# Using unicode with Macintosh OSX

**URL:** <https://community.keyboard.io/t/using-unicode-with-macintosh-osx/3963>\
**Category:** Programming\
**Created:** [July 3, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/using-unicode-with-macintosh-osx/3963 "2020-07-03T16:57:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![polsonst](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a587f6/32.png) [@polsonst](https://community.keyboard.io/u/polsonst)\
**Post date:** [July 3, 2020, 4:57pm UTC](https://community.keyboard.io/t/using-unicode-with-macintosh-osx/3963/1 "2020-07-03T16:57:31Z")

</div>

I use unicode on my Model 01. The reason unicode works for me, as far as I can tell, is that I have this in my sketch:

void unicodeCustomStart() {  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_LeftAlt);  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_LeftGui);  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_Spacebar);  
kaleidoscope::hid::sendKeyboardReport();  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_Spacebar);  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_LeftGui);  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_LeftAlt);  
kaleidoscope::hid::sendKeyboardReport();  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_LeftAlt);  
}

void unicodeCustomInput() {  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_LeftAlt);  
}

void unicodeCustomEnd() {  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_LeftGui);  
kaleidoscope::hid::pressRawKey(Key\_Spacebar);  
kaleidoscope::hid::sendKeyboardReport();  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_Spacebar);  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_LeftGui);  
kaleidoscope::hid::releaseRawKey(Key\_LeftAlt);  
kaleidoscope::hid::sendKeyboardReport();  
}

And I also have this in my sketch:

HostOS.os(kaleidoscope::hostos::OTHER);

However, my operating system is not OTHER (or linux or whatever) it is OSX. I have a Macintosh.

I am using Unicode HEX input as my alternate keyboard layout in my system preferences on the Macintosh.

Everything works just fine, so I have nothing to complain about, but If I change the HostOS to OSX, unicode does not work any more. So this is something for other Macintosh users who might want to use unicode input. I wonder if there is something missing in the published code