Keyboard

Keyboard-safe passwords: when y and z are swapped

The password is right, but the login fails – on a laptop abroad, a smart TV, in the BIOS or at a Windows login with the wrong language setting. The reason is almost always the keyboard layout: on US and German keyboards some characters sit on different keys. Here is which ones – and how to build passwords that work everywhere.

The short version

• On US (QWERTY) and German (QWERTZ) keyboards, y and z are swapped and many symbols are on different keys.
• The same on both: all other letters, all digits and the characters ! $ % , .
• The “keyboard-safe” option in the Password Generator only uses those characters.

Which characters move

If you press the keys for a password on a US keyboard while the computer expects a German layout (or the other way round), different characters come out:

Identical, on the other hand: all letters except y and z, all digits and the characters ! (Shift + 1), $ (Shift + 4), % (Shift + 5), comma and period.

Where the problem shows up

• Windows sign-in and BitLocker: before login, a different keyboard layout is sometimes active than after – especially after updates or on newly set-up devices.
• BIOS/UEFI and disk encryption: often fixed to the US layout.
• Other people’s computers: hotels, travel, colleagues abroad.
• Smart TVs, consoles, routers: on-screen keyboards hide symbols in sub-menus; some only know US characters.
• Remote desktop: keystrokes are sometimes translated with the target computer’s layout.

How “keyboard-safe” works

With “keyboard-safe”, the generator only uses characters that sit on the same key in both layouts:

• Capital letters without Y and Z (24 characters)
• Lower-case letters without y and z (24 characters)
• Digits 0–9
• Symbols only ! $ % , .

Also enable “Avoid look-alike characters” if the password will be typed from a printout or screen. Both are part of the Wi-Fi preset.

Is that still strong enough?

Yes. With “keyboard-safe”, 63 instead of about 80 characters are available per position. That costs about 0.3 bits of randomness per character – easily made up for by one or two extra characters:

Anything above roughly 80 bits is considered practically uncrackable. The generator shows the exact figure for your settings.

I’m locked out right now – what can I do?

1. Test the password in plain text: type it into a normal text field (e.g. the search bar) and see which characters actually appear.
2. Check the layout: on Windows, the taskbar (ENG/DEU) shows the active layout; switch with Windows + Space.
3. Translate in your head: with a German layout active, type y and z swapped and enter symbols using the table above.
4. Change it afterwards: once you’re in, replace the password with a keyboard-safe one.

Frequently asked questions