Where Is The Delete Key On A Keyboard?
The delete key is an important part of a keyboard because it makes it easy to get rid of text, files, and pictures from a computer.
You can also use it to edit text and documents. This key is typically located on the top right corner of most keyboards, above the “End” key and next to the “Page Up” key. It is labeled as “Del” or “Delete”.
Some keyboard layouts may have the delete key located in a different location
. Read on to understand where the delete key is on your keyboard.
Overview: Where Is The Delete Key On A Keyboard
The absence or presence of the delete key on a keyboard will depend on the keyboard’s layout.
Some keyboards have a dedicated Delete key which is also abbreviated as DEL. For others you will have to use a combination of keys to delete text.
Some of the most common combinations are the use of the Fn + Backspace key, which acts as a delete key.
Number Of Delete Keys On Various Keyboard Sizes
Full-sized keyboards have two delete keys.
Laptop and compact keyboards with no numeric keypad typically have a smaller form factor than full-size keyboards, and as a result, they may have fewer keys or keys that are smaller in size.
The number of keys on a compact keyboard can vary, but it is common for them to have only one DEL key, as opposed to the two DEL keys (one labeled DEL and the other labeled Backspace) found on full-size keyboards.
Chromebooks and MacBooks do not have a delete key. However, you can forward delete using shortcuts like ALT + BACKSPACE for Chromebook
.
Some common compact keyboards sizes include:
- 65% keyboard: This is a compact keyboard that includes most of the keys found on a full-size keyboard, but omits the function row and number pad to save space.
- 60% keyboard: This is an even smaller keyboard that omits the function row, number pad, and navigation keys to save space.
- 75% keyboard: This is a keyboard that is similar in size to a TKL keyboard, but with a smaller function row and no dedicated navigation keys.
- 40% keyboard: This is an extremely small keyboard that only includes the alphanumeric keys, and no function row, number pad, or navigation keys.
Where Is The Delete Key On Full Sized Keyboard
A full-sized keyboard is also referred to as a 100% keyboard. These keyboards are the largest and contain all 104 keys, including the home cluster, number pad, function row, and number pad.
The Delete key on the full-sized keyboard is typically located near the Home and End keys in the top right corner.
You can also find the delete key on the keyboard’s number pad on the right side.
The Delete key on the number pad is sometimes abbreviated as Del. Although this key is mainly used for deleting numbers while using the keypad, you can also use it to delete text.
Location Of The Delete Key On the TKL Keyboard
TKL keyboards (or Tenkeyless) omit the number pad and sometimes the function row. They are approximately 80% of the size of a full-sized keyboard.
The name tenkeyless comes from the omission of the number pad, which has ten keys from 0-9.
You will find the delete key on the home cluster near the End and the Home keys on a tenkeyless keyboard. The Delete key has the abbreviation “Del.”
How Many Delete Keys Does A Keyboard Have?
There are two delete keys on a full-sized keyboard. Laptop computers and compact keyboards have only one delete key. Chromebooks do not have the delete key.
Do MacBooks Have A Delete Key?
You may be stamped if you search for the delete key on a Mac or any other Apple device.
Most MacBook models do not have a dedicated “delete” key, but they do have a way to delete text.
On MacBooks with traditional keyboards (such as the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro), the “delete” function is typically performed by pressing the “fn” key (located in the bottom left corner of the keyboard) and the “delete” key (which is labeled as “Del” or “Backspace”). This will delete text to the right of the cursor.
Is The Delete Key The Same As The Backspace Key
Although the delete and backspace keys seem to serve the same purpose, the two keys have distinct functions.
The Backspace key deletes the character before the cursor position, while the delete key deletes the character after the cursor position. In other words, the delete key cannot work if there isn’t a character before the cursor position.
So How Do You Delete On A Mac?
Fortunately, the solution to the lack of a delete key on a Mac is quite simple. On a desktop Mac with a full-size keyboard, it’s labeled with Del, and you can make the backspace work like the delete key. Remember, the backspace key deletes the character before the cursor position. In contrast, the delete key deletes the character after the cursor position.
A desktop Macintosh with a full-size keyboard has a Delete key labeled with Del, while MacBooks do not have this key. You can make the backspace key act as the delete key by pressing it in combination with the Fn key. You can find the Function or Fn key on the bottom-left side of your keyboard.
Where Is The Delete Key On A Chromebook
A Chromebook does not have a dedicated delete key since they are meant to be lightweight and compact, so Google eliminated some keys, including the del key, from the computer. However, the machines have a Backspace Functionality key denoted by a backwards-pointing arrow.
Remember, you will have to press the Backspace functionality key with the Alt key to function as the delete key. It is also possible to delete letters, numbers or words by highlighting them and then pressing the Backspace functionality key.
Reasons Why Chromebooks Do Not Have a Delete Key
There are various reasons why Chromebooks do not have a delete key. Chromebooks are meant to be as portable as possible and thus need to be lightweight. Therefore, the company did away with many keys, including the delete key found on traditional laptops.
Chromebooks also rely on cloud-based storage, which means you do not need to save your documents or files on your local computer’s hard disk. Therefore, you can simply delete these files through your cloud-based account when you no longer need the records. The delete key may not be as necessary as on traditional keyboards.
How Can You Mimic Delete Key On Chrome
Due to Google’s aim of producing a compact computer, Chromebook has eliminated some keys, including the Delete key. Similar to a Mac laptop, you would have to combine two keys to have the delete functionality. You have to press the Alt + Backspace keys to mimic the delete functionality. This key combination is useful for several reasons on your Chromebook. You can use the combination to delete a file or erase the character in front of the blinking cursor.
However, similar to standard keyboards, you can use the backspace key to delete characters behind the cursor. You can highlight the text or files you want to delete by right-clicking them and selecting delete from the context menu.
Functions Of The Delete Key
Since you have an idea of the delete key, it is critical to understand what happens when you press it.
When you click on a file to highlight it and press the delete key in Microsoft Windows, the files go to the Recycle Bin folder. On Mac, the deleted files go to the Trash folder.
However, the files are not permanently erased from your machine when you press delete. The data is still available on the hard drive until it is overwritten by other data.
Can You Delete A Program From Your Computer Using The Delete Key
No, you cannot delete a program, but you can remove it from the computer by uninstalling it. However, the delete key can ease files, documents and pictures.
A common abbreviation for the Delete key is “Del.” You can use this key in combination with other keys to perform specific tasks. These keys are known as shortcut keys. For example, you can access the task manager on windows by clicking on Ctrl+Alt+Del. Pressing Shift + Del will delete a selected item permanently without placing it in the Recycle Bin.
Conclusion
The location of the delete key on a keyboard mainly depends on the keyboard type. Some keyboards have two delete keys, while others do not have a dedicated delete key.
However, you can access the functionalities of the delete key by combining two or more keys, known as shortcut keys. You can also delete files or other data using the mouse. Therefore, a keyboard lacking a dedicated key should not be much of a concern.