ANSI · QWERTY
Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) keyboard layout
Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) is a Mac compact desktop keyboard built to the ANSI physical standard with a QWERTY letter arrangement. It has 78 keys in 6 rows.
Modelled on the Apple Magic Keyboard with Touch ID (2024).
At a glance
- Platform
- Mac
- Standard
- ANSI
- Form factor
- compact desktop
- Keys
- 78
- Letters
- QWERTY
- Language
- US English
- Numeric keypad
- No
- Enter key
- Wide, horizontal (ANSI)
- Left Shift
- 2.25u, full width
Key map
What Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) is
As a compact desktop keyboard it drops the numeric keypad to keep the mouse closer to the typing hand, but keeps a dedicated function row. Numbers are typed on the number row above the letters.
ISO or ANSI?
Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) is an ANSI keyboard. The three things a typist notices: the Enter key is a wide horizontal bar on the home row, the left Shift is a full 2.25u wide with no extra key beside it, and the backslash key sits directly above Enter. The right little finger reaches Enter with a short lateral move from the home row, and the left little finger has a wide target for Shift.
Where the symbols sit
These are the keycap legends on Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) for the characters typists reach for most, taken from the layout file. A symbol printed on a keycap with another legend is reached with Shift or the third-level modifier (AltGr on Windows, Option on Mac), depending on the operating system's layout.
On a US ANSI keyboard @ is Shift+2, the double quote is Shift+apostrophe and # is Shift+3, which is what most typing tutorials assume.
- @ shares its keycap with 2
- " shares its keycap with '
- # shares its keycap with 3
- ~ shares its keycap with `
- \ shares its keycap with |
- | shares its keycap with \
- / shares its keycap with ?
Home row and finger placement
The home row on Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) is A S D F G H J K L ; '. Touch typing starts here: the left hand rests on A S D F, the right hand on J K L ;, and every other key is reached by a short move and a return to this row. CosmicKeys' finger guide animates that reach for each key of this exact layout.
Practice on Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) in CosmicKeys
CosmicKeys does not assume a US keyboard. Choose Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) from the keyboard picker and the on-screen keyboard, the finger animations and the per-key narration all use this layout's positions.
The core curriculum runs on every layout: home row, top row, bottom row, the number row, finger drills, mastery and speed lessons, plus custom lessons you write yourself.
The typing test at /typing-test works on any layout and reports words per minute and accuracy; the lessons, finger-level analytics and hand-position guides are the part that depends on the layout you pick.
FAQ
Is Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) ANSI or ISO?
ANSI. It has a wide horizontal Enter key, a full 2.25u left Shift and the backslash key above Enter.
Where is the @ key on Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI)?
@ shares its keycap with 2. Whether you press it with Shift or with the third-level modifier depends on the operating system's layout for this keyboard.
Does Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) have a numeric keypad?
No. Numbers are typed on the number row; if you enter a lot of figures you can pair it with a standalone keypad and CosmicKeys' numpad lessons.
Can I learn to type on Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) with CosmicKeys?
Yes. Pick Apple Magic Keyboard (Compact, ANSI) in the keyboard picker; the lessons, finger animations and narration then use this layout's key positions. The typing test needs no account.