NZ Aotearoa Keyboard

I had heard that Windows 11 had a new keyboard available for us Kiwis to use so i finally got around to looking into it. Thank you to the article Identity Through the Macron: The Windows 11 Aotearoa Keyboard, I found out more about it.

First you need to download the keyboard. This can be done by installing a new keyboard via Settings > Time & language > Language & Region > Options (it you are having difficulty finding Options then left click on any of the languages showing and choose … language options). Then click on the ‘Add a keyboard’ button to find and select the keyboard required.

Next switch over to the English New Zealand) NZ Aotearoa keyboard on the taskbar at the bottom of the screen (probably shown as ENG and alongside time, sound, internet connection status).

Now to use the macron in Word. to I did find it slightly tricky to work out how to actually get the macrons to show because the article talks about the ~ key and I kept holding down the shift key because the ~ is the top of two characters shown. Don’t use the shift key!!!! To type Maori with a macron over the a, type M and then type using the~ key followed by a without leaving a space, then carry on typing the rest of the word and it should automatically change the a to ā with Maori now changed to Māori.

I couldn’t get this to work while typing this blog post so I resorted to my previous method which is to use a Maori macrons online keyboard where I can create the correct text and then copy and paste it where I want to. I have this online keyboard saved to my bookmark bar for easy access. It also has other languages as well as different currencies, maths symbols and other symbols so it is very useful still.