Computers, Laptops & Tablets Google How to Create a Delete Key on Chromebook There are ways to get around the missing keys, including Delete by Scott Orgera Writer Scott Orgera is a former writer who covering tech since 2007. He has 25+ years experience as a programmer and QA leader, and holds several Microsoft certifications. our editorial process Facebook Twitter Scott Orgera Updated on December 02, 2020 Google Microsoft Apple Google Tablets Accessories & Hardware Tweet Share Email One commonly-used keyboard option not found on most Chromebooks is the Delete key—a casualty of smaller, redesigned devices. By using the magic of keyboard shortcuts, you can still simulate the behavior of a Delete key on Chrome OS. Here's how to create a Chromebook delete key function, as well as several others. How to Delete on Chromebook To mimic the Delete key’s functionality on Chrome OS, you can use the following keyboard shortcut: Alt+Backspace. This key combo can be pressed for a number of different reasons, such as deleting a file or erasing the character to the right (or in front of) your blinking cursor. In contrast, the Backspace key is essentially the Chromebook Delete key and you can use it without any additional keys to delete the character to the left (or behind) your cursor. In other instances, such as when you’re dealing with files or even a selected block of text, you can right-click the item you wish to remove, then select Delete from the context menu. Other Chromebook Shortcuts In addition to Delete, there are other keys found on traditional keyboards that may not be available on a standard Chromebook. Thankfully, most of these missing keys can also be mimicked by using the following shortcuts. Home: Ctrl+Alt+Up ArrowEnd: Ctrl+Alt+Down ArrowPage Up: Alt or Search+Up ArrowPage Down: Alt or Search+Down Arrow To see a full list of keyboard shortcuts avaiable in Chrome OS, grouped by category, select the View keyboard shortcuts option found toward the bottom of the Keyboard settings page. How to Create Custom Keys on Chromebook While you can’t create a custom Delete key on your Chromebook, you do have the option of mapping some other functions to a number of existing keys. Log into your Chromebook, if necessary. Click the Time indicator in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. When the pop-up window appears, click Settings, represented by a gear icon and found in the upper right-hand corner. The Chrome OS Settings interface should now be displayed. Click Device, located in the left menu pane. Click Keyboard. The Chromebook Keyboard settings will now be visible. Toward the top of this screen are Search, Ctrl, Alt, Escape, and Backspace, each accompanied by a drop-down menu. You can modify what these individual keys do when pressed by selecting a different value from the respective key’s menu. So, for example, if you don’t use the Search key often, but miss having a Caps Lock key available on your Chromebook, simply click its drop-down menu, then click Caps Lock. Once satisfied with your updates, click the X in the upper right-hand corner to close the Settings interface. Your new keyboard assignments should take effect immediately. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again. You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. Thank you for signing up. Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit