Fix Mac keyboard shortcuts in Remote Desktop

A Mac keyboard and a Windows keyboard do not line up key for key. When you connect to a Windows server from a Mac, Command, Control and Option each have to stand in for a Windows key, and that is where most "my shortcuts don't work" problems come from. This guide explains how the keys map in Windows App, how to fix copy and paste and special characters, and how to keep both sides on the same layout.

Before you start

• A Mac with Windows App (formerly Microsoft Remote Desktop) installed and a saved connection to your server at 203.0.113.10:3389. If you have not set that up yet, follow Connect to a Windows server from a Mac with Windows App.
• Admin rights on the Windows server, if you need to add a keyboard layout there.

How Mac keys map to Windows keys

By default, Windows App passes keys through like this:

• Control on the Mac sends Ctrl to Windows.
• Option sends Alt.
• Command sends the Windows key, unless the app translates the shortcut for you (see below).
• Delete (backspace) sends Backspace. Fn + Delete sends a forward Delete.

So the plain Windows rule is: if a guide says Ctrl + something, press Control + something on the Mac. If it says Alt + something, press Option + something.

Make Command + C and Command + V work

Windows App can translate common Mac shortcuts so muscle memory keeps working. With this turned on, Command + C, Command + V, Command + X, Command + Z and Command + A do what you expect inside Windows.

1. Open Windows App.
2. In the menu bar, choose Windows App → Settings (or Preferences on older versions).
3. Look for the keyboard option that controls whether Mac shortcuts are used or keys are sent as-is, and choose the Mac shortcut mode.

The wording and location of this option have changed between app versions. If you cannot find it, check Microsoft's current Windows App for macOS documentation.

Copying text still needs clipboard redirection on. Edit the PC, open Devices & Audio and make sure Clipboard is ticked.

Windows shortcuts you will need

These are the Windows combinations people ask about most, with the keys to press on a Mac keyboard:

• Ctrl + Alt + Delete (security screen): Fn + Control + Option + Delete. Inside a session, Ctrl + Alt + End also works on Windows keyboards; on a Mac without an End key, use Fn + Control + Option + Right arrow, which sends End on most layouts.
• Alt + Tab (switch programs inside Windows): Option + Tab. In full screen this stays inside the session; in a window, macOS may catch it first.
• Windows key (open Start): Command.
• Windows + E (File Explorer): Command + E, if Command is passed as the Windows key.
• Home / End / Page Up / Page Down: Fn + Left, Fn + Right, Fn + Up, Fn + Down.

For a full list of Remote Desktop shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts inside a Remote Desktop session.

Function keys F1 to F12

On most Mac keyboards the top row controls brightness and volume first. To send F5 to Windows, press Fn + F5.

If you use function keys a lot, change macOS so they act as standard keys:

1. Open System Settings → Keyboard.
2. Click Keyboard Shortcuts, then Function Keys.
3. Turn on Use F1, F2, etc. keys as standard function keys.

Now the top row sends F-keys directly, and you press Fn for brightness and volume.

Special characters and international layouts

Characters like @, #, \, | and accented letters depend on the keyboard layout Windows thinks you are using, not the one printed on your Mac.

The fix is to use the same layout on both sides:

1. On the Mac, check your input source in System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input.
2. On the server, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region. Under your language, choose Options (or the … menu) and add the matching keyboard, for example United Kingdom or German.
3. Remove layouts you do not use, so Windows cannot switch to them by accident.

Some Mac layouts have no exact Windows twin. Apple-style layouts for Windows exist for a few languages; otherwise pick the closest standard layout and learn the few keys that differ.

If Windows keeps switching to a US layout on its own, see Fix the wrong keyboard layout in Remote Desktop.

Check it works

1. Connect to the server and open Notepad.
2. Type a line with @, ", \ and any accented letters you use. They should match the keys you press.
3. Select the text with Command + A (or Control + A), copy it, and paste it into a Mac app.
4. Press Fn + Control + Option + Delete and confirm the Windows security screen appears. Press Esc or choose Cancel to return.

Troubleshooting

• Command + C opens something else: Command is being sent as the Windows key. Switch the keyboard mode in Windows App settings, or use Control + C.
• Quotes and @ are swapped: the Windows layout is US while your Mac is UK, or the other way round. Match the layouts as shown above.
• Alt + Tab switches Mac apps instead: use full screen, where the session captures more key combinations.
• F-keys change volume: hold Fn, or turn on standard function keys in macOS.

Next steps

• Set up the connection itself: Connect to a Windows server from a Mac with Windows App.
• Learn the rest of the session shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts inside a Remote Desktop session.
• Fix layout switching: Fix the wrong keyboard layout in Remote Desktop.