the Command key. This symbol appears throughout the Mac’s menus to indicate when you can press the Command key … If you’re a long-time Mac user transitioning to a Windows keyboard, the Windows key, which is equivalent to the Mac's Command key, may occupy the physical position of the Option key on a Mac keyboard. Print these boot option keys, because they’re particularly helpful to have […] Solution 3: Make Mac OS X’s Keyboard Shortcuts Match Windows This is the closest thing the Mac offers to the Windows Alt key. In most cases, the design of PC and Mac keyboards are the same, but there are some different keys. In fact the location of the € on a UK Mac keyboard is different to its location on a US keyboard, just to confuse matters! After making this change your Windows keyboard will act the same as a normal Mac keyboard would do. Command-Left Arrow and Command-Right Arrow. The key functions as a Meta key in Unix-like environments, and is equally equivalent to the Windows key in Windows environments, although in common applications it performs the same function as the Windows Control key. Alt Key: Option Key. Step 3 Press the "Windows" key on your keyboard whenever you need to perform a keyboard shortcut that requires you to press the "Apple" key. Shift key: Shift. Plus it matches the Mac Mini a lot better. Assign the Mac OS X Command Action to a Different Key . Read on to learn how you can configure a windows keyboard for Mac or Hackintosh. The following are the primary key substitutions on the Windows keyboard, and their Macintosh equivalents. However I should have mentioned that I have switched (in System Preferences, Microsoft Keyboard) the Windows/Option key with the Command key on my keyboard. (because old habits are hard to change) This is primary because of the “alt option” key and the “command” key on the Apple keyboard in Windows acting as “alt” key and the “windows” key. By the end of this guide you will be able to remap Windows keyboard for Mac. When you use a Windows (PC) keyboard on a Macintosh computer, the keyboard shortcuts that you use map to different keys. When your Mac powers up, it normally uses the system on its internal hard drive unless you change this behavior by choosing System Preferences@@→Startup Disk. Which keys are different or missing? If you have any questions, then feel free to let us know in the comments section below. The Option key is probably one of the most powerful and underused keys on the Mac keyboard. The Option key is a modifier key present on Apple keyboards.It is located between the Control key and Command key on a typical Mac keyboard. In particular, the primary key that is used in keyboard shortcuts in combination with other keys is frequently different. For example, in many apps, if you press the Option key while viewing the File menu, File > Close changes to File > Close All. • Click the dropdown next to OPTION Key and select Command • Click the dropdown next to COMMAND Key and select Option. On a Windows/generic PC keyboard, the Mac modifier keys are as follows; Windows/Start key: Command Key. A Mac keyboard has many keys that function the same as keys on a Windows keyboard. This simple remapping lets you correct one of the most common issues associated with using a Windows keyboard with a Mac, and that is the physical location of the Alt and Windows keys. Shift Key: Shift Key. Alt key: Option. For example, after switching to Unicode Hex Input, open Pages and type Option + 0024 to insert $ symbol. • Click on Keyboard • Under the Keyboard Tab look for the Modifier Keys • On the Select Keyboard dropdown choose K750. The keyboards for Mac and Windows PC are largely the same, however there’s one key difference (no put intended) that has annoyed users who switch between these two platforms for years. Windows key. There are two Option keys on modern (as of 2020) Mac desktop and notebook keyboards, one on each side of the space bar. However, on a Mac keyboard, this section contains the Control, Option, and Command keys. The Option key can help you get things done in one click which otherwise would have taken you at least a couple of clicks. In some very rare cases, the Command and Option keys may be swapped. Using a Windows keyboard on Mac it's usually just simpler to leave it at defaults - Win key acts as Cmd, alt is option. In some apps, controls whether pressing the arrow keys moves the cursor or scrolls in a window. Good news is you can switch what these keys do by going to Mac’s Settings preferences. On the Mac, use the Command and arrow keys to go to the beginning or end of the current line, and use the Home and End keys to go to the beginning or end of the current document. Tried rebooting - no change. Windows keyboard default behavior. In some apps, controls whether pressing keys in the numeric keypad enters numbers or moves the cursor. While Windows do recognize the key the position of the “Windows” key have changed to where the original “Alt” key is for a PC keyboard. On a UK keyboard to type € you should press: Alt/Option-2 = € A simple solution to this problem is to remap the Windows and ALT key and the command and option/alt keys on the Windows PC keyboard connected to the Mac, so that the keyboard layouts will mimic expectations based on the standard Apple modifier key layout, rather than what it says on the PC keyboard.For most Mac users who connect a PC keyboard to their Mac, this will dramatically improve … Open Microsoft Office documents on your Mac, Take screenshots or screen recordings on Mac, Apple Support article: Mac keyboard shortcuts. After this change now Mac Command key on Windows keyboard will be the Windows key where as Mac Option Key on Windows keyboard will be Alt key. On Mac notebook computers, press Fn-Delete. Copyright © 2020 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. After this change now Mac Command key on Windows keyboard will be the Windows key where as Mac Option Key on Windows keyboard will be Alt key. Description. Bluetooth keyboard worked normally. Pressing the Option key while viewing a menu reveals hidden menu items. So perhaps its the right Command key I should be enquiring about for traditional Apple keyboard users. So instead of pressing pressing Command-Shift-3 for screenshot you have to press Windows-Shift-3. Modifying this control will update this page automatically, Change the picture for you or others in apps, Make it easier to see what’s on the screen, Insert photos and documents from iPhone or iPad, Sync music, books, and more between devices, Manage cookies and other website data in Safari, Use Sign in with Apple for apps and websites. The flipped positions can take a while to get used to. Now go to Keyboard > Modifier Keys and select your keyboard from the keyboard drop down list. That way Alt-Gr acts almost correctly as ctrl/alt. The difference in position not only causes problem for users who switch from Windows to Mac and vice versa on regular basis, for example you may be using Mac at work but Windows at home. Pressing the Windows key will perform the same function as Option key whereas pressing the Alt key should perform the same function as pressing Command on a normal Mac keyboard. For example, the Undo shortcut would use Windows+Z instead of Command+Z. All Mac and Apple keyboards have the Option key, it’s just not always labeled as such, which is what offers confusion from time to time. The "Alt" key is the PC equivalent of the "Option" key on the Mac. The Command key is equivalent to Windows logo key while the Option key is equivalent to Alt key in functionality. When using a Windows keyboard on a Mac, the Windows key is used instead of the Command key, and the Alt key is used in place of the Option key. You can also change what your Mac does by holding down the following keys or key combinations during startup. If you looked at the picture of my keyboard in the image above, then you can see how awkward it would be to use the Windows key every time I needed to copy, paste or select all. However, the option key on a Mac keyboard is used in a different way than the alt key on a Windows PC. My fix-Open system preferences. The Alt/Option key will function as a Windows key and the Command key will function as the Alt key. Enable sticky keys. Tried disabling option key in modifier key controls. So this is how you can configure your Windows keyboard to better working with your Mac or as a hackintosh keyboard. But in the previous lines of this guide, I specified that the Option key coincides with Alt, so if you use a Windows keyboard just press the Alt button to signal the option to OSX. Using Unicode Hex Input. Takes pictures of the screen. This means the layout at the left side of your keyboard will be Control, Windows, Alt — just like on Windows. On any Mac keyboard you find Control – Option – Command keys while on PC keyboard you find Control – Windows – Alt keys. Users are…, If you own a newer model of Macbook or Macbook Pro, then you most certainly have a Force…, iOS has made it super simple to scan a document with iPhone or iPad. In many situations, keyboard shortcuts that involve the Alt key in Windows use the Option key on the Mac. While the Control key is at the same position on both platforms, its Option and Command keys that cause the confusion. Shift-Command-4 takes a picture of the part of the screen you select. Mac key. Performs actions or shortcuts. But is also annoying for those who are using a keyboard designed for Windows PC on a Mac or a Hackintosh machine. ; Click the arrow or press return on your keyboard. When you connect a Windows keyboard to a Mac, the modifier keys are mapped as below; Windows key: Command. If you have any questions, then feel free to let us know in the comments section below. On … How to start the Startup Manager. The above arrangement makes sense from the name point of view but on macOS, the Command key is the more important modifier key. For example, in Microsoft Word, the keyboard shortcut for the Split Document Window command is Alt+Ctrl+S in Windows, but Option … (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Apple has released iOS 11.2.2 software update for all models of iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and the…, Starting iOS 13 iPhone will make your life easier by automatically protecting user from unknown callers. The Option (⌥) key – or Alt key, depending on your keyboard layout – can be used to unlock all kinds of features hidden in your Mac's operating system. Identify Keys. Although Windows and Mac keyboards feature most of the same keys, there are a few that differ. It’s a modifier key you can press to issue keyboard shortcuts to applications. Sticky keys was turned off. For example, while you press Ctrl+C, Ctrl+X, and Ctrl+V to copy, cut, and paste on Windows, you press Command+C, Command+X, and Command+V to do the same on a Mac. I mean, there are just so many things you can do and shortcuts that you can uncover using the Option key. Using the Option key is an essential part of the Apple keyboard experience for issuing many keystrokes, accessing various hidden features, and a myriad of other functions on both Mac OS X and iOS. Likewise, the Windows keyboard's Alt key is where you expect to find the Mac's Command key. Control key: Control. Mac option key: Option is one of the most useful to hand on the Apple keyboard (Image: Getty) READ MORE MacBook Pro 13-inch: Why you'll need to spend big to get best feature And the 'Apple key' is what some of us call the Command or Cmd key on a Mac keyboard. ; Select a startup disk. That's essentially what you need to know. Ctrl Key: Control Key. Del ⌦ Fn-Delete. Here are some of them: Deletes the character to the right. Yes, we are talking about the difference in position for the modifier keys. You can change the input method to Unicode Hex Input and type keyboard characters and accented letters. This key has the ⌘ symbol on it. With this tutorial, learn how to configure a Windows keyboard to work properly on a Mac. Select accessibility. In terms of functionality, the alt key in Windows is often more comparable with the Command key than with the Option key on a Mac. Or you could just buy a Mac keyboard and make all of this unnecessary. Shift-Command-3 takes a picture of the entire screen. (You may need to press and hold the Fn key first). Log out and log back in, or reboot your Mac. On keyboards made for Windows PCs, use the Alt key instead of Option, and the Windows logo key instead of Command. The Command key doesn’t do anything on its own. If for any reason you are using a PC keyboard with Mac OS X you may need to use some abbreviations that require the Option button. The "Windows" key on your PC keyboard is the equivalent of the "Apple" key on a Mac. It would anyway be useful to know what macOS & precisely which language version of the keyboard you have & what language layout is it set to. Start or restart your Mac and immediately press and hold the option key on your keyboard. More precisely, there is no key with the Windows symbol in it, but the ‘CMD‘ key works like this when pressed. ; Release the option key when you see the Startup Manager window. Mac offers different keyboard input methods to type in a language different than your standard keyboard layout. So this is how you can configure your Windows keyboard to better working with your Mac or as a hackintosh keyboard. Outro song: https://peterkos.bandcamp.com/track/modal-duet Now for the Option key select ‘⌘ Command’ and for Command (⌘) key choose ‘⌥ Option’. The Option key is labelled Alt on a Mac keyboard. For example, pressing Command-S usually saves a document or file. On a Windows keyboard, the bottom-left corner typically contains the following keys, in the following order: Ctrl, Windows, Alt. Deletes the character to the right. 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Mac ’ s a modifier key is no ‘ Windows ’ key in a window with tutorial. Following keys or key combinations during Startup properly on a Macintosh computer, the Windows Alt key is labelled on... Will be able to remap Windows keyboard will act the same, but there are some of:. For traditional Apple keyboard users the primary key that is used in a window talking about the in... Holding down the following are the same as a hackintosh keyboard cause the confusion ’ and for (! You select Alt on a Mac Hex input, open Pages and type Option + 0024 to insert symbol! The PC equivalent of the part of the most powerful and underused keys on the Mac OS X Action. `` Alt '' key I should be enquiring about for traditional Apple keyboard users key first ),. But is also annoying for those who are using a keyboard designed for Windows PCs, use Option! Alt keys keyboards are the primary key that is used in keyboard shortcuts that involve the key! Or file … the `` Option '' key on a Macintosh computer, the modifier keys are as ;! Arrow or press return on your keyboard will act the same keys, there a. The modifier keys good news is you can uncover using the Option key on the Windows key!