User profile for user: deemon-
deemon- Author
User level: Level 1
12 points

swapped keys on USB keyboard.

When I connect my USB keyboard to MacBook Air 13 (2025) it replaces some key inputs with totally wrong characters on Estonian layout.

  1. the key between Esc, 1 and Tab instead of inserting ^~• (normal; with shift; with AltGr) it gives me <>|
  2. the key between left-shift and Z instead of inserting <>| gives me ˇ~¶


additionally the key on the Mac itself, between Esc/1/Tab, gives me ˇ~¶ instead of ^~• so maybe it's then "mac thing", in any case then it's swapping those 2 keys for attached USB keyboard.


How can I fix this?

Posted on Feb 4, 2026 10:38 AM

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User profile for user: Tom Gewecke
Tom Gewecke
User level: Level 10
122,330 points

Posted on Feb 4, 2026 8:14 PM

deemon- wrote:

Already have switched between ANSI and ISO5 times now... didn't do a thing.

Thanks for that info. If your usb keyboard is not from Apple, ask in their own support forum, as some 3rd party keyboards have their own internal settings for ISO/ANSI/JIS keyboard type.


The key under ESC in the ISO/European Estonian layout is supposed to produce ~ and ˇ which are diacritic marks used in Estonian. In your first post you seemed to say it should produce ^, which I assume was a typo.


I understand your desire to avoid 3rd party apps to fix this problem, but it may be the only way. Karabiner Elements is probably easiest and has worked for lots of people.


If Apple at some point provides you an easier fix, please come back and report it here. I've been helping users with this issue for a long time, and so far I have not seen any indication that Apple support has a clue about it, which is why the User Tip provided in the link earlier was created.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Tom Gewecke
Tom Gewecke
User level: Level 10
122,330 points

Feb 4, 2026 8:14 PM in response to deemon-

deemon- wrote:

Already have switched between ANSI and ISO5 times now... didn't do a thing.

Thanks for that info. If your usb keyboard is not from Apple, ask in their own support forum, as some 3rd party keyboards have their own internal settings for ISO/ANSI/JIS keyboard type.


The key under ESC in the ISO/European Estonian layout is supposed to produce ~ and ˇ which are diacritic marks used in Estonian. In your first post you seemed to say it should produce ^, which I assume was a typo.


I understand your desire to avoid 3rd party apps to fix this problem, but it may be the only way. Karabiner Elements is probably easiest and has worked for lots of people.


If Apple at some point provides you an easier fix, please come back and report it here. I've been helping users with this issue for a long time, and so far I have not seen any indication that Apple support has a clue about it, which is why the User Tip provided in the link earlier was created.

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swapped keys on USB keyboard.

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