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Download AZERTY Global

The improved AZERTY keyboard, free and open source. It changes what your keys produce: the letters A to Z stay where they are, and five changes give easier access to punctuation, accented capitals and programming symbols.

Available for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Download from the Microsoft Store Try it online (in French)

macOS · Linux · Install for a business (in French)

AZERTY Global is backed by the Association pour la Modernisation du Clavier Français (AMCF), which signs the installation packages intended for businesses. About the association · Public code on GitHub · Support the project.

Install on your computer

Works with your current keyboard

AZERTY Global is a software keyboard layout: there is no need to buy a new keyboard. Your current AZERTY keyboard works perfectly.

Microsoft Store app

Recommended for a personal computer.

  • No admin rights required
  • Windows 10 (1809 or later) and Windows 11, x64 and ARM64
  • Interface available in English
  • Built-in virtual keyboard (Ctrl+Shift+Q)
  • Built-in character search (Ctrl+Shift+W)
  • Getting-started lessons in the app
  • Instant on and off (Ctrl+Shift+Caps Lock)
  • Touches no system files
  • Automatic updates
  • No SmartScreen warning
  • No account, no telemetry
Download from the Microsoft Store

After installing, click “Open”: a welcome window guides you, and the AG icon appears in the taskbar, near the clock (if it isn’t there, click the ^ arrow). To find AZERTY Global later, type AZERTY in the Start menu.

Version 1.1.0: release notes (in French).

Business kit: signed MSIX

Microsoft Store blocked, managed computer or deployment across a fleet.

  • Direct installation for Windows 10 and 11
  • Signed by the Association pour la Modernisation du Clavier Français
  • ZIP kit: signed MSIX, deployment sheet for IT departments (in French), printable materials
Download the business kit (ZIP)

Just want the package itself? Signed MSIX only (.msixbundle). On a company computer, ask your IT department to allow download.azerty.global.

Want to try it on a few computers first? Ask for a free pilot (in French), supported by the AMCF.

Version 1.1.0: release notes (in French).

Classic EXE installer

Computers without the Store, or integration into the Windows language settings.

  • Classic installation in the language and keyboard settings
  • Admin rights required
  • SmartScreen may display a warning (why?)
Download the EXE installer (ZIP)
Step-by-step guide: Microsoft Store app

1. Install from the Store. The app installs without a SmartScreen warning and without admin rights.

AZERTY Global on the Microsoft Store

2. Launch the app. Open AZERTY Global from the Start menu. The welcome window appears the first time you launch it. The screenshots show the French interface; the app also comes in English, and you can switch the language in the welcome window or in Settings.

AZERTY Global welcome window at first launch (French interface)

3. The AG icon appears in the taskbar. Right-click it for the virtual keyboard, character search, lessons and options.

AZERTY Global icon in the taskbar with its context menu (French interface)

4. Turn it on or off at any time with Ctrl + Shift + Caps Lock, or right-click the AG icon.

Check: press the key marked ;. It should type a period. One-keystroke check in the guide.

Step-by-step guide and verification: business kit

1. Download and unzip the kit. AZERTY_Global_Entreprise.zip contains AZERTY_Global_1.1.0.msixbundle, a deployment sheet for IT departments (in French) and the printable materials.

2. Open AZERTY_Global_1.1.0.msixbundle, extracted from the kit. Windows shows the app installer. Check that the publisher shown is Association pour la Modernisation du Clavier Français, then click “Install”.

For a stronger check, compare the SHA-256 checksum of the file AZERTY_Global_1.1.0.msixbundle (PowerShell: Get-FileHash .\AZERTY_Global_1.1.0.msixbundle): 79A9C9C80CE9441272961DA20CEC3206307D26CD9BBF23AB57F9D7BE8BF6530E

3. Understand the permission shown. If Windows displays “Uses all system resources”, this is the standard label for full desktop applications: it covers the keyboard, the taskbar icon and the global shortcuts. AZERTY Global does not collect what you type and never transmits your keystrokes.

Check: press the key marked ;. It should type a period. One-keystroke check in the guide.

Step-by-step guide: classic EXE installer

1. Unzip the file. Right-click AZERTY_Global_Windows_2026.1.zip → “Extract All…”.

2. Run the installer. Double-click AZERTY_Global.exe, make sure “Add to language bar list” is checked, then click “Install”.

3. Check that it’s active. Click FRA in the taskbar: if “AZERTY Global” appears, select it. If it doesn’t appear, add it through Settings → Time & language → Language & region → French (…) → Language options → Add a keyboard. If nothing happens, restart the computer and try again.

4. Switch keyboards with Win + Space, or by clicking FRA in the taskbar.

Keep AZERTY Global as the default: remove the old keyboards you no longer need (Settings → Time & language → Language & region → French (…) → Language options → Keyboards), or set AZERTY Global as the default input method in Settings → Time & language → Typing → Advanced keyboard settings → “Override for default input method”.

Check: press the key marked ;. It should type a period. One-keystroke check in the guide.

Uninstall

Microsoft Store app

Win + I → Apps → Installed apps → search for “AZERTY Global” → Uninstall (Windows 10: Apps → Apps & features).

EXE installer

Win + I → Time & language → Language & region → French (…) → Language options → AZERTY Global → Remove. Then run the EXE installer again to uninstall completely.

Why can the EXE installer trigger a SmartScreen warning?

SmartScreen can appear on the classic EXE installer, especially for recent or rarely downloaded files. AZERTY Global is open source and can be checked on GitHub, but SmartScreen reputation also depends on the download channel and the number of installations.

The EXE installer copies the layout into C:\Windows\System32, where Windows stores its keyboard layouts: that is why it needs admin rights.

The Microsoft Store app touches no system files, asks for no admin rights and triggers no SmartScreen warning. If the Store is blocked, use the signed MSIX above.

To get past the warning: click “More info”, then “Run anyway”.

Need help?

Quick guide · FAQ and troubleshooting · Contact

What changes in practice

The letters A to Z, the accented letters (except ù) and the vast majority of symbols stay where they are. Here are the five changes.

Smart Caps Lock

With Caps Lock on, accented letters become capitals: é → É, è → È, à → À, ç → Ç. Punctuation and numbers are not affected. More about the capital É (in French).

The period without Shift

The period types without Shift. The semicolon moves to Shift + ;.

At sign and hash at the top left

The at sign and the hash take over the former ² key, to the left of the 1, as on the macOS AZERTY. The hash is also available with AltGr + :. The at sign page (in French).

Programming symbols on the home row

On the home row with AltGr: { } under the left middle and index fingers (D, F), \ | in the center (G, H), [ ] under the right index and middle fingers (J, K). Plus comfortable access to ~, `, ^ and #. The developers page (in French).

International accents on the ù key

The ù and % move to make room for the acute accent (á, é, í, ó, ú: Spanish, Hungarian, etc.), the grave accent (à, è, ì, ò, ù: Italian, French, etc.) and the tilde (ã, ñ, õ: Portuguese, Spanish, etc.). The ù stays available with AltGr + U, and the % moves to Shift + ).

The characters you can type with AZERTY Global

Beyond the five changes, whole families of characters become accessible, and the letters A to Z stay where they are. Linked characters open a page in French.

  • French characters É È À Ù Ç Œ Æ … Accented capitals come with Caps Lock; œ and æ without a dead key.
  • Programming symbols @ # { } [ ] \ … @ and # at the top left; the rest on the home row, with AltGr.
  • French and international punctuation . « » “ ” — ¿ … Quotation marks, dashes and Spanish punctuation with AltGr; the period is direct, without Shift.
  • European and African languages ñ ø č ß å ŋ ɔ … Spanish, Danish, Polish, Czech, German, Swedish, Romanian and African languages: more than 300 languages in total, counting Greek and Cyrillic.
  • Greek alphabet α β γ δ π σ Ω … For math and physics, from high school to research. Statistics, engineering and finance use it too.
  • Cyrillic alphabet а б в г д е ж … Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian, Serbian and Macedonian; a second dead key adds Kazakh, Mongolian, Tatar, Bashkir and Tajik.
  • Scientific, currency and miscellaneous symbols ∑ ∫ ≠ ∞ ₿ ★ ✈ … Through dead keys: AltGr + = for science, AltGr + Shift + $ for currencies, AltGr + @ for miscellaneous symbols.
  • International Phonetic Alphabet ɑ ʃ ʒ ʁ ɥ ɪ ʏ … Through the dead key AltGr + Shift + à, to write down pronunciation.

Details by use: developers (in French), French typography, African languages (in French), French outside France (in French).

Public feedback

“Truly packed with good changes that improve the keyboard day to day. I don’t understand why this isn’t the default AZERTY.”

Seyhan, physician, SourceForge review, March 2024. Translated from French.

“It barely differs from the classic AZERTY, so adjusting is super fast. But it improves everything else: Smart Caps Lock, foreign-language accents, accessible symbols… 2 days and I had adopted it.”

Gelth, IT professional, Twitter, 2023. Translated from French.

What’s next?

Quick guide

Get started after installing

 Try it in your browser (in French)

Three exercises on your keyboard, nothing to install

 Help and FAQ

Special characters and troubleshooting

 Support the project

Contribute your way