Short answer: On a US keyboard press Shift + 2. On a UK keyboard that gives a quote — press Shift + ‘ (the apostrophe key by Enter). On a Mac it’s Shift + 2 (Option + 2 on some European layouts). On Windows you can also hold Alt and type 64 on the numeric keypad, or just copy it below.
Not sure where a symbol lives on your layout? The Alt Code Finder gives the Windows, Mac and HTML method for any character.
The @ sign is on every keyboard — but where depends on your layout, which is why “how do I type @?” is such a common question. Here’s every layout, and the fix for the classic problem where Shift + 2 gives a quotation mark instead of @.
The layout catch: @ and ” get swapped
On a US layout, Shift + 2 is @ and the double quote sits on the apostrophe key. On a UK layout, those two are reversed: Shift + 2 gives “, and @ moves to Shift + ‘ (the apostrophe key next to Enter). So if you press Shift + 2 and get a quote, your system is using a UK (or other European) layout — the keyboard isn’t broken, the layout just doesn’t match. The quick test: look at your 2 key — if it shows ” instead of @, you’re on UK.
Quick reference
| Layout | Type @ | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| US QWERTY | Shift + 2 | the standard |
| UK QWERTY | Shift + ‘ | Shift + 2 gives ” here |
| German (QWERTZ) | AltGr + Q | or Ctrl + Alt + Q |
| French (AZERTY) | AltGr + à | the 0 key |
| Spanish | AltGr + 2 | |
| Mac (US / UK) | Shift + 2 | Option + 2 on some European layouts |
| Any Windows | Alt + 64 | numeric keypad, Num Lock on |
Unicode: U+0040 · HTML: @ or @
Type @ on Windows
- US: Shift + 2.
- UK: Shift + ‘ (apostrophe, left of Enter).
- European layouts: @ moves behind AltGr (the right Alt): German AltGr + Q, French AltGr + à, Spanish AltGr + 2. If your keyboard has no AltGr, Ctrl + Alt + that key works.
- Alt code (any layout): hold Alt, type 64 on the numeric keypad, release.
- Picker: Win + . opens the emoji/symbol panel.
Type @ on Mac
- US and UK layouts: Shift + 2.
- Some European layouts (e.g. Spanish, French): Option + 2.
- If Shift + 2 gives the wrong character, open the Keyboard Viewer (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → Show Input menu, then Show Keyboard Viewer) and hold Shift/Option to see where @ is.
Fix the swapped @ and “
This is almost always a layout mismatch — Windows is set to a different layout than the physical keys:
- Open Settings → Time & language → Language & region.
- Make sure your language’s keyboard matches your physical keyboard (US vs UK).
- Remove the layout you don’t use, so it can’t switch back.
Note: Windows + Space (and sometimes Alt + Shift) cycles between installed layouts — hitting it by accident is the usual reason @ and ” suddenly swap mid-typing.
@ in HTML, CSS & code
- HTML: you can type a plain @; if you prefer an entity, use
@or@(@in hex). - CSS: @ starts at-rules like
@media, so a literal @ inside acontentvalue is written\0040. - Programming: @ is a decorator in Python (
@staticmethod), an annotation in Java (@Override), and the “mention” trigger (@username) across social and chat apps.
Type @ on Linux, ChromeOS & phone
- Linux / ChromeOS: it’s layout-dependent (US: Shift + 2); or press Ctrl + Shift + U, type
0040, Enter. - Phone: tap the 123 / symbols key — @ has its own key there. In email and username fields, phones usually show @ right on the main keyboard.
What the @ symbol means
The @ sign — the “at sign” or “commercial at” — began in accounting, meaning “at a rate of” (3 widgets @ $5). Today it’s everywhere:
- Email addresses —
[email protected], its defining modern use. - Social handles and mentions —
@usernameto tag or address someone. - Pricing — “5 @ $3 each.”
- Code — decorators, annotations and mention syntax, as above.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Shift + 2 gives ” not @ | Your layout is UK/European — press Shift + ‘ (UK), or switch the layout to US. |
| @ and ” keep swapping mid-typing | You have two layouts installed; Windows + Space toggles them. Remove the extra one. |
| No AltGr key on my European keyboard | Use Ctrl + Alt + the same key (e.g. Ctrl + Alt + Q for German). |
| @ shows as a box ▯ | Rare for @ — switch to any standard font. See symbol showing as a box. |
| Email says “invalid address” | Check there’s exactly one @, with no spaces around it. |
Recap
- US → Shift + 2. UK → Shift + ‘.
- Mac → Shift + 2 (Option + 2 on some European layouts).
- European → AltGr (German Q, French à, Spanish 2).
- Any Windows → Alt + 64, or copy it above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type the @ symbol?
On a US keyboard, press Shift + 2. On a UK keyboard, press Shift + ‘ (the apostrophe key next to Enter). On a Mac it’s usually Shift + 2. On Windows you can also hold Alt and type 64 on the numeric keypad, or copy the @ from this page.
Why does Shift + 2 give a quotation mark instead of @?
Your keyboard layout is set to UK or another European layout, where Shift + 2 produces ” and the @ symbol moves elsewhere. It’s a mismatch between the layout Windows is using and your physical keyboard — switch the layout to US, or use the correct key for your layout (Shift + ‘ on UK).
Where is @ on a UK keyboard?
On a UK layout the @ is on Shift + ‘ — the apostrophe/quote key just to the left of the Enter key. On UK keyboards, Shift + 2 gives a double quote instead, because @ and ” are swapped compared with the US layout.
How do I type @ on a Mac?
On US and UK Mac layouts, press Shift + 2. On some European Mac layouts (such as Spanish or French), @ is Option + 2 instead. If Shift + 2 gives the wrong character, open the Keyboard Viewer to see where @ is on your current layout.
How do I type @ on a German, French or Spanish keyboard?
European layouts move @ behind the AltGr key (the right-hand Alt): German is AltGr + Q, French is AltGr + à (the 0 key), and Spanish is AltGr + 2. If your keyboard has no AltGr key, hold Ctrl + Alt with the same key instead.
What does the @ symbol mean?
The @ sign, or “at sign,” originally meant “at a rate of” in accounting. Today it’s used mainly in email addresses (name@domain), for social-media handles and mentions (@username), in pricing, and in programming as decorators, annotations and mention syntax.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS and US, UK and European keyboard layouts. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard. Last updated July 2026.