Apple Quietly Refreshes Magic Keyboards

[ryanide]

Apple today quietly introduced updated Magic Keyboard models with revised U.S. English key labeling.

On the new keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps are labeled with glyphs rather than edge text. On the full-size models with a numeric keypad, the change goes further, with the home, page up, page down, end, clear, and enter keys also swapping their text labels for symbols.

Four models have been updated: the Magic Keyboard, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad in both white keys and black keys.

The one U.S. English model Apple has not refreshed is the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, which lacks Touch ID and continues to use text labels on the same keys.

The change mirrors the one Apple made to its laptops earlier this year, when the new MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and MacBook Neo adopted glyphs on the same set of keys.

Since the U.S. English layout is the default option in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, among other countries, the new labeling effectively extends well beyond the United States. Apple has used glyphs on its British English and other European layouts for some time, so the symbols will already be familiar to customers there.

Article Link: Apple Quietly Refreshes Magic Keyboards

Why no Black Keys on the smaller version? WTF

 

[contacos]

After years I still cannot get used to that tiny enter key on english layout on my laptop from work. I always hit the / \ by mistake when I need to use one.

 

[MN7119]

I didn't even know Apple had a keyboard. Logitech keyboard is years better than this.

 

[triumvirate]

I don’t think I would purchase a standalone keyboard with less words and more cave drawings that I had to think about what they meant every time I used the thing. And still no backlit keyboard? No useful changes?

“Can’t innovate anymore my @$$”, turn those useful words into vague glyphs! 🤣

 

[epox999]

Why are these only supported on Apple Silicon macs? how hard is it for these to just be supported as USB keyboards for any Mac

 

[alexjholland]

I do not understand why Apple doesn't make a compact (non-numeric keypad) keyboard model with black keys.

I'm using a Logitech MX Keys Mini keyboard, solely because Apple doesn't make a compact black keyboard.

 

[headlessmike]

they couldn't give them backlighting still? lame

If TouchID isn’t important to you but you still want a wireless keyboard that looks like this, then Matias makes one with backlighting.

Matias Wireless Aluminum Keyboard with Backlight

Wireless aluminum keyboard with backlight

matias.ca

They have a bunch of other models as well including wired ones with RGB backlights. I’ve been using one of their mechanical keyboards with Alps style switches for more than a decade.

 

[chrono1081]

I wish designers stopped trying to over-design everything. Sometimes words are needed where symbols become confusing.

 

[hybrid_x]

Still no backlighting.

Still no multi-device pairing.

WTF is Apple even doing?

 

[moonzilla]

Give us the non-numeric pad version in black with Touch ID, you cowards! and backlighting too please.

 

[gco212]

I was mildly annoyed by the last update replacing the words with glyphs, specifically the caps lock and shift buttons looking so similar. Here, I have no idea what identification those glyphs are supposed to be conveying at a glance. Bad move.

 

[joshwithachance]

I prefer the words.

 

[benroberts3]

I ordered a new magic keyboard about three weeks ago that has the text printed on it. It is much easier to understand and read as opposed to the new ones just released with the glyph icons. Not a fan of the updated design, and very happy that I got one of the last versions of the old keyboard layout.

 

[Lioness~]

I was hoping they'd bring back the lightning connector 😭

I still have lightning connectors on both my Keyboard and Trackpad to my Studio
Can't see any reason to shift to USB-C there.
Not as long as I have my iPhone mini with lightning as well.

Still no backlighting.

Still no multi-device pairing.

WTF is Apple even doing?

Waiting for Backlightningb for sure

Who knows what 🍏 are doing 😳

 

[tomtad]

Any reason why the keyboard with black keys costs more than the one with white keys?

 

[platinumaqua]

I’ve always been envious of the symbol printing on the foreign keyboards, so I welcome this change.

The symbols now match how the shortcut keys are presented in the menus, so this may make shortcut keys easier to understand for some people.

 

[boswald]

It's sad that I had to spend upwards of $1800 bucks on a laptop to get a backlit keyboard. Come on, Apple. It's 2026. Surely you can afford some extra R&D and put one out, right?

 

[boswald]

I see some people are complaining about no backlighting. I have never found a use for backlighting, as I don't need to look at my keyboard when I type and I prefer my battery life last longer.

It's a nice little luxury in the modern world. Nobody "needs" it, just like nobody "needs" an iPhone.

 

[apparatchik]

Lol you have to be kidding. Like there isn't anything else you can improve on after so many years? Still no backlit, a better battery? multi-device support? at least an inclination option?

How do you need battery life is not improved? My take is they really must have updated the BT version / protocol (perhaps BT 6.0?) so connectivity and battery life should be improved, perhaps someone can confirm the BT version.

 

[maxwen]

I do not understand why Apple doesn't make a compact (non-numeric keypad) keyboard model with black keys.

Perhaps we'll never see a compact version of the Magic Keyboard with black keys all lifetime. 😭 Not to mention the space gray keyboard.

 

[gugy]

Apple is so lazy and complacent when it comes to accessories. No Pro Display XDR 32"anymore and no real upgrades on keyboards and mouse for decades. Lame.

 

[einsteinbqat]

Just add backlighting already! Make the keyboard slightly thicker if necessary.

 

[LogicalApex]

We have progressed so much as a society that we no longer rely on words for things. We're back to heiroglyphs to represent everything.

Ugh. And now trying to explain the keyboard to someone gets insane. Press the shift key. Yeah, the one with the arrow pointing up. No, not the arrow pointing up with the key that has a light on ot. No, not the one with an arrow pointing up that's by the one with an arrow pointing down.

And then, the page up, page down, home and end keys are there. The words with the icons make far more sense. Why eliminate them??

Let's hope this is the last Tim failure and things improve starting next month!!!

I mean the keyboard is Magic.

Symbols add to the mystic which makes it all the more magical!

 

[thawk9455]

Heck with the backlight, make the thing just a little bigger and drop the CPU and storage from a Neo in it. One connection to a USB-C monitor and it is your computer.

 

[scifiman]

Its comical at this point that Apple doesn't include backlighting in their keyboards. They are great to type on but a hard no without the backlighting (for me at least).

IMO, not even great to type on without the ability to incline for a better typing angle.