MacBook Pro - 2 keys swapped on belgian/french azerty keyboard

Hello,


I have a Macbook M4 Pro 16" November 2024 with an AZERTY keyboard (Belgian/French) and I can't find the correct layout for it.


Based on this How to identify your Apple keyboard layout by country or region - Apple Support I can confirm that I have an ISO Azerty French/Belgian Keyboard on my macbook (this is not an external keyboard).


I tried all French layout but none of them worked. I have two keys swapped:

  • @# next to the 1 (above the tab)
  • <> between left shift and w


Could anybody please tell me how to set the correct keyboard layout that matches my internal keyboard on my Macbook ?


I already know that I can switch these keys programmatically with applications like Karabiner but this is not what I want. I really would like the layout to match my keyboard naturally. I don't know what I could have done to end up in this situation.


Thanks.

Posted on Nov 19, 2025 9:53 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 20, 2025 10:54 AM

gillouche wrote:


After that, I used Karabiner to switch my keyboard to ANSI... and everything works now. The keys I type are exactly like on my macbook keyboard with the French keyboard layout. I find that weird because ... the normal setting should be ISO instead of ANSI.

Yes, it is totally crazy. Pure luck that someone found this fix a while ago.


> I am trying to do something else because the French layout is horrendous for {}[] etc (programmer stuff).


First have a look at the Apple input source called French PC. It puts most of the programmer stuff in the option/alt level of the top row of keys, and may meet your needs.


Making a custom keyboard like you described is really simple with Ukelele. I've made dozens and could probably do yours in a few minutes if you want (but I know nothing about Karabiner aside from that trick).


https://software.sil.org/ukelele/

8 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 20, 2025 10:54 AM in response to gillouche

gillouche wrote:


After that, I used Karabiner to switch my keyboard to ANSI... and everything works now. The keys I type are exactly like on my macbook keyboard with the French keyboard layout. I find that weird because ... the normal setting should be ISO instead of ANSI.

Yes, it is totally crazy. Pure luck that someone found this fix a while ago.


> I am trying to do something else because the French layout is horrendous for {}[] etc (programmer stuff).


First have a look at the Apple input source called French PC. It puts most of the programmer stuff in the option/alt level of the top row of keys, and may meet your needs.


Making a custom keyboard like you described is really simple with Ukelele. I've made dozens and could probably do yours in a few minutes if you want (but I know nothing about Karabiner aside from that trick).


https://software.sil.org/ukelele/

Nov 19, 2025 2:12 PM in response to gillouche

gillouche wrote:

I also tried the assistant but when I only have my macbook keyboard, if I press the key between w and left shift (the expected <> key), I get an error message

Did you try pressing the other keys mentioned in the note I linked to? ("If that does not work, go through the process again and try clicking on the key under ESC instead, or the first key beyond the key to the right of Left Shift.")


Beyond that, I think you need to go the Karabiner route ("has the ability to switch keyboard types (try choosing ANSI if your keyboard is ISO and vice versa")


Are you running Tahoe? It's possible the update has made all the old fixes for this problem useless and we need to discover a new one:-(

Nov 19, 2025 12:02 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hello, yes that's the behaviour I have and I already tried that. This only works for an external keyboard. My logitech mouse seems to be detected as a keyboard so I have to disconnect it.

If I don't have anything plugged on my macbook (screen, mouse, ...), I don't have System Settings > Keyboard > Change Keyboardtype option (the button is not there). It only appears if MacOS detects an external device (even if it is not a keyboard).


I also tried the assistant but when I only have my macbook keyboard, if I press the key between w and left shift (the expected <> key), I get an error message like this Someone tell me what key to the right of … - Apple Community


I have no idea how to force my macbook keyboard to be considered a ISO keyboard. Any other idea? Thanks

Nov 20, 2025 10:25 AM in response to Tom Gewecke

Hi Tom.


So I tried the other key like you suggested and still got the same message as in the link below. I am quite sure that there is something wrong somewhere because I don't have an external keyboard, just a mouse Logitech MX Master 3S that triggers the "keyboard settings assistant" or something like that when I put the bluetooth thingy in my docking.


After that, I used Karabiner to switch my keyboard to ANSI... and everything works now. The keys I type are exactly like on my macbook keyboard with the French keyboard layout. I find that weird because based on the link here How to identify your Apple keyboard layout by country or region - Apple Support the normal setting should be ISO instead of ANSI.


But anyway it works so thanks a lot.


Since we talked about Karabiner, I am trying to do something else because the French layout is horrendous for {}[] etc (programmer stuff). When I use the Karabiner EventsViewer, the keycode seems weird.


So this is the physical keyboard I have on my macbook https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0810/3669/files/mac-french-keyboard_1024x1024.png?5737506641424099145


I want to create this mapping:

  • ( key for (
  • ) key for )
  • option + § for {
  • option + è for }
  • option + ç for [
  • option + à for ]


the default combinations don't produce anything I ever type so it is fine. When I type these keys in the Karabiner event viewer, I see this:

  • ( = keycode "5"
  • ) = keycode "hyphen"
  • option + ( = keycode left_option and 5
  • option + ) = keycode left_option and hyphen
  • option + shift + 5 = keycode left_option, left_shift, 5
  • option + shift + ) = keycode left_option, left_shift, hyphen


First, that's a big problem for me because I can't find the key_code for the symbols I want ({}, []) which makes it impossible for me to create a complex combinations for them (or I haven't found how to do that yet).


I used ChatGPT but it proposed something I really don't like like





{
            "from": {
                "key_code": "6",
                "modifiers": { "mandatory": ["left_option"] }
            },
            "to": [{ "shell_command": "osascript -e 'tell application \"System Events\" to keystroke \"{\"'" }],
            "type": "basic"
}


I am not sure if that's the only way to do what I want because of the "dead keys".

Any idea how I can do the mapping I want with Karabiner without using osascript ?


Thanks.

MacBook Pro - 2 keys swapped on belgian/french azerty keyboard

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.