The key at the top right of a Mac keyboard says delete but behaves like Backspace: it erases the character to the left of the cursor. Apple's manuals call it ⌫.

  • Forward delete (the Windows Delete key) is fn on a laptop. Full-size Apple keyboards have a separate ⌦ key above the arrows.
  • Deleting a file in Finder is ; the file goes to the Trash. Pressing delete alone does nothing to a selected file. empties the Trash.
  • Deleting a word is , and in a text field deletes to the start of the line.

A PC keyboard plugged into a Mac keeps its physical Delete key, and macOS treats it as forward delete in text.