Delete the character to the right of the cursor on a Mac

Why it happens

On a Mac, the key labelled Delete does what Backspace does on a PC: it removes the character to the left. Most Mac keyboards have no separate Del key, so forward delete is a combination instead. It's built in, so there's nothing to switch on.

How to fix it

1. Click just before the letter you want to remove, so the cursor sits to its left.

2. Hold the fn key (on newer keyboards it also shows a 🌐 globe, bottom-left) and press Delete. The letter to the right disappears. Keep holding both to delete more.

3. Or press Control-D. It works in Notes, Mail, Pages, TextEdit and most other places you type.

4. To clear everything from the cursor to the end of the line, press Control-K. Option-Delete removes a whole word to the left.

Still not fixed?

1. Using a full-size Apple keyboard with a number pad, or a keyboard made for Windows? Look for a key marked ⌦ or Del. It does forward delete with no extra keys.

2. In Terminal, Control-D means something else and can end your session, so use fn-Delete there.

3. If nothing happens in one app, try the same keys in Notes. If they work there, that app handles keys its own way, and its Help menu lists its shortcuts.

4. If fn-Delete and Control-D both fail in every app, the fn or Delete key may be faulty. Test with another keyboard, and if that one works, contact Apple Support or a repair shop about the keyboard.