There are many great keyboards designed and developed for Windows machines. Just because it was originally designed for Windows, there’s no reason why you can’t use a great keyboard on your Mac. Most vendors offer both Windows and Mac versions, and mechanical keyboards also come with Windows and macOS keycaps in exchange. But if you’re having trouble with your Windows keyboard, here’s how you can use it with your Mac.
Last week we ran into a similar situation where the butterfly keyboard on our MacBook Air started acting weird with the spacebar. We have to use a different keyboard but it is only available with Windows keys. We remapped the keys and started using them as designed with the Mac in mind.
Before we show you how to use a Windows keyboard with a Mac, let’s understand how a Windows keyboard is different from a Mac on basic levels.
Change the order
There are five key differences between Windows and Mac keyboards. The Enter key on Windows works like the Return key on the Mac. Similarly, the Backspace key on Windows will act like Delete on Mac. However, you should have no problem with those keys.
The problem starts when you try to use other Mac functions with the Windows key.
Starting from the left, the Control, Option, and Command keys are swapped with the Control, Windows, and Alt keys on a Windows keyboard.
All modifier keys on a Windows keyboard map 1:1 with the keys on a Mac from a functional point of view.
For example, the Control key works the same way on a Mac as it does on a Windows keyboard. The Option key works similarly to the Alt key, and the Windows key works identically to the Command key on a Mac.
The problem lies in the order of the keys. On Windows you have Control | Windows | Inline option (Alt) keys instead of Control | Options | Sort commands on Mac.
Due to muscle memory, you’ll keep pressing the Alt key (Option for Mac) instead of the Command key, and Windows (Command on Mac) instead of the Option function.
Of course, you can continue to use a Windows keyboard with the new key arrangement, but it can be a headache for Mac typists for years. Thankfully, Apple has a fix for the problem.
Rearrange modifier keys
Here’s what you need to do. Instead of the new Control | Command | Optional layout, you need to go back to Control | Options | Order order. Look closely and notice that you only need to tell the system to modify the Option and Command keys.
Apple added a built-in option to let you modify the keys on the keyboard. Here’s how to use it.
Step 1: Connect the keyboard to your Mac and click the little Apple icon in the upper left corner.
Step 2: Open the System Preferences menu.
Step 3: Go to Keyboard > Modifier keys.
Step 4: Select the name of your connected Bluetooth or USB keyboard from the drop-down menu.
Step 5: Keep Caps Lock Key and Control Key intact.
Step 6: For the Option Key change the action to Command and for the Command Key change the action to Option.
Step 7: Click OK on the button and you are ready to go.
From now on, the Windows key on your Windows keyboard will act as the Option key and the Alt key next to the Spacebar will act as the Command key. No more confusion and hustle to train your mind.
Using third-party apps
As you can see from the screenshots above, Apple’s default way is limited in certain ways. Using a third-party key customizer, you can customize the keyboard experience to your liking. One such application is Karabiner-Elements.
This app allows you to remap every key on your keyboard. You can also create your own rules or choose from predefined rules. The app is free to download and you can see detailed instructions for each function from the website.
This is useful when using a small/minimal mechanical keyboard with no arrow keys or function keys. You can use key combinations and turn on arrow keys for command + hjkl key, etc. You get the idea, right?
Customize Windows Keyboard on Mac
As a Mac user, don’t be discouraged to check out those dedicated Windows keyboards on Amazon. You can easily buy them, modify the Option and Command keys, and continue using the Windows keyboard on your Mac without any problems. So which third-party Windows keyboard are you planning to use with your Mac? Share your picks in the comments below.
Next: Are you facing frequent screen flickering on your MacBook? Read the article below to learn how to fix the problem.
Categories: How to
Source: thpttranhungdao.edu.vn/en/
