Apple Updates Four Magic Keyboards, Replacing Key Labels with Icons
Apple today released updated Magic Keyboards that replace text labels with icon symbols on several keys for the US English layout. The change covers Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Return, and Delete, while the full-size model also updates Home, Page Up, Page Down, End, Clear, and Enter. Four models are affected, including the USB-C version, the Touch ID version, and two Touch ID models with numeric keypads. The numeric keypad version without Touch ID retains text labels. The move aligns with early 2026 MacBook designs and extends beyond the US because US English is the default in several other countries.
Apple today introduced upgraded Magic Keyboards, with adjustments focused on the key labeling for the US English version. On the new keyboards, the Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Return, and Delete keys no longer use text labels along the edges; instead, they now display icon symbols. This change aims to unify the visual presentation of the keys and improve recognition efficiency.
For the full-size model with a numeric keypad, the update is more thorough: the text labels on the Home, Page Up, Page Down, End, Clear, and Enter keys have also been replaced with symbol icons. A total of four models have been updated, including the Magic Keyboard (USB-C), the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the white-key and black-key versions of the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and numeric keypad. The only model not included in this update is the Magic Keyboard with numeric keypad but without Touch ID, which still uses traditional text labels.
This change is consistent with Apple's approach to its laptops earlier in 2026, as the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo had already adopted icon symbols on the same set of keys. Because the US English layout is also the default keyboard setting in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, the impact of this update extends beyond the United States. For users in the United Kingdom and other European regions, this symbol-based labeling is not unfamiliar, as Apple has long used a similar design in its British English and European keyboard layouts.