How to Delete Forward on iPad with the Magic Keyboard
A quick guide for Windows and Linux PC nerds like me
If you are used to PC keyboards, you probably know there are two keys for deleting text — Delete and Backspace. Delete removes the character after the cursor, while Backspace removes the character before. But if you have an iPad Pro with a Magic Keyboard, you may have noticed that there is only one key for deleting text — Delete. And it works like Backspace, not like Delete. How frustrating!
You may wonder why Apple named this key Delete when it doesn’t delete forward. The reason is that Apple keyboards have always used this name for the backspace function. Mac users are familiar with this convention, but PC users may find it confusing and limiting.
Don’t worry, though. There is a simple way to delete forward with the Magic Keyboard. Just follow these steps:
- Move your cursor to where you want to delete using the arrow keys, touchpad or tapping on the screen.
- Press Control + D together on the keyboard. The character following the cursor disappears.
That’s all! Control + D acts like the PC Delete key.
Conclusion
Deleting forward is a handy feature that can make editing text on iPad more natural for PC users. Even though the Magic Keyboard doesn’t have a dedicated key, the Control + D shortcut does the job. Remember this tip and use it next time you write with the Magic Keyboard.
