Apple has quietly updated its Magic Keyboard lineup with a subtle design change. Several keys that previously used text labels now display glyphs instead, bringing the standalone keyboards in line with the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro keyboards that received the same treatment earlier this year.
The affected keys on all updated models are Tab, Caps Lock, Shift, Return, and Delete. On the full-size models with a numeric keypad, the change goes further, with Home, Page Up, Page Down, End, Clear, and Enter also swapping text labels for symbols.
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Four models have been updated: the standard Magic Keyboard at $99, the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID at $149, and the Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and Numeric Keypad in white at $179 and black at $199. The one model left untouched is the Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad without Touch ID.
Beyond the new key labels, there is nothing else to look forward to. The keyboards retain the same USB-C connectivity, layouts, and functionality, while prices remain unchanged from when the USB-C versions launched in October 2024. Apple has assigned new part numbers and marked the listings as new, but this is purely a cosmetic revision rather than a hardware update.
The glyphs will already look familiar to anyone using Apple's British English or European keyboard layouts, where symbols have replaced text on some keys for years. Since the US English layout is also the default in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore, the updated labelling will appear in those markets as well.
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What additional keys use glyphs instead of text on the full-size Magic Keyboard models with a numeric keypad?
Do the updated Magic Keyboards include any changes to connectivity, layout, functionality, or internal hardware?
Will the new glyph key labels appear in US English and other English-speaking markets like Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore?
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What the update does not include, and what Mac users have been asking about for years, is backlighting. Apple's Magic Keyboard still has no illumination, making it one of the biggest gaps in its accessory lineup.
