Filed under: Tips and tricks, Mac 101
Mac 101: Forward delete on a Mac laptop
Welcome back to Mac 101, our series of tips for new and novice Mac users.We've had a few questions about a forward delete functionality on Mac laptops lately, but the question isn't new. We realized that we sometimes take our readers for granted... little tips like this are actually huge news for a lot of the switchers in the audience. So if you know this, awesome! If not, here's a quick way to duplicate the forward delete functionality on a Mac laptop.
It's really simple: find the function key (it is abbreviated as fn) on the bottom left side of the keyboard. Hold down function and hit the delete key (fn+delete).
Yes, we know -- it's an extra step over a PC but your days of using the arrow keys to delete are over. There are a lot of arguments about why there isn't a dedicated key for that function and most of them focus on the aesthetics of the keyboard by keeping it minimal. If that means I hold function to forward delete, well, I'm OK with that. I think my keyboard is sexy.
Thanks, Logan!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Mihkel S. said 5:11PM on 10-05-2009
I've been using that for some time... and I might be crazy, but couldn't the forward delete key be switched with "Eject CD" button on the keyboard (and fn+forward delete would eject the CD)... would make sense to me, specially considering the fact, that I have to work with both Windows and Mac OS X simultaneously (VMware Fusion with Win 7 running on secondary screen)...
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ds said 10:55AM on 10-06-2009
That's exactly what I did. There's a great free piece of software called KeyRemap4MacBook that I use on my Air, can't live without it (although, since it's an Air, the eject key is something I can live without). Looks like they just did an SL version too!
http://www.pqrs.org/tekezo/macosx/keyremap4macbook/
Simon J Bradford said 5:29PM on 10-05-2009
This always kills my wife when she uses my macbook - she uses a PC! Here's a question: how do you type hash (pound) on a macbook??
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Josh Carr said 5:37PM on 10-05-2009
Do you mean the monetary pound? £
If you turn on Keyboard Viewer (System Preferences, Language and Text, Input Sources... you can actually watch a live version of the keyboard and find all of the special symbol shortcuts. It shows up in your menu bar next to the battery icon. Click that and select "Show Keyboard Viewer." Just hold down "option" and it will toggle to a bunch of symbols for you. Find what you're looking for an learn it - or just use Keyboard Viewer each time.
The directions are slightly different for Pre-Snow Leopard machines, but it can still be found from the System Preferences. I'll look into writing a Mac 101 about the Keyboard Viewer.
Justin said 6:03PM on 10-05-2009
£ hold option and hit 3 :)
Like Josh said, just hold option and try hitting different symbols.
ramkanda said 7:20PM on 10-05-2009
Shift-3 should get you the hash marks you're looking for. We call it "number sign".
abolishthedevil said 5:19PM on 10-05-2009
I use DoubleCommand to map the key to left of the left arrow key (enter or right option depending on the laptop) to forward delete. That is an enormous improvement over using the fn+delete combo, and is very convenient because I find that I most often use forward delete when arrowing through text with the arrow keys, so it's always easily within reach.
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DistortedLoop said 5:38PM on 10-05-2009
Double Command was my method for this as well, mapping the small delete on my old MacBook Pro to forward instead of backward delete. New MacBook Pro doesn't have that key, though, so I'm screwed there.
I'd like to map the right Alt/Option key to forward delete with Double Command, but you can't do just the one.
DistortedLoop said 5:42PM on 10-05-2009
Oh jeez, color me stupid these last few weeks. Right there in Double Command: "Right Option Acts As Forward Delete".
D'oh! Glad I read your comment and double checked double command.
One thing I did notice in the past on Leopard, though. Running Double Command always I often had shut down errors. I suspected that Double Command was at fault, as it always appeared in the crash log.
Also, it's 32-bit, not an issue now, but might it be some day?
Drdul said 10:24PM on 10-05-2009
I also use DoubleCommand solely for this, and I cannot use a macBook without it. The current version of DC is only 32-bit, but a 64-bit version is apparently in the works. The only problem I have found with DC and 10.6 is that settings are not activated after a restart. BTW, in case anyone actually wants to type "\" after remapping the key in DoubleCommand, just hold down the fn key.
Joseph said 5:26PM on 10-05-2009
I actually find this faster than finding the delete key on most laptops. They always hide it somewhere, however, i know the backspace/delete key like i know my other 26 letters.
On a full sized keyboard, it's a moot point, but for laptops, I always have my left hand resting on the keyboard, it's just part of my workflow like CMD-V.
Great 101 tip for laptops!
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MAversa said 5:27PM on 10-05-2009
I believe you can also forward delete with 'Shift+D'.
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Josh Carr said 5:30PM on 10-05-2009
Not that I've seen :/
Mike said 5:39PM on 10-05-2009
Ack sorry, I don't have my Macbook in front of me.. It's "Control+D". Shift+D will just type capital D heh. ;)
Control+D will also forward delete, which is great because it can be done with just the left hand.
Josh Carr said 5:41PM on 10-05-2009
LOL! There we go... that works great! Thanks for the update.
TexLogic said 7:22PM on 10-08-2009
Ctrl-d is one of several standard "Emacs" keybindings (from the powerful text editor Emacs) that reflect the unix heritage of OS X and which can be used in all OS X text areas and in all third party Cocoa apps like Nisus Writer, Omnigraffle, etc. Other Emacs keybindings that you might find useful are:
Ctrl-a: Move to the beginning of a text block
Ctrl-e: Move to the end of a text block
Ctrl-k: Delete the remainder of a text block from the cursor
Ctrl-y: Paste the deleted text from an application of Ctrl-k.
Ctrl-f: Move forward one character
Ctrl-b: Move backward one character
Ctrl-p: Move up a line
Ctrl-n: Move down a line
Ctrl-v: Page down
Ctrl-t: Transpose the characters on either side of the cursor
(Note that Ctrl-k/Ctrl-y use a separate clipboard that is independent of the system wide clipboard used by Cmd-[xcv], which can be handy.) The big advantage of these commands is that one does not have to move one's hands away from their natural position on the keyboard. Coming to OS X from the Linux world, the presence of these keybindings available was a critical factor in my switch.
Joanna D said 5:33PM on 10-05-2009
If they moved the stupid eject key off the keyboard and on to the side of the computer where it belongs, there would be room for a proper delete key.
Also, why does the pictured Macbook have the word "delete" on the key? My MacBook has a left facing arrow there. (Backspace)
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Martin said 7:28PM on 10-05-2009
Mine has the word 'delete' on it ...
michas_pi said 7:56PM on 10-05-2009
@Joanna D:
International keyboard layouts have the left-facing arrow with an X instead of the word "delete".
Johnny said 11:56AM on 10-06-2009
Where it belongs? On the Mac, it belongs on the top-right side of the keyboard where it has been fore quite some time. Before that, the only way to eject a disk was to drag it to the trash, use a paper clip, or hold down the mouse button on startup.... and by golly, that's how we liked it.