Where is the delete key on a Mac keyboard?

If you look at the keyboard on a MacBook or another Apple device, you might be stumped. The backspace key is up there in the top right corner, but there’s no delete key. Where is the delete key on a Mac?

The difference between delete and backspace

If you think this article is just being pedantic and that the backspace key is really the delete key, you’re wrong. Backspace does indeed delete the character before the cursor, but a delete key deletes the character in front of the cursor. Both can be very useful. Many of the external keyboards for Macs will have both backspace and delete keys (see our advice on buying Mac keyboards with a dedicated delete button below).

How to delete on a Mac

Luckily, there is a very simple way around this problem. To make the backspace key act like a delete key, you simply have to hold down the fn (function) key in the bottom-left corner of the keyboard at the same time. Sorted!

Can you buy Mac keyboards with a delete button?

Yes, you can. if you’re using an iMac or you’re happy to use an external keyboard with a MacBook or MacBook Pro, you will lots of keyboards that have a dedicated Delete button in addition to the backspace key.

My current favourite external keyboard for Mac is the Vissles V84 mechanical keyboard. It’s a compact wireless keyboard with a lovely typing action, and as you will see from the photos if you click the link above, it has a delete button in the top-right corner of the keyboard.

If you’d prefer a more well-known brand, the Logitech MX Mechanical or the Logitech MX Keys both have dedicated delete keys, too.