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Note: This question is how to send an Insert keypress to Microsoft Windows running directly on Apple hardware. This is not about how to use Insert in OS X or through OS X to Windows running in a VM. See here or here for non-Windows Q&A's.

Somehow in my code editor and command line I keep toggling the Insert key, but I'm not sure how. I can toggle it by clicking on OVR/INS in the status bar, but what is the key combo that I'm magically fat fingering?

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  • Someone please help me and edit the question to make it clear that I'm asking about bare-metal (not VM, not remote desktop, not OS X in any way...) Windows on a MBP. I clearly don't know how to.
    – Nick T
    Commented May 6, 2015 at 22:32
  • A lot of people provided an answer to the question asked in the title, not the details explained in the text. I've changed the title to hopefully better reflect what you are actually asking.
    – nohillside ♦
    Commented Dec 31, 2018 at 14:26

11 Answers 11

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Apparently, for Windows running natively on Apple hardware fn + return creates an Insert key press.

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  • Thank you so much - I would never have figured out which keys I just mashed. Consider my bacon saved!
    – Joel Balmer
    Commented Feb 17, 2019 at 12:29
16

While running Midnight commander in terminal on MBP (OSX Yosemite) I use ctrl-T for simuating INS

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I have been able to find no way to do so, with a modern Macbook Pro. (The keyboard view only shows a minimal keyboard)

Apparently fn + return is the winner.

Not on newer Macs, that key combination is just 'enter' (instead of 'return').

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  • 2
    Is that in Windows or OS X? My question was regarding Win
    – Nick T
    Commented Apr 2, 2013 at 19:17
  • @NickT, as per the other thread, Fn + Return evaluates to just Return on my hardware
    – ekkis
    Commented Jul 28, 2014 at 16:12
  • 1
    I think this has been changed in recent hardware. I am downvoting wrong answers and upvoting yours. If someone wants to make an answer that has a list of which Macs, running which version of the OS, and in what application (VM, Bootcamp) which key combination = Insert, well, that will get an upvote. This is an open question all over Google because of many varying Mac configurations. I've tried on 4 different Macs and gotten varying success. It doesn't help that there are easy key rebinding apps that have concealed the complexity of the issue.
    – geoO
    Commented May 6, 2015 at 18:33
  • Not at all. Crtl + Enter just behaves as Enter.
    – Kornel
    Commented Nov 6, 2017 at 19:37
  • @Kornel in 2013, with my then unibody macbook pro, this was tested as working. I can not speak for today's models -- I've moved back to thinkpads and linux. Also note the posting doesn't mention ctrl.
    – demure
    Commented Nov 7, 2017 at 21:09
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The keycombination fn + i is resulting in the same as insert does on Windows.

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7

I just wanted to point out, that you can map any key or key combination in OSX to any other key or key combination using Karabiner.

In my case, I'm using the following configuration to send Insert to Windows through TeamViewer, for example when running NVDA screen reader software (which heavily relies on key combinations using Insert) to test websites for accessibility.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
  <item>
    <name>Fn + Ctrl-Left to Insert</name>
    <identifier>private.fn_ctrl_to_insert</identifier>
    <autogen>
      __KeyToKey__KeyCode::CONTROL_L, ModifierFlag::FN,
      KeyCode::PC_INSERT
    </autogen>
  </item>
</root>

This way, for example, I can send Insert+N (which opens the NVDA menu) by pressing Fn+Ctrl+N in OSX.

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  • Excellent, thank you. I knew I could do it with Karabiner, but I wasn't overly keen to figure out their XML config. Thanks so very very much!
    – James T Snell
    Commented Sep 12, 2015 at 22:24
  • THIS is the actual right answer!
    – James T Snell
    Commented Sep 12, 2015 at 22:30
  • @Doc the answerer doesn't seem to be running Windows on their hardware, but remotely. Ask a separate question if you want this to be the "right answer" :P
    – Nick T
    Commented Oct 26, 2015 at 19:04
  • @NickT: Yup, I understand. I used this solution to help my mother who RDPs to a Windows box and needs an Insert key for her work. She uses it many many times per day, it works great.
    – James T Snell
    Commented Oct 26, 2015 at 19:28
  • I also run virtual machines using VMWare Fusion, so in some way I'm running Windows on my hardware (except its virtualised).
    – Joshua Muheim
    Commented Oct 27, 2015 at 8:18
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the answer is Fn + m

however, to make it work:

  1. Run the On-Screen Keyboard (Windows 2012: Windows Key + C to bring up the charms, click Search, type "keyboard")
  2. Click on Options
  3. Turn on numeric key pad
  4. Make sure NumLock is turned off (so you can see the Ins key where the 0 would be)
  5. on the regular keyboard the "m" is where the 0 is, therefore Fn + m = Insert
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  • 1
    "so you can see the Ins key where the 0 would be" life saver! Thanks.
    – mohammadreza
    Commented Sep 11, 2020 at 16:37
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I'm using Apple Wirelss Keyboard model A1314 on an DELL XPS 13 laptop running Ubuntu 14.04 and for me, Fn+Shift+return key combination offers what shift+insert offers in Windows, which is paste.

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option + command + i is the winner

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fn+Enter works for me in Windows 8.1 in the BootCamp of a MacBook Pro

Other interesting key combinations:

  • fn+Delete: Delete next character (as opposed to Delete which deletes the previous character)
  • fn+Shift+F11: Print screen to clipboard
  • rightAlt+3: # symbol

I found many of them in https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT5636

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    The OP specifies a MBP, the link to support.apple you cite states Fn + ENTER only works using an "Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad" and specifically shows NO entry for "Insert" under "Apple USB & Wireless keyboard" or "MacBook Pro keyboard" which is what the OP is using.
    – geoO
    Commented May 6, 2015 at 18:42
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Given the diversity of options that sometimes work or not, I thought to try the Onscreen Keyboard that Windows has in it's "Ease of Access" menu. The OSK has an Insert key and it works fine after you select the relevant foreground window. Once done, close OSK and carry on as normal in your VM

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fn + Enter - it's working on Windows 7 installed at MacBook Pro

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  • Which MBP specifically? I'm trying to compile a list of Mac hardware/OS where this works. Apple support (support.apple.com/en-us/HT202676) states that it does not work with a MBP keyboard, and I can't get Fn + Enter to work on my MBP. Did you use a Bluetooth or USB keyboard? Did you remap any keys using software? Which version of the Bootcamp drivers are you using?
    – geoO
    Commented May 8, 2015 at 15:30

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