Fixing Swapped Keys on Your Mac

If you find that two specific keys have swapped places—common pairs include ~ and ±, or <> and #@, and so on. This is almost always caused by a mismatch between your keyboard's physical layout and your Mac's software layout.

Here are a few methods to resolve this issue and get your keyboard working correctly.

Solution 1: Select the Correct Language Layout on Your Mac

1. Go to System Settings.
2. Navigate to Keyboard.
3. Click on "Input Sources".
4. Click the "Edit..." or the "+" (Add) button.
5. From the list, choose the corresponding language layout.
6. Ensure this new layout is selected. You may want to remove the incorrect layout to avoid future confusion.

Solution 2: Choose the Correct Physical Layout (ANSI or ISO)

1. In the same Keyboard Layout settings, click "Change the layout of keyboard".
2. Follow the instructions, which typically involve pressing a key next to the Shift key. This helps your Mac identify the physical layout.
3. When prompted, select the correct layout for your keyboard: ISO (common in Europe) or ANSI (common in the US).

Solution 3: Delete the Keyboard Layout Cache

1. Unplug your keyboard.
2. Open Finder.
3. Press Shift + Command + G to open the "Go to Folder" window.
4. Enter the following path and press Return:

/Library/Preferences/

1. In the folder that opens, find and move the following files to the Trash:

com.apple.keyboardtype.plist

com.apple.HIToolbox.plist

1. Restart your Mac.
2. Plug your keyboard in again.