{"id":6778,"date":"2009-03-25T22:35:03","date_gmt":"2009-03-25T17:05:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/?p=6778"},"modified":"2026-10-16T19:31:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-16T14:01:53","slug":"apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use an Apple Keyboard on a Windows PC (Key Mapping + Setup)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Can you use an Apple keyboard on Windows? Yes, and it works better than you might expect. In 2009 we replaced our Windows keyboard with a wired Apple keyboard, plugged it into our Windows PC and it worked instantly, with no software. Today&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/go\/apple-magic-keyboard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"sponsored nofollow noopener\">Apple Magic Keyboard<\/a> also works with Windows 11 and 10, as long as you know which keys do what. Here&#8217;s how to set up an Apple keyboard on Windows and remap the missing keys.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-63312\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows.webp\" alt=\"Use an Apple keyboard on Windows\" width=\"1200\" height=\"630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows.webp 1200w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows-300x158.webp 300w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows-1024x538.webp 1024w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows-150x79.webp 150w, https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-windows-768x403.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>Quick answer:<\/strong> Plug a wired Apple keyboard into USB, or pair a Magic Keyboard through <strong>Settings \u2192 Bluetooth &amp; devices \u2192 Add device<\/strong>. The <strong>Command (\u2318)<\/strong> key works as the Windows key and <strong>Option<\/strong> works as Alt. For Print Screen, use <strong>Windows + Shift + S<\/strong>, and use Microsoft PowerToys to remap any other keys.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aecf6ee6c724\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #1a202c;color:#1a202c\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6aecf6ee6c724\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Apple_keyboard_on_Windows_key_mapping\" >Apple keyboard on Windows: key mapping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#How_to_connect_an_Apple_keyboard_on_Windows\" >How to connect an Apple keyboard on Windows<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Wired_Apple_keyboard\" >Wired Apple keyboard<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Magic_Keyboard_Bluetooth\" >Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#How_to_remap_Apple_keyboard_keys_on_Windows\" >How to remap Apple keyboard keys on Windows<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Missing_keys_and_how_to_replace_them\" >Missing keys and how to replace them<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Our_experience_wired_Apple_keyboard_on_a_Windows_PC\" >Our experience: wired Apple keyboard on a Windows PC<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Frequently_asked_questions\" >Frequently asked questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Does_the_Apple_Magic_Keyboard_work_with_Windows_11\" >Does the Apple Magic Keyboard work with Windows 11?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#Which_key_is_the_Windows_key_on_an_Apple_keyboard\" >Which key is the Windows key on an Apple keyboard?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/03\/apple-mac-keyboard-on-windows-pc\/#How_do_I_take_a_screenshot_on_Windows_with_an_Apple_keyboard\" >How do I take a screenshot on Windows with an Apple keyboard?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Apple_keyboard_on_Windows_key_mapping\"><\/span>Apple keyboard on Windows: key mapping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Apple key<\/th>\n<th>Works as on Windows<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Command (\u2318)<\/td>\n<td>Windows key<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Option (\u2325)<\/td>\n<td>Alt<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Control<\/td>\n<td>Ctrl<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Delete<\/td>\n<td>Backspace<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>fn + Delete<\/td>\n<td>Delete (forward delete, may need Boot Camp drivers)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>F13 (full-size keyboards)<\/td>\n<td>Often Print Screen with Apple drivers<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Eject or Lock key<\/td>\n<td>No function by default<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The biggest adjustment is shortcuts: on Windows, copy and paste are still <strong>Ctrl+C<\/strong> and <strong>Ctrl+V<\/strong>, not \u2318C and \u2318V, because Command acts as the Windows key.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_connect_an_Apple_keyboard_on_Windows\"><\/span>How to connect an Apple keyboard on Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wired_Apple_keyboard\"><\/span>Wired Apple keyboard<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Plug it into any USB port. Windows recognises it as a standard keyboard and it works immediately.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Magic_Keyboard_Bluetooth\"><\/span>Magic Keyboard (Bluetooth)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>Turn the keyboard on with the switch on its edge.<\/li>\n<li>On your PC, open <strong>Settings \u2192 Bluetooth &amp; devices \u2192 Add device \u2192 Bluetooth<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<li>Select <strong>Magic Keyboard<\/strong>. If Windows shows a PIN, type it on the Apple keyboard and press Enter.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>You can also connect a Magic Keyboard with its USB-C or Lightning cable; it charges and, on many PCs, works as a wired keyboard too. The <strong>Touch ID<\/strong> button on newer Magic Keyboards only works with Apple silicon Macs, so on Windows it&#8217;s just a lock key with no function.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_remap_Apple_keyboard_keys_on_Windows\"><\/span>How to remap Apple keyboard keys on Windows<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Microsoft PowerToys:<\/strong> install Microsoft&#8217;s free <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/powertoys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">PowerToys<\/a> and use <strong>Keyboard Manager<\/strong> to swap keys, for example to make Command act as Ctrl so \u2318C copies like on a Mac, or to turn F13 into Print Screen.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Boot Camp drivers:<\/strong> Apple&#8217;s Windows drivers for Intel Macs include keyboard support for function keys, brightness and media keys. Some users install them on regular PCs, though Apple doesn&#8217;t support this.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Magic Utilities:<\/strong> the paid <a href=\"https:\/\/magicutilities.net\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Magic Utilities<\/a> app adds full support for function keys, media keys and battery level on Windows.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Missing_keys_and_how_to_replace_them\"><\/span>Missing keys and how to replace them<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Print Screen:<\/strong> press <strong>Windows + Shift + S<\/strong> (Command + Shift + S on the Apple keyboard) to open Snipping Tool.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Home, End, Page Up and Page Down:<\/strong> present on full-size Apple keyboards. On compact ones, use fn + arrow keys (with Apple drivers) or remap keys in PowerToys.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Num Lock, Scroll Lock and Pause:<\/strong> rarely needed; remap with PowerToys if you use them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Our_experience_wired_Apple_keyboard_on_a_Windows_PC\"><\/span>Our experience: wired Apple keyboard on a Windows PC<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>We bought the full-size wired Apple keyboard with numeric keypad in 2009, even though Apple only listed Mac OS X as supported. We preferred it over the wireless model because it had the numeric keypad, full-size arrow keys, the Home\/End\/Page column, no batteries to replace and two USB ports on the sides for a mouse and flash drive.<\/p>\n<p>There was no CD or software in the box. We plugged it into our Windows Vista PC and it started working instantly. The Command key worked as the Windows key and F5 and F11 behaved normally. F13 to F19 and the Eject key did nothing, and we missed Print Screen, Scroll Lock, Pause and Num Lock, but the slim aluminium keys were a joy to type on. Apple stopped selling that wired keyboard in 2017; the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad is its modern replacement.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6782\" title=\"apple keyboard\" src=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-content\/uploads\/apple-keyboard-side.gif\" alt=\"Apple keyboard on a Windows PC\" width=\"468\" height=\"96\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Pair it with an Apple mouse for the full look; see how to use an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/2009\/05\/apple-mighty-mouse-on-windows-pc\/\">Apple Magic Mouse on Windows<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_asked_questions\"><\/span>Frequently asked questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Does_the_Apple_Magic_Keyboard_work_with_Windows_11\"><\/span>Does the Apple Magic Keyboard work with Windows 11?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes. It pairs over Bluetooth or connects by cable and works as a normal keyboard. Some special keys need extra software.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_key_is_the_Windows_key_on_an_Apple_keyboard\"><\/span>Which key is the Windows key on an Apple keyboard?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The Command (\u2318) key acts as the Windows key.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_take_a_screenshot_on_Windows_with_an_Apple_keyboard\"><\/span>How do I take a screenshot on Windows with an Apple keyboard?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Press Command + Shift + S, which Windows reads as Windows + Shift + S, to open the Snipping Tool.<\/p>\n<p>Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, QuickOnlineTips earns from qualifying purchases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Can you use an Apple keyboard on Windows? Yes, and it works better than you might expect. In 2009 we&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":63312,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,23,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6778","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apple","category-computers","category-gadgets"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6778"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":67464,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6778\/revisions\/67464"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/63312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6778"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6778"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.quickonlinetips.com\/archives\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6778"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}