How to Type German Umlauts: ä ö ü ß on Any Device

If you are learning German, you will quickly run into four characters that do not exist in English: the umlauts ä, ö, and ü, plus the Eszett ß. These are not decorative accents. They are distinct letters that change a word's meaning entirely. "Schwule" (gay) and "Schwüle" (humidity) are very different words. "Schon" (already) and "schön" (beautiful) are not interchangeable.

The good news is that typing these characters is straightforward on every device once you know the shortcuts. This guide covers every method on Windows, Mac, phones, tablets, and Chromebooks, so you can type confident, correct German no matter what hardware you use.

Quick Reference Table: German Umlaut Shortcuts

Before diving into the details, here is a table you can bookmark and come back to any time you need a quick reminder.

Now let us walk through each platform in detail.

How to Type Umlauts on Windows?

Windows gives you three reliable methods, each suited to different typing habits.

Method 1: Alt Codes (Works Everywhere)

Alt codes work on any Windows application as long as your keyboard has a numeric keypad (the number block on the right side, not the number row at the top).

1. Make sure Num Lock is on
2. Hold the Alt key
3. Type the code on your numeric keypad
4. Release Alt, and the character appears

Here are the codes you need:

• Alt + 0228 = ä
• Alt + 0246 = ö
• Alt + 0252 = ü
• Alt + 0196 = Ä
• Alt + 0214 = Ö
• Alt + 0220 = Ü
• Alt + 0223 = ß

Alt codes are perfect for occasional use. If you only type German a few times a week, memorizing these four-digit numbers is the simplest approach with no setup required.

Method 2: US-International Keyboard Layout

If you type German regularly but do not want to switch to a full German layout, the US-International layout is the best compromise. Your physical keys stay the same, but you gain dead key combinations for accented characters.

To enable it, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & Region > Preferred Languages > English > Keyboard Options and add "United States-International."

Once active:

• Type " (quotation mark) followed by a to get ä
• Type " followed by o to get ö
• Type " followed by u to get ü
• Press Right Alt + S to get ß

The trade-off is that the quotation mark becomes a dead key, so you need to press it twice or press it then Space to type a regular quotation mark.

Method 3: Windows Emoji Picker

Press Windows + . (period) to open the emoji and symbol picker. Click the omega symbol (special characters tab), search for the character you need, and click to insert it. This is the slowest method, but it requires zero memorization.

How to Type Umlauts on Mac?

Mac has the most elegant solution for typing umlauts. The Option key acts as a modifier that gives you direct access to special characters.

Option Key Method (Recommended)

• ä = Press Option + U, release both keys, then press A
• ö = Press Option + U, release, then press O
• ü = Press Option + U, release, then press U
• ß = Press Option + S

The Option + U shortcut places a floating diaeresis (the two dots) above the cursor. When you type the vowel next, the umlaut appears. For capital umlauts, hold Shift when you press the vowel: Option + U, then Shift + A gives you Ä.

Press-and-Hold Method

On macOS, you can also hold down any vowel key for about one second. A popup appears showing all accented versions. Press the number shown beneath the character you want, or click it directly. This is slower but very intuitive.

How Can I Type ß?

The Eszett (ß) deserves its own section because it is not an umlaut and has its own unique shortcuts.

• Windows Alt code: Alt + 0223
• Windows US-International: Right Alt + S
• Mac: Option + S
• Phone/Tablet: Long press the S key
• Chrome OS: Ctrl + Shift + U, then 00DF, then Enter

A common workaround when none of these methods are available is to type "ss" instead of ß. While this substitution is accepted in many contexts (Switzerland actually uses ss exclusively and does not use ß at all), it is technically a different spelling in standard German. Words like "Straße" (street) and "Strasse" are both understood, but "Maße" (measurements) and "Masse" (mass) have different meanings. When accuracy matters, use the real ß.

Typing German Characters on Phone and Tablet

Mobile devices make German characters surprisingly easy. Both iOS and Android use the same approach.

Long press the base letter. Hold your finger on A, O, U, or S on your on-screen keyboard. After a brief pause, a popup row of accented variants appears. Slide your finger to the one you want and release.

• Long press A to find ä and Ä
• Long press O to find ö and Ö
• Long press U to find ü and Ü
• Long press S to find ß

Alternatively, add a German keyboard in your device settings:

• iOS: Settings > General > Keyboard > Keyboards > Add New Keyboard > German
• Android: Settings > System > Languages & Input > Virtual Keyboard > Manage Keyboards > German

With a German keyboard added, you can switch between English and German by tapping the globe icon on your keyboard.

Typing Umlauts on Chrome OS (Chromebook)

Chromebooks use a Unicode input method. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the Unicode hex code, then press Enter or Space:

• 00E4 = ä
• 00F6 = ö
• 00FC = ü
• 00DF = ß
• 00C4 = Ä
• 00D6 = Ö
• 00DC = Ü

For frequent use, add the German keyboard in Settings > Device > Keyboard > Change Input Settings > Add Input Methods > German. This gives you a QWERTZ layout you can toggle with Ctrl + Space.

The German QWERTZ Keyboard Layout

If you plan to type in German extensively, or if you are living in a German-speaking country, it is worth understanding the QWERTZ layout. German keyboards differ from English QWERTY keyboards in several important ways.

The most noticeable change is that Z and Y swap positions, since Z is far more common in German. The umlauts get their own dedicated keys:

• Ü sits where the left bracket [ is on a US keyboard
• Ö replaces the semicolon ;
• Ä replaces the apostrophe '
• ß sits to the right of the 0 key

Most punctuation marks shift position as well. If you decide to switch, expect a week or two of adjustment before your muscle memory adapts. Many learners keep both layouts installed and switch with a keyboard shortcut (Win + Space on Windows, Ctrl + Space on Chrome OS, or the Input Menu on Mac).

Practice Typing German Characters

Knowing the shortcuts is only half the battle. Building muscle memory requires practice. Here are two effective ways to train:

Play Type Rush. Our Type Rush game drops German words from the top of the screen, and you type them before they fall. It forces you to type German words at speed, including words with umlauts and ß, building real fluency with these characters under time pressure.

Type real German text. After your game practice, try typing paragraphs from German news sites or books. This builds context-dependent muscle memory for when umlauts appear inside longer words and sentences.

For a complete guide to improving your German typing speed, read our German typing practice post. If you want to understand why these special characters exist and how they affect pronunciation, our German alphabet pronunciation guide covers every letter including the umlauts. And for a broader look at German sounds and how to produce them, check out the German pronunciation guide.

Stop Avoiding Umlauts and Start Typing Them

Many learners develop a habit of skipping umlauts or substituting ae, oe, and ue. While Germans will understand you, this workaround creates bad habits that are harder to fix later. The shortcuts above take minutes to learn and days to feel natural. Within a week of conscious practice, typing ä, ö, ü, and ß will feel as automatic as typing any other letter.

Pick the method that matches your device, practice it with Type Rush, and make correct German typing a permanent part of your skillset.

For practice on the go, download the Deutschwunder app and keep building your German skills anywhere.

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Keep reading: German typing practice | German alphabet pronunciation | German pronunciation guide