Keyboard Layout Detector
Find out which keyboard layout your computer is using. Supported browsers read the operating system's key map instantly; in any browser you can press a few keys and the detector narrows it down.
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Full key map (0 keys)
| Physical key (code) | Your layout | US QWERTY |
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How to use the Keyboard Layout Detector
- Open the page on a computer with a physical keyboard. In Chrome, Edge or Opera the layout is read automatically.
- In other browsers, click the typing box and press the keys highlighted on the keyboard picture, or just type a sentence.
- Read the result: the layout family (for example AZERTY) and the most likely variant (for example French or Belgian).
- Check the keyboard picture: keys that differ from US QWERTY are highlighted.
- Switched layouts? Press Detect again after changing the layout in your operating system.
How to recognise the main keyboard layouts
Layouts are named after the first letters on the top letter row. The detector looks at the same physical keys and compares what they type:
| Layout | Top letter row starts | Key right of L | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| QWERTY (US) | Q W E R T Y | ; | United States, most English-speaking countries, many others |
| QWERTY (UK) | Q W E R T Y | ; | United Kingdom and Ireland; # key left of Enter |
| QWERTY (Spanish) | Q W E R T Y | ñ | Spain and Latin America |
| QWERTY (Nordic) | Q W E R T Y | ö, ø or æ | Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark |
| QWERTZ | Q W E R T Z | ö or é | Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Central Europe |
| AZERTY | A Z E R T Y | m | France and Belgium |
| Dvorak | ' , . P Y F | s | Alternative layout designed for less finger travel |
| Colemak | Q W F P G J | o | Alternative layout that keeps common shortcuts in place |
| Workman | Q D R W B J | i | Alternative layout that limits sideways finger movement |
| ЙЦУКЕН | Й Ц У К Е Н | ж (Russian) | Russian; Ukrainian and others are close relatives |
Physical position versus typed character
Web pages see two values for every key press. event.code names the physical position using US QWERTY names, so the key to the right of Tab is always KeyQ, whatever is printed on it. event.key is the character the active layout produces. On an AZERTY layout pressing KeyQ gives a, on Dvorak it gives an apostrophe. Games use the code to keep WASD movement in the same place for every layout, and text fields use the key.
The detector compares up to 14 positions per layout. Letters separate the families, and punctuation and accented keys separate national variants, for example Backslash types \ on US but # on UK, and Equal types = on French but - on Belgian AZERTY.
Tips
- If the layout is not what you expected, check the input language indicator in your taskbar or menu bar. Windows switches layouts with Win + Space and macOS with Control + Space by default.
- Typing the wrong characters in a password field is usually a layout mismatch: the key test shows exactly which character each key produces.
- To convert text typed in the wrong layout, use the wrong keyboard layout fixer.
Frequently asked questions
How does the detector know my layout?
Every key press has two parts: event.code, the physical position of the key (for example KeyQ is the key right of Tab), and event.key, the character your layout produces. Comparing the two for a handful of keys identifies the layout. QWERTY produces q at KeyQ, AZERTY produces a, and Dvorak produces an apostrophe.
What is the Keyboard API layout map?
Chrome, Edge and Opera offer navigator.keyboard.getLayoutMap(), which returns the character for each physical key in the current operating system layout without any typing. Firefox and Safari do not support it, so the page falls back to the key test.
Why can it not tell US and UK QWERTY apart yet?
Most keys are identical. The difference shows on a few keys such as the one left of Enter, which types \ on US and # on UK layouts. When several layouts still match, the detector highlights the key that would separate them so you can press it.
Does it detect the physical keyboard or the software layout?
It detects the layout selected in your operating system. A keyboard with German keycaps set to US English in Windows is reported as US QWERTY, because that is what the keys type.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
On-screen keyboards usually do not report physical key positions, so detection is not possible. With a hardware keyboard connected to a tablet the key test can work.
Why does a key show Dead?
Dead keys, such as the accent keys on many European layouts, do not type a character on their own but change the next letter. Browsers report them as Dead, and they are shown with a dotted circle.
Is anything I type stored or sent?
No. Key presses are only compared in your browser to identify the layout and are discarded when you leave the page.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.