This German virtual keyboard mirrors the QWERTZ layout of a physical German keyboard. Its 48 character keys reach the 30 letters of the Latin script (U+0041–U+005A, U+0061–U+007A, U+00C0–U+024F) straight from the browser, with no software to install and no system setting to change.
The layout reaches 11 characters that an ordinary Latin keyboard does not carry: § ° ² ³ ´ µ ß ä ö ü €.
12 further characters come from the AltGr key (Alt on mobile): ² ³ { [ ] } \ @ € ~ | µ.
Script
Latin
Layout
QWERTZ
Reading direction
Left to right
Character keys
48
Letters available
30
Non-ASCII characters
11
Unicode range
U+0041–U+005A, U+0061–U+007A, U+00C0–U+024F
Third layer (AltGr)
Yes
Transliteration
No
How to type in German
Click the on-screen keys or type on your physical keyboard — both write into the same text area.
Shift shows the second layer of every key: capitals and the characters printed at the top right.
AltGr (Alt on mobile) shows the third layer, the characters printed at the bottom right.
The Copy button puts the whole text on the clipboard, ready to paste into an email, a document or a form.
The Google, YouTube and ChatGPT buttons run a search with the text you typed, without retyping it.
Key reference table
Each row is one physical key: the base character, the one produced with Shift, then the one produced with AltGr.
Key
With Shift
With AltGr
^
°
—
1
!
—
2
"
²
3
§
³
4
$
—
5
%
—
6
&
—
7
/
{
8
(
[
9
)
]
0
=
}
ß
?
\
´
`
—
q
Q
@
w
W
—
e
E
€
r
R
—
t
T
—
z
Z
—
u
U
—
i
I
—
o
O
—
p
P
—
ü
Ü
—
+
*
~
a
A
—
s
S
—
d
D
—
f
F
—
g
G
—
h
H
—
j
J
—
k
K
—
l
L
—
ö
Ö
—
ä
Ä
—
#
'
—
<
>
|
y
Y
—
x
X
—
c
C
—
v
V
—
b
B
—
n
N
—
m
M
µ
,
;
—
.
:
—
-
_
—
The characters on this layout
The 11 characters this layout can produce:
§
°
²
³
´
µ
ß
ä
ö
ü
€
Other keyboards in the Latin script
These keyboards are written in the same script and share much of their character set.
The same language is not typed on the same keyboard everywhere. Pick yours in the “Layout” list under the keyboard: the keys, the Shift and AltGr characters and the dead keys change with it, and with “Type with my physical keyboard” on, your own keyboard follows the layout you chose.
QWERTZ DE
The QWERTZ layout of Germany and Austria: Z and Y swap places compared with QWERTY, ä, ö, ü and ß have their own keys, and ^, ´ and ` are dead keys. Use this layout
QWERTZ CH
The Swiss German layout, also QWERTZ but without ß (Swiss German writes ss). ü, ö and ä share their keys with è, é and à, so French speakers use the same keyboard; the digits need no Shift, and AltGr gives @, # and €. Use this layout
Typing German on a US or UK keyboard: where the keys move
Turn on "Type with my physical keyboard" and your keys are read by position, as if they had German keycaps. What changes:
Y and Z trade places. The key labelled Z on a US keyboard types y, and the one labelled Y types z.
ü is on your [ key, ö on ; and ä on '. Shift gives Ü, Ö and Ä.
ß is on your - key, just right of 0.
@ is not on Shift+2 (that gives "). On this page it is AltGr+Q, and € is AltGr+E.
The brackets move to AltGr+7 to AltGr+0 ({ [ ] }), and the backslash to AltGr+ß.
The ^ key (left of 1) and the ´ key (right of ß) are dead keys: ´ then e gives é (Café), Shift+´ then a gives à, and ^ then o gives ô. Press space after one for the mark alone.
If you only need a few umlauts and don't want to learn a new layout, use your system's own shortcuts. On macOS, press Option+U and then the vowel for ä, ö or ü, and Option+S for ß. The Windows "United States-International" layout gives ä when you type " and then a, and ß with AltGr+S. On Android and iPhone, long-press a, o, u or s.
ß or ss, and the capital ẞ
Since the 1996 spelling reform, the rule depends on the vowel before the s sound. After a long vowel or a diphthong you write ß: Straße, Fuß, heißen, groß. After a short vowel you write ss: dass, Fluss, muss, Schloss. The old spelling daß is now wrong.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein don't use ß at all and always write ss (Strasse). Swiss keyboards have no ß key.
ß has no capital on this layout: Shift+ß types ?. In all-caps text the standard form is still SS (STRASSE). In 2017 the Council for German Orthography also allowed the capital ẞ (U+1E9E), which mostly shows up in names on official documents (GROẞ). Never use a capital B in its place.
Quotation marks and number formats
German quotes open low and close high: „so“ (U+201E and U+201C). Books also use chevrons that point inward, »so«. Neither is on a standard key. Word processors set to German change straight " quotes into „…“ for you.
German swaps the comma and the period in numbers: 1.250,50 € means one thousand two hundred fifty euros and fifty cents. Dates are written day first with periods: 24.12.2026.
Installing the German layout for everyday typing
Windows 11: Settings > Time & language > Language & region > Add a language > German (Germany). Switch layouts with Windows+Space. Windows also offers the newer "German (Extended)" layouts, which follow the 2018 DIN standard (T2/E1) and add many more AltGr characters. This page uses the classic layout.
macOS: System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit > + > German. On a Mac, @ is Option+L, not AltGr+Q.
Android (Gboard): Settings > Languages > Add keyboard > Deutsch, then choose QWERTZ.
iPhone/iPad: Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard > German.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the German QWERTZ keyboard layout?
QWERTZ is the standard German keyboard layout where Z and Y are swapped compared to QWERTY. It includes German special characters ä, ö, ü, and ß.
How do I type umlauts (ä, ö, ü)?
Umlauts are directly available on the German keyboard: ü is to the right of P, and ö and ä are to the right of L (ö first, then ä).
How do I type the ß (Eszett) character?
The ß character is located to the right of the 0 key on the number row. It's used in German words like 'Straße' (street).
Can I type uppercase umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü)?
Yes! Simply use Shift + the umlaut key, or enable Caps Lock. Note that capital ß (ẞ) is a newer addition and may require special input methods.
Why is Z and Y swapped in QWERTZ?
The Z is more common in German than Y, so it was moved to a more accessible position. This makes typing German words more efficient.
How do I type the Euro symbol €?
Press AltGr + E to type the Euro symbol €. AltGr is the right Alt key on German keyboards.
What's the difference between ß and ss?
ß (Eszett) is a German letter representing a sharp 's' sound. While 'ss' can be used as a substitute, ß is preferred in proper German orthography.
How do I access special characters like @ and ~?
Use AltGr combinations: AltGr+Q gives @, AltGr+Plus gives ~. The AltGr key unlocks many special characters on German keyboards.
Can I use QWERTZ for typing in English?
Yes, but you'll need to adjust to the Z/Y swap. All English letters are available, though some symbols are in different positions.
What is the purpose of the ´ (acute) key?
The ´ key is a dead key for creating accented characters. Press ´ then a vowel to create á, é, í, ó, ú - useful for foreign words in German text.
